That's good
How about using some more colors?
Tony
Yes?
Tony Takitani's real name was...
It really was Tony Takitani
Tony's father
was Takitani Shozaburo, a jazz musician
Right before the Pacific War began,
Shozaburo caused some trouble
and made his way from Tokyo to China.
Takitani passed the violent war years,
breezily playing trombone
in a Shanghai night club.
And when the war ended,
his longstanding ties with shady characters caught up with him,
and thy locked him up in prison for long time.
Most of his fellow prisoners
were executed, one after another, with hardly any benefit of a trial.
The executions always took place at two in the afternoon.
One day, without warning,
they'd drag him to the courtyard, too,
and shoot him in the head with an automatic rifle.
In that place, the boundary between life and death...
Was as slim as a single strand of hair
Takitani Shozaburo
returned to Japan, no more than a bag of bones,
In the spring of 1946
He found his home had been destroyed in the firebombing,
and his parents and his only brother,
lost to the same fate
In other words, he was then...
utterly alone in the world
Eventually,
he married a distant relative on his mother's side.
A year after they were married, they had a baby boy,
and three days after the child's birth,
his mother died.
Her death came abruptly,
as did her cremation.
An American Major, a friend of Takitani's,
consoled him for the loss of his wife like family.
And the Major said,
"You should name your kid Tony, after me. "
What with American influence likely to endure,
the idea of giving his son an American name seemed...
Not half bad
That's what Shozaburo thought
Not half bad, Tony Takitani...
Not half bad...
And yet because of that American name,
whenever Tony introduced himself, people looked at him oddly...
Some even got mad
For this and other reasons, Tony Takitani
was a boy who kept to himself
For as long as he could remember,
his father was off touring with his band.
Spending time alone was the most natural thing in the world for Tony.
When he was young, a housekeeper looked after him,
but once he started junior high, he cooked for himself,
locked up and went to bed on his own
I'll take care of my own supper tomorrow
I see, bye
Good night
I never thought I was especially lonely
TONY TAKITANI
You need to do Self Criticism on that
That's what you think, and we're staying back, so we're fine,
but who knows about next year...
You're good, but I don't feel any warmth
That just makes you a capitalist running dog
That's a little extreme, isn't it?
That's flawed logic
What's flawed about it?
Tony couldn't fathom the value of
the kinds of paintings his classmates argued over,
paintings imbued with artistry or ideology.
To him, such paintings were just immature,
and ugly
And inaccurate
Have you ever gone out with a woman?
I did,
but we broke up.
Ever considered marriage?
Never
Right...
Did Hayashida already go home?
He left half an hour ago.
I thought I'd have lunch with him...
How's things?
Oh, looks good, OK
Listen,
the axis of an ellipse...
Tony was best at drawing machines.
His detailed renditions of cars, radios,
and engines were more scrupulous than anyone else's.
That he became an illustrator...
Was only natural
We're in the red for the second half
Yes, well, the price of paints rose...
In paints and in paper,
our expenses have increased along with our staff.
From magazine covers to advertising illustrations,
Tony accepted any job related to mechanics.
The work was agreeable and the money was good.
I'm off
Heading home
I'm sorry I kept you waiting
Oh, no
Come inside
Yes, thank you
Here are the layouts you sent me
There's A, B and C...
This one is A
This one's B...
and C's...
Yes, thank you
And there's D and E
Yes, I'll take them
You're new, right?
Yes, I'm Konuma Eiko. It's nice to meet you
Oh, likewise
I'll look after these, then
She was like a bird taking flight for a distant land...
She wore her clothes naturally,
as though enveloped by a special breeze.
She returned to Tony's office several times.
And one day, Tony asked her out to lunch.
I've never met anyone who inhabits her clothes
with such obvious relish as you.
I feel like clothes...
That they...
fill up...
what's missing inside me.
I'm self-centered
And I love...
to indulge myself
Sc, I spend almost my entire salary
on clothes.
I never spend money on anything except paints and supplies.
I think I've gone and fallen in love
I'm thinking about getting married for the first time ever.
So, what do you like about her?
How can I put it...
It's like she was born to dress up.
That's great.
Shozaburo and Tony
only saw each other once every two or three years.
Once they'd settled matters,
there wasn't much left for the two to discuss
Takitani Shozaburo wasn't naturally suited to being a father,
nor was Tony Takitani naturally suited to being a son.
On their fifth date,
Tony proposed to her.
But she'd already been seeing another man for some time,
and Tony was fifteen years
her senior.
That wasn't me, was it?
"Please et me think it over"
is what she said.
Loneliness is like a prison,
that's how Tony saw it.
If she says she won't marry me,
I might just have to die.
Tony wanted to make this clear to her
I m sorry, out of the blue like this
There's no denying there's 15 years between us...
How lonely his life had been,
how much he had already lost...
And how meeting her,
had finally made him recognize it.
You taught me not just that I was lonely,
but how important it was for me to meet you
and how I've lost everything like that in my life.
The lonely times were over for Tony Takitani.
As soon as he woke up, he sought her.
When he saw her sleeping figure beside him, he relaxed
and became anxious at her absence.
This lack of loneliness
felt even so slightly odd to Tony
Because now that he wasn't lonely,
he found himself constantly terrified,
by the possibility of being alone again.
Sometimes, when he imagined it...
It scares me so much I break into a cold sweat.
His terror lasted three months after their marriage.
And yet, as he grew accustomed to his new life,
his fear abated
It has real personality, right?
This one's like...
It's like a kid, right, a baby?
Yes, and...
There was not a single thing to cast
a dark shadow on their married life
She was a gifted housewife and looked after the house briskly.
But there was just one thing that bothered Tony.
Which was...
She buys an alarming number of clothes
In the presence of clothes,
she was almost entirely unable to restrain herself.
In a flash, her expression altered and even her voice changed.
The problem escalated after they visited Europe.
During their travels,
she purchased an astonishing volume of designer clothing.
As though bewitched, she simply bought
every garment in sight,
while Tony tagged along behind, picking up the tab.
Once they returned to Japan, her fever did not subside.
Day after day, she continued shopping for clothes.
They had to order several large wardrobes,
along with shelves designed to accommodate her shoes.
And when that still
wasn't enough, they had to convert one entire room into a closet.
Is this the only color?
Yes, it only comes in white.
Hello? Hi there, Dad
Yeah, it's been a while
Oh... I see...
Please wait a minute while we prepare your table.
She's getting us a table.
That's my Dad You've never seen him onstage right?
Shozaburo was playing exactly the same music he had always played
But his music was somehow different from the way Tony remembered
his father playing.
The difference may have been subtle.
But to Tony,
that difference was crucial.
Tony wanted to approach his father onstage...
What's so different, Dad?
That's what he wanted to ask
What if,
you cut back a little on your shopping?
I'm not just concerned about the money.
I'm happy you’re getting more beautiful
But...
Do you really need all those clothes?
I know I should.
But even though I know better, I can't help myself.
When I see beautiful things,
I can't not buy them.
I can't stop myself...
from buying them.
Like an addiction.
But...
she promised to try to escape
from her obsession.
For a week,
she stayed at home,
so as not to be tempted
But during that time,
she began to feel as if she was empty.
She spent her days in the dressing room, staring at her clothes.
She never ever tired of looking at her clothes.
And the more she looked, the more she desired new ones.
As soon as that desire arose, she lost control.
I simply couldn't control myself.
And yet, she truly loved her husband,
and accepted the wisdom of his objections.
She only had one body.
I really don't need...
so many clothes.
So she went to her favorite boutique and asked,
if she could return a recently-purchased coat and dress.
I'm sorry about it.
Please come back
After returning the garments, she felt unburdened.
But as she waited for the light to change,
she could think of nothing,
but the coat and dress she had just returned.
Of their colors, their design,
and their textures.
How much per false tooth?
70,000 yen
70,000 yen? So, 280,000 for four?
Oh, no...
They're so expensive when health insurance doesn't cover them
Hisako,
Hisako I hear you quit your job?
I just couldn't take it.
How are you getting by?
Waitressing at an Italian restaurant
I'm going on a job interview after this
Take a look at this
Woman, size 7,
approximately 165cm tall,
and shoe size, 23cm
The qualifications are a bit strange
but I'm a perfect match
And look at the salary!
Maybe you should be careful
Oh, wow!
So pretty!
Excuse me
From the thirteen women who applied,
Tony chose the woman who most resembled his wife
Relax
Thank you
The job is really simple, actually
You're here from 9 to 5 every day to answer the phone,
and deliver my assignments,
pick up materials,
or make copies
Yes
But, there's one condition
I just lost my wife
I've still got all of the clothes she left behind
They're all practically brand new
I'd like you to wear them, as your uniform,
while you're at work here...
Every day...
Your wife's clothes?
That's right
That's why those sizes were a job requirement
I'm sure it's a strange request
I know that, but I have no ulterior motives
just need some time to get used to the fact that she's gone
If you are around, dressed in her clothes.
I know that the reality of her being gone will sink in
Honestly,
she really couldn't grasp what Tony Takitani meant.
And yet, he didn't seem like a bad person...
I think he's just a little out of it from losing his wife
And besides...
Her unemployment was about to run out
She needed a job
I understand
I mean, actually...
I don't really get what you're talking about...
But I think I can do what you ask
Oh, really? Thank you
Before I do...
Is it possible...
I could see your wife's clothes?
Of course
I just think that I should try them on,
to be sure they really fit...
Of course
I'll wait outside Please try them on
She found row after row of hundreds
and hundreds of beautiful garments
She couldn't help imagining how it must have been to die,
and leave behind so many fabulous clothes
The clothing and the shoes fit her as perfectly
as if they'd been made for her
Are you all right?
After a while, Tony Takitani came in to see how she was...
"Why are you crying?"
He asked her
Are you all right?
I'm sorry
I just...
Don't really understand...
I guess...
I've never seen...
so many beautiful clothes at once
I'm so sorry,
I think it confused me
I'm sorry
Go ahead and choose a week's worth of shoes and clothing and take it
And then...
"Just in case it cools down,"
"why don't you choose a coat, too,"
said Tony Takitani
She chose a grey cashmere coat that looked warm
It was as light as a feather
She had never worn such a coat, in her entire life
Her clothes... seemed like his wife's lingering shadows
These shadows,
once infused with warm breath,
had moved alongside his wife.
Yet, what now confronted him,
their vital roots severed,
seemed a flock of shadows, withering with each moment
As Tony...
Watched this happen,
I gradually began to suffocate
I'm sorry, but things have changed
The things you took home, are yours to keep.
Please just forget this entire episode.
Please don't tell anyone about it.
Morning
They have a terrible reputation
The stains never come out
You're wearing more designer stuff
It's silk wool
Locks pricey
Must have cost over 100,000 yen
Why? And how can you afford so many expensive clothes?
I can't tell you
And even if I could
you two would never believe me
What's that mean?
Tony wound up contacting a secondhand clothes shop,
and they came and took everything away
He left the barren,
former dressing room,
vacant for a long time
And even the emotions he had once embraced,
gradually receded from his memory
His memory gradually shifted,
like mist in the wind,
growing dimmer with each change
Two years after his wife's death,
his father, Takitani Shozaburo, died of liver cancer
He left behind only his trombone
and a mountain of old jazz records
The records reeked with mold,
so periodically Tony had to open the windows of the dressing room
In this way... a year passed
However, the mountain of records records he had inherited
gradually began to burden him
Tony called a second-hand record shop for an appraisal.
Because many of the records were rare,
the appraisal came in quite high,
but even that meant nothing
Once the mountain of records vanished,
Tony Takitani
was truly and finally,
completely alone
I'm going home now
Stick around Something I want to ask you
All right
You're Tony Takitani, right?
Yes
Nice crowd
The thing is,
you may be shocked...
I'm the guy... Eiko ditched back then
I hear the chick up and died
Wasn't that chick a pain?
She was not a pain, and...
I've forgotten
And stop calling her "that chick"
So you are dull, after all
Just like your drawings...
From time to time,
he would recall the unknown woman,
who had wept so,
in the former dressing room, upon seeing the clothes
his wife had left behind
And his memory would resurrect
the sound of her sobs
I've never seen...
so many beautiful clothes at once
He didn't wish to remember it
And yet, even after he had forgotten almost everything else,
strangely, he could never shake
the recollection of that woman
Hey, say, gloves...
I got two pairs of gloves
Oh, perfect I'll give you one
Which one? Purple or yellow?
Either's fine
But, no...
It's up to you
You can't leave it up to me
But really, either's fine Yellow, or purple...
You sure? Really sure?
Yes, it's really fine
Oh, I know You know the purple one's...
It's missing, there's only a thumb
It really doesn't matter
I really don't even want them
Hey, that's not very nice,
hey...
Issey Ogata
Miyazawa Rie
Narrator: Nishijima Hidetoshi
Based on "Tony Takitani" by Murakam Haruki
Music: Sakamoto Ryuichi
Executive producer: Yonezawa Keikc Producer: Ishida Motoki Associate producer: Koshikawa Michio
Director of photography: Hirokawa Taishi
Written and directed by: Ichikawa Jun
English subtitles: Linda Hoaglund OCR'ed: Reini Urban