SYNOPSIS

Based on Haruki Murakami's famed Japanese novel Norwegian Wood, the melancholy tune and sentiment of this classic Beatles song seems to have taken the life of Toru Watanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama), who is similarly uncertain as to how he should view his relationships. At heart, a quiet and serious young Tokyo college student in 1969, Watanabe, is deeply devoted to his first love, Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi), a beautiful and introspective young woman. But their mutual passion is made by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Watanabe lives with the influence of death everywhere, while Naoko feels as if some integral part of her has been permanently lost. On the night of Naoko's 20th birthday, they finally made love to each other. However, shortly thereafter Naoko decided to quit college and become a recluse. It is at that time Midori (Kiko Mizuhara) - a girl who is everything that Naoko is not - outgoing, vivacious, supremely self-confident - marches into Watanabe's life and he has to choose between his future and his past.

PREVIEW NOTES

• Variety reports that Kenichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi and newcomer Kiko Mizuhara will star in the pic. - 2009-05-14
• Soda Pictures and Red Flag Releasing announced that they will team Team on the US Release of the pic. - 2011-10-13

FACT

Published in 1987, the novel has sold 9.2 million copies and been translated in 36 languages.