On Tuesday, Shochiku announced that the long-running "Tsuribaka Nisshi" ("Diary of a Fishing Fool") movie series will be coming to an end with its next installment. The movie is appropriately titled "Tsuribaka Nisshi 20: Final" and is slated for release at the end of this year.

The "Tsuribaka Nisshi" films first began in 1988, and a new film has been released approximately once a year as the franchise grew into a national institution. The movies portray the relationship between a fishing-obsessed pair consisting of salaryman Hama-chan (Toshiyuki Nishida) and his boss Su-chan (Rentaro Mikuni). The director of this final picture is Yuzo Asahara, who has been in charge of the series since #14.

According to producer Hiroshi Fukazawa, it was decided three years ago in discussions with Nishida and Mikuni that the franchise would come to an end with #20. The decision was said to have been a reflection of the difficulty of continuing the series with both characters past retirement age. Fukazawa denied the suggestions that the actors' health was a factor, further stating that there has been no consideration of casting new leads.

Shooting starts next month in Hokkaido, a first for the series. The guest cast this time includes Keiko Matsuzaka, Kazue Fukiishi, and Takashi Tsukamoto. Theatrical release has been scheduled for December 26.