Animation film [i]Kusunoki no Bannin[/i] (The Camphor Tree Guardian) starts 2026

The film adaptation of Keigo Higashino's novel «Kusunoki no Bannin» (English: «The Camphor Tree Guardian») will be released in Japanese cinemas on January 30, 2026. For the first time, one of the author's works will be realized in animated form. A previously released key visual and a teaser provide insights into the visual design.

The art direction is handled by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, known from «Blue Period», and Akiko Itagaki, who worked on «Lonely Castle in the Mirror». Their design shows the protagonist Reito Naoi in front of the monumental camphor tree, whose bark texture and root system are meticulously detailed. A teaser video emphasizes the mystical atmosphere of the tree and introduces the key figure Yachiyo Yanagisawa.

Reito Naoi, voiced by Fumiya Takahashi, loses his livelihood after an unjustified dismissal and commits a crime out of despair. His aunt Yachiyo Yanagisawa (voice: Yuki Amami) – half-sister of his deceased mother and a key figure in the Yanagisawa Group conglomerate – offers him a fresh start as the guardian of the sacred camphor tree. This role leads him to encounters with people whose fates are intertwined with the tree and gradually reveals its supernatural secret.

Takahashi, the lead actor in an animated film for the first time, describes the story as a reflection on self-discovery and interpersonal bonds. Amami emphasizes the creative possibilities of animation as an artistic challenge. Footage from the dubbing studios shows their working processes.

The screenplay is written by Taku Kishimoto («Haikyu!!», «Blue Lock»), while Hiroshi Takiguchi («Weathering with You», «Chao») serves as art director. The animation is produced by A-1 Pictures and Psyde Kick Studio.