Kokurojo (2026 Film)

Kokurojo (Japanese: 黒牢城) is a 2026 Japanese historical mystery film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The film is an adaptation of the 2021 novel of the same name written by Honobu Yonezawa.

Promotional image for the film Kokurojo — Promotional visual for Kokurojo.

Plot

The story is set during the Sengoku period, focusing on Murashige Araki, who rebels against the warlord Nobunaga Oda. Araki retreats to his castle, which is subsequently surrounded and isolated by Oda's forces. As tensions rise within the walls, a series of mysterious deaths occurs. With the castle sealed off, Araki must rely on the tactical genius of Kanbee Kuroda, whom he holds captive in the castle's dungeon, to solve the crimes.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast, including:

Masahiro Motoki as Murashige Araki
Masaki Suda as Kanbee Kuroda
Yuriko Yoshitaka as Chiyoho
Munetaka Aoki as Kyuzaemon Araki
Ryota Miyadate as Sukesaburo Inui
Shingo Bando as Nobunaga Oda

Production

The film is based on the novel Kokurojo, which received significant critical acclaim in Japan. The source material won the 166th Naoki Prize (2021), the 22nd Honkaku Mystery Award (2022), the 12th Futaro Yamada Award (2021), and was recognized by the Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! rankings in 2022.