View source for Love Letter (1995 film)

{{Short description|1995 Japanese film by Shunji Iwai}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Love Letter
| image          = Love-Letter-poster-1995.jpg
| caption        =
| director       = [[Shunji Iwai]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Shūji Abe]]
* [[Tomoki Ikeda]]
* [[Jiro Komaki]]
* [[Masahiko Nagasawa]]
}}
| writer         = Shunji Iwai
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Miho Nakayama]]
* [[Etsushi Toyokawa]]
* [[Bunjaku Han]]
* [[Miki Sakai]]
* [[Takashi Kashiwabara]]
* [[Ranran Suzuki]]
}}
| music          = [[Reimy|Remedios]]
| cinematography = [[Noboru Shinoda]]
| editing        = Shunji Iwai
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Fuji TV]]
* [[Asmik Ace]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Kadokawa Future Publishing|Japan Herald]]
| released       = {{Film date|1995|03|25|Japan|1998|06|12|U.S.}}
| runtime        = 117 minutes
| country        = [[Japan]]
| language       = [[Japanese language|Japanese]]
| gross       = 
| budget      =
}}

'''''Love Letter''''' is a 1995 Japanese [[Romance film|romantic]] film written, directed and edited by [[Shunji Iwai]] in his debut feature film and starring [[Miho Nakayama]]. The majority of the film was shot on the island of [[Hokkaidō]], primarily in [[Otaru]]. It achieved great success at the box office in Japan and gained popularity in other East Asian countries, particularly South Korea. Remarkably, it was one of the first Japanese films to be shown in South Korean cinemas since [[World War II]], garnering 645,615 admissions and ranking as the tenth highest-grossing general release of the year.<ref name="koreanfilm">[http://koreanfilm.org/kfilm99.html "''koreanfilm''"]. koreanfilm. Retrieved March 04, 2012.</ref>

Shunji Iwai collaborated with cinematographer [[:ja:篠田昇|Noboru Shinoda]], resulting in a film celebrated for its evocative winter cinematography.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}} Pop singer [[Miho Nakayama]] was cast in the dual roles of Hiroko Watanabe and Itsuki Fujii, while teenager [[Miki Sakai]] made her movie debut and won the 'Newcomer of the Year' Award at the [[Japanese Academy Award]]s for her portrayal of a young Itsuki Fujii. [[Etsushi Toyokawa]] and [[:ja:柏原崇|Takashi Kashiwabara]] played the main male roles as Akiba Shigeru and the male Itsuki Fujii, respectively.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the film, a [[4K resolution|4K remaster]] was released in select theaters in Japan on 4 April 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nakayamamiho.com/contents/899876 |title=映画「Love Letter」30周年記念4Kリマスター公開決定 |website=[[Miho Nakayama]] Official Website |publisher=Big Apple Co. Ltd. |date=11 March 2025 |access-date=11 March 2025}}</ref>

The American distribution rights for the film were acquired by [[Fine Line Features]], which released it in theaters under the new title '''''When I Close My Eyes'''''.

==Plot==
[[File:Otaru, Hokkaido.jpg|thumb|The street of Otaru where Shunji Iwai shot Love Letter.]]
Hiroko Watanabe, living in [[Kobe]], loses her fiancé, Itsuki Fujii, in a mountain climbing accident. Two years later, on the day of Itsuki's memorial ceremony, Hiroko looks through his high school yearbook and finds an address under his name. She writes a letter to him and receives a reply from a woman named Itsuki Fujii, who bears a striking resemblance to Hiroko. The movie alternates between Hiroko and Female Itsuki as they exchange letters.

Female Itsuki, who works at the public library, is suffering from a persistent cold but refuses to seek medical help. It is revealed that her father died of [[pneumonia]] when she was in high school. Hiroko visits her friend Akiba and shows him the letter, believing it to be a message from heaven. Akiba confesses his feelings for Hiroko and encourages her to let go of Itsuki. Hiroko continues writing to Itsuki, unaware that the reply she receives is actually from Akiba, who sent the letter asking for proof of Itsuki's identity.

To uncover the truth and help Hiroko move on, Akiba and Hiroko plan a visit to Otaru, Female Itsuki's hometown. However, Female Itsuki is tricked into going to the hospital, where she falls asleep and has a dream about her father's death. Meanwhile, Hiroko and Akiba wait outside Female Itsuki's home but decide to leave a letter for her instead of meeting her in person. They later spot each other briefly before parting ways.

Back home, Hiroko realizes that there were two Itsuki Fujiis in the yearbook and wonders if her physical resemblance to Female Itsuki is the reason why her fiancé fell in love with her. She asks Female Itsuki to confirm this theory and to share her high school memories of Itsuki.

Flashbacks reveal that Male Itsuki was a shy and peculiar boy who shared a name with Female Itsuki. They were often paired together as a couple by their classmates. Female Itsuki failed as a go-between for Sanae, a girl who has a crush on Itsuki. During her mourning period for her father, Female Itsuki is visited by Male Itsuki, who asks her to return a book for him. After her return to school, she discovers that Male Itsuki has transferred, and the book exchange was the last time she saw him.

Female Itsuki visits her old school and learns that Male Itsuki died in the mountain accident two years ago. Hiroko and Akiba visit the mountain where Itsuki died, sharing their memories of him. Meanwhile, Female Itsuki collapses from a fever, and her neglected cold has turned into pneumonia, mirroring her father's fate. Her mother and grandfather brave a snowstorm to get her to the hospital just in time.

In the mountains, Akiba wakes Hiroko to watch the sunrise and points to a peak, symbolically greeting Itsuki. Hiroko cries out to Itsuki, mimicking their first letters. Meanwhile, Female Itsuki wakes up in the hospital.

Some time later, Hiroko and Itsuki continue their correspondence. Itsuki receives a visit from volunteer girls from her former high school library, who show her the book Male Itsuki had given her to return. They discover his name on the checkout card and, on the back, find a sketch he made of Female Itsuki. Instead of writing about the drawing, Female Itsuki decides not to send the letter.

==Cast==
*[[Miho Nakayama]] as Itsuki Fujii and Hiroko Watanabe
*[[Etsushi Toyokawa]] as Akiba Shigeru
*[[Bunjaku Han]] as female Itsuki Fujii's mother
*Katsuyuki Shinohara as female Itsuki Fujii's grandfather
*[[Miki Sakai]] as Itsuki Fujii as a young girl
*[[Takashi Kashiwabara]] as male Itsuki Fujii
*[[Ranran Suzuki]] as Sanae Oikawa

==Awards==
Wins
* 1996 [[Japanese Academy Awards]] - Newcomer of the Year ([[Miki Sakai]])
* 1996 [[Japanese Academy Awards]] - Newcomer of the Year ([[Takashi Kashiwabara]])
* 1996 [[Japanese Academy Awards]] - Most Popular Performer ([[Etsushi Toyokawa]])
* 1996 [[Blue Ribbon Awards]] - Best Actress ([[Miho Nakayama]])
* 1996 Kinema Junpo Awards – Best Film ([[Shunji Iwai]])
* 1995 Hochi Film Awards - Best Actress ([[Miho Nakayama]])
* 1995 Hochi Film Awards - Best Supporting Actor ([[Etsushi Toyokawa]])
* 1995 [[Toronto International Film Festival]] - Audience Award
Nominations
* 1996 [[Japanese Academy Awards]] - Best Film
* 1996 [[Japanese Academy Awards]] - Best Music ([[Reimy|Remedios]])
* 1996 [[Japanese Academy Awards]] - Best Supporting Actor ([[Etsushi Toyokawa]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0113703|Love Letter}}
* {{JMDb title|1995|ds000650|Love Letter}}

{{Shunji Iwai}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Love Letter''
|list =
{{Mainichi Film Award for Excellence Film}}
{{Yokohama Film Festival Best Film}}
}}

[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:1995 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Japanese romantic drama films]]
[[Category:1990s Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:Films about grief]]
[[Category:Films about postal systems]]
[[Category:Films directed by Shunji Iwai]]
[[Category:Films produced by Shūji Abe]]
[[Category:Films set in 1984]]
[[Category:Films set in 1995]]
[[Category:Films set in Kobe]]
[[Category:Films set in Otaru]]
[[Category:Films shot in Japan]]
[[Category:1990s Japanese films]]
[[Category:Films about letters (message)]]
[[Category:Japanese-language romantic drama films]]