Cape No. 7 2008

In the 1940s, near the end of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, a nameless teacher dispatched to Hengchun falls in love with a local girl named Kojima Tomoko, Chie Tanaka. After Japan’s surrender, the teacher is forced to return home as Taiwan comes under the administrative control of the Republic of China. On his journey back, he writes seven love letters to express his regret for leaving Kojima Tomoko, Chie Tanaka, who originally planned to elope with him to Japan.

More than 60 years later, Aga, Van Fan, a struggling young rock singer, leaves Taipei to return to his hometown of Hengchun. His stepfather, Ma Ju-Lung, a Town Council Representative, arranges a postman job for him, replacing the aging Old Mao, Johnny Chung-Jen Lin, who is on leave after a motorcycle accident. One day, Aga comes across an undeliverable piece of mail that was supposed to be returned to the sender in Japan; it is tied to the letters left by the now-deceased Japanese teacher, a daughter who decided to mail the unsent letters to Taiwan after discovering them. The old Japanese-style address Cape No. 7, Kōshun District, Takao Prefecture can no longer be found.

Meanwhile, a local resort hotel in nearby Kenting National Park is organizing a beach concert featuring Japanese pop singer Kousuke Atari, but Aga’s stepfather uses his official position to insist that the opening band be locals. Tomoko, an over-the-hill Mandarin-speaking Japanese fashion model dispatched to Hengchun, is assigned to manage this hastily assembled band, led by Aga along with six locals of rather particular backgrounds. After a frustrating trial period, Aga and Tomoko unexpectedly begin a relationship.

With some help from Mingchu, Mingchu, Shino Lin, the hotel maid who is Kojima Tomoko’s granddaughter, Tomoko helps Aga find the rightful recipients of the seven letters. Tomoko then tells Aga that she plans on returning to Japan after the concert because of a job offer. After returning the seven letters, a heartbroken but determined Aga returns to the beach resort and performs a highly successful concert with his local band alongside Kousuke Atari while Kojima Tomoko reads the letters.