Riho Yoshioka and Nao to Co-Star in Shadow Work, Opening in Japan on September 25, 2026; Teaser Visuals, Trailers, and New Cast Revealed

The film adaptation of Hiromi Sano’s novel Shadow Work, published by Kodansha Bunko, will be released in Japan on Friday, September 25, 2026. A teaser poster visual, two teaser trailers, and additional cast members have also been unveiled. The film adapts Sano’s popular novel for the screen. Riho Yoshioka, who won numerous acting honors including Best Supporting Actress at the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize for Faceless, plays the protagonist Noriko. Nao, winner of the Best Actress award at the Tokyo Drama Awards 2025 and known for her distinctive presence across film, television, and stage, including Tokyo Salad Bowl, plays the other lead, Kaoru. This marks the first time the two actresses will co-headline a film. The supporting cast includes Jun Fubuki, Jun Miho, Wakana Sakai, First Summer Uika, and Emi Satsuki, all actors with strongly established screen identities. The film is directed by Ryuhei Yoshino, known for You Are Forever Younger Than Them. The story is set in a Japanese house near the sea. It is a shelter called “Ouchi,” a refuge for women who have suffered violence from spouses or parents. In this seemingly peaceful place, “something” is carried out with the same practiced ease as everyday chores, through a method planned to perfection. Their solidarity eventually crosses a line, and a survival crime suspense story about women quietly begins. The newly released teaser footage comes in two versions: a Drama Edition, showing Noriko’s encounter with Ouchi, peaceful days with its residents, and her expression and emotions as she makes up her mind; and a Suspense Edition, which approaches the truth behind the unsettling atmosphere that hangs over Ouchi despite its calm appearance. “I might be killed next.” Noriko, abused by her husband and utterly exhausted as though she has given up everything, is offered help by Michiko, a nurse who says she runs a shelter. Ouchi shelters women who, like Noriko, have suffered violence from lovers, spouses, or family members. In the traditional Japanese house where Michiko, co-manager Akie, Shinobu, Nami, and Rin live, Noriko finds a place where she belongs. Yet behind the peaceful daily life lies a “special rule.” What is the true meaning of Akie’s quietly forceful statement that Noriko must join the “rotation”? And how will Kaoru, a detective investigating a certain case, become involved with Noriko and the others as she closes in on the hidden side of this closed community? Both teaser videos strongly feature the line, “We made a choice. So we would not break. So we could break.” The footage suggests the quiet opening of a survival crime suspense story centered on women with firm resolve. Takumi Kitamura, Yoshitaka Hara of timelesz, and Naoya Shimizu have also been newly announced as cast members playing threatening figures toward the women, with their scenes revealed for the first time. Comments and character photos from the three new cast members will be released sequentially on the official website and social media accounts. The teaser visual shows seven women standing in front of Ouchi. Their still posture carries a tense atmosphere, while their sharp, almost glaring gazes and the tagline “We made a choice. So we would not break. So we could break.” evoke what may lie beyond their decision. The result is a visual filled with both unease and strength. Story: At this Ouchi, both chores and “cleanup” are handled by rotation. Noriko flees from a husband who routinely abuses her, but after her whereabouts are discovered, she loses the place she had escaped to. In the midst of despair, Michiko, a nurse at the hospital where she is admitted, offers her a helping hand. Noriko is taken to a facility quietly standing on the outskirts of Miura Coast, a shelter for women abused by spouses or parents. The women call the place Ouchi, and everything from meals and cleaning to daily life is governed by a rule known as “rotation.” Noriko begins to regain peaceful, protected days, but gradually starts sensing that something is wrong. Eventually, she learns the structure of Ouchi’s organized crime. Meanwhile, Kaoru, a detective investigating a certain case, is attempting to get closer to Ouchi. Cast: Riho Yoshioka, Nao, Jun Miho, Wakana Sakai, First Summer Uika, Emi Satsuki, Takumi Kitamura, Yoshitaka Hara of timelesz, and Jun Fubuki. Director and screenplay: Ryuhei Yoshino. Original novel: Shadow Work by Hiromi Sano, published by Kodansha Bunko. Production: Trickster Entertainment. Distributor: Showgate.