Satoko Always

The drama Satoko Always follows three different versions of a woman named Satoko at various stages of her life. As a fifteen-year-old student, she begins writing after a brief meeting with a classmate named Hayase. At age thirty-five, while working in film publicity, she turns to writing during a hospital stay following an attack by the spouse of her lover. Later, as a fifty-five-year-old mother of three sons, she revisits her childhood ambition of becoming a writer. Each period of her life is marked by a new impulse to create a story.

The film was directed and written by Shuichi Okita, following his previous works A Story of Yonosuke and The Fish Tale. The ensemble cast features Kasumi Arimura, Hikari Ishida, and Himeno Kashun in the various roles of Satoko, alongside Daisuke Kuroda, Junko Miyabe, and Yuno Izumi. Produced by Happinet Phantom Studios and Amuse Creative Studio, the movie has a runtime of 138 minutes. Released on September 18, 2026, the production originates from Japan.