Koji Fukada to direct anime film "The Blind Willow and the Sleeping Woman" based on Haruki Murakami's novel

 

The Japanese version of "The Blind Willow and the Sleeping Woman," the first animated feature film based on a novel by Haruki Murakami, is scheduled to be screened on July 26th.

Director Fukada Koji will be in charge of directing the Japanese version, and a number of impressive actors including Isomura Hayato and Genri have been announced as voice actors.

The feature-length animated film, The Blind Willow and the Sleeping Woman, is an adaptation by musician and animation artist Pierre Foldes of six of Murakami Haruki's short stories: "Frog Saves Tokyo," "Birthday Girl," "The Giant Snake," "The Wind-Up Bird and the Women of Tuesday," "A UFO Descends on Kushiro," and "The Blind Willow and the Sleeping Woman."

The film premiered at the world's largest Annecy International Animated Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize. It also won the first Grand Prix at the Niigata International Animation Film Festival in March 2023.