The concert opened with "Gin-iro Dress," the B-side of Moriguchi's debut single "Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete" and the very song she had surprised fans with as the double-encore of the Chapter I tour final this past January — performed there too with Takebe, the very partner of Chapter II. Many fans surely recognized the prelude Takebe played, and Moriguchi and Takebe's MC afterward confirmed it. Anchoring the start of Chapter II in the ending of Chapter I was an emotionally resonant choice, perfectly mirroring the audience's wish to keep celebrating Moriguchi's anniversary year.
"Hoshi yori Saki ni Mitsukete Ageru" followed, with Takebe's delicate yet dynamic accompaniment giving fresh breath to the beloved song. The minimal piano-only arrangement, paired with the touch of cuteness in Moriguchi's voice as she expressed her feelings for someone dear, sharpened the song's resolution and captivated fans.
A cover of Seiko Matsuda's "Ruriiro no Chikyu" came after an MC. Moriguchi thanked the audience for the miraculous session of singing the song with Takebe — who arranged the original — as accompanist, and the hall erupted in applause. The cover song varied by venue: this Tokyo set was originally to be Yumi Matsutoya's "Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara," but Takebe's suggestion — "Aichi has Ghibli Park, and Hiroko-chan loves Seiko-san, doesn't she?" — led them to swap. That one-of-a-kind performance elegantly colored the tour finale.
A segment titled "Satoshi Intro-Don" — an audience-participation intro quiz — saw Takebe playing the intros, sending the hall into a frenzy. Moriguchi, who once boasted of having answered 36 questions on the music-quiz variety show "Quiz Dorami-fa-Don!" before being kept off the program, found herself struggling, particularly when she failed to name "Hitomi wa Diamond" — joking she had "failed as a Seiko fan."
The shift in mood — from witty banter as the original "bara-dol" to a singer's playful spirit — perfectly balanced Takebe's elegant piano tension; only a Moriguchi concert offers entertainment of such range. The laughter quieted in an instant when Moriguchi shared an anecdote about a 75-year-old woman she met one night at Denny's: spotting her alone at 10:30 p.m. enjoying a chocolate parfait, Moriguchi imagined a story for her, only to learn the woman was savoring a nightly walk after caring for her husband, whose knees were giving him trouble. The audience laughed once again.
Moved by the woman's words — "You don't have to push so hard. Enjoy what you can, however you can" — Moriguchi delivered "Someday Everyday." The philosophical lyricism of Eri Hiramatsu, combined with the lively piano and Moriguchi's crisp vocals, kindled a fire in listeners' hearts. The finale soared with call-and-response of "Someday" / "Everyday" and "Someday" / "Takebe-san."
Next came "Samurai Heart," lit in deep crimson — a surprising selection for a piano-only setting. "What a tough ask," Takebe joked, but his arrangement proved how aggressively and powerfully a vivid rock number can be reborn with only a piano. Moriguchi covered the original's delay sections with vocal fakes — a stunning performance.
The first half closed with "ETERNAL WIND ~Hohoemi wa Hikaru Kaze no Naka~," which she introduced as "the song that lifted me through being told my contract was being cut and returned me to a singer's starting line." The song that delivered her first NHK Kohaku appearance and countless encounters with fans was performed as if cradled in her hands. Long since transcending its Gundam-song and film origins, it has become a universal prayer; Moriguchi's deepened voice filled the hall with unprecedented compassion. After the final note, her gaze softly sweeping the audience was unforgettable.
After a 15-minute intermission, the second act opened with the absolute peak of her career-defining Gundam songs. With an arrangement so fierce it hardly felt piano-only, "Z – Toki wo Koete" came alive with an adult, sensual vocal, followed by a serene and pure rendition of "Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete," reconstructed as a mature ballad — two "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam" songs in succession. Opening the second half with Zeta-related tracks was so very Moriguchi. She recalled hearing the instrumental arrangement on the B-side of her debut album and thinking at the time: "What an adult arrangement — I cannot sing to an orchestration like this yet." But the singer on stage tonight was one able to carry every nuance of life in her voice.
The bond between Moriguchi and Takebe is grounded in long history. Next year Takebe will mark his 50th anniversary, and this is the first time he has toured with only a singer and piano — a sign of their deep trust. Through the tour, Takebe came to feel anew that "Hiroko-chan's songs are all wonderful. You can sense how earnestly the writers crafted each one," words conveying his sincere respect for her as a vocalist. Mutual respect like theirs is precisely what gives birth to that perfect onstage synchronicity. To which Moriguchi joyfully replied, "That makes me so proud!"
While the lingering glow held, Moriguchi sang "Pentas" — a track on the 40th anniversary album "Your Flower – A Bouquet of Songs," born from her own difficult recovery from a fracture, composed and arranged by Yukie Nishimura, the pianist who scored the drama "101st Marriage Proposal." Set against Takebe's heart-piercing performance, Moriguchi's lyrics — written about the loneliness of relying on a wheelchair and crutches — sang in tune with the pentas's flower language of "hopes fulfilled" and "wishes," drawing tears from many in the crowd.
"Dakara Koko ni Iru'nda ne" followed. As the song approached its end, Moriguchi and fans sang as one — as if reaffirming the very feeling in its title — and Moriguchi's voice began to break. Bowing repeatedly to unending applause, she wiped her eyes. Heard together, the two songs deepened each other's worldview and lyrical resonance. The figure of Moriguchi singing tenderly — both for her fans and for herself — was unforgettable. Hers is the voice of an artist who has come to know unwavering effort, the necessity of continuing forward, and the sometime importance of pausing, and the hall was bathed in an ineffable joy.
Telling the audience "as thanks for singing with me," Moriguchi announced she would attempt something she finds difficult — performing a piano duet, with Takebe no less. Amid cheers, she sat tense beside Takebe and began a duet of "Neko Funjatta," delivering a brilliant performance to thunderous applause. As she stood to acknowledge the audience, Takebe stopped her and demanded an accelerated reprise. She fearlessly nailed it, drawing even louder cheers.
Riding the momentum, she launched into a back-to-back run of 1990s vitality — "LUCKY GIRL ~Shinjiru Mono wa Sukuwareru~" into "Speed" — with call-and-response, clapping, and Moriguchi's incitements creating an explosive, band-like force that lifted the hall higher still. It was a moment that reaffirmed her style of always — anywhere, in any setting — being herself while keeping those around her entertained.
Closing the second act was "Magokoro Bouquet" from "Your Flower – A Bouquet of Songs." Moriguchi humorously revealed that exchanges with longtime ally Naoto Kine of TM NETWORK — the composer — had helped her embrace growing older, and that of Aki Hata's lyrics she especially loved the line "Maybe I'll praise myself just a little." Calling that line "a waypoint," she displayed both pride and humility, beaming as if to say there had never been a more enjoyable time in her career than this 40th year. Her performance — like a blue-white flame revealed amid stillness — drew unstinting applause.
The instant the two left the stage, the hall erupted in nonstop calls for an encore. Returning, Moriguchi welcomed Takebe back and performed "ETERNAL DAYS ~Anata ga Ite Yokatta~," an "answer song" depicting the time after "ETERNAL WIND." Tenderness inside sorrow, gentleness within sadness — Moriguchi's repertoire holds many masterpieces that strike to the heart. Perhaps that is why the opening and closing of her two acts and encores shine so brilliantly. "ETERNAL DAYS," too — its sweeping, embracing vocal poured forth her warm feelings and deep love for her fans, and to listen was to feel softly held by her voice.
The song's closing refrain — "Anata ga Ite Yokatta" ("Thank goodness you were here") — was conveyed by lyricist-composer Yui Nishiwaki as being directed first to "ETERNAL WIND" and then, on the second iteration, to fans. Hearing that intent, Moriguchi sang as if delivering a pure, sincere love letter, gazing across the hall and channeling her soul-deep gratitude to "you" who had supported her. That sincerity surely warmed every heart present. After finishing, Moriguchi said "thank you" to her fans again and again.
In an MC she announced that ahead of the release of the Chapter I video, screenings would be held in cinemas nationwide and digest footage would be released. Met with great cheers, Moriguchi looked reluctant to leave — "I don't want this to end," "I don't want to go home" — and delivered "Whistle" as Chapter II's final act. Before the third chapter — "Hiroko Moriguchi 40th Anniversary Tour Chapter III: One Night Only Starry Symphony (Orchestra Edition)" — set for August, perhaps she wished to share in that uplift even within the piano-only format. "It's okay to stand up at the end," she had called out beforehand; perhaps no one wanted to play with the fans more than Moriguchi herself. Instead of a quiet close, the hall stood and bounced in pop euphoria, sending everyone off energized for tomorrow. That, too, is the joy of a Moriguchi concert.
Even with the most minimal lineup — voice and piano alone — the soul could be shaken. Tonight's performance was proof of Hiroko Moriguchi's sincerity as an artist and her inexhaustible passion for music. Through the "dialogue" between Moriguchi and Takebe, the audience was surely able to touch the wonder of music anew. During an MC Moriguchi said she "wants to do this again," and Takebe expressed the same. As Moriguchi often says, this is exactly the kind of miraculous "reunion" to look forward to. With the orchestral Chapter III concert in August still to come, her anniversary remains "unfinished" — "still on the road." What landscapes will her unstoppable passion show us next?
[Hiroko Moriguchi 40th Anniversary Tour Chapter II "Just the Two of Us (Voice and Piano)" Tokyo Setlist]
1. Gin-iro Dress (insert song, "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam")
2. Hoshi yori Saki ni Mitsukete Ageru (ending theme, "One-Punch Man")
3. Ruriiro no Chikyu (cover, Seiko Matsuda)
4. Someday Everyday (opening theme, "La La Kiss")
5. Samurai Heart (theme song, "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers / Ronin Warriors")
6. ETERNAL WIND ~Hohoemi wa Hikaru Kaze no Naka~ (theme song, "Mobile Suit Gundam F91")
7. Z – Toki wo Koete (first opening theme, "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam")
8. Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete (second opening theme, "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam")
9. Pentas
10. Dakara Koko ni Iru'nda ne
11. LUCKY GIRL ~Shinjiru Mono wa Sukuwareru~ (theme song, "Yume ga MORI MORI")
12. Speed (theme song, "Yume ga MORI MORI")
13. Magokoro Bouquet
ENCORE
14. ETERNAL DAYS ~Anata ga Ite Yokatta~
15. Whistle (theme song, "Yume ga MORI MORI")
[Concert Blu-ray "Hiroko Moriguchi 40th Anniversary Tour 'Your Flower'" — Released June 17, 2026]
Recorded on January 24, 2026 at Tokyo International Forum Hall C — the grand finale of Chapter I — is now coming to Blu-ray.
Limited Edition (Blu-ray + 2CD) — ¥11,000 (tax incl.) / Cat. No. KIXM-90667
Special box package, 20-page concert photo book and two postcards included.
Regular Edition (Blu-ray Only) — ¥7,500 (tax incl.) / Cat. No. KIXM-667
"Hiroko Moriguchi 40th Anniversary Tour 'Your Flower'" digest video: https://youtu.be/HrfZd8LRYHk
[Hiroko Moriguchi 40th Anniversary Tour Chapter III "One Night Only Starry Symphony (Orchestra Edition)"]
Date: Friday, August 14, 2026 / Doors 17:30, Start 18:30
Venue: Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall
Performers: Hiroko Moriguchi (Vocal), Japan Pops Orchestra, Matsukichi Matsubara (Drums), Shota Moriguchi (Bass)
Tickets: https://w.pia.jp/t/hirokomoriguchi-40th3/
Hiroko Moriguchi official site: https://www.mogeshan.net/
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Text: Masaki Endo / Photo: Makiko Takada
©KING RECORDS