Mitsuki Takahata has been cast to play Akari Shinohara, female lead of the live-action "5 Centimeters Per Second."

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A 4th teaser poster has been released showing Ms. Takahata in the role of Akari.
The image shows Akari in profile, sitting on a bus. Behind her is a frosted glass window, and she's looking at a flyer in her hands.

"Words, and landscapes... I encountered all of those back then."

The poster provides a glimpse into the thoughts of the grown-up Akari on a certain winter's day.

And at the screening of the completed film, creator Makoto Shinkai had this to say:

[Makoto Shinkai Comment]
At first, watching it made me uncomfortable in a way that was hard to describe.
I felt like I was passing a baton to a younger creator, but the baton itself was still imperfect and underdeveloped.
Soon, though, I began to feel myself swept away by the images, and by the end, to my surprise, I found myself in tears.
I don't know if I was crying over elements of the original story, if it was Okuyama's team bringing me to tears, or if I was crying over those early 2000s years that will never come again. Whatever it was, I was profoundly moved.
I realized anew what an odd story "5 Centimeters Per Second" is. There's no serious dramaturgy, no gripping action, no heroes or villains. People hurt others and get hurt for no particular reason, and a feeling of unfulfillment hangs over everything.
Twenty years ago, though, that empty feeling was an expression of us and our lives, and I'd decided to make an animated film that encapsulated that feeling.
I'm not sure if the original animation reached that goal, but I feel like the awkward seed I planted at the time has now born fruit in this live-action film, including that raw youthful feeling that went with it.
I feel genuinely glad (perhaps for the first time in my life) that I made "5 Centimeters Per Second."
To the members of Okuyama's team, you have my deepest thanks.

A story of a pale, quiet promise, about meeting someone who matters to you.
The biggest film of this autumn will be born on October 10th (Friday).