On 18 July 2026, Tokyo International Forum Hall A hosted SOUND THEATRE × Natsume’s Book of Friends – Natsugasumi (音劇の章 夏霞), the first new instalment of the SOUND THEATRE × Natsume’s Book of Friends series in eight years. The immersive musical reading-drama blends live music, theatrical lighting, and stage design to spark the audience’s imagination.

The Venue

Hall A seats approximately 5,000 people — an unusually large venue for a reading-drama — and every seat, including the second floor, was filled. The stage was dressed with forest-like scenery and lantern-shaped lighting, while the soundscape of flowing water, birdsong, and distant festival music transported the audience into a fantastical world far removed from everyday life.

The moment the house lights dropped and the musicians began tuning, the crowd fell completely silent. Music for the evening was provided by Yoshimori Makoto, the composer of the Natsume’s Book of Friends anime score, who returned to lead the ensemble on piano. When the opening theme “Kimi ga Yobu Namae ~ Natsume Yūjin-chō no Theme” rang out, the hall transformed instantly into the world of Natsume’s Book of Friends. The cast appeared in elegant Japanese-style costumes evoking their respective characters.

Act 1: “Mizusoko no Tsubame” (The Swallow at the Lake Bottom)

The first act adapted the popular Season 1 episode in which Natsume strives to grant the wish of a yōkai called Tsubame, who dwells beneath a dam-flooded village. On a sweltering summer day, Natsume visits the submerged village with classmates Nishimura and Kitamoto, only to be possessed by Tsubame. The production’s clever use of light and sound to portray the supernatural was one of the evening’s most distinctive pleasures.

Comic scenes with the more whimsical yōkai were matched by playful music. The biggest laugh came from a toy chicken known as the “Shouting Chicken,” used as an instrument in the piece “Araburu Kami no Kōrin” — its absurd squawk instantly relaxed the room. The bickering between Nyanko-sensei and Tsubame was equally endearing, like a children’s quarrel.

Tsubame’s wish is to see Taniosaki, the human who once saved her life. Though her voice cannot reach ordinary humans, the sheer joy of glimpsing him again makes her call out anyway — a sight both adorable and quietly heartbreaking. With Nyanko-sensei transformed into Madara squaring off against Tareshin, Natsume speaks plainly of his desire to help Tsubame, winning over not only Nyanko-sensei but Tareshin as well.

The climax unfolds at a yōkai festival held once every four years. Red lanterns hung across the stage as taiko drums and flutes filled the air. Natsume fights desperately for Tsubame’s wish to be truly fulfilled, while Nyanko-sensei transforms into Madara once more to assist. Natsume’s final monologue — gentle as a summer sky — was wrapped in the ensemble’s music, leaving a lingering warmth in the hall.

Act 2: “Itsuka Kuru Hi” (The Day That Will Come)

After an interval, the second act told the story of a love between a human and a yōkai, opening with a piano rendition of “Daidai-iro no Toki” before flowing into the lively “Tomo wo Omoite.”

Natsume finds a letter and meets its owner, Aoi, who is searching for a childhood friend named Kaori. The natural, peer-to-peer conversation between Natsume and Aoi — with Nyanko-sensei chiming in — drew warm smiles from the audience as Aoi’s past was gradually revealed.

A standout moment was the flashback sequence between Aoi and Kaori, with Ono Daisuke and Komatsu Mikako voicing both the childhood and adult versions of the characters. Their ability to conjure the image of two young children through voice alone was remarkable. The freedom to move back and forth through time is one of the unique pleasures of the reading-drama format.

Though Aoi claims to have let go of his feelings for Kaori, Natsume — who, like Kaori, can see yōkai — feels a connection to her and asks to meet her. When he learns the letter is actually a wedding invitation from Kaori, he goes to see her alone, only to discover it is a trap she has set.

The most visually striking moment came when Aoi burns Kaori’s letters: countless letters drifted slowly down from above, bathed in red light, as her words were consumed by flame and Aoi watched in silence. The ashes rose back into the air, and the red glow gradually shifted through all the colours of the rainbow — as if the feelings themselves were being purified. Love, it turned out, had never truly burned away.

The finale saw white feathers drifting through the air as if blessing the two characters. With hearts full from the superb performances and music, the curtain fell.

After-Talk and Streaming Information

Following the night show, the main cast and director Okamoto Takaya held an after-talk session, sharing impressions of the performance and rare anecdotes from a series beloved for nearly 20 years.

The night show of SOUND THEATRE × Natsume’s Book of Friends – Natsugasumi is streaming exclusively on U-NEXT. Details are as follows:

• Performance streamed: Night show, 18 July 2026 (starts 18:30 JST / stream opens 18:00 JST)
• Ticket sales close: 2 August 2026 at 19:00 JST
• Catch-up viewing ends: 2 August 2026 at 23:59 JST
• Price: ¥4,400 (tax included)
• Purchaser bonus: Live cast comment video; full after-talk included

U-NEXT is also running a giveaway of signed posters from Kamiya Hiroshi (Natsume Takashi) and Inoue Kazuhiko (Nyanko-sensei / Madara) — three winners will be drawn from ticket purchasers.