The feared impact on the Kanto area has been averted.
The typhoon is now headed north...
and Hokkaido is making emergency preparations.
That's it for typhoon information.
Kuriuta Jun and relatives
(Thank you card)
Next news. In Mexico...
I wonder if Dad made it home all right.
Dad left the day before yesterday.
He's home already.
What about Mr. Seikichi?
He left yesterday, too.
We haven't heard anything so they must've gotten home safely.
I wonder if the typhoon will hit our house.
I don't think so.
It's been traveling along the east coast.
TV news in Tokyo doesn't report much about the other regions, does it?
Doesn't it?
'Cause...
They made such a fuss, thinking it was going to hit Tokyo...
but as soon as they found out it won't, they dropped it.
It seems like only Tokyo is important.
They wouldn't have dropped it if it was a big deal.
Dear...
Keiko,
I've been waiting all this time.
A week has passed since Mom died.
I thought you would come,
but it doesn't look like you will at all.
Oh, no.
The lights went out!
Get me a towel.
Rokugo Avenue is a mess.
-Huge trees are lying all over the road. -Really.
I couldn't move the car so I left it.
How was it in Furano?
The river's rising fast.
It hasn't been this bad in years.
-I'll get you some fresh clothes. -Must be terrible at Goro's house.
Hello? How's it over there?
Kita no kuni kara
Final Episode
It's been a long time, Sota.
You father kindly attended my sister's funeral...
and told me how you were doing.
Now that my sister is dead, I'm all alone.
But I'm fine.
It's been a month already, hasn't it?
I was able to talk a bit with your father the night of the wake.
He said...
you'd changed since the fight.
Your father sounded happy.
I can remember that night like it was yesterday.
The day after the match,
you got off the train in Furano all alone,
almost as if you were trying to hide your face.
You were in the spotlight the night before,
but you came home trying not to be noticed.
How many?
Little too sweet?
Your fight last night was great.
It touched me.
I'm not just saying it.
I mean it.
-Can I ask you something? -What?
When a woman...
How do you say this...
When a woman uses her body to make money...
Does that mean...
she's given up completely?
Given up her dreams?
I don't really understand what you mean,
but I don't think that's necessarily true.
Why?
I think there are some that do that...
because they do have dreams.
Or maybe...
they're trying to dream.
Tsurara's in Sapporo.
At a Turkish bath in Susukino.
She called me late last night.
What did she say?
She said she's never coming back to Furano.
She also said...
to forget everything about her.
So that...
I can go after you...
without any hesitation.
But...
I decided not to see you anymore,
Yukiko.
I decided that...
when Tsurara told me to start seeing you.
At least...
for 2 years and 8 months,
I won't see you.
I counted.
That's how long...
Tsurara and I were together.
I made a vow to myself.
Until April of 1984...
That's what I decided.
So...
I'm telling you.
Are you still going to keep living in Furano?
I thought the whole time I was on the train coming home.
In April of 1984,
I'll be 32.
How about you?
I wonder if you'll still be here?
Those words are burned into my heart.
Will I be there?
Sota,
I'm thinking about what you said in front of my sister's altar.
My sister asked me when she was still alive...
When my sister last came to Furano,
she asked me why I was there.
You told me once.
Tokyo women seem to romanticize Hokkaido.
But they'll selfishly run away when you ask them to stay and marry you.
I looked down on girls like that.
I thought I was different.
But,
I might not be.
I think a little part of me...
felt that way.
Jun and Hotaru seem to have found something...
in this past year and they've grown so much.
But what was I doing?
Jun and Hotaru may've become permanent residents but...
I've stayed a wandering traveler.
That's how I feel.
And I'm very ashamed of it.
The next time I go back...
I want to become a resident.
Just like you've changed,
I want to put down roots.
I hope we can meet again in Furano some day.
The answer to your question...
In 2 years and 8 months,
I'll be...
29.
Jun!
What's wrong?
Keiko's house was...
gone.
It was completely gone.
Is that you, Jun?
Hey.
Mr. Ogawa.
How have you been?
Good.
Do you like living in Hokkaido?
Not bad.
Have you been studying?
Not too much.
Your friends have been.
They have started going to prep school.
And Keiko...
Oh, did you hear about her?
She went to the U.S.
Due to her father's business.
She sent me a letter recently.
And it was in English.
It was really well written.
What time do you go to bed every night, Jun?
Dunno...
About 9:00?
9:00?
Right.
It was a pretty big shock.
That's really early.
All your friends are up studying 'til about midnight.
Takasahi, Shimizu, Koike and even Yamaoka.
Only a year left to their entrance exams.
Dear...
Keiko.
I'm in shock.
What're you going to do about junior high?
Going to a school up there?
What's your mom saying?
My mom died.
She died?
-Yes. -When?
About 5 days ago.
She did...
Oh my...
Is that why you're here?
She was a good mom who valued education a lot.
Always concerned about your studies,
and she was always proper.
-I felt lonely. -And beautiful.
But I don't know why.
I just...
felt lonely.
Part of it was because he was talking about Mom.
Part of it was because he told me about you, Keiko.
But...
that wasn't all.
That wasn't it at all.
I used to like this teacher.
But now...
he seemed different.
I don't think he's the one who changed.
I changed.
I'm sure of it.
Miss...
Ryoko.
Where are you?
I want to see you very badly.
You never pushed studying...
like the teachers in Tokyo do.
Those were really difficult days for me.
I compared everything to Tokyo.
Half of me looked down on you.
But,
all I can think about here in Tokyo is...
how much fun we had at our school.
In the mountains and fields...
the snow and river...
You questioned things like we did.
and we learned together.
Miss Ryoko.
I want to see you.
That's right. They say they'll be fine.
So please tell Goro to pick them up at Furano station.
Thank you.
What's wrong?
The typhoon really hit them hard.
-Half of the roof of the old house got blown off. -Really?
But the log cabin is fine.
-Is it done? -Yeah.
Dad's living there all by himself already.
-He is? -Aunty.
I found this on Mom's bookshelf.
What is it?
I think it's a letter from Mom to us.
Dear Jun and Hotaru, how are you?
Is it cold already in Hokkaido?
I really miss the time you showed me the town of Furano.
I wanted you to tell me about the life you and Dad have led there this past year.
Will you do that in your next letters?
The clouds made the biggest impression on me when I was there this summer.
I hadn't seen such clouds in years.
I never realized how beautiful clouds could be and...
The letter ended there.
That's all...
Mom had written.
Why are you here?
To see someone off.
Can I sit inside with you?
When did you get back?
Four days ago.
I see.
The children are coming home today.
Good.
I was worried.
About what?
That you'd be really down.
I'm okay.
Good.
-I'd like to express my... -Eh?
Never mind.
I'm not good at formal expressions.
Don't worry about it.
Do I look unhappy?
No. Why?
Good. I don't like to look unhappy.
Did something happen?
No.
Who are you seeing off?
A customer.
He was promoted and is being transferred to Kushiro.
He was so excited, he made me mad.
Is it that good to be going to a big town?
He was in the rafting race, too.
The raft race, huh?
Brings back memories, doesn't it?
Next summer...
What?
Nah.
Never mind.
Oh, there they are!
Will you come to the bar again?
I will.
Really?
I promise.
Bye.
The train for Kushiro will arrive on platform No. 2.
The train to Kushiro will...
Good luck!
Good luck.
Hoo-ray, Morikawa!
Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray!
Good luck!
Furano. Arrived in Furano.
We're in Furano.
How are you guys?
Wow!
-You did it, Dad! -So cool.
See that second story window?
That's where you're going to sleep.
-What's the floor made of? -Wood planks.
-We can walk in with our shoes? -You can.
-Cool. Let's go! -Yeah, let's go!
-Is it true the roof on our old house blew off? -Half of it.
The wind took it.
I want to go see it.
Now?
'Cause... it was our home.
Okay. Let's go. The moon's out.
Yay!
Oh, no! Look at that!
Why...
Poor house.
It looks like it did when we first got here.
The fields in the back are a mess, too.
I'm going to look!
Brings back memories, doesn't it?
We worked hard for a year here.
Jun.
Are you down?
I'm fine.
Good.
You're strong.
'Cause...
I'm down.
A man isn't supposed to...
show weakness.
But...
I'm down.
Forgive me. It's just for now.
It's painful.
Jun.
It's painful, isn't it?
Dad!
What's wrong?
It's back...
but its legs don't look right.
It only has three.
I think it's my fox that got caught in the trap.
I'll find some food, so wait right there!
I really think it's my fox! It's alive!
Come on!
Come!
It was definitely that fox.
It was missing its left front leg.
But it was definitely the fox Hotaru had tamed...
and that had gotten caught in the trap.
It was alive and came home.
Jun.
Come on.
I did it!
Look at it eat!
It ate your food!
Come here!
Come back!
That night,
we slept in the log cabin for the first time.
In our log cabin, I had a dream.
Mom was still alive in it...
and I was working hard at writing a letter to her.
Mom, I have a lot of things to write to you.
I have a year's worth of stories.
A river!
That's the Sorachi river.
The day we first got here last fall....
No electricity? We can't live without electricity!
That's not true.
-What'll we do at night? -We go to sleep.
What about dinner and studying!
We can use a lamp. They're very nice.
A lamp?
How will we cook rice?
We can use firewood.
What about TV!
We won't have a TV.
Oh, no!
I can't believe this.
How are we gonna live without electricity?
You gotta be kidding me!
We were worked like dogs...
Is it enough?
Another 50 times more!
Did you hear that? He's really trying to kill us.
Mom.
I really wanted you to come and save us.
I wanted so desperately to get away from here...
Dad.
I'm the one...
who made Hotaru go.
But...
I don't think...
this land is suited to my nature.
I think...
Tokyo is better suited to me.
I don't think you know, Mom,
but I tried to go home to Tokyo.
I left with Aunty Yukiko.
Listen.
You're...
running away like losers.
You're lost...
and running away.
You're betraying us.
Don't ever forget that.
But I ended up going back to Rokugo.
Then, the long winter came.
It was our first winter and it was harsh, Mom.
I think Dad didn't really like me either.
Hello?
Jun?
This is Jun, isn't it?
Jun.
Yes.
I know you miss your mom...
but so does your dad.
The truth is your dad probably misses her more.
But he's trying to bear it by working so hard.
Compared to him, you're no good.
You haven't helped your dad at all.
Hotaru's a girl and even she's worked harder than you.
You have to change.
-What's wrong? -Don't.
Are you... being shy?
Got ya!
But good things happened, too.
The day we finally got running water.
The day we got electricity from the windmill generator.
It was completely different from the kind of joy we'd experienced in Tokyo.
We had started to learn those kinds of joy.
Jun.
Look on the right side of the road.
The gate to the ranch should be on that side.
Do you think...
Dad is looking for us?
I'm sure he is.
I'm sure.
He'll come to save us soon.
Jun...
Jun! No!
Don't fall asleep! Jun!
What's wrong?
You came by bicycle?
I don't have the horse anymore.
I sold her this morning.
I see. You finally sold her, huh?
She's probably been butchered by now.
I think...
she knew.
Who is 'she'?
The horse.
When the truck came this morning,
I brought her out.
But she suddenly refused to move.
When I looked at her,
she was crying.
She's the only one...
that suffered all these years with me.
What did she...
want to say to me?
She trusted me.
What did she want to say?
At the beginning of the summer,
you suddenly came.
Mom.
To tell you the truth, my heart was so full...
I didn't see the lavender at all.
Mom and Dad are going to be legally divorced.
Our relationship with you is...
over.
Hotaru!
Summertime is short in Furano.
Fall came and just when we were building our dream log cabin...
you suddenly died, Mom.
Mom.
I miss you.
It's really hard.
But...
you don't have to worry about Hotaru and me.
I've gotten a little stronger in this past year.
I've even grown 8 cm.
Hotaru has grown 10.
If you want to see how we live, you can come to Furano any time you want to.
There's nothing to the town, but we're always here.
And so is Dad.
I bet Aunty Yukiko will be here, too.
Sota, Mr. Seikichi,
Mr. Nakahata, Kuma, and Kazu....
And if your go to that little bar,
I'll bet you'll see Kogomi, too.
The sky is more beautiful than anything you'll ever see.
Mom.
The clouds are beautiful today, too.
I don't know what kind of clouds you saw that time, Mom.
But Hotaru and I...
wonder and talk about it...
sometimes.
Subtitled by Chuks Edited by Phoenix