Hajime-chan? Yes, I'm back
Last night
Just a bit tired
Really? Sounds good
I can call by on the way
Yes, is that okay?
Yoko-san! You're back!
Welcome back!
How was Taiwan?
Very... I was doing my research
Thanks for keeping an eye on the place
Really? So nice
Just a moment
Pineapple cakes... Do you like them?
Take some rest
Sorry
The landlady... yes
Listen, I had another weird dream
About an unhappy mother
She's sad because something's happened to her baby
It looks so old... but the face is made of ice...
And suddenly it's all melting! Very scary...
I can't remember the rest
You know any story like that?
Anyhow, I'm still having these weird dreams
I'll call by anyway
Okay, see you later... Bye bye
You made it!
Here you are - Thanks
And the receipts
How much?
Great!
Thank you
Oh, I brought you something...
A little gift for your birthday
Really?
This is great!
When I got to Taiwan
I found it was the 116th anniversary.
Of the founding of the railways
Look!
I should pay you for it
- Really? - Sure
Well, thanks a lot
I'll treasure it
Oh, I have one of these already
Do you?
Jiang Wenye won a prize for his "Taiwan Rondo"
At the Olympics Arts Festival
The Olympics?
Yes, the Berlin Olympics, 1936
Can I listen to this one?
Okay, just a moment
You know, Jiang Wenye came to Japan when he was 13
to study electricity
Electricity?
Right
And he went to night classes in singing and composition...
at Ueno Music Academy,
which is now Tokyo Arts University
Did he?
And he had a favoritejazz cafe
Maybe notjazz, but anyway a music place
It was called "Dat"
He listened to records there, and read music
Does it still exist?
If it does, I'd like to go
Shall I check?
Yes, please
By the way, that dream you mentioned...
About the baby changing
It's a goblin story, it comes from Europe
Really?
Yes, goblins are said to take the place of babies
There are many European stories like that
Changeling stories... it's like one of those
I guess it is
I'd like to read one
Yoko!
Thank you very much
- I'm home - Welcome back
It's been a while...
A couple of days
I'm home
Welcome
Was the train crowded?
Not really
Why don't you get changed?
I will
Want a drink, Mom?
No thanks
Where's Mew?
- Sorry? - I forgot to feed Mew
What's for dinner?
Ma!
What's for dinner?
Fish... Flatfish
Flatfish
No nikujaga beef stew?
Nikujaga?
No
Wait a second...
Mew!
(TV: Highschool League Baseball _Commentary)
Yoko, dinner's ready
Yoko!
Yoko
She's nodded off, better let her rest
Asleep
Maybe she's not sleeping well
Anything to go with my beer?
How about pickles?
Fine
Chopsticks
You're awake
I'm hungry
Is there anything to eat?
I'll heat it up
You slept in those clothes?
Kimpira, okay?
Sure
Any rice left?
Yes
Thanks
Can I have this too?
You know what?
What?
What is it?
I'm pregnant
Whose is it?
My Taiwanese boyfriend
Boyfriend?
You know how often I visit Taiwan
But I won't marry him
And his parents? Do they know?
Yeah...
But I can bring it up by myself
Good afternoon
It's over there. Near the car
This way, Yoko-chan
I'll bring it
Careful, brother, you're getting splashed
Okay? Your shirt's getting dirty
There's enough water
I'll wipe it off
Here No problem
- Brother? - It's okay
Mother!
I'm borrowing the bike
Going out for a bit
The roads are slippery
Watch out for cars
You have to say something to Yoko
You're always evasive
Something important comes up, and you say nothing
Youjust stay silent
They hung up...
Who could it have been?
Does the boyfriend have ajob?
And we'll soon
be living on our pensions
- Excuse me... - Yes?
- Where's Tora-chan? - Inside
- See her? - Yes, she's asleep
You know Tora-chan?
I used to catch my train to school here
She's fatter than she was
Everyone loves her
She's sound asleep
She's getting old
Yes
I'll be honored to meet you
Thank you so much
Yes
Whatever time you can spare for me...
Hello, Cafe Erika
Yes, thank you very much
Thanks, Mrs Jiang
Yes, hold on a moment
A call for you
Hello?
Yes, hi!
Good afternoon
Yes
Thank you
I'll come by to pick it up
Thank you
Thanks for that umbrella for my girlfriend
By the way...
did you hear about Hajime?
Hear what?
Well... A girl came into his bookshop just like that...
and said she wanted to be his girlfriend
Incredible, right?
What did he say?
I don't know
People are saying that she's after his property
Or that there's some hidden agenda,
that's the guess
- You hadn't heard? - No... but...
He didn't want to tell you?
I wonder what she was like?
I have no idea
This is very much like the dream you told me about
<< Outside, Over There >>
Delivery from Cafe Erika
Good day
I'll put it here
Thank you
Thank you very much
I remember this sunflower...
Where did this coffee come from?
My treat
That's nice of you
Strange...
Why?
I must have read this sometime
Did you?
It's very close to what you dreamed?
Thanks for the treat!
Ida played her wonder horn to rock the baby still
but never watched.
So the goblins came. They pushed their way in
and pull baby out,
leaving another all made of ice.
Poor Ida, never knowing,
hugged the changeling and she murmured
"How I love you."
The ice thing only dripped and stared,
and Ida mad knew goblins had been there.
"They stole my sister away!" she cried.
"To be nasty goblin's bride!"
Now Ida in a hurry
snatched her Mama's yellow rain cloak,
tucked her horn safe in a pocket,
and made a serious mistake.
She climbed backwards out her window
into outside over there.
Hello? It's me, Yoko
You know, it came back to me
There was a very large hall
That's where I read that book
Yes, the picture book that Hajime-chan gave me
The whole floor was tatami mats
I remember many people chanting sutras, believers I guess
My mom was one of them
Hello? Yes...
She was a strong believer
A big donor too
She left when I was four
Yes
This is my biological mother, not my mom now
Yes
Anyhow, it all came back
It gave me a very strange feeling
That's why I called, I wanted to tell you
Okay, see you
Yes, bye bye TOMARU BOOKS
Thank you very much
I'll put it here
Excuse me...
My name is Inoue, I'm a writer
I'd like to ask you some questions
I'm researching a man named Mr Jiang Wenye
- Mr Jiang Wenye? - Yes
What kind of...?
A composer, Taiwanese
He came here very often
Really?
I'm sorry, I don't know about him
It was 60 or 70 years ago
I see, quite long ago
Did your father ever mention him?
No, he didn't
- I see - Sorry I can't help you
Thanks
Hello?
What's up?
Great! Let's do it!
Right now I'm in Koenji
Shall we meet in Ochanomizu Station?
Okay?
Yes, see you later...
The next station is Shinjuku
The following stop will be Yotsuya
Change here for Yoyogi, Sendagaya and Shinanomachi
And the Marunouchi, Shinjuku
and Oedo subway lines
Please take all your belongings with you when leaving the train
Hello...
I suddenly don't feel well
Now I'm in Shinjuku...
YURAKUCHO STATION
What's wrong?
What is it?
Hey, are you okay?
What's the matter?
You feel bad?
Okay?
- I'm pregnant - What?
I suddenly didn't feel good
- You're pregnant? - Yes
Welcome
What'll you have?
Coffee
One coffee, one milk, please
Thank you
Show me the map
I got a lot from this man's book
Between 2-chome and 3-chome?
I think...
it's in the middle, there
Facing the side road?
There are only two cafes there
It must be one of them
The former Ginza Nishi 2-chome?
This is a map from that time
Excuse me, your drinks
Master...
This...
Here, there used to be a cafe called "Dat"...
Ever heard of it?
"Dat"?
Before...
Wasn't it around Subaru-gai?
It's too small, I can't see
Ah, Ginza 2-chome?
Yes... It used to be Ginza Nishi 2-chome
The name sounds familiar
"Dat"
So it's Ginza 2-chome?
Let me see...
Go straight down this street till you reach the traffic light
Cross over to the right, and you're in Ginza 2-chome
Thank you very much
Hello?
Tomorrow?
I see... What time will you get here?
Then cook something delicious!
Nikujaga beef stew!
Bye bye... Wait! Mom, you know what?
Uncle in Hokkaido will have his eye operation
So I have to pick him up
No, on 31 August
I'll tell you when I see you
Bye
Something wrong?
I'm sick, I was asleep
Is it flu?
Are you okay?
I'm not sure
Flu, maybe?
Yes, careful, I'm a bit feverish
Can I have some more sleep?
Sorry, I should let you sleep
Need anything?
Here you are
What's that?
- Want a look? - Sure
Beautiful
Great, isn't it?
- Trains... - Yes, trains
So many trains?
That's right, Yamate Line trains
Yamate Line?
So they are, fantastic!
Can it be enlarged?
- Sure, you know how to do it? - No
Press that
- This? - Right
It's slow, there's too much data
It's quite something
Guess so... it's a womb of trains
Really? What's this?
A mike and an MD-recorder... it's me
- It's you! - Yes, right
The eye seems kind of lonely
Yes, close to tears
Can I go closer?
Press this?
Zero
Zero?
Yes, press zero!
Press!
Trains everywhere
This Hajime-chan looks a bit sorry for himself
Yeah, he's on the edge!
These are shadows all around?
No... yes, these are shadows... those are trains
Trains, shadows...
There are different colors in the window?
Nice, isn't it?
This key...
Why are they different lengths?
No reason
No reason? No reason
each train is a different size
In this part, I changed the size of the trains
Are those rails in the background?
Yes, here they're in the foreground
So they are
When you record train sounds,
are you trying to find the essence of railways?
What do you hear?
Well, I guess it's different every time
That's what makes it interesting to listen to
Maybe my recordings will help in an investigation one day
Yes
Someone might need to hear a tape as evidence of something
You know all the station names by heart?
Pretty much, although I had trouble reading some of old Chinese characters
It's really beautiful
- Beautiful? - Really
Station names are shown, too
It's really murky in the center
That's dark blood
Dark blood? Yours?
Is my blood dark?
Sure
Then I'll change the color...
Welcome Good afternoon
Hot milk, please
Hello, this is Yoko
Call me back when you hear this... Bye
Where's Hajime-chan?
Hajime-chan isn't in the bookshop or in Cafe Erika...
He's out recording Japan Railways sounds
Really? I see
- Thanks for that little umbrella - You're welcome
You can see my father's holding the shutter-release
You know about cameras with an extension shutter-release?
That's how he took the picture himself
He did so many things: Photographs, paintings, music...
This was their skiing trip
It was in Sugadaira, in Shinshu
The skiing area hadjust opened
All the Morokoshi-kai members went skiing
So these are all members of the alumnus group?
That picture is called "Sweet Pea and Pansy"
"Pansy" is me
So he called you "Pansy"
Yes, he did
And he said "I'm as smart as a sweet pea"
So I called him "Pea"
I get it
I still have a copy hidden away somewhere
You two were really close
Yes, but many people thought our marriage was too good to be true
They thought I was secretly under his thumb
It seems real enough to me
- Hi! - I'm back
Where's Mom?
Visiting Kishibojin Shrine
I see
Let's wait, she'll be back soon
Hot, isn't it?
Not much in the fridge
Things go off quickly
"You have a message"
(Chinese) Hello, Yoko!
Water, Dad?
Thanks
Fancy a snack?
Why not?
I'll have tea
Okay
...Please fix the shooting schedule. Thanks, bye!
Where are the pans?
Upper shelf
Upper?
Found it?
Thanks
Mom, there's no tea... Will water do?
Water's fine
Dad, whose funeral is it?
My former boss
He was very kind to me
It's tomorrow?
Yes
Cerebral haemorrhage
Really?
Shall I put it here?
Where are the chopsticks?
...in this bottle
In a bottle!
Here?
I'll hang up yourjacket
Okey
Have some food?
Bon appetit!
I cooked well today
Yes, very good
Dad, it's great, why don't you try some?
Will you eat?
A little
- Tasty, isn't it? - You bet
Tastes good?
Here
Not too much, we'll have dinner later
Yoko, you like this
Thanks
Potato
For you!
Yes, who is it?
Excuse me... Inoue, from next door
Just a moment
- Next door? - Yes!
Good afternoon!
Thank you for being so kind to my daughter, I'm Yoko's mother
How do you do?
Sorry, I should have greeted you sooner
This is a small gift, from Takasaki
Thank you! These are my favorites!
- Glad to meet you - So am I, thank you so much
Could I beg some sake from you?
Is an open bottle okay?
Sorry about this, my husband selfishly demanded sake
Not at all!
Can you spare me a glass, too?
Alright, wait a moment
Sorry to bother you
Thank you for the gift
You even have to borrow a glass! I feel ashamed!
You often borrow from her?
Sure, soy sauce or whatever
I can't believe it...
- Thank you so much - Sorry to trouble you
Will this help? Yes, thanks
I'm ashamed...
My pleasure!
Have a nice stay!
I'm ashamed...
How many months?
Three months
Have you been to a clinic?
Yes
Don't worry, Mom
But I won't marry him
- You won't? - No
Because he's too close to his mother
- He is? - Yes
His family manufactures umbrellas
I'd be expected to help with the business...
No way!
- They produce umbrellas? - Right
They had a factory in Thailand, then moved it to China
He was my student when I taught Japanese in Taiwan
After that he went to the American School
And after graduating he went to the United States
And his mother went with him!
Unbelievable!
So those umbrellas are from him?
- They are? - Yes
Now he's managing the factory in Amoy with his sister
You stay in touch with him?
Yes, on the phone
He's forever saying "Come to Thailand!"
Thailand...
That parasol too? Yes
Excuse me... Wakaba Sushi delivery
Sorry for keeping you waiting
It's here...
I'll pay
It's alright, you have no money!
Thank you!
Sorry for keeping you waiting
Three orders ofJo-sushi, right? Yes, thank you...
How much is it?
Excuse me...
THE END