He official website from the animated film adaptation of the novel The Camphorwood Custodian (Kusunoki no Bannin), written by Keigo Higashinopresented a new promotional trailer which reveals its main cast, more crew members and the Japanese premiere date: January 30, 2026 (local time), equivalent to January 29 at 4:00 p.m. in Spain.
Cast and creative team confirmed
The cast will have Fumiya Takahashi as Reito Naoi and Yūki Amami as Chifune Yanagisawa. The script is in charge of Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!!, 91 Days, Sakamoto Days), while the character design is the responsibility of Tsubasa Yamaguchi (Blue Period) next to Akiko Itagaki (Lonely Castle in the Mirror). Hiroshi Takiguchi is in charge of art direction.
The direction is in the hands of Tomohiko Ito (Sword Art Online, ERASED), under the production of A-1 Pictures and Psyde Kick Studioswith Aniplex as official distributor.
A story of second chances
The plot follows Reitoa young man unfairly fired from his job who, motivated by resentment, commits a crime and is arrested. After being ignored by investigators and waiting to be charged, a lawyer appears with an unexpected proposal: he will be released if he accepts a condition imposed by his client, Chifune Yanagisawahalf-sister of his late mother.
Chifune's only instruction is for Reito to become camphor tree guardian in the sanctuary of Tsukigo. There, Reito begins to interact with people who visit the place for reasons as varied as they are profound, beginning a path of redemption and personal discovery.
From paper to screen
The original novel was published in 2020 in hardcover format and 2023 in paperback edition, accumulating more than one million copies in circulation. Higashino is also the author of works such as The Miracles of the Namiya General Store and Himitsuboth with stage and film adaptations.
