Masatoshi Nakamura and Cast Reunite for 'Oretachi no Tabi' 51st Anniversary Concert in Autumn 2026, Movie DVD Release Announced

The 'Oretachi no Tabi Special Concert,' which was held from last year through January of this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the drama's broadcast, sold out in various locations.

Due to the tremendous response, all the members are gathering once again to hold 'The 51st Anniversary Oretachi no Tabi Special Concert ~The Journey is Not Over Yet~' from October to November 2026. A joint press interview with the performers was recently held, where five cast members—Masatoshi Nakamura, Taisaku Akino, Ken Tanaka, Nana Okada, and Kako Uemura appearing as a special guest—shared their thoughts on the work and their feelings leading up to the 2026 performances.

Photography: Daisuke Yamada

During the joint press interview, each member commented on their enduring love for 'Oretachi no Tabi' and the atmosphere born only among companions who have walked together for many years. Masatoshi Nakamura commented, 'We as performers are also very much looking forward to what kind of concert it will be. I want to make it a concert that will definitely not disappoint your expectations.' Taisaku Akino said, 'I've been allowed to boldly do this again this year (laughs). I am also secretly looking forward to it myself.' Ken Tanaka commented, 'Last time, we were encouraged by the power of the audience. I want to deliver good energy again this year.' Nana Okada also stated, 'Last year was my first time singing in 45 years so I was very nervous, but this year the nervousness has turned into excitement.' Furthermore, in the latter half of the interview, Kako Uemura also appeared, revealing her feelings for the work by saying, 'I am truly happy to be able to be with everyone again for a work from 50 years ago,' and the event was enveloped in a warm atmosphere from start to finish.

At the end, representing the group, Masatoshi Nakamura sent a message to the fans, 'While being grateful for this encounter, I want to spend a fun time with everyone. Please come to the venue,' letting us feel the expectations for 'Oretachi no Tabi,' which continues even as it reaches its 51st anniversary.

Also, when two pieces of new information were announced—that singer-songwriter Kei Ogura, who composed the theme song, will guest star again this year in the Tokyo, Saitama, Fukuoka, and Hyogo performances, and that the DVD and Blu-ray of the movie 'The 50th Year of Oretachi no Tabi' will be released on October 29 (Thu), the first day of the concert—loud applause arose from the venue, suggesting the consistently high expectations for 'Oretachi no Tabi.'

The press interview, enveloped in unchanging bonds and a warm atmosphere, became a time that made us feel the new start of 'Oretachi no Tabi,' which continues even as it reaches its 51st anniversary.

At the additional performances held in January of this year, both Osaka Festival Hall and Tokyo International Forum Hall A were great successes. Despite being weekday performances, the tickets sold out, and the performers, reunited across 50 years, presented talks looking back at famous scenes from the drama and performed musical pieces. A large round of applause and cheers were sent from the audience filling the venue. Moreover, with the appearance of surprise guests, it became a special time wrapped in love and enthusiasm for the work.

## Tokyo International Forum Performance Report (Held Jan 26)
Text: Mikio Takashima

The 70s masterpiece youth drama 'Oretachi no Tabi,' whose movie 'The 50th Year of Oretachi no Tabi' released in January this year also became a big topic. The additional performance of 'The 50th Anniversary Oretachi no Tabi Special Concert' commemorating its 50th year of broadcast was held on January 22 at the Tokyo International Forum Hall A.

The star of the work who sings the theme song and insert songs, Masatoshi Nakamura (nicknamed Karsuke = role of Kosuke Tsumura), along with Taisaku Akino (nicknamed Guzuroku = role of Shinroku Kumazawa), Ken Tanaka (nicknamed Omeda = role of Takao Nakatani), and Nana Okada (Omeda's younger sister = role of Mayumi Nakatani) gathered on stage. Singer-songwriter Kei Ogura, who created the theme song, also participated as a special guest. From a bird's-eye view, it is a luxurious concert where legends of various genres—actors, singers, and idols—co-star under the name 'Oretachi no Tabi.' The performances held in 5 locations across 4 major cities nationwide (Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Miyagi) in September last year sold out almost instantly, even though ticket sales were before the movie 'The 50th Year of Oretachi no Tabi' was announced. The additional performances on January 13 at Osaka Festival Hall and these two performances, which responded to passionate requests from fans, quickly sold out despite being in larger halls than in September and starting in the evening on weekdays.

## Pre-opening with new staging

In the additional performances, the stage set and some of the directing were changed. In the added pre-opening, a scene of Inokashira Park Station was projected onto the screen, and the conversation of Karsuke, Guzuroku, Omeda, and Mayumi was delivered to the venue through a short reading play set 50 years ago. Next, the main concert opened alongside a video expressing the flow of 50 years. The musicians who support the live performances of Masatoshi Nakamura, who boasts over 1,600 performances as a singer, took their respective positions. With the intro of the theme song 'Oretachi no Tabi' played by Shuji Otsuka (Key., Gt.), who also serves as the music director for the special concert, along with Fumio Yanagisawa (Gt.) and Yasushi Kozuka (Vn., Gt.), Masatoshi Nakamura, Taisaku Akino, Ken Tanaka, and Nana Okada appeared on stage. The theme song sung by the four of them had an exquisite vocal distribution, making us feel not only nostalgia but also freshness.

After finishing the song, first there was a free talk about memories from the September performances and the movie 'The 50th Year of Oretachi no Tabi.' Next, with Nana Okada as the interviewer nominated by Masatoshi Nakamura, secret stories were told about the three of them riding on each other's shoulders in Kichijoji Sunroad from the TV series' opening video, and the time they entered a pond with a fountain in Shinjuku Kabukicho.

## A surprise guest appears during the songs and episode talk!

The drama famous scene video and song part for each performer started with Ken Tanaka as Omeda. Narration was added as a new presentation to the character correlation chart shown before the video. The narrator, announced by Taisaku Akino, was Kako Uemura, who made regular appearances as Guzuroku's wife, Noriko. When she was heard saying in the same voice as in the drama, 'Everyone, it's been a while! I'm Noriko!', loud applause erupted from the audience. After the talk following the video, he continuously sang two songs: the insert song 'Ikiru' and 'Komorebi,' the B-side of that single record which was also used as an insert song in the drama. Ken Tanaka occasionally walked from one end of the stage to the other, singing while waving his hand to the audience. Masatoshi Nakamura remarked, 'I really think Ken-chan's voice is nice.' Next was the corner for Mayumi's famous scenes and songs, played by Nana Okada. Amidst the lively talk with Ken Tanaka who addressed Nana Okada saying, 'Mayumi is still an idol even now,' Taisaku Akino called out at the perfect timing with Guzuroku's famous line, 'Noriko-sa~n,' and Kako Uemura's soothing voice once again explained the character correlation chart for Mayumi's famous scene video. After Nana Okada talked about the episode when her new song at the time, 'Seishun no Sakamichi,' was used in the drama, it transitioned to the famous scene video. And finally came the time to sing 'Seishun no Sakamichi.' To relieve Nana Okada's nervousness, who responded 'I'm not used to it...' to Masatoshi Nakamura's question, 'You've been singing it since the September performance, so do you feel a little used to it?', a performance started with a 'Nana-chan call' uniting the approximately 5,000 people, reminiscent of the 70s fan guards, following Nakamura's proposal. Added to the performance were movements of light steps matching the rhythm, which were hardly seen in the September performance...