A new play written by Koki Mitani starring Shun Oguri will be performed in January next year! All eyes will be on Rinko Kikuchi, who will be making her stage debut! Kyodo Medias Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 8, 2025 A new play written by Koki Mitani starring Shun Oguri will be performed in January next year! All eyes will be on Rinko Kikuchi, who will be making her stage debut!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3164/12949-3164-29869a79b94217048baeda79a0b9f6f3-1890×2700.jpg
(C) Tadayuki Mina Popular screenwriter Koki Mitani, who has produced numerous notable works, and four edgy team members have created a new play that is sure to be one of the most talked-about next year. Mitani’s new work features only four characters. It is a one-scene discussion play on the theme of monstrous parents. It’s guaranteed to be filled with laughter at times, and thrilling back-and-forth exchanges at others. The story takes place in an elementary school classroom. After school, two teachers stay behind for a conference. A mother of a certain student arrives. She’s a “monster parent” who frequently complains to the school. She claims that her son’s homeroom teacher dislikes him and wants him to be replaced. The teacher himself shows up, and the teachers try to find details from both the mother and the teacher, trying to find a solution somehow… Oguri Shun plays the role of a young teacher. After playing the lead role of Hojo Yoshitoki for a year in Mitani’s NHK taiga drama “The 13 Lords of the Kamakura,” this is his first time taking on a stage production written and directed by Mitani. Oguri’s theatrical career spans more than a quarter of a century, but Mitani’s direction is sure to bring out a side of him never before seen. The most notable casting this time is Kikuchi Rinko, who will be making her stage debut. She’s a well-known actress, known for her role as Yoshitoki’s third wife, Noe, in “The 13 Lords of the Kamakura,” but one of the highlights will be how she shakes up the story as the monstrous mother, despite the pressure of taking on a stage role for the first time. She’s sure to bring out a charm that’s different from what you’ll see on screen. It will also be interesting to see how Hiraiwa Kami, who plays the seemingly ordinary homeroom teacher, will cope with Kikuchi, with whom she’s previously co-starred in a drama. And the veteran vice principal will be played by Aijima Kazuyuki, a regular in Mitani’s works. It’s exciting to see what kind of world these four will unfold in an elementary school classroom after hours. This production is sure to garner all kinds of attention in the theatrical world of 2026. ＜Performer comments＞ ■Oguri Season I really wanted to appear in one of Mitani’s plays next. He said he’d do a socially conscious piece without any laughs, but when I read the script, it was definitely a comedy (laughs). I’ve never played a Japanese role on stage, especially a life-sized modern person, so I’m looking forward to it. I hope many people will see it. ■Kikuchi Rinko The reason I wanted to do theater was because I saw one of Oguri’s plays. The actors were so energetic and lively, I realized there was a world there that I didn’t know existed, different from what I see on screen, and I thought I might discover a new side of myself. It’s a challenge! I hope you’ll support me warmly as I perform on stage for the first time. ■ Hiraiwa Kami I’m looking forward to working closely with the wonderful cast in Mitani’s dialogue drama, and I’m honored and delighted that for the first time, the script has been written specifically for me. My goal is to have the time to enjoy creating together with everyone. ■Ajima Kazuyuki A play with four actors in one setting. It’s a thrilling production, and it tests the actors’ talents, even though it’s simple. While highlighting the various problems facing education today, it also adds elements of plot twists and mystery, making it incredibly entertaining! I have a feeling this will be a work that goes back to the origins of theater. ■ Profile of Koki Mitani (Writer/Director) Born in 1961, while studying theater at Nihon University College of Art, he founded the theater troupe “Tokyo Sunshine Boys” in 1983. He has produced numerous popular works for stage, film, and TV. In 2025, after a “30-year recharge period,” the troupe revived with “The Mongols Invade,” as well as his first Shakespeare adaptation, “Much Ado About Nothing,” and Mitani Bunraku’s “Doll Hater.” In November, he will appear in the Mitani Kabuki production “Kabuki Absolute Soul (The Show Must Go On) – Don’t Close the Curtain.” Stage Play “Inokorigumi” Koki Mitani Shun Oguri, Rinko Kikuchi, Kami Hiraiwa, Kazuyuki Aijima Tristone Entertainment Delight Entertainment January 30th (Friday) – February 23rd (Monday, National Holiday), 2026 Venue: IMM THEATER (Tokyo Dome City) Organizer: Tristone Entertainment/Delight Entertainment Inquiries:
https://www.delight-ent.com/contact March 6th (Fri) – 8th (Sun), 2026 Venue: Ryutopia Niigata City Performing Arts Center and Theater Organized by: Niigata City Arts and Culture Foundation March 12th (Thurs) – 15th (Sun), 2026 Venue: Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Hankyu Medium Hall Organizer: Hyogo Prefecture/Hyogo Performing Arts Center March 20th (Fri) – 22nd (Sun), 2026 Venue: Honokuni Toyohashi Arts Theater PLAT Main Hall Organizer: Toyohashi Cultural Promotion Foundation Co-organizer: Toyohashi City Friday, March 27th, 2026 – Sunday, March 29th, 2026 Venue: SKY Theater MBS Organizer: Mainichi Broadcasting System Official site
https://www.delight-ent.com/inokorigumi
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3164/12949-3164-16486482c31cd537f1c61f6efcba0f51-3543×1181.jpg (C) Tadayuki Mina (Advertisement: Kyodo Medias)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3164/12949-3164-146815eb96c67d5b98754cfaae164fb3-1800×2700.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3164/12949-3164-eaccfc51d541b8c4522ad11629b5e62c-800×1000.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3164/12949-3164-f5e4a9bf15a007faf9e1dab7b60fbb77-1818×2700.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3164/12949-3164-38c613d0e0a31c975b32bf96e7e990de-1793×2700.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3164/12949-3164-59bbb2ed97af41c2e6e6cc5fea8c4753-1852×2487.jpg
