Angela Aki and the junior high school students from the Goto Islands reunite! "Dear 15-year-old You: A Message from Me Now 30" to be broadcast

■Angela Aki and junior high school students from the Goto Islands who turned 30 sing “Letter – Dear 15-year-old You” together!

A special program, “Dear 15-year-old You: A Message from Me Now 30,” will be broadcast on NHK General TV from 10 p.m. on October 2nd.

Angela Aki’s “Letter – Dear 15-year-old You” was sung by junior high school students across the country as a required song for the junior high school division of the 2008 NHK Music Competition, and has continued to be loved by many people ever since.

At the time, a series of documentaries was broadcast in which Angela deepened her relationships with junior high school students from all over the country. In particular, the series with junior high school students from the Goto Islands in Nagasaki attracted a great deal of attention, and novels and films were made based on the programs.

Also airing is the program “Dear 20-Year-Old You,” in which junior high school students from Goto reunite with Angela when they turn 20 years old.

Shortly afterwards, Angela took a break from her activities and travelled to America to pursue new challenges as a musician.

Ten years have passed since then. Angela has graduated from the Southern California College of Music and is taking her first steps as a musician in the world of Broadway musicals. And the junior high school students from the Goto Islands who sang “Tegami” at that time are now 30 years old.

Angela wrote the “letter” when she was 30 years old. This time, the men and women, now 30 years old like Angela was at the time, will meet again with Angela at the NHK studio in Tokyo.

In the studio, Angela asked them to read “letters written from their 30-year-old selves to their 15-year-old selves.” In the process, the twists and turns of their lives over the past 15 years were revealed. Angela also spoke in her own words about her current thoughts after leaving Japan for 10 years and announcing that she will be restarting her career as a singer-songwriter this year.

The show will also feature rare footage from the musical “In This Corner of the World,” which was performed in Japan in 2024 and for which Angela composed the music.

Then, 15 years after they first met, Angela and the 30-year-old Goto junior high school students sing together in “Letter – Dear 15-year-old You”, carrying their thoughts about the lives they have lived. The song “Letter” reconnects each of their lives.

In addition, prior to this program, it has been decided that a re-broadcast of past programs will be aired. Be sure to enjoy them together with this program.

Program Information

NHK General TV“Dear 15-year-old you: A message from me now 30 years old”
10/02 (Wed) 22:00-22:44
*Streamed on NHK Plus
Starring: Angela Aki and others

[Related Programs]
NHK General TV“Dear 15-year-old You: Wakamatsu Island Edition – Children of the Island Who Went Through Song”(Broadcast in 2009)
Rebroadcast: 09/28 (Sat) 16:30-17:13 / 09/30 (Mon) 26:06-26:49
*Streamed on NHK Plus

NHK General TV“Dear 20-year-old you: Angela Aki and the junior high school students reunite and move on to the future”(Broadcast in 2014)
Rebroadcast: 09/28 (Sat) 17:13-17:56 / 09/30 (Mon) 26:49-26:32
Streaming on NHK Plus

NHK Music Program Portal Site “NHK MUSIC”
https://nhk.jp/music

Angela Aki OFFICIAL SITE
https://www.angela-aki.online/