NG SEA KUN A13KE0192 Song Review

‘Tegami Haitei Jyugo no Kimi e’ (Letter: Greetings to a 15 Year Old) is the eighth Japanese single by Angela Aki and was released on September 17, 2008. It was broadcast in a music program Minna no Uta in August 2008. The song reached number 3 on the Oricon Weekly Charts, selling more than 200,000 copies. It was certified triple platinum for downloads in 2014 by the RIAJ. The song was ranked at 25 on ‘Billboard Japan Hot 100 Songs’ chart.

拝啓　この手紙読んでいるあなたは　
どこで何をしているのだろう
十五の僕には誰にも話せない　
悩みの種があるのです

未来の自分に宛てて書く手紙なら
きっと素直に打ち明けられるだろう

今　負けそうで　泣きそうで　
消えてしまいそうな僕は
誰の言葉を信じ歩けばいいの？
ひとつしかないこの胸が
何度もばらばらに割れて
苦しい中で今を生きている
今を生きている

拝啓　ありがとう　
十五のあなたに伝えたい事があるのです
自分とは何でどこへ向かうべきか　
問い続ければ見えてくる

今　負けないで　泣かないで　
消えてしまいそうな時は
自分の声を信じ歩けばいいの
大人の僕も傷ついて
眠れない夜はあるけど
苦くて甘い今を生きている

人生の全てに意味があるから　
恐れずにあなたの夢を育てて

Keep on believing

負けそうで　泣きそうで　
消えてしまいそうな僕は
誰の言葉を信じ歩けばいいの？

ああ　負けないで　泣かないで　
消えてしまいそうな時は
自分の声を信じ歩けばいいの
いつの時代も悲しみを
避けては通れないけれど
笑顔を見せて　今を生きていこう
今を生きていこう

拝啓　この手紙読んでいるあなたが
幸せな事を願います

“Dear you, who’s reading the letter, where are you and what are you doing?” This song is describing a situation where the songwriter is writing a letter to her 15-year-old self. It is trying to recall the memories when she was still 15-year-old. “For my 15-year-old self, I can’t tell anyone about the causes of my worries.” There are problems that brought her anxiety and uncertainty when she was 15-year-old as the other teenagers at the same age. “If I wrote a letter addressed to my future self, surely I can speak truthfully from my heart.” Her 15-year-old self was wishing for someone to talk to about her worries, and she thought that it would be good if her future self can be the one to talk to, about all her worries, which she could not share with anyone else.

“Now, it seems I’m going to be defeated and cry.” The songwriter now is having problem in her daily life, feeling lost and helpless. “For me who seems to disappear, whose words should I believe in?” She has been hesitating with whose words to believe among all the different comments and opinions from different people, and being confused. “This one and only heart of mine has been broken for so many times. But in the midst of the pain, I live in the present.” She has experienced so many heart-breaking and sad moments in the past, but she lives and is grateful with what she has.

“Dear you, I have something I want to tell the 15-year-old you. If you continue asking where you should go and why, you’ll see the answer.” The songwriter was trying to express her message to her 15-year-old self, as she has walked through the same path when she was young and she knows how exactly it feels when being confused and feeling lost. She encourage her 15-year-old self to continue to ask and explore in the future in order to discover her path, telling her that the answer would be there for her as long as she would continue to look for it.

“Now, please do not be defeated and please do not cry. In the time that seems to disappear, you should believe in your own voice.” The songwriter is motivating and encouraging her 15-year-old self. In the moments when she feels confused and lost, her own voice is the one she should really listen to, telling her to believe in herself. “For my adult self, there are sleepless nights when I, too, am hurt, but I’m still living in the bittersweet present.” Now she is having sleepless nights due to all the problems she’s facing now as well, but she still continue her routes which is full of both happy and upset moments.

“Because there’s a meaning to all of our lives, raise your dreams without fear. Keep on believing.” The songwriter is trying to express the message that our live is meaningful, and we should be brave, live it together with and to realise our dreams.  “In these ages, you cannot run away from sorrow, but show your smile and go on living in the present.” She is telling her 15-year-old self that we cannot escape from the upset moments in our life. So we need to go on with our life now, live with a smile always. “Dear you, who’s reading this letter, I wish you happiness.” She ends the letter by wishing her 15-year-old her happiness.

This song is very meaningful for me, it was trying to motivate the listeners instead through a letter to a 15-year-old self. The messages were clear and simple to tell people to live gratefully with what we have now in the present. Smile and go on with your live, please do not be defeated and please do not cry.