2025.04.08
"Love Letter" Synopsis
Two years have passed since Kobe resident Watanabe Hiroko lost her fiancé Fujii Itsuki in a mountain accident. On her way home from the third anniversary of his death, Hiroko visits Itsuki's house and finds the address of Itsuki's The Graduate home in Otaru in Itsuki's junior high school yearbook. To ease her unforgettable feelings for him, Hiroko sends a letter to Otaru, where he once lived (i.e., heaven). However, she receives an unexpected reply. Eventually, Hiroko discovers that Fujii Itsuki, a female classmate with the same name as her fiancé, lives in Otaru. Hiroko's love, Itsuki's love. A love letter brings two hidden loves into the light.
Index
- A masterpiece as a feature-length debut
- The year 1995
- A letter written 30 years ago that is relevant to people today
A masterpiece as a feature-length debut
Director Shunji Iwai, who has been actively releasing works since the early Heisei era, is a filmmaker with a wide fan base. It's difficult to choose just one of his masterpieces. In the 1990s, he released his first theatrical release, the medium-length film " Undo " (1994), and " Swallowtail Butterfly " (1996), which depicted the lives of people living in a fictional Japanese city. In the 2000s, he released " All About Lily Chou-Chou " (2001) and " Hana & Alice " (2004), works that capture the delicate emotions of teenage boys and girls. In the 2010s, he released " Vampire " (2011), " Hana & Alice Murder Case " (2015), and " The Bride of Rip Van Winkle " (2016), while in the 2020s, he released " Last Letter " (2020) and " The Song of Kyrie " (2023).
For over 30 years, we have enjoyed Director Iwai's work. While it's natural that everyone has different tastes in film, I believe there are certain works that are passionately supported by each generation. Films are more than just entertainment. The screen is a "window" through which we can peer into a new world, and at the same time, it is also a "mirror" that reflects the real world. Each film embodies the social atmosphere at the time of its production and release.
If one were to select just one masterpiece from Director Iwai's filmography, it would have to be "Love Letter" (1995), which was also his first feature-length film.
"Love Letter" [4K Remaster] ©Fuji Television
The story begins in Kobe. Watanabe Hiroko (Nakayama Miho) lost her fiancé Fujii Itsuki in a mountain accident two years ago. On her way home from the third anniversary of his death, Hiroko visits Itsuki's house and, while leafing through his junior high school The Graduate, finds an address in Otaru where Itsuki once lived. She then writes a letter to this Otaru address.
Dear Mr. Itsuki Fujii,
How are you?
I am fine.
She then receives an unexpected reply. What's more, the person claiming to be "Fujii Itsuki." However, it appears to be a woman. Hiroko soon learns that this "Fujii Itsuki" was her fiancé's junior high school classmate. Still grieving the loss of her loved one, Hiroko heads to Otaru with her close friend Akiba Shigeru (Toyokawa Etsushi).
This film tells the story of the present from the perspective of Watanabe Hiroko, and the past from the perspective of her pen pal, Fujii Itsuki. Nakayama Miho plays both of these women. Was the theme that director Iwai was trying to portray "pure love"? Or was it "loss," which is the central theme of this story?
This film, which was released in 1995, was hugely popular not only in Japan but also overseas, and is one of the most widely and long-loved films that Director Iwai has ever worked on. It is his debut feature film and a masterpiece.
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