The Floating Castle (Japanese: のぼうの城, Hepburn: Nobō no Shiro) is a 2012 Japanese historical drama film directed by Shinji Higuchi and Isshin Inudo, starring Mansai Nomura. It adapts Ryō Wada's 2007 novel of the same name.
Set in feudal Japan, the film is based on the Siege of Oshi and depicts the struggle of Oshi's villagers in defending their fortress against Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign against the Hojo clan. Against insurmountable odds, Narita Nagachika, the fortress's castellan, leads a group of 500 men against 20,000 men led by Ishida Mitsunari, part of Toyotomi clan's greater army of 200,000 samurai.
Contents
Cast
Mansai Nomura as Nagachika Narita
Nana Eikura as Kaihime
Hiroki Narimiya as Sakamaki
Tomomitsu Yamaguchi as Izumi
Kōichi Satō as Tanba
Masachika Ichimura as Hideyoshi Toyotomi
Takehiro Hira as Masaie Natsuka
Takayuki Yamada as Yoshitsugu Otani
Yusuke Kamiji as Mitsunari Ishida
Masahiko Nishimura as Ujinaga Narita
Sei Hiraizumi as Yasusue Narita
Isao Natsuyagi as Monk
Takeo Nakahara as Hojo Ujimasa
Honami Suzuki as Tama
Gin Maeda as Tahee
Akiyoshi Nakao as Kazou
Machiko Ono as Chiyo
Mana Ashida as Chidori
Production
The film was produced by the following studios.
Asahi Shimbun
Asatsu-DK
Asmik Ace Entertainment
Broadcasting System of Niigata
C&I Entertainment
Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
Chugoku Broadcasting
Cybird Holdings
East Japan Marketing & Communications
Hakuhodo DY Media Partners
Happinet
Hokkaido Broadcasting
Kou Shibusawa Production
Mainichi Broadcasting System
Nippon Shuppan Hanbai
RKB Mainichi Broadcasting
Shizuoka Broadcasting System
Shogakukan
Tokyo Broadcasting System
TBS Radio & Communications
Television Saitama (JAITS)
UHF Television Yamanashi
Toho
Tohoku Broadcasting Company
Reception
Mark Adams of Screen International gave the film a favorable review, describing the film as an "epic period action-comedy packed with wonderfully over-the-top characters, great production values and some spectacular sequences".
Awards
The film racked up ten nominations for the Japan Academy Prize, winning one for Best Art Direction. Additionally it was nominated for three Asian Film Awards.