Actress Keiko Kitagawa (22) will be acting in her first jidaigeki role for Kenji Nakanishi's "Hana no Ato." The movie is based on a short story by the late Shuhei Fujisawa, a prolific author who also penned such works as "Love and Honor" and "The Hidden Blade."

Kitagawa plays Ito, a skilled swordswoman who is the daughter of a warrior. Ito falls in love with another member of her clan (Shuntaro Miyao), but after he commits suicide due to a plot by the clan's leader (Kamejiro Ichikawa), she takes up her sword to exact revenge.

To properly play the part, Kitagawa underwent sword training at a dojo for half a year, starting last September. Following her training, the movie was filmed between the end of March and the end of April.

"Hana no Ato" is slated for a spring 2010 release.