Stage adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's work! Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho" will be performed in Tokyo and Osaka starting April 20, 2018!

The movie "What's Your Name? (Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho), the first feature-length animated film by Makoto Shinkai, who is now attracting worldwide attention for his movie "Kimi no na wa" (Your Name), was released in November 2004.

Makoto Shinkai, who made his impressive debut in the visual world with "Hoshinokoe" in 2002, created his first feature film "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho" (Beyond the Clouds, a Promised Place) all by himself. The film broke the record for the largest attendance at the Tollywood short film theater, won numerous awards, sold over 60,000 DVDs in Japan, and has now been released in 16 countries around the world. Shinkai himself wrote the original story, wrote the screenplay, directed, photographed, and created the artwork, and has fully demonstrated his auteuristic talent. The staff supporting the director includes Ammon-san, who also worked with Shinkai on "Hoshinokoe" for music, and Ushio Tazawa, who showed his breathtaking talent on "NHK Minna no Uta 'Egao' (Smile)" as animation director. The art direction is by Takumi Tanji, who has worked on art and paintings for live-action films, adding even more depth to Shinkai's visual beauty. Following the previous film, which was made by one person, this time Shinkai is taking on a different form of animation from that produced by a studio.

It has been announced that "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Tokoro" will be adapted for the stage for the first time.
The show will be performed at Tokyo International Forum Hall C (Tokyo) from April 20 (Friday) to April 24 (Tuesday), 2018, and at NHK Hall Osaka (Osaka) for two performances on May 2 (Wednesday) of the same year.

The main character, Hiroki Fujisawa, will be played by Yudai Tatsumi (Fu~yu~) in his second leading role this year. Takuya Shirakawa, Hiroki's classmate, will be played by Sho Takada (Johnny's Jr.), and the heroine, Sayuri Sawatari, will be played by Moeka Ito (Fairies).
In addition, talented actors such as Atsuko Asano, Kazuyuki Matsuzawa, and Wataru Kozuki will also appear in the film to add depth to the work.

In addition to the appeal of the original story, which focuses on the conflicts between young men and women, the stage version will also depict the background of adults living in two divided countries, adding more depth to the stage production.

The cast members who have been selected to appear in the play have commented on their participation.

Comments】 ※Titles omitted
Yudai Tatsumi (Foo~yu~): Playing the role of Hiroki Fujisawa
I never thought I would be involved in Makoto Shinkai's work one day. Ever since I was selected for the role, I have been excited every day. I want to make the play "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho (Beyond the Clouds, a Promised Place)" because it is performed by a real person, while respecting the world in the film. And I promise to play the role of Hiroki to the best of my ability.

Sho Takada (Johnny's Jr.): Playing the role of Takuya Shirakawa
This is the first time for me to co-star with my senior Tatsumi. I am very happy to be working with Tatsumi, who has appeared on many stages in the past, and I hope to give my best while watching his back. I will be playing the role of Takuya Shirakawa in this production. In contrast to Hiroki, Takuya is an intelligent and mature man with a talent for physics. The story is a completely unpredictable work, filled with various elements such as friendship, sweet and sour infatuation, and adult romance. I am looking forward to the rehearsals. I am looking forward to the rehearsals with Tatsumi and the other co-stars, and I am sure we will inspire each other in the performance. I look forward to seeing you at the theater.

Moeka Ito (Fairies): Playing the role of Sayuri Sawatari
I am very happy to be involved in this production.I loveMakoto Shinkai's works somuchthat I have bought his DVDs and watched them dozens of times, so I never thought that I would be playing the role. I am just so excited about it now.I will do my best to draw the audience intothatworld. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Production information
Stage "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho" (Beyond the clouds, a promised place)

＜Synopsis
After the war, another Japan is divided into north and south.
The "Union," a group of communist states that covers half of the world, has taken control of Ezo (Hokkaido), and a tall, white tower towers over the center of the island. However, no one knows the intentions of the "Union. Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa, two junior high school students living on the Tsugaru Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, long to see the tower soaring above the foreign land, and they plan to fly across the Tsugaru Straits on the border to the tower. The small plane for this purpose, the "Veracilla," is being built in a warehouse in an abandoned train station on top of a mountain. This plan, which is nothing but a crime, is supposed to be kept secret, but Hiroki slips up and his classmate Sayuri Sawatari finds out about it. Fortunately, Sayuri takes a keen interest in Veracilla and becomes an accomplice to the plan. Hiroki and Sayuri make a promise to each other that they will take Sayuri to the tower when the Velashira is completed. ＜As the Velashira nears completion, the three grow closer, but one day Sayuri has a dream about the tower. Suddenly, Sayuri disappears from Hiroki and the others. After Sayuri's disappearance, Hiroki and the others stop working on the Vera Silla. Three years pass...

Based on the book "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho" by Makoto Shinkai.
Script: Shigeki Motoiki
Direction: Yuko Naito (Theater Troupe EN)
Music: Masato Kamada
Cast: Yudai Tatsumi (Fu~yu~)
　Sho Takada (Johnny's Jr.)
　Moeka Ito (Fairies)
　Kazuyuki Matsuzawa
　Wataru Kozuki
　Atsuko Asano and others

Hosted, planned and produced by: "Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho" Production Committee
(Avex Entertainment/Produce NOTE/Sunrise Promotion Tokyo)
Cooperation: Comics Wave Film
Production Cooperation: Olega
Official Website：#

＜Tokyo Performance: 7 performances in total
Performance dates and venues: April 20 (Fri.) - 24 (Tue.), 2018
Tokyo International Forum Hall C (3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Ticket prices: S seats 9,500, A seats 5,000 (All seats reserved, tax included)
Inquiries: Sunrise Promotion Tokyo 0570-00-3337 (10:00-18:00 all days)

<Osaka performance = 2 performances in total
Performance Date & Venue: Wednesday, May 2, 2018 (Concert begins at 12:00)
May 2 (Wed.) Concert begins 17:00 *Special curtain call talk will be held on May 2 (Wed.) at 17:00
NHK Osaka Hall (4-1-20 Otemae, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka)
Ticket prices: S seats 9,500, A seats 5,000 (all seats reserved, tax included)
Inquiries: KYODO Information 0570-200-888 (10:00-18:00 on all days)
*Fastest advance ticket sales for the Tokyo and Osaka performances will begin on March 14 (Wed.) on the official website!

<Main Characters
Hiroki Fujisawa: Yudai Tatsumi (Fu~yu~)
The main character of the film. In junior high school, he was a member of the Japanese archery club. He is a bit childish, and gets easily riled up. After graduating from junior high school, he goes to a high school in Tokyo and lives in the school dormitory so that he can no longer see the "Union Tower," which was the promised place for him and Sayuri. Eventually, he makes a decision. He makes a decision to keep his promise.

Takuya Shirakawa: Sho Takada (Johnny's Jr.)
In junior high school, he was a member of the skating club. In contrast to Hiroki, he is intelligent and mature. After graduating from junior high school, he went on to a local high school. He has a flair for physics, and through Okabe's introduction, he joined Tomizawa Laboratory as an external researcher, working on the "Tower of Union.

Sayuri Sawatari: Moeka Ito (Fairies)
The heroine of the film. She is a classmate whom Hiroki and Takuya secretly have feelings for. She has a very cheerful personality, but is somewhat fragile. She can play the violin. She was looking forward to flying to the "Tower of Union" in Veracilla, but in the summer of her junior year, she developed an unexplained sleep disorder and was hospitalized in a Tokyo hospital. Since then, she has disappeared from their lives.

Tomoyuki Okabe: Kazuyuki Matsuzawa
The president of Ezo Manufacturing, where Hiroki and Takuya work part-time to earn money for airplane parts. To everyone else, he is divorced and single. He is separated from his wife due to the division of South and North. At the factory, he is a subcontractor for the U.S. military, assembling missiles and other equipment. He and Tomizawa are old acquaintances.
However, his life changes drastically when his former wife visits him.

Tsuneko Tomizawa: Wataru Kozuki *The gender of the original character has been changed. She is the head of the wartime special information processing laboratory at Aomori Army College. He is researching "towers. He and Okabe are old acquaintances. Now, he also admires him as a man behind his back.
He is puzzled when Okabe's wife, who used to live in the north, appears.

Okabe's wife Yoshie: Atsuko Asano *This time, Okabe's wife appears as a new character to deepen the world view.
She and Okabe were separated by birthplace due to the North-South divide.
One day, she is reunited with Okabe by a sudden letter. There was a deep reason for this. She was an activist who lived for the northern land of her birth. However, she had returned to this land with a desire to live together. It was also the time when the battle between the North and South was about to begin, as the Cold War was about to begin.

(C)Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films