Hiroshi, hurry it up.
What a drag...
You're going to greet the neighbors with me.
I have to say, this is a great location.
Lots of greenery, and the air's clean.
Hey, Mom.
That house to the right of ours is kinda weird.
How so?
There's only one window, and look where it is.
I took a look at the other side, and there were no others.
Come on, Hiroshi.
Don't be so judgmental about other people's houses.
Guess they're not home...
Yes, who is it?
Hi, it's nice to meet you.
We're the Sakaguchis, and we just moved in next door.
We just came by to say hello.
I hope we can be good neighbors.
This isn't much, but I hope you like it.
Oh, my goodness!
Ma'am, I have to ask...
Do the Numages work during the day?
I can't say.
That house is always locked.
But at night, you'll see a figure in the window of the second floor,
so I think someone lives there.
They hardly ever go outside, though.
Apparently the rumors say it's a middle-aged woman who lives there,
and she's supposed to be quite odd.
Seems she wants to avoid people for some reason.
Huh...
And you haven't met her yet?
Well, I ring the buzzer, but no one answers the door.
I wonder...
Thanks for dinner.
Are you done already?
Yeah, I wanna get my room straightened up as soon as possible.
Right across from the window next door...
Not sure I like that.
Young man...
Young man.
Good evening.
Are you asleep?
How are you today?
What?
Young man...
Young man.
Are you finding the new house to your liking?
Young man...
How are you today?
Young man...
Come by and see me someday.
I'll be waiting for you with the front door unlocked.
What was that?
Young man...
How are you today?
Are you asleep?
Let me see your face.
You didn't come over today.
I was waiting for you with some sweets...
Is it all right if I come by and see you instead, then?
I'm on my way now.
Wh-What the hell?!
Young man,
I'm going to pass you the laundry pole.
Make sure to hold it tight.
I'll use it to cross over.
Wh-Wha...
What are you doing?!
Mom! Dad!
You gotta wake up!
What's the big deal? I don't see anyone.
No laundry pole, either.
I'm telling you, it happened!
She was super creepy-looking!
And she wanted to cross over into my room!
You were probably just dreaming, Hiroshi.
It really happened!
Young man.
Young man...
Are you awake?
How are you doing today?
Damn it!
Young man...
Are you asleep?
Let me see your face, please.
Just wait a bit longer.
I'll be there to see you soon.
Young man, it won't be long now.
My hands can almost reach.
I'll be there ever so soon...
It won't be long before I can knock on the window.
When I do, make sure to open it for me.
Oh, it's still too far... I can't reach.
But just wait. It won't be long.
I'll be there soon.
Collection No. 067
Window Next Door
Papa died!
When I was little,
I used to dream of my father dying, and then I'd cry.
Ah-boo!
Papa's not gonna die, Riko.
But still,
my anxiety about it never went away.
The one thing I fear most in the world
is my father's death.
Collection No. 123
Gentle Goodbye
A traditional wedding was part of marrying into the prestigious Tokura family.
Father, Mother,
Grandfather, Grandmother.
I know I'm not much, but thank you for letting me join the family.
Hey, Riko-san.
I guess I'll have to call you Onee-san now, huh?
R-Right.
That sounds great, Tomoka-chan.
My husband, Makoto,
was willing to defy the Tokura family in order to marry me.
Cheer up, Riko.
They'll understand eventually.
Yeah.
Oh, that's my great-grandfather and great-grandmother.
They're up in years, so they didn't attend the ceremony.
Great-Granddad, Great-Grandma.
this is my wife, Riko.
It's nice to meet you.
Riko...
Riko!
Papa!
I'm right here!
Riko...
You live a happy life with Makoto-kun, you hear me?
Papa!
You had that dream again, didn't you?
I'm so sorry...
It keeps happening.
It's okay.
Come on, go to sleep.
Oh, honestly, Tomoka!
But Mom...
Come on, quit laughing, Dad!
Now Grandpa and Grandma are doing it!
I have to say, this house really is huge...
Wh-Who's there?
Th... There was a gh-ghost...
They're not ghosts.
Then who are they?
Come to think of it, your great-grandparents...
I'm pretty sure the person you thought was a ghost
was my great-great-grandmother...
In other words, my great-grandfather's mother.
Great-great-grandmother?!
She's still alive?!
How old is she?
She's 125.
125?!
Could she really live that long?
I don't think you've met them yet,
but my great-aunt and great-uncle also live here.
They're really faint and almost gone,
but you can still find them if you look.
Almost gone?
My great-great grandfather and his mother used to be around, too,
but they've both completely vanished.
What are you talking about?!
Why did they vanish?!
Because they're just after-images.
My grandfather-in-law died the next year.
It's been a while!
Yeah.
Thanks for coming today, Papa.
Riko,
is his family treating you well?
Yeah...
Thanks for coming all this way.
Not at all.
Well then, Makoto-san,
take good care of Riko for me.
You can count on me, Father.
Come on, Riko.
The entire Tokura family is assembling in the living room.
I guess this is the first time for you.
My father Ryouzou's funeral proceeded smoothly.
So now, I think it's time we get started.
Everyone,
think intensely about Ryouzou together,
and imagine him with all your strength.
He may have been cremated,
but by the focused will of his family,
Ryouzou will appear before us, as if he were alive!
Now, everyone, think!
Think about him strongly!
Dad!
Live again... Dad, Dad, Dad!
Dad!
Grandpa didn't come back to life,
nor did he come back as a ghost.
It's an image that was formed by the will of our family.
We call them after-images.
They don't have an actual physical presence,
but they feel real to the family,
and it feels like we're actually talking to them.
But that's probably just an illusion.
Even with conversations,
they never say anything that the living wouldn't imagine them saying.
But we keep creating after-images of our family anyway.
They help fill the void left behind when someone in the family dies.
They go on functioning as part of the family.
But over time, the image degrades.
As time passes, they start to grow fainter and more transparent.
After around 20 years, they fully disappear.
But those 20 years help the living let go.
It gives them the chance for a gentle goodbye.
It's almost been 20 years since my 125-year-old
great-great-grandmother became an after-image.
She'll probably vanish soon.
But at this point, neither me, Dad, or Grandma
pay her much mind anymore.
But that's only because we had 22 years to come to terms with it and say goodbye!
Hey, Makoto-san...
Someday, when my father dies,
would we be able to make an after-image of him?
I thought you would ask that.
I can see why you would want an after-image of your own family.
What are you saying, Makoto?
It's out of the question!
What would be the point in creating an after-image of Riko-san's father?
It's just not happening.
I'm sorry!
I was wrong to ask!
Please forgive me for making such a selfish request!
Onee-san.
Don't think too badly of Mom and Dad.
They're both really nice.
I know.
I was just being selfish.
I'll go and apologize to them again tomorrow.
Tomoka-chan, thanks for always worrying about me.
That's because I love you, Onee-san!
Thank you.
I love you too, Tomoka-chan.
Listen... About Tomoka-chan...
I guess you noticed...
Tomoka's an after-image, too.
My sister died ten years ago from an illness.
Lately, her after-image has started to fade a bit, as well.
Hey, Mom.
What is it, Tomoka?
Don't be mad at Riko-san, okay?
She's a really good wife.
I understand that, but still...
I love you, Mom.
I want to stay with you forever.
I won't get married.
That's okay, right, Mom?
Yes, of course.
You can stay with Mommy forever.
The months passed,
and his great-great-grandmother, great-aunt, and great-uncle vanished.
His great-grandparents are also starting to look foggy now.
There was another family funeral the other day,
and I took part in the ceremony to call forth the after-image.
I had already done so several times,
and I tried my hardest, as a member of the Tokura family.
But it's been eight years since we got married,
and my in-laws are still distant toward me.
I thought maybe I wasn't trying hard enough,
so I decided to put extra effort into winning them over.
Honey! You left your lunch...
Makoto-san...
I thought we were meeting at the station.
But I wanted to see you as soon as possible!
That was Mori-san from your office this morning, wasn't it?
You two are involved, aren't you?
Yes.
So...
What happens now?
I mean...
I intend to marry her someday.
No!
I am not getting a divorce!
Riko, don't worry.
I'm not going to divorce you. I'll fulfill my obligation to you.
It's my responsibility to—
What are you talking about?!
How are you going to marry her without divorcing me?
I'm going to discuss this with her!
Don't!
Let go of me!
I said stop!
I-I'm sorry, Riko...
I'm sorry... that I never told you...
What?
Ten years ago...
It was right before we were to be married,
on the day before the engagement ceremony...
You were in an accident...
and died instantly.
I begged my dad...
I begged him to create an after-image of you!
Riko!
No...
It can't be...
Ikeda Family Grave
If you think it's a lie,
then go to your family's house.
There should be a marker for you behind the family gravestone.
Then...
I really am...
I'm an after-image.
In ten years, I'll be gone.
Strangely, realizing that took a weight off my shoulders.
The next day,
I quietly left the Tokura house.
Onee-san...
Where are you going?
After apologizing profusely,
I bade my sister-in-law goodbye.
Thinking back now...
I wonder what he really thought of a wife who would cry so often
after dreaming of her father's death.
Did I ever once cry because of a dream about him dying?
I owe him an apology, too.
Ten years before I vanish...
Ikeda
I wonder, between my father and I, who will go first?
Riko?
What's wrong?
Papa...
I'm home.
Collection