Keigo Higashino’s The Keeper of the Camphor Tree to receive First Anime Film Adaptation in 2026

An anime film adaptation of The Keeper of the Camphor Tree (Kusunoki no Bannin), the 2020 novel by acclaimed Japanese author Keigo Higashino, has officially been announced. This marks the first time one of Higashino’s works will be adapted into an animated feature.
The film is set to premiere in Japan in 2026, with Tomohiko Ito, known for Sword Art Online, directing the project. A-1 Pictures will handle animation production, while Aniplex will distribute the film. The announcement came with the launch of the movie’s official website and social media channels.

Published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha in 2020, The Keeper of the Camphor Tree has sold over one million copies in Japan. An English-language edition is currently being developed by Little, Brown Book Group, with a release scheduled for November 2025. The story of the book is described as: “If you knew you didn't have long to live, who would you tell? What would you say? And how would you deliver the message?
The Keeper of the Camphor Tree starts with Reito Naoi, a man in his early 20s, being unjustly fired from his job. Enraged and fuelled by feelings of revenge, he tries to steal a valuable device from his workplace, but things don't go to plan, and he ends up arrested. In jail, Reito is paid an unexpected visit by a lawyer who offers to arrange for his release, if he complies with the wishes of the lawyer's client. Seeing no alternative, Reito accepts and soon discovers that the lawyer's client is his aunt. When Reito tells her that he has no plans for the future, she gives him an order: 'What I want you to do is to guard a camphor tree.' And thus begins Reito's custodianship of a camphor tree standing on the grounds of a shine - a camphor tree with a mysterious legend associated with it…”

Keigo Higashino is one of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary writers, best known for his intricately plotted mystery novels. He served as the 13th President of the Mystery Writers of Japan (2009–2013) and has received numerous literary awards. Nearly twenty of his novels have been adapted into live-action films and television dramas, but The Keeper of the Camphor Tree marks his first venture into anime filmmaking.
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