News On Japan

Mononoke The Movie: Chapter 2: Fire Rat

Feb 07 (News On Japan) - The highly anticipated Mononoke: The Movie - Chapter Two: Fire Rat is set for a nationwide theatrical release in Japan on March 14, 2025. Following the fierce battle against the Mononoke Karakasa, the Medicine Seller (Hiroshi Kamiya) returns to the inner chambers of the Ōoku (the women’s quarters of the Edo shogunate).

The aftershocks of the previous incident have begun to reshape the power dynamics within the palace.

Botan Otomo (Haruka Tomatsu), a noblewoman who succeeds the previous chief overseer, upholds strict discipline and balance. Her approach, however, sparks tensions with Fuki (Yoko Hikasa), a favored concubine of the Emperor (Miyu Irino), leading to a deepening rift between them.

As the court deliberates the selection of a guardian for the newborn child of the Emperor's legal wife, Sachiko (Atsumi Tanezaki), Fuki faces a crisis that alters her fate. The senior councilor, Otomo (Kenyu Horiuchi), sees Fuki’s pregnancy with an "unwanted child" as a threat to the political order, and a web of schemes begins to ensnare her.

Amidst the escalating intrigue, a series of mysterious spontaneous human combustions occur—people suddenly bursting into flames and turning to ash. The Medicine Seller suspects the work of a Mononoke. These apparitions, known as the "Fire Rat’s Children," seem to be searching for their mother, yet she remains unseen.

Why do the Fire Rats target those who seek to harm infants? What tragedy fuels their relentless burning rage? To banish the Mononoke, the Medicine Seller must unravel the secrets of its Form, Truth, and Reason, delving into the darkness that haunts the Ōoku.

Source: TWIN ENGINE

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

Actors Kentarō Ito and Natsuki Deguchi have become the focus of intense speculation after the pair were reportedly seen together late at night in the parking area of an apartment complex.

A breakwater in Saga City covered with every page from the first 78 volumes of the hit manga "Kingdom" has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for the world's longest continuous outdoor display of manga pages.

The traditional event Takigi Noh, which signals the arrival of early summer in the ancient capital, was held on May 15th at Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Kofukuji Temple in Nara City.

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest film "Sheep in the Box," which was selected for the competition section at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival in France, received its official screening on May 16th as it competes for the festival’s top prize, the Palme d'Or.

Today we have a look at, unfortunately, the final kabuki show to take place at the Shochiku-za theatre in Osaka, the last remaining kabuki venue in Dōtonbori. (Kabuki In-Depth)

The Cannes Film Festival opened this week with three Japanese films nominated for the festival’s top prize, the Palme d'Or, including 'Sheep in the Box' directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, 'Nagi Notes' directed by Koji Fukada, and 'Suddenly Feeling Unwell' directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Japanese hospitality has a reputation for being almost mystically attentive, but the principles behind it are practical and teachable.

The Osaka Shochikuza theater, which has entertained audiences in Osaka’s Dotonbori district for more than a century through films, kabuki and live performances, will close in June 2026 due to aging facilities and the high cost of renovations.