Takashi Matsumoto's 55th anniversary songwriting concert will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW in November

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of lyricist Takashi Matsumoto's songwriting career, the concert "Kazemachi Poetic 2025," which will be held at Tokyo International Forum Hall A (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) on September 19th and 20th, will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW in November. The concert will feature artists such as Masahiko Kondo, Shigeru Suzuki, Yoshitaka Minami, Yutaka Mizutani, Yuki Saito, Noriyuki Makihara, and Haruka Ayase, who will perform many of Matsumoto's famous songs.

Matsumoto was the drummer and lyricist for the legendary rock band Happy End, and has since devoted himself to writing lyrics, having written the lyrics for over 2,100 songs.

The concert will be directed by Akira Inoue, who has arranged many of Matsumoto's signature songs, and the band Kazemachi Band will perform live versions of the classics. Legendary artists will sing along to the music, capturing the atmosphere of the original songs. Talented next-generation artists and actors will breathe new life into the songs with Inoue's sophisticated sound arrangements, while respecting the originals.

The concert will be divided into two parts: "Night 1: Wind" on the 19th and "Night 2: City" on the 20th, and WOWOW will broadcast and stream the concert accordingly. The performers and the songs scheduled to be performed are as follows (in alphabetical order, titles omitted):

◇“First Night: Wind Edition”

Cast: Yoshio Inoue ▽Kohei Otomo▽Haruka Kinoshita▽Masahiko Kondo▽Yuki Saito▽Emiko Suzuki▽Keiichi Sogabe▽Kanna Hashimoto▽ Kanna Hashimoto ▽Hiroki Miura▽Yutaka Mizutani▽ Emma Miyazawa ▽Yuika Motokariya▽Narumi Yasuda

Scheduled songs (all lyrics by Matsumoto Takashi): Ah Youth▽Melancholy Tonight▽I Want to Know You More▽A Thousand and One Second Story▽Woman (from "W's Tragedy")▽Nausicaä of the Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind ▽My Heart's in Love with You. -An Unfaithful Vacation-▽You Are the Natural Color▽Silver Harmonica▽Tanned Mermaid▽Simple Love▽Swimming Goggles▽Just a Little Gently▽Sneakers Blues▽Sexual Violet No. 1▽Graduation▽Time Travel▽Heavenly Kiss▽High Teen Boogie▽First Love▽The Secret Garden▽Peppermint Blue▽Cotton Handkerchief▽Kindness Picture Storybook▽Ruby Ring

◇“Second Night: City Edition”

Cast: Haruka Ayase▽Yuko Ando▽Sakurako Ohara▽Kumiko▽Yu Sakai▽Takeyoshi Sato▽ Miisha Shimizu ▽Shigeru Suzuki▽Takao Tajima▽Seiko Nizuma▽Kiyoshi Hikawa + KIINA.▽Stardust Scat▽Yoshitaka Minami▽Sayaka Yamamoto

Scheduled songs (all lyrics by Matsumoto Takashi): Red Sweet Pea▽Rainy Wednesday▽ The Wind Rises ▽Glass Boy▽Glass Apple▽Karen in Love▽Alice in the Land of Time▽Guardian Angel▽White Parasol▽White Water Lilies▽SWEET MEMORIES▽SCOTCH AND RAIN▽Woman in the Dunes▽Make it a Slow Boogie (I want you)▽Uniform▽Kiss▽Detective Story▽Balcony on the Shore▽Sleeping Forest▽Sleep Like a Ballad▽Diamond Eyes▽Boy with a Slight Fever▽Pinyakushi▽Lapis Lazuli Earth▽Rock'n Rouge