Ken Watanabe a Kabuki master in Japanese smash-hit ‘Kokuho’

An Oscar nominee for its makeup and hairstyling, “Kokuho” is set in the exotic, stylized world of Kabuki as it follows two young boys, friends who become rivals, over decades.

A box-office phenomenon at home where it’s grossed $112 million, officially the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film of all time, “Kokuho” translates as “national treasure,” a title bestowed by the Japanese government upon high masters.

The film begins in 1964 Nagasaki where 14-year-old Kikuo has witnessed the murder of his father, a yakuza gang leader. He is taken under the wing of Watanabe’s Hanjiro, renowned as Kabuki’s best actor.

A classical form of Japanese theater that goes back 400 years, mixing dramatic performance with traditional dance, Kabuki is celebrated for its heavily stylized performances, glamorous, highly decorated costumes and elaborate makeup.

Begun as a female dance troupe, it’s been an all-male theatrical form since women were banned from performing Kabuki in 1629.

Would Watanabe call this the most formidable challenge of his career?

“Totally, yes,” Watanabe, 66, answered in a virtual interview. “I’m not a Kabuki actor and I’m playing a great Kabuki actor. They start to train and practice at six years old. It’s a completely different type of acting than what I do.

“But I have 40 years of this career and felt some deep feelings of my spirit that made me think, I can do something here.”

There was another reason for Watanabe to say yes. He’d starred in “Kokuho” director Lee Sang-il’s 2013 Japanese language version of Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven.”

Was it assumed they’d reteam here?

“On ‘Unforgiven,’ almost all those who worked with Lee say, ‘That’s so hard! I don’t ever want to work with him again.’ But when we saw the whole movie, we thought, ‘That’s a great film!’ With ‘Kokuho’ everyone has said this is the best film in my career.”

Watanabe smiled, “But when I heard about the offer from Lee directly, I didn’t want to do it. It’s so tough and a totally different world.

“But I know his passion and realized, I need to do this. And this movie has been an astonishing success in Japan, breaking all of these records.”

Why exactly has “Kokuho” connected this way?

“Before the opening, we thought, It’s a good movie but it’s so difficult to present. It’s three hours. No intermission. No bathroom break.

“But just three days after opening and with the social media buzz, it had its own life.

“All generations found here a new joy, to see this in the movie theater on the big screen.”

“Kokuho” opens Friday