Dear Keiko, thank you for the New Year's card.
Because it was the first letter I got since coming here, I jumped for joy.
I'm busy learning how to ski right now.
According to Sota, I have genius-level talent for it.
Hey!
Kita no kuni kara (From the North Country)
Subtitled by Chuks and edited by Phoenix
Not for sale
Sho!
Are you home?
He's home.
-Excuse me. -I'll be counting on you!
OK!
-Come in. -Where's your Grandpa?
He went somewhere this morning.
-Was that your mom? -Yeah.
-You're so lucky. -What's so lucky about it?
As soon as she comes home, she and Grandpa had a huge fight.
-Why? -Beat me. How 'bout a drink?
Shall we?
Yay.
-I have good news. -What is it?
We're going skiing. Want to come with us?
I do. Who's taking us?
Sota and Aunty Yukiko.
We're their excuse to date.
-Since it's New Year, shall we use sake cups? -Sounds good to me.
What happened to that love triangle?
-With Tsurara? -Yeah.
-I think there's going to be trouble ahead. -Way to go, Sota.
Thank you. Let me pour for you.
That's nice of you.
All right.
Let's be good to each other this year, too.
Ugh!
What the hell, this is real sake.
It's just a bit more than the other time.
-It's good. -Isn't it?
It is.
-Have another. -Thank you.
-Is this dry sake? -You don't like it?
No, it's better.
-What're you doing? -Nothing! It's nothing!
Hey,
Are you Kuroita Goro's kid?
Yes.
So you are?
Tell him I said I'd like to see him.
I will.
You don't look like him at all.
Thank you! I'm grateful for that.
Hello!
Hey.
What're you writing?
Not much.
Come in.
This is fine.
What's up?
I want your opinion.
My opinion? On what?
About Sota.
I...
...don't understand him anymore.
Why not?
Sit down.
The other day,
before Yukiko came back, Sota told me...
...not to worry.
He even proposed to me.
But,
ever since Yukiko came home...
How about some tea?
I won't stay long.
I want to be a relaxed and attractive woman.
But...
it seems like I'm becoming a hateful woman.
I feel it.
What's going on between Sota and Yukiko?
Will you tell me the truth?
I'll be fine no matter what you tell me.
I have no clue about that kind of stuff.
Here's your tea.
Thanks.
I don't like to talk about things like that.
How about something to eat?
You're an honest man.
The answer's written all over your face.
Please don't tell them I asked.
On January 5th, we went to ski.
-What? -Never mind.
-Don't start and not finish. -Don't!
-What is it? -Don't say it!
-Say it. -Don't you dare!
I wanna hear.
Shouldn't you have asked Tsurara to come, too?
Hi.
Goro's house?
Who is it?
She won't say. She's a beautiful lady.
Think she's Goro's wife?
Are you Mr. Nakahata?
Yes.
May I ask...?
I'm...
...Goro's wife.
Thank you for taking care of the children.
No problem.
Um... Could you tell me how to get to their house?
I'll go bring them here.
-You can wait inside... -That's all right.
Will you just tell me how to get there?
-Are you sure? -She would find her own way there if I don't.
-But the children.... -They're not home. They went skiing.
-Thank you. I know you're busy. -No problem.
I'm sorry. Could you wait here?
I'm glad you came. It's about the battery...
-Your wife is here. -Who?
Reiko's right outside.
Hold it! Just like that?
She insisted on coming. Where're the kids?
Not home. But...!
Hello.
I'll be leaving now. Bye.
Wait.
Hey!
Wait! That's cold!
-It's not my business. -What am I supposed to do?
-How would I know? -Stay. Be on my side.
-I'll wait in the car. -Promise? Stay in your car?
I will! Go on!
Don't go anywhere!
I couldn't help coming here.
What were you doing?
I was... drawing a design.
For what?
A windmill.
We don't have electricity here.
I see.
You have rooms upstairs?
Yeah.
Yukiko and the kids use it.
Can I see it?
Sure.
You climb up this ladder here.
What used to be here before?
A stable for horses.
-They're not home today? -They went skiing.
Yukiko went, too.
Are they spending the night?
No.
What time will they be home?
Did you come to see them?
Will you let me?
Can I see them?
I'm going home.
Don't.
I think it'll be better if I'm not here.
What're you saying! Just stay for a bit.
Just a little while, okay?
Is this a lot of snow for this area?
So I've been told.
You don't have running water, do you?
We didn't, but we ran pipes from the river at the end of last year.
Jun and Hotaru really worked hard to help me.
Until then, they went almost a kilometer away...
...to fetch water every day.
Hey.
What's wrong?
What're you doing?
Reiko?
Please let me see them.
Please.
Let me see them.
Please.
You can be there, too.
I don't...
...have the right to forbid a mother to see her children.
I'm sure...
...they want to see you, too.
Except that...
...if they see you now,
the life we've worked hard to build will fall apart.
It took us three months...
...to build a life here.
Especially Jun.
He really gave me a hard time.
I thought about sending him back to Tokyo so many times.
But little by little,
he's changed.
Or,
maybe I should say he's starting to change.
He's trying to become stronger.
If I let him see you now...
I understand...
-...what you're saying, but... -Reiko.
Will you think of it this way?
No matter what happens between you and me,
the children will always belong to the both of us.
I don't intend to take them away from you.
When they become adults....
No, maybe in a year or two...
When the time is right,
I want to let them make their own choice.
But,
before that,
I want them to experience what this kind of life is like.
A life that's different from the one they knew in Tokyo.
I think...
...it'll be good for them.
Although it may sound selfish to you,
I want them to change a bit more before I let them see you.
I don't think now is a good time.
If I let them see you now,
I'm sure they'll...
Can I just see them?
From far away.
-I forgot I have somewhere to go.. -She's leaving now.
-It's not necessary... -Do you have a reservation anywhere?
Are you going back without spending the night?
Either way, please leave for now.
The kids will be home soon.
Please.
I promise to contact you later.
Will you please help her find a hotel, Naka?
Naka?
Will you bring her here about noon tomorrow?
Okay.
Reiko.
You can watch them from inside the truck.
But don't come out.
Promise me.
I promise.
We never knew anything about what had happened.
We skied all day and...
...didn't get home until after dark.
I skied all the way to the bottom!
I was so surprised. Jun's gotten a lot better.
He has a talent. He's not bad.
Dad,
did someone come?
No.
That's not true. Someone came.
Uncle Nakahata came.
It wasn't Uncle.
Why?
Because the upstairs is all cleaned up.
Oh? What's this?
This?
Ah! It's a radio.
It has a cassette player, too.
-Why do we have it? -It's your New Year's present from me.
Yay!
-Can I open it? -Sure.
Goro?
Did someone come?
Reiko did.
What's wrong?
Let's eat. There's nothing here.
Come on, let's go.
It's cold!
Come on.
She came to see the kids?
Yeah.
Did she go back to Tokyo?
She's staying at a hotel somewhere.
Are you gonna let her see them?
I refused.
But Naka will bring her tomorrow.
I'll let her see them from far away.
Yukiko.
Am I...
...a cruel man?
Aunty?
What's wrong?
Wanna go pee?
Even though dad said no one came,
but someone was here, right?
No one came.
Who would come anyway?
Mom.
Your mom?
Why would your mom come here?
My PJs smell like Mom.
I don't smell anything.
-Will this thing really make electricity? -Yup.
-Are you sure? -Are you?
This is how they did it a long time ago around here.
Dad explained his windmill generator to us for the first time.
What's this?
It's the propeller.
We'll make it today.
The hard part will be the angle of the fan.
What's this?
It'll determine what direction the wind is blowing in.
Then, it'll turn towards the wind...
so the propeller will be facing the right way.
Hold it tight!
Good job.
Someone's coming!
It's Nakahata.
Don't let go! Keep holding it.
Good.
Jun,
take over.
-I can cut it? -Yup.
Hotaru, hold it tight.
Okay.
Hold tight!
All right.
Where're you going to put the pillar?
It'll be...
Right here.
It'll be pretty heavy. Are you sure here is fine?
I'll bury it about 2 meters deep.
Don't you think that'll do?
-I can't believe it! -What?
-That dad will be making electricity! -He's awesome.
Yes. I'll respect him if he really can make it.
-It's Sota! -Get back to work.
Naka!
Who's that good-looking lady?
Sota!
What's wrong?
Hey, Sota!
Just... come with me.
-Come on. -What's wrong?
Hurry!
Jun, don't slack off.
Let's keep working.
-What's wrong? -Nothing.
Reiko, scooch down. They can see you.
Sota!
Get in! Please!
Hurry!
I'll get going.
I have to go to the Asahikawa Airport.
Okay.
Keep working hard!
Bye.
Thank you.
-What's wrong? -What?
-With Sota and Aunty. -Nothing. Get back to work.
Okay.
We're leaving.
-I did it! -Yay!
Good.
-This should do it for today. -That's all?
Yeah. Let's go sledding.
Yay! Yay, let's go!
Hey, clean up here first.
Okay!
Here.
Jun!
Hey, Jun!
Wait!
Are you all right?
Hey, Ju...
Jun!
What're you doing!
Wait for me!
Ouch!
I got snow in my nose!
Hello.
Midori....
So he sent her back without letting her talk to the kids?
And they were kept in the dark?
Last night,
Hotaru suddenly asked me...
if Reiko had come to the house.
She said her PJs smelled like Reiko.
I think...
...she knows.
That's too cold.
That's too much.
That's not right thing to do.
What's wrong?
What?
You seem down.
Do I?
-Or maybe you were too cheerful before. -People change after 20 years.
I suppose you're right.
I heard you got divorced.
He ran out on me.
You, too, I heard.
We're both pathetic.
What's wrong with that?
"What's wrong with that?" You haven't changed.
-Is he alive? -Mm? Who?
Your ex-husband.
He's alive. Heard he's in Sapporo.
What does he do?
Construction worker.
Only one kid?
-Right. Same age as yours. -So I hear.
I met him.
Must be tough on you.
Yeah, it is.
Especially on a single father.
I used to let my wife handle everything.
I'm surprised she let you have them.
I almost went crazy when we were fighting over mine.
I got him, but I can't stay with him.
Coming to see him is the only thing that keeps me going.
I'll bet.
Because women give birth to a baby.
A child used to be part of your own body.
What a rotten thing to talk about after 20 years.
Goro!
Sota, don't.
What's wrong?
I'll tell you what's wrong!
-Where are the kids? -Sledding.
I think you're being selfish.
I heard that woman was your wife and she came to see the kids!
Sota...
You don't have the right to make her leave without seeing the kids!
What you did was cruel.
She came all the way here,
and you didn't even tell the kids!
-That's too cold. -But, Sota...
You stay out of this.
I'm talking to him man-to-man.
I think you're being too selfish.
I don't know what kind of grudge you hold against your wife,
but it has nothing to do with the kids!
Have you thought about how they feel?
She's their mother.
The only mother they have in the world.
She may live far away, but she's still their mother.
Not letting the kids see their mother...
That's not something a man should do.
I wouldn't be so petty.
No matter how much I hated my wife...
-Don't sound like you know it all. -What?
Who are you?
Doesn't matter to you.
Anyway...
Everyone has feelings that can't be explained by logic!
You have no idea,
so don't be barging into someone else's heart!
Dad, I can turn a little now.
I can't yet.
I'm practicing how to make curved lines.
He'll teach me more once I learn that.
-Jun. -Yes.
Hotaru.
About that radio...
To tell you the truth, it wasn't from me.
Actually,
mom gave it to you both.
Hey, if we get electricity,
will we be able to watch TV?
We can use as much electricity as we want because it's free, right?
It's cool that we don't have to pay for electricity or water.
I knew that Mom had come.
But I felt I shouldn't tell Dad right now.
I felt I should keep it from him.
Hotaru must've felt the same way.
The wind got stronger that night.
But I still had no idea...
...how terrifying a blizzard could be.