Special Drama
After crossing together to Japan...
Traitor!
Stop! We aren't spies!
I returned once more to Korea to meet your mother...
Do you love my son?
Yes.
Then take my son with you to Japan.
That was 1946...
Are you Boku Shunjin?
On suspicion of what?
No matter where I am, I will always love you.
Eight months after that parting...
Kaikyou The Strait
Written by James Miki
Music by Watanabe Toshiyuki
Theme Song "Kasasagi" ("Magpie") by Sada Masashi
Final Episode A Solitary Strait
May 3, 1947
Good morning, Professor!
Good morning!
Hey, professor... You know the entrance is--
So what do you think of this new constitution?
You mean Article 9 about "no war"?
It's got nothing to do with Koreans.
Former Imperial University professor Tsukamoto Teruo
Well, that might be so...
"Basic human rights"? They deported Mr. Yoshie for Chrissakes!
What's Tomoko doing?
She's running all over the place... She even petitioned the legal affairs bureau.
She can't get in touch with him?
Owner of Meiji Bookstore Itou Hisanobu
Nope.
They might have locked him up...
Look who's here.
I'm home!
Welcome back!
It must be hard, day in and day out!
I found a job!
Really? Bars are off limits, you know.
It's not a bar.
I ran into a superior from my days in Keijou!
Superior?
His name's Mr. Ichioka... Right now he's the union chief at Yamazaki Spinning Co.
Yoshie Tomoko
So anyways, he asked me to work for him!
A spinning company?
As a factory girl?
No, no... As the clerk at the labor union there.
Is it paid work?
Yes! I even get a place at the company dormitory!
You've already accepted?
Yes... I plan on leaving tomorrow.
You gonna be alright all by yourself?
I'll do my best!
Excuse me...
It's been eight months since you left...
I've found a job, as clerk for a spinners' union.
It'll be lonely all by myself, but please watch over me.
If Mr. Kido returns, please tell him where I work.
Just leave it to us! If we get letters, we'll forward them to you!
Thank you so much for all your help.
Take good care now!
Itou's wife Itou Youko
Just remember... Life is full of good and bad times.
Don't give up.
Is that your picture with Mr. Kido?
Yes.
Tomo-chan... It's about time you take off that ring.
Just a suggestion.
Take good care of yourself, okay?
Goodbye!
Yamazaki Spinning Co.
So I hear the company's ordered the union to set up a management conference?
News travels fast, eh?
Where'd you hear that from?
Ears, ears! It's all in the ears!
Ms. Yoshie?
Give him a flyer.
Yes, sir.
Here you are.
Thanks.
Bring him some tea, too.
Oh, sorry...
Water's fine.
Yes, sir.
Union Chief Ichioka Reizou
By the way...
There was a "Missing Persons" section in the Daily Industry Times, right?
There is... What about it?
She's looking for her lover who disappeared.
Can you print something for her?
Oh no...
The ink!
Oh, it's alright...
I'm so sorry!
Ms. Yoshie worked under me at the hydroelectric company in Keijou.
That's why I asked her to join us... She's one hell of a worker.
And this lover is...?
He's from Korea.
News Reporter Nonaka Taketoshi
Korea?
He came to Japan looking for her...
but we think he's been deported, so we don't know where he is now.
Please, wash your hands.
Thank you.
I'm terribly sorry, but I don't think we can print that...
We can only print "Missing Person" notices for Japanese.
I see, I see...
But there must be a way, right?
Thank you.
I'm so sorry.
Getting back to the topic...
Huh? Oh...
Does it look like the management conference is a go?
Well, the company's stance on things is pretty strong-handed...
But this doesn't happen overnight.
This is now my twelfth letter...
No matter how long I wait, I never get a reply.
I wonder if you're at your mother's house in Gyeongju...
My heart is ready to burst, worrying about how things must be for you...
If I only had wings like a bird, I'd fly straight for you.
If I only had wings...
I've asked some Korean newspapers, but they all say there's nobody named Boku Shunjin at the Toraji Cafe in Gyeongju.
August 25
So he hasn't been at his mother's place then, huh...
His family's all close-lipped about it and won't say a word.
In other words, he's probably hiding out somewhere for some reason or another.
Like what?
Well, I don't know that much...
But you've written him close to twenty letters without a single response...
Something must be up.
I wonder if he didn't get them?
He could be sick, too.
That's certainly a possibility.
Or he could be in police custody.
After all, he's repeatedly sneaked into the country.
And now they've deported him.
Here I am, writing to you again.
Writing letters that I will never get a reply from...
Honey!
I've missed you!
How did you make it here!
I escaped from prison.
If they find me, they'll kill me!
Let me hide here!
Boku Shunjin (Kido Shunji)
You crossed the ocean?
Yes!
I turned into a magpie.
A magpie?
The ocean was so dark and cold...
Wait... This is a dream, right?
This must be another dream...
Tomoko!
I don't care if this is a dream... Don't leave!
Don't leave!
Honey!
"For personal reasons, I must quit my job."
"I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate. --Yoshie Tomoko"
Why!?
Father... Mother...
Soukeiji Temple, Okayama Prefecture
I'm going to Korea to search for Shunji.
I may not make it back alive...
Please forgive me for being such a horrible child.
Hakata Harbor
What the hell are you doing!
You think you can just sneak in here and work?
I'm looking for a boat.
Boat?
I heard that there are fishing boats headed for Korea here.
A stowaway!?
Hey, she's a stowaway!
Look... Ask that old geezer over there!
Thank you!
Excuse me!
Run! It's the police!
Please, let me go! This is a mistake!
Just come with me!
I was just passing through!
This is a mistake!
Secretary at a spinners' union...
Are you a Communist?
I'm not...
Why was a young lady like you in a place like that!?
Crying ain't gonna help, honey... Spit it out!
I wanted to see the ocean at night.
Tell me the truth!
You were looking for a boat for Korea, right?
Idiot!
You want to be stripped of everything and drown in the ocean!?
I don't care if I drown to death!
Are you crazy, woman?
What are you thinking!?
Excuse me, sir.
Go home.
Be careful now.
Why are you here, Mr. Nonaka!?
I came to pick you up.
Shall we go?
Mr. Ichioka?
He didn't actually ask me to...
But I couldn't just let you go like that, so I rushed over.
I was the one who told you about the boats, so I do feel a bit guilty.
I'm sorry.
But you're one reckless girl.
Stowing away isn't that easy.
Even if you got across, the Americans would arrest you on the other side.
Hakata Station
What do you think I should do then?
You just have to wait until relations with Korea are reinstated and you can cross legally.
When will that happen?
Who knows... It could take five years, or ten.
I can't wait that long!
Then how about giving it up?
I know it's harsh, but it's for your own good.
Take it as advice.
You're not level-headed right now.
You can't see what's going on around you.
And what exactly do you mean by that?
To put it plainly, you can't become Korean.
There's a barrier between you two that can't be overcome.
This is fate.
The more you two try to overcome that barrier, the more painful it becomes.
And this pain only gets your love spinning faster.
You may not want to accept it, but people's hearts can change ever so slightly.
Not so much love turning to indifference...
But it can change quite a bit.
And you each have your own circumstances and obligations.
But I believe in him.
Then you'll just have to wait.
If you slip up, you'll get everyone in trouble.
It's for his good, too.
I was in love during my younger years, too.
It was when I was still a novice reporter for financial news...
I fell for this girl in Senba whose family ran a pharmacy.
She was light-skinned and had big, adorable eyes...
She was so pretty she looked like she came out of Takehisa Yumeji's paintings.
And at last, we married...
Right before I got conscripted for the army and sent off.
And yet, the year before last, my wife abandoned our child and ran away.
And so it ended in divorce.
Why did you bring this up?
There's nothing wrong with pure love... But don't let yourself get carried away.
If you really think about it, there's so many options left.
Aren't there other people who can make you happy?
Anyways, we'll arrive in Osaka tomorrow morning.
Get a lot of rest.
I'm staying out of this...
This is as far as I'll go.
Good morning.
I'm very, very sorry.
Look, I need 120 copies of this ASAP...
Can you take care of it?
Yes, sir!
Wonderful!
It's good to see you back.
August 1948 Establishment of the Republic of Korea
September 30
Union secretary.
Mr. Nonaka! It's so good to hear from you again!
Yes, it's almost a year now!
How are you doing?
Me?
I'm doing well with my job and everything.
Hm?
They separated and now there's two governments.
Looks like Korea is struggling, too.
Looks like it.
It's like drawing a straight line somewhere between Tokyo and Osaka and calling that a national border.
I hate the word "border."
It separates everyone, whether you're brothers and sisters or lovers.
How about some shouchuu?
I have something I want to talk about.
I know that you can't forget about Boku Shunjin.
But leaving that aside, I'm hoping you can understand how I feel about you.
I want to marry you.
This isn't just an idea... I've been in love with you for a long time now.
Mr. Nonaka...?
I know, I know...
Proposing to a woman's who's in love with another man...
My head must not be screwed on straight.
But after saying it like that, it really is illicit love...
And yet, I can't help it... Day by day, the feelings get stronger.
Even when I close my eyes and try to forget it, it won't go away.
I'm really flattered, but...
Listen just a little bit longer...
Yes, I've failed in marriage once and I'm a 30-year-old man with a child...
I've got no burning ambition or brilliant talents... After all, I've lived a mediocre life.
Maybe that's not enough for you.
But I won't put you in danger or abandon you for years and years.
I can guarantee you a safe, secure lifestyle.
Shunji is waiting for me.
Take a hard look at reality!
Boku Shunjin may already be married to another woman!
Sorry... I shouldn't have said that.
There's no rush... I'll wait patiently until your feelings change, no matter how long it takes.
Even if it takes years.
So now it's a competition, huh...
On the one hand a man who disappeared without a trace and could be dead...
And on the other hand is a man who is waiting for you to become his wife.
Even schoolchilren would know which one to pick!
Really?
Is he Japanese?
Yes.
He must be a good man, right?
It would be his second marriage, though.
It'd be your second marriage, too!
You're right.
With scissors and scissors, it's a draw...
We're paper and paper, so we never have to hold back with each other.
How old are you?
25.
If you keep coming up with excuses, you'll never get married.
Look... You've been faithful and waited long enough for Yoshie-kun.
You've worked so hard already, I think it's about time to let him go.
And if he makes it back here...?
Curse him out, like this...
"Why did you even bother coming back!? You're too late!"
You're not even registered, so who says he's your husband!
Are you talking to me?
Look, Tomo-chan...
Don't fret about it... The chances Yoshie-kun will make it back are close to zero.
With Korea split in two, its one battle after another between North and South.
The Americans have locked down any way out to Japan.
They're on the lookout for espionage.
This house is split in two, too.
I'm from Jeju Province, so I'm South Korean.. He's from Pyongyang, so he's North Korean.
Spying is prohibited.
Letters to women are prohibited.
What the hell are you talking about?
Fruits of my espionage.
Don't be ridiculous!
You need to get your head checked!
A man named Mr. Nonaka proposed to me.
He has a daughter about to turn seven, and this is his second marriage...
But he's a kind, sincere man.
Six months... I'll wait six months, and if I don't hear from you by then, I'll marry him.
June 26, 1950
Good morning!
My goodness... War's broken out!
War?
It was just on the radio...
North Korea broke past the 38th parallel and attacked the South Korean forces.
Breakout of the Korean War
For close to three years, all of the Korean Peninsula was a battlefield
April 5, 1951
Yes?
What's that?
Yoshie Tomoko?
Please wait one moment.
Ms. Yoshie! It's an old classmate of yours!
Hello?
Kiyomi-chan!
Where are you?
Where?
How long has it been!?
You remarried?
I'm the second wife of the president of steel mill.
Tomoko's friend Okada Kiyomi
Sounds like you're happy!
Yeah... We're 19 years apart, but he's a hard worker...
WIth the recent boom in the metal industry, our earnings have doubled.
My goodness!
I can't believe we were actually living in a storage bunker in the mountains.
I'm so happy for you!
I remember him... He was the one who came running while we boarded the repatriate ship, right?
So you've been thinking of him all this time?
After that, we met again in Japan and returned to Korea together.
Really?
We came back to Japan again and lived together...
but he was deported for entering the country illegally.
You've been through a lot...
No, not at all...
We promised to ruin our lives together.
Ruin your lives together? ...How romantic!
Now, we can only meet in my dreams.
I don't even know if he's alive or not.
He's dead.
You have to tell yourself he's dead.
But...
You've searched him desperately...
You've sent him tens and tens of letters.
But you haven't received a singly reply from him.
You just have to resign yourself that this was fate.
I sometimes have dreams of my husband who passed away, too...
Even now I love him... I can never forget him!
But he died in the war... There's nothing I can do!
You just have to tell yourself it's history's fault and then let go.
I don't want to become a victim.
I don't want people to call me a repatriate or war widow forever!
The first chapter in a long life has come to a close, that's all!
That's how I feel...
And now, chapter two has begun.
You have to do the same!
Don't drag on with a relationship that will never come to fruit...
Cut yourself free!
Chapter two, huh?
You're a crybaby, but you're smart and tenacious...
You were always the last to turn in your answer sheets for the exam.
I was?
There's someone who's making you wait... But there's also someone waiting for you.
He must be having a hard time, too.
You're right.
You're not young anymore!
Don't end up with the short end of the stick... Move on to Chapter Two!
I will.
Take care then.
How long will you be here?
I'm returning on the sleeper tonight.
My workaholic husband's eagerly waiting at home for me.
I see.
Take care.
Alright then.
Sakai, Osaka Prefecture
I understand you're a repatriate.
Yes, ma'am.
She lost her parents overseas and came back to Japan alone.
That must have been hard for you.
Yes.
What did your father do?
He was the president of a shipping company called Yoshie Maritime.
So you come from good pedigree then!
So you went to womens' school in Korea?
Yes.
Busan Girls School, then Seoul Secondary Girls School.
During the war, she worked as the accountant for a hydroelectric company.
Taketoshi's mother Nonaka Fuka
And after you arrived back in Japan?
A spinning company called Yamazaki Spinning Co.
I wasn't asking you...
She's really nervous!
You're not a journalist! Stop attacking her with questions!
She looks like a wonderful bride.
She's talented and had a good upbringing.
I hate to say this, but she's completely different from that Sumiko-san!
Mother!
You must be happy your wish finally came true.
This is your last chance for marriage.
Last chance?
Tomoko-san's been through a lot on her own!
From now on, we're a family of four.
And my younger daughter and her husband live in the neighborhood, too.
Feel at home... We're like a real mother and daughter now.
Thank you.
I'll let you know now... I'm healthy as can be.
My son doesn't need to take care of me.
My husband left me two houses that we rent out, too...
Thanks to that, our stock keeps growing and growing.
So don't worry about me at all.
As long as you put food on the table, that's enough for me.
I'm home!
She's back!
Hitomi! Come here for a minute!
Come on!
Say hello!
This is your new mother!
Have a seat!
Hitomi!
She's a good kid... But she's having trouble, too.
July 16, 1954
Hitomi-chan!
Welcome back!
Hey, you... Grandma wants to see you.
Alright, alright.
And don't bother showing up at the PTA meeting.
I'm sure you know why.
Come here.
I want to ask you something.
What is it?
Before you started working at Yamazaki Spinning, where were you?
Kyoto.
What did you do in Kyoto?
The temple parishioners had a meeting today...
You won't believe what I heard from a friend of my previous daughter-in-law.
She said you ran a vegetable tempura cart at the black market there.
Yes.
With a Korean man.
Tell me the truth.
It's just as you say.
You were married?
We weren't married, but we lived together.
I hear he changed his last name to Yoshie?
That was just out of convenience.
He took your name!?
What an unbelievable woman you are!
You fooled my son and married him!
I didn't fool him.
You hid your past!
No...
Taketoshi married me with full knowledge of everything!
So you two lied to me together!?
No! ...I was planning on telling you, it's just that Taketoshi...
Have you no shame!?
And a Korean man of all people!
When did she divorce her previous husband?
He returned to Korea years ago and she hasn't heard from him since!
You expect me to believe that?
The two of us love each other! Stop alienating her!
You have real bad luck choosing wives.
What did you say?
Your previous wife ran away, and this woman is just leftovers from a Korean man.
Leftovers!
You might be fine with it, but I can't stand this!
She's completely disgraced us!
What's wrong with Koreans!?
I can't say for sure, but it gives me the creeps.
What gives you the creeps!
Aren't they fighting over there in Korea?
Fighting?
A few years ago, they started a riot in Kobe, and several thousand of them were arrested!
That's because the Japanese government wouldn't recognize Korean schools!
You can tell the Koreans out by how they smell!
You can ride a train and pick them out one by one!
You mean the smell of garlic!? I eat garlic all the time!
That's enough!
You won't make friends like that.
Koreans hate Japanese precisely because you say things like that!
You're oppressive, look down on them and attack them...
You treat them differently!
So you've been brainwashed by Tomoko-san, huh!
Tomoko has nothing to do with this!
She has everything to do with this!
I married her because I love her!
Quit preaching on the past!
How dare you talk to me like that!
I'm sorry you have to go through all this...
It's not just my mother... Most all Japanese born before the war are like that.
Because they ruled Korea?
Yes...
When we defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, we gained confidence.
After that, it all went to our heads.
"Japan is strong!" "We're shoulder-to-shoulder with the Western powers!"
"An empire to rule the world."
And the proud Japanese, seeking to be equals with the whites, treated the rest of Asia with scorn.
Even after losing the war, that hasn't changed.
The stain of prejudice doesn't wash away easily.
When I was in Busan, it was the same way.
We lick the Americans' boots, but we still discriminate against Koreans and Chinese.
But in reality, it's just an inferiority complex.
Are you worried that things won't go smoothly with my mother?
Time will solve the problem for you...
If anybody can do it, it's you.
It's not just that... Hitomi-chan ignores me completely...
Please! Just bear with it a little bit longer!
I'll protect you!
Don't worry!
December 14
Hello, this is the Nonaka family.
Mr. Itou!?
Is there anybody around you?
You don't need to reply... Just listen.
I have some news for you... About Mr. Kido.
An old friend who was a volunteer soldier told me about it.
He's started a small trading company in Busan.
Trading company?
I think he's already married.
He's running the company with a younger girl.
That idiot didn't even contact us once...
See? I told you.
It's a good thing you already gave up on him!
Hello?
This should take some weight off your shoudlers!
Don't feel bad... Make yourself happy!
Are you listening?
Mrs. Nonaka? What are you doing?
You're putting up well!
It isn't really any of my business, but you need to be on the alert!
There are rumors about you spreading everywhere!
Rumors?
But we're holding out!
When the time comes, we'll make a daughter-in-law alliance together!
What kind of rumors?
Your mother-in-law said you bully her grandchild... That the rice you cook is so hard she can't chew it...
She even said we'd be shocked if we found out about your past!
Really...?
Feel guilty?
Put your hand over your heart.
What do you mean?
You want to hear it?
What is all this?
Return to Sender
My...
That's right... The spinning company sent it over.
They were returned from Korea.
These are all letters you wrote to some man named Mr. Boku!
You're still with a Korean man!?
No! These were from before I married Taketoshi!
If they're from before the marriage, then why did they suddenly come back now!
I don't know! My address has changed, after all...
I can't allow a woman who betrays her husband into the Nonaka family...
Get out!
Fine, but I want to know..
Did you really spread all those rumors about me!?
What are you talking about?
You told them they'd be shocked if they learned about my past!
And isn't that the truth!
Your body and mind are one and the same with Koreans!
I can smell the odor already!
Stop!
I can't believe Taketoshi fell in love with this...
Grandma!
Where are you going?
You don't have anywhere to go, right?
Don't go!
I'll be a good kid, I promise!
Don't die!
Stay here!
My father needs you!
Forgive me.
1960 Police and student protestors clash in Seoul
1961 Military coup d'etat in South Korea
Alright, Mother...
July 18
Are you alright?
That's enough...
You have to eat.
The sooner I die the better.
You must be thinking the same, too.
No, of course not!
Oh, really?
As long as you can keep talking, I think you'll be fine.
Korean...
March 1968 Nonaka Fuka passes away
March 10, 1975
(News report on the opening of the Shinkansen)
I'm home!
Welcome back.
Can I talk to you for minute?
Sure.
It's about this...
To Nonaka Tomoko
It's from Busan...
One of our reporters who went to Korea brought it back.
From Boku Shunjin
Read it.
Why?
I don't want to read it. You should know that already.
Come on...
How ridiculous!
It's been thirty years and now he writes me a letter?
There must be a reason!
I don't care!
But you can't just throw it away without reading it!
Then you read it!
Me?
Here.
If it's something ridiculous, just cut it up and throw it away!
Tomoko...
He wants to see you.
Really?
"Rude as it may sound, I would like to see you face-to-face and expain everything that has happened..."
Explain what? ...I'm not going to see him.
"Because of terminal liver cancer, it won't be long before I die..."
"I know itfs selfish, but I would appreciate it if you could visit Busan one last time..."
What are you going to do?
Now, anybody can go to Korea, as long as they have a passport.
I'm not going.
Why should I have to go?
We're just two complete strangers now!
He's had me running in circles for so long...
This is your last chance to see him!
How can you say that!?
I'm your wife! It doesn't make any sense!
I'm married now.
That's not the issue here.
I'm not going!
I've had enough of Korea!
Honey!
Sorry, sorry.
I've decided to go...
To Busan.
Don't misunderstand me... I'm only going for myself.
I want to put an end to all those years of gloominess.
Therefs so much I want to ask him...
Like why he didnft write me...
Will you be alright on your own?
I know Busan like the back of my hand.
If you're going, the sooner the better.
You don't mind?
Of course not! Go right ahead!
You're so nice...
Can I get another bowl of miso soup?
Sure.
But you have to make sure you come home.
Of course.
Busan, South Korea
Mrs. Nonaka
We've been waiting for you.
Che Ki-Sun
I'm Park Junin's--Boku Shunjin's--wife.
I'm Nonaka Tomoko.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
Same here.
Please, this way.
I'll take your luggage.
Thank you.
It must look so different to you.
It sure does...
Is your husband in the hospital?
No... He returned home yesterday.
He was in a frantic rush after learning you were coming.
He was so happy he cried!
But he has you.
We started the company together, but he stayed single for a long time...
He fretted over marrying me for so long... He finally agreed to it 13 years ago.
Wefll take care of your luggage.
Thank you.
Come on in!
This way.
She's here.
I see... Thanks.
Don't overdo yourself.
I'll be alright.
If anything happens, please use the bells next to the bed.
I will.
Take your time.
Park Junin
I'm so glad you could come.
Thank you.
Come in.
Were the seas rough?
No... They were very calm.
That's good to hear.
If you don't mind, I'm going to sit.
Please, sit.
Thank you.
I never believed I would see you again...
Thank you.
If anything, I should thank your husband, Mr. Nonaka.
I'm grateful, too...
My husband sent me off so warmly.
Is that so?
Perhaps you should lie down on the bed?
Thank you.
You haven't changed a bit.
I've gotten much older.
Are you living happily?
Yes, I am very happy.
Do you have any children?
I have one child, but she's from my husband's previous marriage.
I have two children.
They're both girls, but since I married late, they're only 12 and 9.
I heard from your wife... You stayed single all this time?
I really believe that life is full of ups and downs...
But at the end of the last scene, I finally got to see you again.
My wish has come true... I have no more regrets in life.
I actually came to Busan out of anger and hurt...
Wanting to know why you never contacted me for twenty years.
But that doesnft matter anymore.
I've had a chance to see you... And meet your young, but wonderful wife.
All the gloominess inside my heart has disappeared.
But even at this age, the me from back then comes back to haunt me every once in a while.
I believe the only reason I've made it thus far is because of this magpie brooch.
So many times I grasped it in the palms of my hands and prayed and prayed...
that one day, the magpies would come and build a bridge for the two of us.
But I grasped it too tightly...
I canft hold it captive any longer...
I have to let it free.
If you don't mind, we'll pick you up at the hotel tomorrow at 10:00.
My husband says therefs a place he wants to show you.
I see... 10:00, right?
Yes.
Mama!
Welcome home!
Say hello! She came all the way from Japan!
Hello. Welcome!
Hello!
Your Japanese is so good!
Wefre ready, Mrs. Nonaka.
If you'll excuse me then...
Please take care.
In Korean, we call this strait that connects Korea and Japan "Hyonhae-tan."
In Japanese, it would be "Sea of Limitsh...
but for Koreans, crossing these waters means going to foreign country.
Hyonhae-tan
Foreign country?
Just how many times did the two of us cross these waters?
There were times when we sent each other off in tears.
Yes, there were...
Even though there's nothing on top of the ocean, you can look at a map and still see lines.
The Korean peninsula is no different.
When North and South split, there were so many families who were forced to scatter and separate.
Do you know how many times I was criminalized because of an invisible line drawn on the ocean?
Everytime I recall it, I canft control myself.
When I was deported 27 years ago, I was investigated by the Americans and imprisoned.
After being released six months later, I was arrested for trying to smuggle into Japan again.
This time it was two years in prison for espionage.
The fact that I was an officer for the Japanese military police was all they needed to know.
It doesn't compare... But I tried to cross and was caught in Hakata.
Trying to come here?
Yes.
I see...
When I was finally released and returned to my home in Gyeongju...
my Mother was deathly sick and bedridden.
I only learned it later, but my mother hid the letters you sent me and forwarded them back to Japan.
I see...
But I couldn't blame my mother...
If placed in the same position, I would do no different...
I understood that that is what it meants to be a parent.
Little by little, my feelings began to change...
I began to think that even if I made it to Japan, it would only make your life worse.
I had thought that love was everything...
But I began to think that love couldn't solve everything.
And then there was the Korean War.
I was sent to the front lines as a member of the South Korean Army.
It was a cruel and horrible war.
It was one people split in two, killing each other.
When the war finally ended and I returned home, my mother had already died.
...And then I saw the letter that you would marry someone.
I sent that letter without knowing what you were going through.
After that, I started a trading company to fulfill my dream and devoted all my energy to work.
I think my liver went out because I worked so hard.
I understand you started the company with your wife.
She told you?
I made her wait so long for marriage, but to me she's a one-of-a-kind companion.
Are you cold?
I'm alright.
But we should get going.
I'm truly happy that I came to see you.
I had a hard time deciding... But I'm glad I did.
I'm happy to hear that.
It was my husband who let me come.
Do you love him?
I do... I love him so much.
Thatfs good to hear.
I have a favor to ask.
What would that be?
Stop visiting me in my dreams.
I see.
Ifll stop.
Thank you.
No, no.
Six months later, Park Junin passed away
Three years later, Nonaka Taketoshi passed away, also from liver cancer
Nonaka Tomoko is still alive and well
Cast
Hasegawa Kyouko
Mashima Hidekazu
Toyohara Kousuke
Henmi Emiri
Miho Jun
Kim Tei Denden
Tsukimi Kyouko Taguchi Karuta
Saitou Mika Kawamura Maria Han Seo-Hui
Lee Ji Soo Kim Yeong-Rak
Someya Chikako Umi Natsuko Kashiwagi Maki
Nishida Yasufumi Futahashi Yasuhiro
Kamitaki Masahiro Shou Kosuge
Inudzuka Hiroshi
Ko Tu-Sim
Koyama Akiko
Kamikawa Takaya
Hashidzume Isao
Written by James Miki
Music by Watanabe Toshiyuki
Theme Song "Kasasagi" ("Magpie") by Sada Masashi
Narrated by Hirose Kumiko
Directed by Okazaki Sakae
Produced in Cooperation with NHK Enterprises
The End