Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2013

The most in-demand Japanese actors—both at home and abroad—are Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi and Ko Shibasaki. Considering their busy schedules, directors count themselves lucky to be able to cast any one of them. Carl Rinsch struck the jackpot, getting all four of them alongside Keanu Reeves for his directorial debut, 47 Ronin—yet another film adaptation of the historical tale of a band of samurai in the 18th century. “I am so proud of this cast,” Rinsch said during a recent visit to Tokyo for the film’s world premiere. “Our last press conference was in London, where I was introducing the Japanese actors. Now we are in Japan and I am the outsider. I can’t even find a bathroom in Japanese, so I think they were all so courageous to act in their second language.” The director also recalled an encounter with a stranger he met during an early research trip to Tokyo. Visiting the actual graves of the ronin at Sengakuji Temple, he struck up a conversation with a salaryman who had come to pay his respects during his lunch break. “He said he wanted to honor people who had worked to change Japan from within, even though other people thought they were crazy,” Rinsch said. “That is a quality we should still respect today.”

47 Ronin is now playing.