Yakusho Koji, among Japan's most celebrated actors, has been awarded the Far East Film Festival's Golden Mulberry Award for lifetime achievement—a honour bestowed by celebrated filmmaker Wim Wenders himself. The award, presented in Udine, marks almost fifty years of dedication to Japanese cinema, during which the actor has crafted an exceptionally broad career spanning television, film and theatre. Yakusho, who adopted his stage name at the suggestion of his mentor Nakadai Tatsuya to capture his desired variety of roles, describes the accolade as "a whip of love"—a final encouragement to continue creating. The recognition highlights a remarkable journey from Tokyo...