Blue Literature
In the Woods Beneath the
Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom
Ango Sakaguchi published "In the Woods Beneath the Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom" in 1947.
Host Sakai Masato
This work was actually based on Ango's personal experience.
Ango Sakaguchi
Photo: Shigeru Tamura
It happened during the war.
Under a cherry blossom tree in Ueno,
Ango witnessed the victims of the Great Tokyo Air Raid being burned.
In his essay, he recorded his feelings of that time as such:
When the victims of the Great Tokyo Air Raid were gathered in the Ueno mountains and burned,
the cherry blossoms were in full bloom,
and only wind blew through the deserted woods.
The tense silence made me want to run away.
What did Ango think of cherry blossoms in the fullness of their bloom?
The masterpieces are blue.
This is the last episode of "In the Woods Beneath the Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom".
What Happened Last Time
Shigemaru, a bandit stronger than anyone else.
He's extremely afraid of the cherry blossoms when they're in full bloom.
Then, a beautiful woman appeared before him.
He fell in love with her at first sight.
However, she told him to kill his wives.
Shigemaru obeyed her since he was in love.
From today on, you'll be my wife.
If I'm your wife, carry me on your back.
I can't walk on this mountain path.
What's with that woman?
Where did he find her?
Who are these women?
I think that if I close my eyes, those women will disappear on their own.
Do you mind killing them?
What's with you?
Do I really have to kill them?
You killed my husband, but you can't kill your own wives?
If you don't, I won't be your wife.
The same as in those woods beneath the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Hey Shigemaru, let's move to the city.
If you're really a strong man, you'll take me to the city.
Do you know what kind of wind the city has?
Do you understand my feelings now that that wind has been taken from me?
Please wait three days.
Three days?
What happens in three days?
The cherry blossoms will bloom.
Half a year has passed since we moved to the city.
I feared the citizens just like one would fear the charms of combs and hairpins.
That fear was not dread,
but rather shyness and uneasiness towards the unknown.
I felt ashamed of fearing everything I saw.
Now that I think about it,
when I was in the mountains, I didn't even have to think about which way the sky above the city was.
I had no reason to fear or be ashamed.
However, now there is nothing but hostility around me.
Numerous travelers in the city...
...how noisy.
Aren't there too many oxen?
What's going on in the city?
The oxen have conquered us!
There's no way this is real!
Hey, change it back!
Make it normal again!
That's right.
This is the city.
It's nothing special.
Everyone puts on airs,
and only cares about their appearance.
Even though I say that,
pathetically, this is me now.
I can't hunt here,
but I don't have enough knowledge to trade.
Although I imitate the citizens with my clothes,
everyone probably sees I'm a countryman.
Excuse me.
Please let me through.
Sorry.
Grandfather!
Why?!
It smells like my dead husband!
It smells like a dead countryman!
Stop that, fool!
You called me?
Someone, help!
There's a countryman!
A bumpkin!
Lame!
Hey!
What? What?
A guy from the country?
Let me see! Let me see!
Where? Where?
This guy's bad!
Doesn't he look like a mountain beast?
Why did he come here?
Go back to the mountains!
Yeah!
Do you know what kind of wind the city has?
Do you understand my feelings now that that wind has been taken from me?
If you don't, Shigemaru,
I won't become your wife.
There's only one thing I've understood.
The citizens are noisy.
The mountain beasts were so much quieter.
Welcome home.
Don't you want to go back to the mountains?
Huh?
Well, never mind.
Keep up the good work.
You...
You're good.
But...
How about this?!
What's the meaning of this?
Hey, won't you die?
Please!
Why?
Because you don't bring anything home!
We moved to the city, but it's just like it was in the mountains!
But we have to find a way to earn money first!
What was what?
Saying that doesn't change a thing!
The way you ask...
It means use this and go bring something back.
This.
Are you telling me to kill again?
I didn't say that.
Well, I'll leave it to you.
Anyway, Shigemaru.
Combs and hairpins can be found in all of the city houses.
I'm not just asking you to bring them here.
What are you afraid of?
You can do that, right?.
I'm sad, princess.
I want to embrace you in my arms,
but I lack a body to do so!
You're so kind, dear husband.
I'm out of patience.
Then let's kiss.
See?
So pitiful.
Miserable.
It's so thoughtful of you to bring me toys and such.
I just took the opportunity.
Then bring someone to be the villain.
A villain?
I want a more hateful head!
Like...
A bald priest's head!
You can do it, right?
Strike with a sword, and the head will come falling down.
That's all.
I gathered heads every night.
Oh noble you. You just arrived from a far away place with such elegance.
My heart is trembling due to this sprouting love.
Their light and dreams are tangled up in a burning love.
And she played with those heads day by day.
The heads fell in love.
The heads sulked and lied.
The heads were choked in sorrow.
So stupid!
A woman's wish is like a bird flying in a straight line.
The never-ending repetition of light and darkness!
It's endless!
The hazy spring rain, the wings dancing in the sky.
Overcome endless time and go wherever you please.
Dispelling the depression, an awakened longing.
Approaching illusionary temptation.
You ought to head to the forest of cherry blossoms.
But the shadows that disturb the two
will turn into a bloody mess after you draw your sword.
The sky is falling!
The never-ending cycle of light and darkness is falling!
Can I end this repetition by killing her?
But if I kill her, I'll die myself!
That woman is me.
Why must you drop the sky?!
What the hell am I thinking?
I totally forgot him too!
I even asked, "Who are you?"
It was so embarrassing!
Welcome back!
Where have you been?
I've been waiting for you!
This time I want a shrine maiden's head!
A shrine maiden's, or maybe nurse's!
Overflowing with the spirit of service!
A lewd body wrapped in formal clothes!
Moe!
You like that as well, right?
All men like cosplay!
No way!
Pervert!
I don't want to.
What did you say?
I said I don't want to.
Did you get cold feet?
You're quite the sissy.
That's not it.
I came to hate it because it's endless.
Everything is endless.
Isn't eating every day endless?
Isn't falling asleep every day endless?
That's different.
In what way?
Well, whatever.
I've decided to go back to the mountains.
You're leaving me behind?
I hate the city.
Don't you have me?
You can only live in the city, right?
I can only live in the mountains.
You don't have me in the mountains!
When did you become so cruel?
It's not that.
I just can't live in the city.
Did you come to hate me?
Why did such terrible thoughts wander into your heart?!
It's not my fault.
Anyway, everything is the city's fault.
Hate the city, not me.
Crap, crap, crap!
What are you doing?!
What... are you doing?
I thought only of you while you were away.
I see.
I was lonely.
That's why I asked you to do all this.
I see.
Sorry.
If you go back to the mountains,
I'll go with you.
Really?
I can't live even a day without you.
But there aren't any of your beloved heads in the mountains.
If I have to choose between you and the heads,
I'll give up the heads.
Sorry.
Thank you.
Get on.
No thanks.
I can walk by myself.
Just do it.
Here we go.
The weather is nice today!
Yeah!
You were carrying me on the first day we met too.
I just recalled that too.
Hey, you can see them.
These mountains are all mine!
Don't laugh, listen...
Everything you see, from the mountains to the trees to the valleys to the clouds in those valleys, is mine.
I'll be back soon, please wait.
Where are these petals falling from?
You see,
all of these flowers in full bloom
are spreading out high in the sky.
Yet not a single petal has touched the ground.
He immediately realized
that the woman is a demon.
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom
and gathering the emotion of love.
Beneath the cherry blossoms,
child's play is for your dreams...
Still, no one understands the secret of the woods
beneath the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Maybe it's the thing called "loneliness".
In order to find something...
Even if we oversleep,
we still wake up every day.
It's not too late.
We say "hello".
Put on a smile,
no matter how small it is.
Every waking moment,
this world needs you.
It's not too late.
We say "hello".
Next Time
Kokoro
Summer