National Treasure.

The article focuses on the Japanese film *Kokuho*, a period drama set in the 1960s Kabuki theater world that explores Japan’s ongoing national identity crisis. Directed by Lee Sang-il, the film follows two young men—Kikuo, a yakuza heir, and Shunsuke, the son of a Kabuki family head—as they compete for artistic and social recognition, symbolizing tensions between tradition and change in Japan. Praised for its visual richness and nuanced portrayal of insider and outsider perspectives, *Kokuho* also reflects broader societal issues such as demographic shifts and cultural preservation, culminating in a meditation on the meaning of becoming a “living national treasure,” a title given by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology to elite traditional artists. The film’s empathetic narrative and historical scope invite viewers to consider Japan’s evolving identity without offering simplistic resolutions. [Extracted from the article]