This beautifully moving drama is based on the real-life struggles of a 15-year-old girl named Aya who suffered from an incurable disease, but lived life to the fullest until her death at 25. The script is based on the diary Aya kept writing until she could no longer hold a pen. The book that later followed entitled “One Litre of Tears" has sold over 1.1 million copies in Japan alone.

Aya's only wish was “to live." By carefully depicting Aya's earnest desire to live, and the love of her family, friends, and lover, the drama, “One Litre of Tears" wishes to deliver her simple but strong message: “Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing."

iny hands, recycled cans, the metal bands I could not stand..
The time you cried and threw your crayons across the floor...

These are the things I think about when I'm alone without you
I wonder of your whereabouts and hope like hell you're happy where you are.

You used to say that "you're just fine!"
But I still wonder all the time.

Hockey games, medical claims, police reports, terrible grades,
J, I'm so proud of all the things that you have done.

These are the things I think about when I'm alone without you
I wonder of your whereabouts and hope like hell you're happy where you are.

I'm alright,
I can see through everything you say, and all the lessons I never learned..

You used to say that you were just fine..
But I still wonder all the time.

Do you still believe in the stories told
To you by my friends and I when you were four years old?
how it got so cold, that words just froze,
we had to wait 'til summer to find out what was said
One of the best times that we had..

I know I say that I'm just fine,
But I hope you wonder from time to time.

I was nervous from the start that our muscles might tear us apart,
(are muscles tearing us apart?)
From the words that carve our lives to the words that take us by surprise,
(I was never taken by surprise)
From the sounds that disappeared to the changes we'd begin to fear,
(I can hear you clearly!)
One day I'll fail to breathe, and all you'll have are memories..
(All we are are memories...)

When will you be home?" she asks
as we watch the planes take off
We both know we have no clear answer
to where my dreams may lead
She's watched me as I crawled and stumbled
As a child, she was my world
And now to let me go, I know she bleeds
and yet she says to me

You can fly so high
Keep your gaze upon the sky
I'll be praying every step along the way
Even though it breaks my heart to know we'll be so far apart
I love you too much to make you stay
Baby fly away

Autumn leaves fell into spring time and
Silver-painted hair
Daddy called one evening saying
"We need you. Please come back"
When I saw her laying in her bed
Fragile as a child
Pale just like an angel taking flight
I held her as I cried

You can fly so high
Keep your gaze upon the sky
I'll be praying every step along the way
Even though it breaks my heart to know we'll be so far apart
I love you too much to make you stay
Baby fly away