Japanese film “My Unknown Children” adds star‑studded cast for Oct. 16 release

Director Miewa Nishikawa’s original Japanese drama “My Unknown Children” will open in Japanese theaters on October 16. The film, set in the immediate aftermath of World War II, follows a young girl who loses her family in the war and the lives of war‑orphaned children.

New cast members Aoi Koyae and Fumi Nikaido are confirmed as double leads, while veteran actors Koji Yakusho, Yuko Tanaka and Junichi Okada join the ensemble. Yakusho and Tanaka play a fisherman and his wife who shelter runaway children; Okada portrays a Yakuza boss who cares for the orphans as a father figure. Additional cast includes Yoshiko Yō as the orphanage director and Ryūta Saitō as a newspaper reporter.

The film’s first trailer opens with the line “I abandoned my students,” and a new poster shot by photographer Leslie Chan has been released. “My Unknown Children” was selected as the opening film for the competition platform section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, marking the first Japanese film to open that section. The soundtrack features music by Gen Hoshino and a closing theme performed by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra under the direction of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s ensemble.