Meet everybody, compare and find out who is the best marriage partner.
Isn't that marriage hunting ? It's not possible for me.
I don't want to be hurt again.
How can I make him like me ?
Please marry me !
Is that all ? He is breaking up with these words only ?
But if you don't meet with someone, nothing will happen.
"Good morning. ...
This morning's lowest temparture in Tokyo is 19℃."
Compared to yesterday -1℃. The daytime temperatures are also expected to fall."
Is this the weather girl ?
"Saying good morning at this time ...
... Tofushop-san seems gets up quite early."
Good morning.
"This morning's current temperature at 7 o'clock is 12℃. ...
a little higher than expected."
"Could you tell me something else than the weather topic ?"
It seems to be fun. What were you looking at ?
Hey ! That ... ?
I'm doing it too ... marriage hunting.
What .... ! Since when ? Did you find someone good ?
Not at all.
I have already had enough of it.
Kana-chan. Yes. Do you have a minute.
About this customer right now, the mistake is on our side I think ?
In this case, at first you have to apologize.
But being yelled at like this on the phone ...
In this mood of being sorry, you then listen ...
and properly sort out what improvements can be made from now on. ... Yes.
You are amazing Hasumi-san. Until now you have always been alone
to have the responsibility of this duty.
Because I am the fortress of the customer center.
"Today the humidity level is 32％. ...
These dry days will still continue. ...
As the tofu is a living thing, the soy bean's soaking time ...
and the degree of heat have to be ajusted according to the temperature and humidity."
Did you really do it ? The 1000 people approaching "knocks" ?
489. But it's not easy to change oneself.
Yesterday too, I have been dumped by a woman. What are talking about !
But you have changed ! What ?
You have changed because you have actually talked to 489 people ...
Have you got a mail with a proposal from another woman ?
Ah ... yes !
"I you don't mind, couldn't we meet sometime ?"
But ... when we meet, what shall we chat about ...
If you are bad at talking, you should better listen. What ?
People keep a favourable impression of someone who seems to enjoy to listen ...
to their own story. Well then ! Try to ask some questions.
Ah ... yes. Well ... Chiho-san.
Say ... Chiho-san ...
Your work .... You wrote that you are in the sales business ...
Concretely, what kind of work is that ?
I am working in a shoe shop.
Ever since I graduated from junior college.
That means, you have sold shoes for thousands of feet up to now ?
If you sell for 10 feet a day, that makes 100 feet in ten days.
... that would make thousands or even tens of thousands ?
Excuse me. I have said something strange.
No. It's just the first time someone said it this way.
As my job is just selling shoes, day after day ...
It's not just that, you take care of the shoes of tens of thousands of people.
You can be proud of that.
And yet it's strange.
Having thought of it as only boring, ...
the fact that someone says "it's a good thing" ...
made me feel a bit better.
Yes. We have been talking from 7 o'clock for 2 hours.
And we have rendezvous for the next time. Next week's Wednesday again from 7 o'clock ...
Wait ... wait a second. Are you talking about Chiho-chan ?
She even smiled at me. It's the first time a have a second appointment.
Next time it will be for dinner. But I don't know any fashionable restaurant.
Well look, women don't really expect ...
such a fashionable rendezvous.
You would soon become tired of it ...
if you try to do something beyond your abilities. I see ... that might be right.
I will do my best ! See you.
"See you" he says ... that's all ?
I get up at 3 o'clock in the morning. In the evening I go to bed at 9 o'clock. So ... good night.
Already "Good night" ?
I made you wait. Here. Well ... Yes, that's it.
Thank you very much.
Is it still alright ? Yes, welcome.
Ah ? What kind of reaction is that ?
Ah ... I didn't believe you would really come.
One block of firm tofu please.
Yes.
You look quite well. What ?
Because you wrote "I am not well."
And as an answer you wrote about temperature and humidity level ?
When there are unpleasant things in my life, I always try to think about temperature ...
humidity level and such indifferent things.
That way, the unpleasant time decreases a little bit.
Here you go.
It's on the house today. What ? But ...
It's absolutely tasty, please come back.
Thank you. Well, I'll take it then.
Yes.
Here please. Thank you ! Excuse me.
Well let's eat Rika-chan's new boyfriend's tofu.
But he's not my boyfriend. What ? Not your boyfriend ?
It's only some interesting exchange of mails.
It's better to continue marriage hunting, I wonder ?
Many thing have happened ?
Well ... many ...
Hm ... it's tasty !
Hm ... tasty.
Actually, me too ... many things have happened.
I finally went to Hiroshima.
What !?
That way I have seen his house and so on.
It's a small house near the ocean.
I can't really imagine living in ...
a place like that, I think ...
That's right. Me too, change my way of life ...
Let me help you, Hasumi-san.
Ah ... thank you. Don't mention it.
Congratulations.
You have been selected leader for the new project ?
Ah ... I don't know if it has been decided yet.
How I envy you.
Having enough time on your own ...
and being able to do a highly esteemed work at the company.
But me too, I envy you ... so I think. What ?
Suzuhara-san, you have your child and your family who needs you.
It's always the things that you don't possess, that appear miraculously beautiful.
Isn't it !
Good evening.
Ah ! I have come to thank you.
It was very good ... the tofu.
Was it ?
Hm ... "ganmo" is tasty too. [ganmo=deep fried tofu with vegetables]
I'm glad you like it.
Ah, well ...
It's great, isn't it ... this new post as person in charge.
There is also pressure ...
but I am quite excited.
Here's some more.
It's quite cool. What ?
For me, making my tofu here, day after day ...
it's somewhat ...
Cool. So please do your best.
No ... you are praising me too much.
That way, it might be better if I don't get married, I wonder ...
What ?
As there have been no more messages from you, Shinji-san ..
I have been thinking about withdrawing from the marriage hunting site.
You will give up ...
I have the feeling that I am not suited for it ... for marriage.
Shinji-san, you have been divorced once ?
... yes.
For what reason did you divorce ?
I have been dating a girl when I was in college ...
and we married right after graduation.
I have been office worker for some time.
And you stopped the company to work at the tofu shop ?
... yes. When my father died ...
I first wanted to shut down this shop ...
but somehow, I would have missed this place ...
but because I decided to take over the shop ...
it did not turn out that well.
It was over all too soon ...
Well, this all happened 10 years ago.
Why, although it did not turn out well, you want to get married again ?
Shinji-san.
Ah ... ah !
Ah ... Ah ... excuse me ... are you alright ?
I'm okay.
Well then, good night.
Good night.
Ah ... wait a second.
Please put on this.
... and come again to bring it back.
Yes. I wanted to have someone to take meals together with.
The answer from before.
Why I started marriage hunting. Ah !
I have been making tofu alone for 10 years ...
this way forever having meals alone, I thought ...
That's why ... this ...
Just a bit more ...
couldn't we try to continue ?
Ah ... for this reason ... this ...
Please do marriage hunting with me !
You can take your time to answer. See you.
Well ... if possible I was thinking it would be good to get married fast ...
I thought so as well. What a coincidence.
Me too, I thought it would be good to get married as fast as possible.
Our stories match quite well. Ah yes.
I am a bit nervous.
It's the first time that I invite someone, except my parents or relatives.
Ah please sit down. Yes.
It's Pi-chan.
It is not because of his chirp, but I choose his name from the initial P ...
of the amino acid called proline.
... well, it's not worth worrying about ? This kind of story. No ...
My parents will be delighted too. Because they want to see a grandchild soon ...
they put some pressure on me. Ah ...
Do you want to drink something ? Ah ... no, don't care about me.
Ah ... crap. You're okay ? No problem.
That's ... my mother.
From time to time, she brings various things ...
Ah ... sit down please. Yes.
I'm sorry, I have only beer and cola.
Shall I go and buy some orange juice ?
No, it's okay.
Excuse me.
Would you mind if I touch your shoulder ?
Ah ... no ... that's not a good idea ...
No, no ... please do so ...
Please.
You feel lost ? What do you mean ?
This time ... it doesn't make my heart beat.
Make your heart beat ?
This time not at all, compared to other times until now, when I thought I'd meet a good person.
So ? You are not physically attracted by this man ? When you are near to him ?
No. Well then what is the problem ?
To go out with a man I don't really like ...
seems to be unpolite towards this partner.
It isn't necessary that there is love from the beginning, I think.
After all, isn't this marriage hunting ? That's right but ...
Just like some people's great love can cool down when they get married,
there are other people who will gradually come to love the person they are married to.
Ah very good very good.
I am bringing the tea. Thank you !
My husband has talked to my mother-in-law about ...
mother's marriage.
Isn't that good. No, it's not good at all !
"Will there be a wedding ceremony ? Will we be invited too ? ...
The gift will be about how much ?" that's what I got to hear ...
Anyhow they would have known some day, it can't be helped.
When I heard, she would once again get married after the death of her husband, ...
I was absolutely against it. It's really annoying.
Say, in your case, the proposal was from which side ?
Of course the other side. "Of course" ?
Hm. There was another one I loved more.
What ? Is it so ? Ah ... there has been nothing like two-timing !
I just loved him.
But the one I loved the most, no matter how you look at it, wasn't the family type.
But I was right. Look, I would say, it turned out better, marrying the man ...
I loved second best...
Yuuma, do you want to eat dorayaki ? Hm, eat ... [dorayaki=pancake with red bean paste]
Well, let's go and wash hands.
"The greatest demerit is the time difference in daily life. "
"Getting up at 3 o'clock."
"Naturally, I am still soundly sleeping ...
6 o'clock the shop opens. I get up at 6:30 ...
8 o'clock, I leave the house. He is finally taking his breakfast.
Good morning.
"Throughout the morning he is making deliveries."
Here ... sorry for making you wait ... "In the evening over-the-counter-sales again."
"7:30 Shop closing. Preparation of the soy beans for the next day ...
8 o'clock evening meal."
"Having finished my overtime, I come home at about 9 o'clock ..."
"For him, it's good night".
Time spent together, not even 1 hour a day.
"-100 points"
"Income below 4000000 Yen ... no stability. -20"
Residence attached to the shop, rather confined. -20.
And the merits ?
"Being together is not unpleasant. ＋30 ...
Slightly off but fun. ＋20 ...
Even tired doing his best to keep company. ＋20 ...
Unexpectedly tender. ＋20".
"How about eating together tomorrow ?"
Why is black no good ? Black ...
is the color for refusing the partner. For marriage hunting it is better ...
to face pink or soft colors.
You can still stay up for about one hour ?
Even 2 hours or 3 hours, it's no problem.
Excuse me. No.
Sorry for making you wait.
Ah ... he has been up early this morning.
No, I think black is good too. What ?
It's okay, because it fits you.
That's the Rika-san I like.
Excuse me, I have come too early.
Ah ...
Etsuko-san, is something wrong ?
I made up my mind.
I will go to Hiroshima.
I will marry him.
What ! And about here ?
I am looking for someone to take over.
Are you serious about it ?
Look, try to imagine.
Imagine me, at the age of 60 eating okonomiyaki in Hiroshima [okonomiyaki=kind of pancake with various incredients]
and saying 'sou jaken". Wouldn't that be fun ? [sou jaken = "sou desu"= "that is so" in Hiroshima dialect ]
Wouldn't you say so ?
Deep fried, want to take some ?
I will try to continue ... marriage hunting.
With you ... a little bit more.
I am so glad !
Freshly deep fried. Deep fried they are really good.
Cheers !
Is it so ? Rika-san as well ?
What ? And you, are you doing well ?
Well, it would seem ... It turns out well.
Isn't it ? Ah ... yes.
Excuse me, just a minute, well ... Hm ?
How do you see us ? Me and Eikichi-san.
"How do I ..." For him, it seems to be more fun
to talk to his sparrow than being with me.
Ah ... that's not it.
Look, as he is not used to being with women, I wonder if he is not just a bit nervous.
When it comes to marriage ... Just anybody seems to be good.
That isn't true, I think.
He was pleased to be able to go out with you, Chiho-chan.
Rika-san, do you love him ? Shinji-san.
Ah ... honestly, I don't know yet.
For now, I don't want to give up my work, and I don't want to help out in the shop.
But I am thinking about it.
How will I be, when I am 60, I wonder.
Perhaps selling tofu ?
I am wondering about that too.
What do you think about Rika-san ?
Ah ... quite a strong personality ?
... so I think ... but me not at all.
As a person who has already been married once, you don't have to worry.
Well, I have already made a mistake before.
Ah ... As for me, I will make no mistake.
I am confident.
You see, I have changed.
Thanks to marriage hunting, I have become adult.
I will introduce her to my parents soon.
As she is so well-behaved, I have the feeling she will get along well with my mother.
Don't you think so ?
Well ...
In fact, now ...
there is a person that I might decide to marry.
Marriage ? You Hasumin ?
For now there is no official engagement or something ...
It's just ... what we said the other day about the new project ...
I see. In that case, it will not be possible, I wonder ?
The overtime work would increase as well, I suppose ? Business trips and so on.
... possibly. Well then, inform me when you have officially decided.
I will have to think about another person too. I am so sorry.
This one is a bit hard. You can leave it like that.
Listen, today I have talked to my boss. "As I might get married, I will not be ...
be able to take the new post" I have said. What ? Is that okay ?
I don't want to cause trouble to the company and if I want to have children, it would be ...
necessary to ask for a maternity leave. Ah ...
And I have been thinking about how to do ...
for having meals together.
Hm. I will get up half an hour earlier, at 6 o'clock.
And then, couldn't you open the shop ...
half an hour later at 6:30 ?
That way, we could have breakfast together.
Ah ... And couldn't you change the regular closing day ?
From Tuesday to Sunday. So we could have one day ...
together every week ? Hm ....
Upstairs, as it is now, it's a bit confined.
Shouldn't we resolutely renovate everything ?
Hm ... Until next time, you could think about all this. Ah and that day ...
I will prepare lunch for us. Do you prefer pasta or hamburger steak ?
Tomorrow's soy beans ... What ? The soy beans !
I am so happy that you have met.
So you are the person selected by Eikichi ...
"Selected" that's not the right word. I am looking forward to the wedding !
May I choose a dress for Chiho-san ?
That's a good idea.
What ? Ah, you would like to choose yourself.
Excuse me. No ...
It would be okay to let my mother choose. For her age, she has good taste.
What does that mean "for her age". Ah, sorry, sorry.
It is okay. Do as you like, Chiho-san. I am so happy ...
You see, she has been delighted.
I would like to go and greet your family too, one of these days.
Moreover, we'll have to decide about the day of the ceremony ... But I still don't know ...
About what ? Do you really want to get married ?
What ? With me !
I wonder what is good about me ?
When it comes to marry someone ...
wouldn't you take just anybody ?
No ...
... so that's it. Well ... no ... that's not true ...
I see, it's alright ! Chiho-san !
Shinji-san ! It's ready. Hm.
This door, wouldn't it be good to repair it soon ?
Hm ...
Tomatoes ... You hate tomatoes ?
You could have said so before. No, it's okay.
Enjoy your food.
Did you think about it ? Hm ? About opening hours and the closing day ?
There is no need to hurry ...
Nothing ...
If you want a marriage to turn out well ...
it might be good to adjust some things beforehand.
Isn't marriage hunting about all this ?
Hee ? What do you mean by "Hee" ?
This is really tasty.
What does all that mean ? Does he really have the intention of marrying me ?
What a miracle ...
You really want to get married ? What ?
No, because honestly, I thought you were the type who quickly gives up marriage hunting.
Do I look that much like someone who is not suited for marriage ?
No ... that's not the case.
I was thinking that you were similar to me.
How's that ? Well, about me ...
in fact I have been thinking that I would never want to get married.
Yes ?
As I am a very selfish person, I should be more at ease ...
living all the time alone.
But aren't you lonely ?
Alone or as a couple, no matter how many people, it's the same.
Uneasiness and loneliness are inavoidable parts of our life.
It is also normal I think, to be happy living alone.
"... to be happy living alone" ?
"I can't answer your call at the moment."
"Please leave your name and message after the beep."
They fit you well.
You can wear them with pants as well, I think.
Ah well, it seems that my mother has been brought in by ambulance ...
What is your mother's name ? Hasumi ... Hasumi Tomoko.
Sis, Sis ... What has happened ?
I don't know at all. I didn't understand what Murakami-san told me.
I'll show you the way. Please. Yes.
It's here.
Mother ! I'm sorry ...
The shock must have caused hyperventilation.
You will be able to go back home now. Thank you very much for your help.
What has happened ?
Carrying baggages, when we were moving ... Moving ?
Well, we didn't want to cause you trouble, so ...
the two of us wanted to move little by little the baggages to the new appartment.
And doing that ...
Are you okay ? Isn't it too heavy ?
What are you saying, something like this. Ah ... ah !
Ah ... ouch ... ouch ...
Do you understand now ? What ?
You are both not young anymore. This marriage now ...
doesn't it rather look like nursing this man ?
Emi, you have gone too far. Isn't it just a fact ?
Well, you know what old age nursing means ?
Stop it, Emi ! But ... Calm down !
I am sorry to have caused you trouble, but just because I am growing old ...
I don't have to accept everything.
Well, why then ?
You both having the sad thought of loosing your partner before ...
why do you still now accept the trouble of getting married again ?
Trouble ... would be a bit different. ... isn't it !
What do you mean ? Different in what way ?
Coming to this age, you reach the point where
you start to think about things like to die alone ...
But having met with Tomoko-san ...
there is again a desire to move forward and to go on living together.
Our dream is to live together all the time ...
and then one day, suddenly die together.
And then, what comes after it, please take care of it ...
But I was thinking of taking care of you if you are sick.
Listen, perhaps I will live longer than you.
No, no, no, it's me ... After all, for now ...
I don't have any problems at all. I have been well trained too.
The answer to your question the other day ... It's okay.
The fact that you couldn't answer at that time ... is an answer too.
Such a thing ... like a surprise examination.
Certainly ...
"When it comes to marriage ...
anybody would be good" I have been thinking like that.
As I thought. But ...
didn't you think the same, Chiho-san ? "Any man that wants to marry me
would be okay" you thought.
Certainly ...
"Because next month, I will turn 30 ...
I can't ask for luxury. So anybody would be good." I was thinking.
But that was useless, I understood this when I was with you, Eikichi-san.
Talking to your mother, Eikichi-san,
always seems to be more fun for you, than being with me.
Am I less than your sparrow ? That's not true ...
Being together with you, I am more solitary ...
than being alone.
That's why ...
it's good bye.
Chiho-san !
But ...
But there are also things I love about you.
I love the shape of your chin, Chiho-san.
Your face when you talked about shoes ...
I have also been moved that you secretly ...
polished my shoes.
I am sorry that I don't meet your expectations.
Me too, I have loved some things about you ...
Your answers to my mail were always so quick ...
then, the fact that you were serious about shoes ...
Despite what you are thinking of yourself, ...
you are always charming...
I have been unworthy of you.
No, you too, Eikichi-san, I didn't deserve you.
No, Chiho-san ... No, Eikichi-san ...
We have both bad habits.
Thinking always about oneself ...
and such things ...
means being impolite to the person you are together with.
I am glad I have met you.
Me too.
"Just when I was stopping marriage hunting ...
I have found this person. But today we have said goodbye.
I have certainly always been thinking that I wanted to get married because of my parents.
To be able to show them their grandchild's face.
But today it's different.
I want to get married for myself."
"I seriously want to try to ...
live with someone.'
Good morning. Good morning.
I want to have a serious talk.
I have been thinking a lot about what we can do to have ...
our marriage turn out well.
And yet ... why don't you give me any answer ?
Me too, I have been thinking a lot ...
Because you said "I want to have meals together" ...
I conceded that I would get up half an hour early. And about the closing day ...
Me too ... me too, I have been making concessions ...
What ?
Tomatoes ... I don't like them, and yet I ate them.
But why didn't you choose hamburger steak from the beginning ?
But I couldn't know it would be tomato spaghetti.
Then what kind of pasta do you prefer ? Well that ...
Say clearly what you would like to eat !
I didn't expect to have to say it right now.
Why do you need time, just for something like that ?
Normally, Shinji-san ... The truth is, I wanted you to help me in the shop !
I have been looking for a wife to make tofu with me !
So that's it ?
And realizing that I would not be like that ...
you were hesitating about our marriage ... Just listen for a moment ...
No, I understand now ! You are a man who is just interested in himself and his tofu !
It has certainly been the same with your ex-wife !
But why do we have such a talk right now ? You decided on you own account to take over the shop ...
"Shut up and follow me !" is this what you said ? That's how you broke up with your wife.
Actually you only think about your own things !
Because I didn't ...
want you to give up your work ...
I did not say a word about helping out in the shop.
Even if it's only over-the-counter sales, this tofu shop is quite serious.
If I change the closing day, the number of regular customers might decrease !
Every morning there are 3 customers coming right at the opening of the shop.
Perhaps this are only 3 people ... But opening the shop 30 minutes later ...
will perhaps delay the breakfast of these people too.
Me too, I have been thinking a lot !
What would be the best solution for us.
I have been thinking about it !
What's the matter ? So suddenly.
I am reconsidering !
I'm sorry, I don't understand at all ...
Why did you break up, with Chiho-chan ?
After breaking up, why did you write such a forward-looking diary ?
Things like "I seriously want to get married" ?
The two of us ... disliking ourselves ...
if only we could get married we would be able to change, I thought.
Improving social life, becoming more popular ...
we could become able to like ourselves.
But it's not that easy.
It's not that easy to change just because you get married.
But it's strange, isn't it.
Having talked seriously and at the time of shaking our hands and separating ...
I finally had a feeling of liking myself a bit.
You have become able to smile now.
No matter how often you try, you can't get that smile from practising in front of the mirror.
Yes.
You don't need my advice any longer ?
Yes.
Our separation wasn't such a bad thing.
That's what I think. Maybe.
I see that you have greatly changed from the Nostril-hair-kun that I met in the first place.
If it were today, would you still try to escape from the party ?
Probably.
Compared to that ...
I have finished saying cruel things.
Like "You are a man who only thinks about himself" or "And so you made your wife run away."
That's cruel, isn't it.
The one who has only been thinking about himself ... has been me.
While I was saying "It's for the two of us", I was only thinking of my own situation.
I am really a useless person.
How can a woman like this get married ?
Ah, you certainly are that kind of woman, but ...
What ? Ah, no ...
But, I am glad I have met you, Rika-san.
Because there has been no one before to make me notice about my nostril hairs.
Sorry for being a severe woman ...
Shinji-san, might not be well at all.
"Being severe is no problem" he said seeming quite happy, the other day.
By the way ! The "umami" components are also of various kinds ... [umami=the fifth of the basic tastes]
For example ... the proteines contained in the chicken bone soup ...
and the glutamic acid contained in tomatoes are joined together.
In that way, the "umami' increases even more.
We call this the "umami synergy" ...
Ah ... You too, Rika-san, have your "umami" ...
I mean, every person has his own special "umami" components ...
This is just my own reasoning ...
Did I say something good ?
Well, let's toast to Rika-san's "umami" components !
Cheers.
There's some tomato stuck in my throat.
Do you understand ? At this point ...
there is nothing like a good woman or a good man !
You should have realized this more than enough during your marriage hunting.
With your useless self, you are unable to get married.
But well ...
Tomoko-san. Yes. What do you think about these apples ?
But it's just because they are so useless, ...
people try to compensate by meeting someone.
It has become indispensable to fill the place ...
left vacant.
The other day, I have been completely inexcusable.
First of all, I said too much.
like "You made your wife run away" or "You are thinking only about yourself."
Secondly, it was me who only has been thinking about myself.
Please accept my heartfelt apologies ...
What are you doing here ? At this time.
The other day, I have been completely inexcusable. Ah, excuse me.
I still haven't decided about the opening hours.
Ah ... no ... today I just ... About the closing day too ...
Today ... But look ... this ... ah this.
Come in a minute.
Just a minute.
Smoothly.
I finally had to ask an artisan ...
I wonder if I could not have done it myself.
You can only know if you try.
Smooth, smooth.
Well listen, about the other day ...
It has been good, this dispute.
Good ? Yes, good.
I feel we understand each other better.
It's okay now, isn't it ?
What ? The two of us.
It's okay, okay ! Look ...
Smooth ?
That's it !
Smooth.
Smooth, isn't it !
Isn't that great ?
Thank you.
Ah ... nice weather. That's true ... it will be sunny.