Film - Honnouji Hotel

Watched on board return ANA flight from Tokyo June 2017In this historical fantasy, we meet a nice but dim Mayuko who arrives at a hotel only to find her reservation organised by her fiancé is for the wrong date. She sets off to with her little wheelie case in search of another hotel, without thinking of just ringing her fiancé.So portrayed as an air head, we’re realy not expecting much from her, especially as we learn she doesn’t really want to marry this chap who is taking control of her life but she has no other purpose, no dream of her own.That is until when entering the lift of the Honnouji Hotel where she books herself a room, she transcends 400 years back and we go into historical drama territory. At least we do if you are Japanese and bought up on the legend of Oda Nobunaga as he is staying on the site, then Honnouji temple in the 1600s. After several attempts at dicing with death as she disobeys and disregards the war lord’s wishes, I get to learn the story; the Samurai was aiming at peace and uniting his country once and for all but the plan gets thwarted when his arch rival ambushes his army.I imagine the film may be a little bit wet for Japanese who no doubt know this story but it’s an interesting bit of Japanese history and in any case, I love a bit of that Samurai honour stuff.7½/10