One of Japan's Biggest Global TV Hits Returns:

Takeshi's Castle will premiere in late April 2023 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide

Key art and and character visuals revealed - including Takeshi Kitano; Bananaman (Osamu Shitara as chief retainer and Yuki Himura as vassal); and castellans Shinya Ueda, Naomi Watanabe, and Ennosuke Ichikawa IV

TOKYO - March 10, 2023 - Prime Video Japan released today new character visuals, featuring Takeshi Kitano as resurrected Castle Lords, Bananaman's Osamu Shitara and Yuki Himura as chief retainer and vassal of Takeshi's Castle, and Shinya Ueda, Naomi Watanabe, and Kabuki actor Ennosuke Ichikawa IV as castellans of three castles guarding the centre of Takeshi's Castle. The character visuals also include Hayato Tani and Subaru Kimura as the attack captains.

An unscripted adventure-variety show, Takeshi's Castle is back on Prime Video for the first time in 34 years. On the program, more than 100 contestants attempt to bring down Takeshi's impenetrable castle and challenge several "impossible" games set in a vast outdoor field.

"Takeshi's Castle is filled with fundamentals of variety shows," said Takeshi Kitano, the lord of Takeshi's Castle. "The way people boldly try something nearly impossible and end up failing is one of the most fun things to watch. I hope you enjoy the show without thinking too much."

"I grew up watching the original version of Takeshi's Castle, so I was thrilled to get to participate in this show," said Osamu Shitara, who appears as the chief retainer. "As a child I liked the show so much that I had always said I wanted to be the lord of Osamu's Castle. I was happy to hear of its revival, and I even got to appear in it. At first, I couldn't believe it was really going to happen."

"It's not like any other show's revival," said Yuki Himura, who appears as the vassal. "During my school days, I used to watch the show and think, 'It looks so fun, I wish I could join the show.' It was everyone's favorite TV program, so I still cannot believe it's back, and that I can appear in it."

Shinya Ueda, who appears as the first castellan, had previously stated passionately that he would like to appear in this show. "I'm glad I said that. I received an offer for this role the day after I said I wanted to be a part of the show," he commented. "I used to go home and watch the show in my high school days, so this is one of my biggest dreams come true."

"I had heard rumors about the revival of Takeshi's Castle, but I never thought I would be chosen as a castellan. I was surprised to hear that I got cast alongside all the other TV stars," said Naomi Watanabe, who plays the second castellan. "Takeshi's Castle is a show with a long history that has always been loved all around the world, so I'm honored to be a part of it."

"Takeshi's Castle is a terrific program that became the inspiration for Sasuke Ninja Warrior," said Ennosuke Ichikawa, who plays the third castellan. "For those who know the original version, it is nostalgic, and can also be enjoyed as a kind of a sports show. But most importantly, it is a comedy show with no script, and everything happens in the show is all by chance. I hope everyone enjoys it."

"For me, Takeshi's Castle is a special TV program, so I always wanted to be a part of the show again in any role," said Hayato Tani, who reprises his role as an attack captain in the new version. "I thought it would be tough to be an attack captain at my age, because the role is responsible for boosting the morale of the attacking forces, but being chosen to play the role again really got me fired up."

"After rewatching the original show, I realized how important the role of the attack captain was. That's why I was honored to be chosen, but I also felt pressure," said Subaru Kimura, who plays the young and new attack captain. "I hope that those who know how popular the show was back then will become passionate when they see Mr. Tani being the attack captain again, and I, as the new leader, will promote Takeshi's Castle to the younger generation."

Numerous obstacles await the challengers, and all the exciting moments will make your hands sweat. Will anyone be able to conquer the impregnable castle? Amazon Original Takeshi's Castle will be distributed exclusively worldwide starting in late April.

About Prime Video

Prime Video offers customers a vast collection of movies, series, and anime - with a variety of compatible devices.

Included with Prime Video: Popular movies and TV series, including Japanese Amazon Originals such as HITOSHI MATSUMOTO Presents Documental, The Masked Singer, Modern Love Tokyo, No Activity, and the movie HOMESTAY. Also, The Bachelor Japan and The Bachelorette Japan, produced by Prime Video, Amazon Originals including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Emmy winner The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Prime Video's exclusive Prime Video Presents Live Boxing, 2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC, and more, including EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME, Shin Ultraman, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×20 FILM Record of Memories.

Watch more with Prime Video Channels: Prime members can add 63 channels such as d Anime Store for Prime Video, NHK on demand, Korean Drama & Entertainment channel K, J SPORTS, and more - no cable required. Only pay for the ones you want, and cancel anytime. View the full list of channels available at amazon.co.jp/channels

Rent or Buy: Enjoy new-release movies and TV shows, available for all Amazon customers to rent or buy.

Instant access: Prime Video offers customers a vast collection of titles with a variety of compatible devices. Stream from the web or using the Prime Video app on your smartphone, tablet, set-top box, game console, or select smart TV. For a complete list of compatible devices, visit amazon.co.jp/gp/video/getstarted/.

Enhanced experiences: Make the most of every viewing with 4K Ultra HD- and High Dynamic Range (HDR)-compatible content. With the X-Ray function linked to IMDb (Internet Movie Database) and able to introduce major keywords in the film, such as characters and geographical names, along with supplementary information, go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows. Save it for later with select mobile downloads for offline viewing. *Some content may not be available for download.

Prime was designed to make your life better every day.

Amazon Prime provides the best of shopping and entertainment. Over 200million paid Prime members around the world enjoy the many benefits of Prime. One can join for ¥4900 (annual) and ¥500 (monthly) (Prices as of March 2023). Members enjoy convenient shipping such as expedited, scheduled delivery on tens of millions of items, and a growing list of other benefits like access to award-winning movies and TV episodes included in Prime membership benefits from Prime Video, more than 100 million songs in shuffle playback with Amazon Music Prime, Prime Reading, Prime Gaming, Prime Try Before You Buy, exclusive deals, Prime Day, Amazon's global deal shopping event exclusively for Prime members, and much more. Start a free, 30-day trial of Prime at www.amazon.co.jp/prime.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.