■ “I was really happy that I was cast because I felt that there were similarities between me and Tsurube-san.” (WEST member Daiki Shigeoka)
It has been announced that Daiki Shigeoka (WEST.) and Mone Kamishiraishi will appear as additional cast members in the film “35th Year Love Letter” (release date March 7, 2025).
This true story of a couple was featured in the Asahi Shimbun in 2003, and has since been featured on television and in magazines, and even turned into a creative rakugo story, spreading in various forms and moving many people. It has now been made into a film directed by Tsukamoto Renpei, starring Shofutei Tsurube and Harada Tomoyo.
Born during the war, Nishihata Tamotsu (Shofutei Tsurube) was unable to receive a proper education and grew up unable to read or write. Tamotsu began attending night school in order to express his gratitude to his beloved wife Kyoko (Harada Tomoyo), who had supported him for so long, by writing letters of his own. This is a heartwarming and moving true story about a husband who learns how to read and write from scratch and struggles to write a love letter to his wife, and the wife who has supported him for so many years.
Shigeoka and Kamishiraishi will play the Nishihata couple in their younger years. Shigeoka has been highly praised as an actor in recent years, having starred in “At a Closed Snowy Mountain Villa” (2024) and “Forbidden Play” (2023), while Kamishiraishi has been active in a wide range of fields, including film, television and stage, including “All at Dawn” (2024), the TV drama “Come Come Everybody” (NHK), and the stage play “Spirited Away”. This will be their first film together in eight years since “Drowning Love” (2016).
Shigeoka, who is from Kansai, praised Kamishiraishi, who took on the challenge of acting in the Kansai dialect in this film, which is set in Nara, saying, “Kamishiraishi’s Kansai dialect was already in place by the time of the script reading before filming, and it was amazing!” The dialogue between the two in the Kansai dialect is also worth watching.
■A teaser visual featuring all four main cast members has been released!
The teaser visual features the four main cast members, with a mixture of warmth and sadness, and the copy, “That letter was filled with all the love we could muster,” conveys Nishihata Tamotsu’s feelings for his beloved wife Kyoko, who, despite being clumsy and unable to read or write, taught him what happiness is. In the center, Nishihata Tamotsu and Kyoko are seen leaning against each other on a bench, conveying the soft atmosphere of a couple who have been together for 35 years.
■The first trailer featuring footage from the film has also been released!
The teaser trailer begins with simple, warm scenes from the daily life of Nishihata Tamotsu (Shofutei Tsurube), who cannot read or write, and his beloved wife Kyoko (Harada Tomoyo), who always supports him. Tamotsu decides to attend night school to write a love letter of gratitude to Kyoko, who has always been by his side and supported him. The trailer then shows the meeting and struggles of Nishihata Tamotsu (Shigeoka Daiki) and Kyoko (Kamishiraishi Mone) in their younger days, and Kyoko’s determination to continue supporting Tamotsu as she tells him, “From today, I will be your hand” is apparent.
The earnest Tamotsu writes, erases and rewrites character after character, and Kyoko watches over him with love. This teaser trailer gives a glimpse of a story that is sure to bring tears to your eyes.
Comment from Daiki Shigeoka (role of Tamotsu Nishihata)
I was very happy that I was cast for this role because I felt that there was something similar between me and Tsurube-san. Even though it had been a long time since I last met Mone-chan, there was no awkwardness and I had a sense of trust from the beginning. There were some difficult scenes, but I was able to overcome them because of Director Tsukamoto and the rest of the team. I was inspired by Tamotsu’s determination to learn to read and write, and to write and convey a love letter to Kyoko-san, and I believe that the powerful and warm message that “it’s never too late to do something” will reach many people through this work. I look forward to seeing you at the theater. Please come and see it.■ Comment from Mone Kamishiraishi (role of Kyoko Nishihata)
I had seen Harada’s work, and I loved his songs so I listened to them all the time, so I was happy to play the same role. When I read the script, I thought that the role of Tamotsu seemed like Shigeoka’s, so when I heard that I would be co-starring with Shigeoka, I was even more excited about filming. I tried acting in the Kansai dialect, but many of the staff on set were from Kansai, so I would ask them for help when I was in trouble. With each filming, I gradually became more immersed in the Kansai dialect, and even outside of filming, I would speak in the Kansai dialect (laughs). I think the warm atmosphere on set had a positive effect on the work. Through this work, I realized how lucky it is to have someone who you want to help, be with, and do something for. I hope that the warmth of the letter will be conveyed once again, especially in this day and age. Just thinking about Tamotsu and Kyoko made me feel happy during filming, and I think it’s really wonderful that such a heartwarming episode is based on a true story. I think that will be conveyed to those who watch the movie, so I hope you will see it at the cinema.
Movie Information
“35 Years of Love Letter”
Nationwide release: Friday, March 7, 2025
Starring: Shofutei Tsurube and Harada Tomoyo
Daiki Shigeoka and Mone Kamishiraishi
Director/Screenplay: Renpei Tsukamoto
Distributor: Toei
(C) 2025 “35th Anniversary Love Letter” Production Committee
Movie “35 Years of Love Letter” production site
https://35th-loveletter.com/
