The live-action Golden Kamuy franchise is heading to the frozen north of Sakhalin with the official announcement of the Karafuto Pursuit Arc television drama. Starring Kento Yamazaki and Anna Yamada, the new series continues the high-stakes hunt for the stolen Ainu gold following the previous theatrical installment.
The series is scheduled to premiere on January 24, 2027, at 10:00 PM JST. The live-action franchise previously consisted of two films and the nine-episode WOWOW series The Hunt of Prisoners in Hokkaido.
What We Know
The new series is titled Golden Kamuy -Karafuto Pursuit Arc- (Golden Kamuy -Karafuto Tsuiseki-hen-). The production remains under the care of studio CREDEUS, with Kenji Katagiri returning to direct alongside Masaaki Yoshimura. Tetsuo Kamata is handling the scripts, while the musical score will be composed by Yutaka Yamada and Yoshiaki Dewa.
The core cast remains intact to ensure continuity for fans of the 2024 and 2026 films. Kento Yamazaki reprises his role as the "Immortal" Saichi Sugimoto, joined by Anna Yamada as the Ainu hunter Ashirpa. Supporting players like Gordon Maeda (Hyakunosuke Ogata), Yuma Yamoto (Yoshitake Shiraishi), Hiroshi Tamaki (Tokushiro Tsurumi), and Hiroshi Tachi (Toshizo Hijikata) are also confirmed to return. To maintain the series' reputation for cultural accuracy, Collabo-cafe notes that consultants Hiroshi Nakagawa and Debo Akibe continue to oversee the representation of Ainu language and traditions.
Why It Matters
The Karafuto Pursuit Arc represents a tonal and geographical shift for the series. The story moves from Hokkaido to Sakhalin (Karafuto).
Where to Watch
As of October 19, 2026, the Karafuto Pursuit Arc is confirmed as a Japan-exclusive broadcast on the WOWOW network. While previous entries in the live-action franchise eventually made their way to global audiences via Netflix, no international streaming platform has officially announced the rights for this specific arc yet.
What Happens Next
The series is scheduled to premiere on WOWOW on January 24, 2027. While the previous drama installment, The Hunt of Prisoners in Hokkaido, ran for nine episodes, WOWOW has not yet confirmed the exact episode count for the Karafuto Pursuit Arc. Further trailers and promotional materials are expected to surface as the Winter 2027 season approaches.