drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

Isao Yukisada is a Japanese film director from Kumamoto. He served as assistant director on Shunji Iwai's ''Love Letter'', ''April Story'', and '' Swallowtail Butterfly''. Filmography Director * ''Open House'' (1998) * (Sunflower) (2000) * ''A Closing Day'' ...

Socrates in Love is a 2001 Japanese melodrama novel, written by Kyoichi Katayama and published by Shogakukan, which revolves around narrator Sakutaro Matsumoto's recollections of a school classmate whom he once loved. It is also known as , which author Ka ...

Kyoichi Katayama is a Japanese author. Biography Katayama was born in the Ehime Prefecture and graduated from Kyushu University. Katayama's first major book was '' Kehai'' (Sign). The book won the Bungakkai Newcomers award. Katayama wrote the book ''Socrates i ...

Takao Osawa is a Japanese actor. Career Osawa starred in the 2002 film ''Filament'' and the 2007 film ''Midnight Eagle''. He has also appeared in films such as Masayuki Suo's ''A Terminal Trust'' and Takashi Miike's ''Shield of Straw''. The Newport Beach F ...

Masami Nagasawa is a common Japanese given name and can be given to either sex. Possible writings *惟美, meaning "Considerate beauty" *真己, meaning "True self" or "Truth, Snake" *昌美, meaning "Prosperous beauty" *雅美, meaning "Gracious beauty" *� ...

Hitomi o Tojite is a song recorded by Japanese singer Ken Hirai, from his sixth studio album ''Sentimentalovers''. It was released by Defstar Records as the album's second single on April 28, 2004. It is the theme song to the film ''Crying Out Love in the Center ...

Ken Hirai is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and brand ambassador. During his career, Hirai has released 45 singles and nine studio albums as of January 2019.remade in South Korea as ''

My Girl and I ''My Girl and I'' (; lit. ''A Heavy Seas Warning'') is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Jeon Yun-su. It is a remake of the Japanese film ''Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World'', adapted from the novel ''Socrates in Love'' by Kyoichi K ...

''.

Plot

In a neglected box in her Tokyo apartment, Ritsuko finds a teenage girl's audio diary on an old cassette. Ritsuko's fiancé Saku spots her in a television report at

Takamatsu Airport is a second class airport located south southwestAIS Japan
of

about an approaching typhoon. He realizes she has gone to their hometown in

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

and goes after her. There, at his family home, he discovers a box of audio cassettes. He listens to them while retracting his steps from his school life. In 1986, the teenage Saku attends the funeral of his school principal. The eulogy reader, popular school athlete Aki, catches his eye and they begin seeing each other. Saku's uncle Shigezou, a photographer, tells him he was once the principal's lover. At his request, Aki and Saku steal the principal's remains from the cemetery and give them to Shigezou. Hoping to win a

Walkman Walkman, stylised as , is a brand of portable audio players manufactured and marketed by Japanese technology company Sony since 1979. The original Walkman was a portable cassette player and its popularity made "walkman" an unofficial term for p ...

, Saku and Aki write to a local radio station that reads out listeners' stories of tragic romance. When Saku wins by concocting a story about a girl with leukemia, Aki records a tape chastising him, saying it is wrong to lie about such things. He apologizes and they begin exchanging long messages on tape. After they visit an uninhabited island and find an old camera with undeveloped film inside, Aki collapses and is admitted to hospital. In the present, Ritsuko finds Saku in the school, engrossed in Aki's tapes, but does not disturb him. As the typhoon approaches, she takes shelter in Shigezou's shop and sees a photo of the young Saku and Aki in wedding clothes. Shigezou tells her he took the photo shortly before Aki's death. In the past, Aki tells Saku she has leukemia. The young Ritsuko delivers Aki's tapes to Saku's school pigeonhole. Shigezou develops the old film from the island, revealing photos of

Uluru Uluru (; pjt, Uluṟu ), also known as Ayers Rock ( ) and officially gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the Northern Territory, southwest of Alice Spring ...

in Australia. Ritsuko delivers the photos to Aki in the hospital, who is captivated by them. Saku promises her they will visit Uluru. Aki sneaks away from the hospital with Saku to have passport photos taken at Shigezou’s shop. Inspired by Shigezou's wedding photography, she asks him to take a photo that people can remember her by and they stage a wedding photo. When Aki returns to the hospital, she learns her friend, another leukemia patient, has died suddenly. Aki's condition worsens. She loses her hair and is moved to a sterile ward. Though they can no longer have physical contact, Saku proposes to her. He meets her at midnight to take her to Uluru, but at the airport, all flights are canceled because of a typhoon and Aki collapses. In the hospital, the dying Aki records a goodbye tape for Saku. Ritsuko is hit by a car and fails to deliver the tape. In the present, Ritsuko calls Saku from Shigezou's photo shop and apologizes for not delivering Aki's final tape. He goes to the shop but finds her gone, having left Aki's tape with Shigezou for him. Saku tells Shigezou he has never gotten over Aki's death and Shigezou comforts him. Saku reunites with Ritsuko at the airport, where the flights have been canceled because of the typhoon. Saku and Ritsuko visit Uluru and Saku listens to Aki's final tape. Together they fulfil Aki's last wish: to have her ashes scattered at Uluru.

Crew

*Film director & scenario –

Isao Yukisada is a Japanese film director from Kumamoto. He served as assistant director on Shunji Iwai's ''Love Letter'', ''April Story'', and '' Swallowtail Butterfly''. Filmography Director * ''Open House'' (1998) * (Sunflower) (2000) * ''A Closing Day'' ...

*Filming –

Noboru Shinoda Noboru (written: , , , , in hiragana or katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, official in the government of Japan's Okinawa Prefecture *, former professional sumo wrestler and current politician fr ...

*Music – Meina Co. *Theme songs – by

Ken Hirai is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and brand ambassador. During his career, Hirai has released 45 singles and nine studio albums as of January 2019.Motoharu Sano , is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. A graduate of Rikkyo University, Sano is a frontman with a history of performing in several bands which feature music both in Japanese and occasionally, English, playing songs that often have a rock ...

, by

Misato Watanabe is a Japanese pop singer. Discography Albums * ''Eyes'' (2 October 1985) * ''Lovin' you'' (2 July 1986) * ''Breath'' (15 July 1987) * ''Ribbon'' (28 May 1988) * ''Flower bed'' (1 July 1989) * ''Tokyo'' (7 July 1990) * ''Lucky (Misato Watanabe ...

Cast

*

Takao Osawa is a Japanese actor. Career Osawa starred in the 2002 film ''Filament'' and the 2007 film ''Midnight Eagle''. He has also appeared in films such as Masayuki Suo's ''A Terminal Trust'' and Takashi Miike's ''Shield of Straw''. The Newport Beach F ...

– Sakutaro "Saku" Matsumoto (adult) *

Mirai Moriyama is a Japanese actor and dancer. Life and career Moriyama started training in dance when he was 5 years old. He trained in jazz dance, tap dance, ballet and hip-hop, and he appeared in several stage roles. He officially made his stage debut with ...

– Sakutaro "Saku" Matsumoto (teenager) *

Masami Nagasawa is a common Japanese given name and can be given to either sex. Possible writings *惟美, meaning "Considerate beauty" *真己, meaning "True self" or "Truth, Snake" *昌美, meaning "Prosperous beauty" *雅美, meaning "Gracious beauty" *� ...

– Aki Hirose *

Kō Shibasaki is a Japanese actress and singer who has performed in television shows, movies, and commercials. She is managed by Stardust Promotion. Biography Acting career Shibasaki debuted in 2000, when she portrayed Mitsuko Souma in '' Battle Royale.'' S ...

– Ritsuko Fujimura (adult) *

Rio Kanno is a Japanese actress, formerly a child actress, and tarento from Saitama Prefecture affiliated with Amuse, Inc. Kanno graduated from Hosei University Faculty of Sustainability Studies. Filmography Films TV Drama References External lin ...

– Ritsuko Fujimura (teenager) *

Tsutomu Yamazaki is a Japanese actor. He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor in 1984 for '' The Funeral'' and '' Farewell to the Ark''. Yamazaki is well known for his role "Nenbutsu no Tetsu" on the television jidaigeki '' Hissatsu Shiokinin'' and ''Shin Hi ...

– Uncle Shige *

Kankurō Kudō is a Japanese screenwriter, dramatist, director, actor and member of the theater company ''Otona Keikaku''. He won the 'Best Screenplay' award at the 2002 Japanese Academy Awards for '' Go'', which explores problems faced by people of Korean-h ...

– Ryunosuke Oki (adult) * Issei Takahashi – Ryunosuke Oki (teenager) *

Kanji Tsuda is a Japanese actor. Career Tsuda appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's '' Tokyo Sonata''. He co-starred in Sion Sono's ''Guilty of Romance'' with Megumi Kagurazaka. Filmography Film * '' Sonatine'' (1993) * ''119'' (1994) * '' Kids Return'' (1996) ...

– Johnny *

Misato Watanabe is a Japanese pop singer. Discography Albums * ''Eyes'' (2 October 1985) * ''Lovin' you'' (2 July 1986) * ''Breath'' (15 July 1987) * ''Ribbon'' (28 May 1988) * ''Flower bed'' (1 July 1989) * ''Tokyo'' (7 July 1990) * ''Lucky (Misato Watanabe ...

– Radio DJ *

Tetta Sugimoto is a Japanese actor. Career Sugimoto was first a member of a rock band before he debuted as an actor in 1983 in the film '' Hakujasho''. For that film, he won a Japan Academy Prize best newcomer award. In addition to his work in film, he has a ...

– Aki's father *

Yūki Amami is a Japanese actress. Career Amami joined the Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western- ...

– Sakutaro's superior *

Midori Kiuchi Midori Kiuchi ( ja, 木内みどり, Kiuchi Midori, September 25, 1950 – November 18, 2019)''Shukan Asahi'' November 26, 1982 issue, page 61 was a Japanese actress. Beside acting, she was a Japanese representative of the Norbulingka Institute. S ...

– Sakutaro's mother *

Misato Tanaka is a Japanese actress. Biography Tanaka started appearing on stage as a child. She won an award at Toho's Cinderella contest in 1996 and landed the starring role in the NHK Asadora ''Aguri ''in 1997, which significantly launched her career. She ...

– Ritsuko's mother *

Yoshimitsu Morita was a Japanese film director who was born in Tokyo. Career Self-taught, first making shorts on 8 mm film during the 1970s, he made his feature film debut with ''No Yōna Mono'' (''Something Like It'', 1981).Mark Schillin"Director Yoshimitsu Mo ...

– Film director *

Dandy Sakano (born Kenichi Sakano in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan on January 16, 1967) is a Japanese comedian, best known for his flamboyant clothing and "Gets" catch phrase.

– English teacher

Filming location

* Aji, Kagawa *

Mure, Kagawa was a town located in Kita District, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The north and south of the town are hilly; the center is flat and suitable for housing development. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 18,108 and a density of 1,098 ...

* Konan, Kagawa *

Takamatsu Airport is a second class airport located south southwestAIS Japan
of

*

Sanuki, Kagawa is a city in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 46,016 in 20847 households and a population density of and a population density of 290 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Sanuki is loca ...

*

Marugame, Kagawa is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 108,541 in 46101 households and a population density of 970 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Marugame is located in north-ce ...

* Matsuyama, Ehime *

Ōzu, Ehime is a Japanese city located in Nanyo, the region occupying the southern half of Ehime Prefecture. As of January 31, 2020, the city had an estimated population of 42,655. History Ōzu emerged as a medieval castle-town along the Hiji River. ...

*

Masaki, Ehime 270px, Hyokotan Park is a town located in Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 30,411 in 13768 households and a population density of 1500 persons per km².The total area of the town is . It is the sm ...

*

Alice Springs, Northern Territory Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Ali ...

, Australia

References

External links

* {{Isao Yukisada 2004 romantic drama films 2004 films Films based on Japanese novels Films directed by Isao Yukisada Japanese romantic drama films 2000s Japanese films