Matsumoto Reiji’s original manga Galaxy Express 999 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its serialization in 2027. To mark the occasion, a stage play titled Yojouhan no Daiuchuu will be performed from March 31, 2027 at Kinokuniya Hall in Tokyo. The production is a collaboration with Kinokuniya Shoten, which celebrates its 100th anniversary the same year. The cast includes Suzuki Fuku as Matsumoto Akira (Hoshino Tetsurou) and Sugawara Haruka as the Traveling Beauty (Maetel).
About the Play
The play depicts two worlds: the reality of 18-year-old Matsumoto Akira (Matsumoto Reiji’s real name) traveling on a night train to Tokyo in the 1950s to pursue his dream of becoming a manga artist, and the fantasy of his alter ego Hoshino Tetsurou aboard the 999 facing trials in space. The production aims to create an original theatrical work of “Matsumoto Literature” incorporating themes of youth, longing, loneliness, love, motherhood, fatherhood, the tragedy of war taught by his father who was a Japanese military pilot, life and death, and finite life.
Matsumoto’s eldest daughter, Matsumoto Makiko, commented: “Please come see the many miracles Matsumoto created in a four-and-a-half-tatami room bathed in the setting sun, the origin of his dreams.”
Cast
| Role | Cast |
|---|---|
| Matsumoto Akira (Hoshino Tetsurou) | Suzuki Fuku |
| Traveling Beauty (Maetel) | Sugawara Haruka |
| Young Man (Ledoll) | Sasamori Yuuki / Sana Hiroki (W cast) |
| Zeda | Aoki Jin |
| Eloping Woman (Carol) | Mayama Rika / Aoyama Nagisa (W cast) |
| Eloping Man (Plaider) | Sakiyama Tsubasa |
| Valkyrie | Ayakaze Sana |
Suzuki Fuku, who has transformed from a popular child actor to a serious actor, starring in the drama Aku no Hana and playing Mark in the musical Rent, takes on the role of Matsumoto Akira (Hoshino Tetsurou). Sugawara Haruka, a world-renowned dancer who won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 39th Takasaki Film Festival for the film Umi e Iku Michi and was praised for her role as Konju in the stage play oasis, plays the Traveling Beauty (Maetel).
The role of the Young Man (Ledoll) will be double-cast by Sasamori Yuuki, who has expanded his work to grand musicals including Romeo & Juliet, and Sana Hiroki, who has taken on challenging roles such as in unrato’s Yume Sarite, Orpheus. Zeda will be played by Aoki Jin, who led as Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki in the stage play Touken Ranbu. The role of the Eloping Woman (Carol) is double-cast by Mayama Rika (from Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku), an anime fan who appeared at the opening ceremony of the Matsumoto Reiji Exhibition last year, and Aoyama Nagisa, a voice actor from Love Live! Series Liella! who has been active in stage plays. The Eloping Man (Plaider) is played by Sakiyama Tsubasa, known for Kamen Rider Geats and the Kurogarasu film series. Valkyrie is played by Ayakaze Sana, former top star of the Snow Troupe at Takarazuka Revue, who starred as Deloris in Sister Act.
Staff
The script is newly written for this production by playwright Onoma Riko (Gekidan Shukou), who was nominated for the 61st Kishida Kunio Drama Award and creates unique worlds at the boundary of reality and fantasy with fresh language and bold structure. Direction is by Suzuki Sanae, who has worked on numerous TV dramas at TBS.
Performance Details
The play will run from March 31 to April 11, 2027 at Kinokuniya Hall (4F of Kinokuniya Shoten Shinjuku Main Store, 3-17-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo). It is organized by the Stage “Yojouhan no Daiuchuu” Production Committee.
