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Hiro Arikawa's Kenchō Omotenashi-ka Novel Gets Live-Action Film

Library War/Toshokan Sensō author Hiro Arikawa's Kenchō Omotenashi-ka novel is getting a live-action film adaptation. Kadokawa originally released the book in March 2011.

Former NEWS member and KANJANI boy band member Ryo Nishikido (1 Litre of Tears, Last Friends) will star in the film as Fumitaka Kakemizu, a 25-year-old staff member of the Kochi Prefectural office's "Omotenashi-ka" (hospitality division) that aims to promote sightseeing in the prefecture. Maki Horikita (Always San-chōme no Yūhi's Hoshino Mutsuko, Professor Layton franchise's Luke Triton - pictured at right) will play the heroine Taki Miyōjin, who works part-time for the prefecture's general affairs department in the news division.

Yoshihige Miyake, who previously directed the 2011 live-action film adaptation of Arikawa's Hankyū Densha: Katamichi 15-fun no Kiseki novel, will direct the film. Yoshikazu Okada (Hankyū Densha, Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu) will write the screnplay.

The novel revolves around a prefectural office's newly-established hospitality division, and new member Fumitaka is charged with planning area promotion. However, Fumitaka quickly realizes he must struggle through a lot of red tape to be able to accomplish his goals.

The novel won the "Book of the Year" for 2011 in the Da Vinci literary magazine, and it also won first place in the 3rd Annual Booklog Awards in the novel division.

The film will begin shooting in early September, and is slated to open across Japan in May 2013.

Source: Eiga.com