Tetsuya Bessho celebrates his milestone 60th birthday with a premium live performance and talk! A one-night-only “Listener Appreciation Festival” event featuring a stellar cast [Official Report]
J-WAVE (81.3FM) Press release: September 1, 2025 To Members of the Press Tetsuya Bessho celebrates his milestone 60th birthday with a premium live performance and talk! A one-night-only “Listener Appreciation Festival” event featuring a stellar cast [Official Report]
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one-night-only premium event. In addition, the event was streamed online, allowing people across the country who were unable to attend the venue to enjoy it. The archived stream is currently available and can be viewed until 11:59 PM on Sunday, September 7th. Streaming tickets are on sale until 10:00 PM on the same day. For ticket details, please check the event’s official website. ▼Event official website https://www.j-wave.co.jp/topics/2507_besshow.htm [Event Report] The morning variety show “J-WAVE TOKYO MORNING RADIO” airs every Monday through Thursday from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Its host is actor Tetsuya Bessho. His lively talk, which begins with the familiar greeting, “Good morning, everyone!”, has continued to brighten and energize listeners’ mornings. On August 31st, to celebrate Bessho’s 60th birthday, a premium live concert and talk show, “J-WAVE TOKYO MORNING RADIO presents The BESSHOW TIME GOLDEN 60! ~BIG THANKS TO THE LISTENERS~,” was held at BLUE NOTE PLACE. Approximately 200 listeners gathered at the venue, with tickets sold out immediately.
Additionally, many listeners who couldn’t make it to the venue participated via online streaming, and the comments section was flooded with congratulatory messages. When the show started, Ayane Nakata, host of J-WAVE’s morning program “JUST A LITTLE LOVIN'” (Monday to Thursday, 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM), appeared. “This premium event is being held to commemorate the milestone 60th birthday of J-WAVE’s morning face, Bessho Tetsuya, and to express our gratitude to everyone who has supported the program for many years.Today, we will be featuring talk and live performances with some great guests who have a connection to the program, and we hope you will enjoy the fun time that Bessho and everyone will create together.” “So, let’s introduce the man who will be the star of today’s event… Bessho Tetsuya!” Bessho, dressed in a red suit, appeared to a thunderous round of applause.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-5f00a34fb28ce389948582f3f792f01d-3900×2600.jpg Tetsuya Bessho appeared at the venue in a red suit. “I’ve been hosting the morning show (‘J-WAVE GOOD MORNING TOKYO’) since 2006. In 2009, it became ‘J-WAVE TOKYO MORNING RADIO’, and I’ve been the morning face of J-WAVE for nearly 19 years! I hope to have a great time with you all today,” she said, greeting the audience in person and those watching the online stream. After the toast ceremony, congratulatory comments were displayed on the screen. The first was Kundo Koyama, who is active in a wide range of fields, including as a television writer and screenwriter. Hearing his message, “Let’s share our secrets like we used to, and go out for a nice drink,” Bessho added. “I appeared in the film ‘Dakishimete (Embrace Me As Many Waves As You Like)’ (released in 1991), and Koyama was actually in that group,” he said, reminiscing.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-7038f1b786e0c7fc4755bcf44a4c5a24-3900×2600.jpg Tetsuya Bessho, Ayane Nakata Next up was the music performance section. Fresh from a successful performance at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall on August 29, pianist Ryo Gojoin arrived as a guest to celebrate. He created an elegant and fabulous world by performing Chopin’s “Fantaisie-Impromptu” and Debussy’s “Clair de Lune.” Amid thunderous applause, he announced, “Today, I have a musical gift for you, Lady Bessho,” and performed his original piece, “Rose Waltz,” for Lady Bessho. His beautiful, sublime sound blossomed, rivaling the 100 roses that graced the venue.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-d08524a7832044ebdb0d4eb98ef925aa-3900×2600.jpg Ryo Gojoin For the fourth song, Bessho took the microphone and performed “To the Sora,” a grand-scale love song of which she wrote the lyrics, saying, “I’d like to sing a song while Gojoin-san plays.” The audience was enthralled by this special, one-day-only
collaboration.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-a7d7f7cc821bdbafa1ab78a361b000a8-3900×2600.jpg Tetsuya Bessho performing “To SORA” Next, he moved on to a talk session with the audience. Some listeners expressed their gratitude to Bessho, including those who get energized by him every time they watch his performance, those who get energized by listening to the show while making lunch for their families, and those who have been listening since his days as “J-WAVE GOOD MORNING TOKYO.” The atmosphere was filled with happiness. The second person to send a congratulatory message was film director Naomi Kawase. “I probably first met him over 10 years ago. I respect him every time I see his natural passion and the way he walks the walk. I’m in Nara, and Tetsu-san is in Tokyo, and we both support and introduce various talents to the world. I’m nowhere near his level, but I always look up to him and think, ‘I want to do my best too,'” she said, expressing her admiration as an older brother in the industry. The musical performance section resumed, and singer-songwriter Kitamura Fuki, known for her versatile performance techniques, took to the stage. “When Kitamura Fuki begins playing the piano, a powerful world unfolds in an instant. Please enjoy,” she said, introducing her. She then sang her first single, “amaranthus,” and “eclipse,” a track from her first EP, “500mm,” filling the venue with a mystical and elegant atmosphere.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-9ce024fb761cd1b12e854863ea9c67f1-3900×2600.jpg Fuki Kitamura Kitamura, to be honest, wrote a song specifically for the show. He revealed the secrets behind the song’s creation, saying, “I wanted to create a sparkling song that focuses on each individual, with the intention of supporting everyone as they get going in the morning, so I chose the title ‘HighLight.'” This was his first piano performance of “HighLight,” and it was powerful yet light. As the performance continued to impress, a bright red birthday cake appeared on stage, filling the venue with an even more celebratory mood.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-8f7ef0a631edd32062a4eddd4df7453d-3900×2600.jpg A bright red birthday cake appears on the stage. The third person to leave a congratulatory comment was Tsutomu Sekine, who turned 72 on August 21st. “I always listen to Bessho’s radio show. So when I was thinking about who I should imitate on stage, I thought, ‘I’ll do Bessho’s radio show.’ One thing he’s known for is adding ‘tetsu’ to the end of everything. What made an impression on me was oden. ‘What do you all like? Bessho likes chikuwabu. The ‘tetsu’ in chikuwabu!”‘ He revealed Bessho’s catchphrase, which drew laughter from the audience. The final guest was TENDER, Taro Kawahara’s solo project, which captivates many with its warm sound that mixes jazz, soul, R&B, city pop, and more. They kicked off the set with “DOCUMENT,” the lead track from their first album, “NOT IN ALMIGHTY.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-fc79b29ed0b23bdd98b935bb2f32c8f0-1800×2700.jpg TENDRE “There are good things, but sometimes there are hard times. I feel like I learned from watching Bessho-san that those experiences make people grow. I want to play a song that shows you how to accept things that aren’t easy,” she said, before singing “NOT EASY,” which expresses her outlook on life. For “hanashi,” she changed the lyrics to include references to Bessho and the show, adding a touch of elegance to the happy event. At this point, Bessho took the stage. “The other day, I had the opportunity to go to Mariya Takeuchi’s concert. She sang the wonderful song ‘Door of Life’ there. Today marks the milestone of turning 60, and I felt like singing something, so this song came to mind. Would it be okay if I arranged the lyrics in a Tetsuya Bessho version and sang it?” he said, performing “Door of Life” accompanied by TENDRE’s music.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-e97ea3fcb82c225d649b065e5feec625-3900×2600.jpg Tetsuya Bessho performs “Door of Life” accompanied by TENDRE As a video of Bessho’s life from childhood to the present played on the screen, she sang, savoring every word of the lyrics. During the song, she sang with deep emotion, savoring her own journey as she turned 60, the speed at which time passes, and the importance of everyday life, her voice resonating powerfully yet brightly. Her bright voice was one of the highlights of the day.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-db8eb33d42f3266a62b4e7a21ed159cd-3900×2600.jpg Tetsuya Bessho As the show came to an end, he concluded with these words for those in the venue and those watching the online stream: “Do you know the movie ‘The Grudge’? Tom Cruise (who plays Jerry McGuire) uses the killer line ‘You complete me’ in his proposal. I personally think that ‘You complete me’ is the same when I appear on stage and on radio. You all make me complete, and help me grow. I’ve turned 60, so maybe it’s time to become more perfect, but humans will always remain imperfect. However, it is with the desire to ‘become perfect’ and ‘become better’ that I deliver this morning broadcast. I hope to continue to receive your encouragement and support as we create wonderful mornings together. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow morning!”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/25404/1820/25404-1820-103a68707baa6b2b68b5da7a528099e3-1800×2700.jpg Tetsuya Bessho (Text by Satoshi Magai, Photography by Daisuke Arakane) For more information about this release
