Sawaki Kota’s ‘Scattered in Spring’ is being adapted into a film, starring Hiroshi Sato and Yokohama Ryusei as co-leads. It’s an inspiring story of boxers striving for a ‘comeback’.

Sawaki Kota, who has produced numerous bestsellers, including the non-fiction trilogy ‘Shinya Tokkyu’ (‘Late-Night Express’), created the masterpiece novel ‘Haru ni Chiru’ (‘Scattered in Spring’), which garnered significant attention since its serialization in the Asahi Shimbun. Throughout his life, Sawaki Kota has pursued the theme of ‘questioning life through boxing’ in this work. The protagonist of ‘Haru ni Chiru’ is Jinichi Hirooka, a former boxer who lost due to an unfair judgment, went to the United States, and returned after 40 years. He crosses paths with Shogo Kuroki, another boxer whose spirit was broken after losing due to an unfair judgment. Inspired by the fact that he was knocked down for the first time in his life by Jinichi, Shogo pleads for Jinichi to teach him boxing. Eventually, the two set out to aim for the world champion title together and challenge the stage of a ‘life-defying’ battle. Portraying the characters Jinichi and Shogo are Hiroshi Sato and Yokohama Ryusei, respectively. Expectations are high for how they will depict the two men taking a new start in their lives. The director is Keiichi Hasegawa, a master of human drama known for works like ‘Ito’ and ‘Rageri Yori Ai o Komete’ (‘With Love from the Concentration Camp’). Together with Hiroshi Sato, who has collaborated with Hasegawa several times, and Yokohama Ryusei, making his first collaboration with Hasegawa, they will portray an inspiring drama that questions what it means to ‘live.’ Yokohama Ryusei, who played the role of a boxer, took the professional boxing test and obtained a Class C license. By passing the practical (sparring) test and written test included in the professional test held by the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), he earned the ‘Boxer License,’ which is an essential step to becoming a professional boxer. Yokohama Ryusei strongly felt the need to become a professional boxer himself to fully portray the character, which led him to decide to take the professional test. [Work Details] Movie: ‘Haru ni Chiru’ (‘Scattered in Spring’) Release Date: August 25, 2023 (Friday) Cast: Hiroshi Sato, Yokohama Ryusei, Kanna Hashimoto, Ryuta Sato, Shinichiro Matsuura, Sho Gen, Eita Okuno, Maki Sakai, Seiichi Tanabe, Masataka Kubota, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Tomoko Yamaguchi Director: Keiichi Hasegawa Original Novel: Sawaki Kota ‘Haru ni Chiru’ (published by Asahi Shimbun Publications) Production: Movie ‘Haru ni Chiru’ Production Committee Distribution: Gaga