Kokuho: Oscar-nominated for makeup and Japan’s top live-action hit

Kokuho earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and stands as the highest-grossing live-action film in Japan’s history. The nomination recognizes the work of makeup artists Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu. The historical epic, based on Shuichi Yoshida’s novel, centers on two friends whose dedication to kabuki shapes their lives: Kikuo Tachibana (Ryo Yoshizawa) and Shunsuke Ōgaki (Ryusei Yokohama).

Their relationship, set against postwar shifts in power and class, unfolds amid yakuza violence, adoption by the acclaimed actor Hanai Hanjiro II (Ken Watanabe) and a rivalry that feels almost Shakespearean. Makeup plays multiple roles in the film, from fully staged kabuki performances to realistic age transformations and the effects of injury and illness on the characters.

The practical effects are used extensively rather than relying on digital aging.

Japan

kokuho, academy award, best makeup, kyoko toyokawa, naomi hibino, tadashi nishimatsu, kabuki, ryo yoshizawa, ryusei yokohama, ken watanabe