"Mom!" "A village in the Tohoku area - autumn 1955" "Mom!" "Wait!" "Stop!" "I said stop!" "Line up." "Sit down." "Susumu." "Who started it?" "Tell me!" "Hiroshi." "He pinched my ass, and Mitsuko's." "Hiroshi." "Did you really do that?" "Why?" "Cause it's fun." "Think this is fun too?" "If it is fun, smile." "I'll slap you again." "My mom..." "Mom was scary." "Hiroshi fought back once in a while, but..." "Ouch." "Pissing kid!" "Quiet!" "Mom was such a hard worker." "Even while Dad was resting" "Mom slaved in the mud." "I've never seen Mom resting." "How do you feel?" "Look!" "You stamped on your own kid!" "It's dead!" "Poor thing!" "Fool!" "Dear, one of the piglets died." "The sow stamped on it." "Knock her down!" ""Riding is such fun..."" ""I don't feel like getting off"" "Go wash up!" "Look!" "You did it again!" "What a kid!" "Rice!" "Me too." "Now!" "Susumu, don't play now." "Play later." "Yoshiko!" "He swiped my egg!" "Good!" "Mom!" "Continue fighting." "Good idea, huh?" "You forgot your pencil box again." "You should've put them back." "Hurry!" "I've got a bellyache." "You don't eat carrots, so you easily get constipated." "Carrot can't help." "Horses eat carrots and drop big dung." "Go to the toilet!" "Mom!" "Me too." "Jump." "Where are you going?" "Eat roast chestnuts." "They're good." "Is the water hot enough?" "Is it?" "No, it isn't." "It's lukewarm." "You two, undress and take a bath." "Or you'll catch cold." "Quiet, Hiroshi!" "Good evening." "Out of the room." "Sit here and watch." "Let's start." "Raise your leg!" "Lower your waist." "Stop!" "What happened?" "He fought with Katsuhei." "He pushed me in the river." "The river?" "You might've drowned!" "Mom!" "Yae, you in?" "You in?" "Where's Katsuhei?" "I'll hit him." "Katsuhei, come here!" "Gosh!" "Your son Hiroshi did it!" "I thought I shouldn't interfere." "But if you fight, I will too!" "They said you started it." "Don't talk back." "Katsuhei's arm is broken, he was crying." "Liar!" "Go apologize." "And..." "Yoshiko, Mitsuko..." "Susumu, Hisako, listen carefully." "Liars are the same as thieves." "If you die after lying you'll go to hell and be tortured." "Understand?" "See?" "Once again." "You came?" "Looks good." "It is good." "I'm glad!" "You're all hungry?" "Today's special." "Eat all you want." "Stuff yourselves." "I will, too." "Good!" "I'm full." "I can eat more." "I'll eat more later." "Come!" "Come quick." "That way!" "Go first!" "Dear!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Where's the doctor?" "Sorry he's out today." "What's with Dad?" "We'll go see him tomorrow morning." "Mitsuko, Hisako, quick." "Get in." "I'll carry you." "Do as he says." "I want to get in, too." "Let's go." "Hiroshi." "Good!" "Hisako, I'm glad you could walk." "You're great." "What'll happen to Dad?" "I don't know." "He may die." "Don't worry." "I'm with him." "After three months, Dad came home." "His life was saved, but..." "Dad!" "What'll happen to Dad?" "Don't worry." "He'll get better." "It's cold." "Thanks for everything." "Thank you." "Thank them." "Thanks for your help." "Don't worry." "He'll stay home." "He left the hospital." "I bought fish to celebrate." "They're nice fish." "They're good." "I'm hungry!" "I'm starving!" "Kids, give me a hand." "Put that quilt behind dad's back." "Give me two pillows." "Hiroshi, another quilt." "You kids go over there and eat." "I'll help Dad eat." "Dear..." "I'm glad you came home." "You saw what your dad is like." "He can understand everything but he can't move at all." "He's like that." "He can't eat or even piss by himself." "I'll have to take care of him all day long." "He can't move." "But God at least saved his life." "I'm grateful." "But who'll take care of him?" "He can't budge an inch." "I'll have to do it." "It's only natural, because I'm his wife." "But if I take care of him" "I can't take care of you." "See?" "That means I have to quit being your mother." "Understand?" "As of today, think of me as gone." "I'll help your dad live." "You help each other and grow by yourselves." "Studying, cleaning, washing..." "Do it all by yourselves." "Starting now I quit being your mother." "Got it?" "Understand?" "Say you understand!" "I don't get it!" "What?" "You're still our mom." "Not any longer." "Then, where is our mom?" "She's gone." "You're here." "No." "Think of me as the neighbor's wife." "Are we moving into a neighbor's house?" "Hiroshi, you're the eldest, right?" "You'd be a dad and take care of your brothers and sisters." "Yoshiko, you'd be a mom and help him." "And take care of the younger ones." "But we're still too small to be a mom and dad." "Think of me as dead." "Who'll cook for us?" "I'll cook for you." "You won't go hungry." "Then, you're still our mom." "Stupid kids!" "You've no imagination?" "A quilt!" "Don't." "I told you, didn't I?" "I'm his wife." "I'll take care of him." "Don't interfere." "Do your own things." "Forget about us." "Grow by yourselves." "Ouch!" "After that day" "Mom wasn't really ours." "She belonged only to Dad." "All she did for her children was cook." "She didn't do anything else for us." "She stayed with Dad all day." "We were abandoned." "Mom!" "She's gone." "Let's go." "Dad could move his right hand a little." "But the rest of his body was totally paralyzed." "He couldn't even piss by himself." "He couldn't hold up his head." "Worse than a baby." "Without Mom by his side, he couldn't even sip water." "Mom was right:" "She had no time for us." "We did everything by ourselves." "Mitsuko, you help, too!" "Don't touch!" "The medicine." "Don't bother!" "See?" "Sorry to bother you." "Stop!" "Quit being a mother?" "Impossible." "Your children are still young." "They must go to high school." "Isn't 9 years of compulsory schooling enough?" "Yes, but..." "I believe my children can grow by themselves." "I'm too busy with my husband." "I know, but you're still their mother." "You don't understand." "I'm no longer their mother!" "I'll work in town." "I won't go to high school." "Me either." "We have no money." "Mom said clearly." ""I can't spend money for you kids because I have Dad to take care of"" "How long will he live?" "If he dies will Mom return to us?" "Then, why don't we kill Dad?" "We discussed seriously how to have Dad die." "Then Mom hit us a couple of times." "It made me bleed." "It hurt a lot when she hit me." "Against our "wish"" "Dad didn't die so long as Mom was with him." "Goodbye!" "After finishing junior high, Hiroshi got a job in Tokyo." "After they finished, Yoshiko, Mitsuko... and Susumu moved to town and worked, too." "Fifthteen years passed." "Yoshiko moved to Miyako." "Fate can be fickle, can't it?" "A mountain girl fell for a man of the sea." "You don't have to marry me!" "Mitsuko married a white collar worked in Sendai." "While working in Tokyo, Susumu went to night high school." "He goes to night college now." "He's already married and has a son." "After finishing junior high, I moved to Morioka leaving my parents alone." "Dad was still in bed." "Every half hour, Mom rolled his body." "So he wouldn't get bedsores." "Mom never left his bedside." "She used any free time to massage him and wash his diapers." "There were so many diapers." "Maybe 100 or 200." "She kept Dad in good health." "It's like I had quintuplets." "It always puzzled me:" "Whenever Dad groaned, "Uh" or "Ah"" "Mom quickly moved to bring tea, cookies or water." "She gave them to Dad." "Or she wiped his nose." "I wondered how she could tell tea from water only by his groaning." "Mom said, "That's how a married couple are"" "But back then, I didn't understand." "I decided to marry, too." "My beau was from another village." "He was a bus driver six years older than me." "He scold off a passenger who used to push me off." "The passenger's kept picking on me" "The driver stopped the bus and forced him out." "It makes me glad." "After that we became friends." "At seven tonight." "I was a waitress in a noodle shop." "One day he said" ""I can't eat noodles every day." ""My pay is too low for that." ""And nothing tastes good when I eat alone." ""So, will you fix lunch for me every day?" "Will you?"" "Will you fix lunch for me every day?" "He proposed to me." "I accepted." "It's grown, huh?" "You used to part your hair on the right side." "You were good looking." "You look haggard now." "I wonder who it can be." "Excuse me a minute." "Hello?" "Mom?" "It's me." "Hisako." "Can you hear?" "I'm fine, sure." "Listen, I 'm going to..." "Get married?" "Good!" "Congratulations!" "Who's the lucky man?" "From Kusunoki Village." "I see." "A man from the next village, huh?" "Name's Shiro." "Mr Aoyama's fourth son." "What?" "Shiro?" "Mr. Aoyama's fourth?" "That Sniveler?" "Right, I'm Shiro the Sniveler." "Hisako's getting married to Shiro the Sniveler in the next village." "No. 21" "Awful" "Hiroshi, a phone call for you." "It's your sister." "I know." "My dad died." "He died?" "My wedding's on November 10." "Will you act in Dad's place?" "Dad's like that." "And Mom can't leave him." "So they can't attend." "I'm to give away the bride?" "Phone call for Yoshiko!" "Hello?" "Hiroshi?" "It's me, Yoshiko." "Can't you tell my voice?" "Really?" "That's nice." "When?" "November 10?" "Just show up." "See Dad, too." "He won't have many years to live." "Silly!" "Don't say that." "Why, Sis!" "Hiroshi phoned." "Hisako's getting married." "Hello?" "That's right." "Hold the line." "Susumu!" "It's your brother." "Speaking." "November 10." "Can't make it." "I have exams that day." "Forget exams!" "Meet our parents, too." "We have no parents, right?" "Why bother with it?" "I'm studying." "My kid's always bawling." "A tiny house." "Celebration money?" "I don't even eat lunch." "I can't afford it." "Are you guys so poor?" "Why don't you ask me?" "Don't talk big." "What happened to the money I lent you?" "It's time to pay." "I know." "But you heard, didn't you?" "My kid sister's getting married." "I have to attend." "For fifteen years since my dad got paralyzed we five have lived by helping one another." "What happened to him?" "His spine was damaged." "Medicine wasn't advanced." "We had no money for a good hospital." "Your mom's taking care of him by herself?" "Is she great or stubborn?" "It's made me a dropout." "You're the only dropout in your family." "Mom believes kids can grow by themselves." "But in my opinion, they can go astray, too." "The moon came out." "I wish you could see it." "I know!" ""Rabbit, rabbit, what do you watch while hopping?" ""I'm hopping because I can see the beautiful full moon"" "You like it?" "No.31?" "No.31. "I'm glad"" "Hiroshi." "I brought you a dresser with three mirrors." "Like it?" "That Shiro's a nice guy." "A little dumb, but he's right for you." "As the father of the bride, I walk like this?" "I don't think so." "We aren't Christians, We don't do such things." "Then, do I make a congratulatory speech?" "That's not necessary." "Hey!" "If it isn't Kimiko" "Yes." "You knew only now?" "Nice to see you." "So you're a beautician?" "You had a rough time, too." "What do you do?" "Me?" "I run a shop in Harajuku." "A small shop, though." "What do you sell?" "Accessories." "Broothes... costume stuff." "It's amazing." "You were the worst student." "I can tell you how great my mom is." "Education doesn't matter." "What counts in life is ability." "Dumb students say that." "You need education." "Brains count most in life." "Finished." "Go over there." "We still have time." "Yes." "But we'll go early." "Why?" "I want my folks to see Hisako as a bride." "Then, hurry." "My folks couldn't attend the weddings of any of their other children." "This is the last chance to see their daughter in a bridal costume and anyway our mom is our mom." "Mom." "Mom!" "Aren't you great?" "You've grown lovely and found a good man all by yourself." "Since I quit being your mom, I have no right to say it, but when a grandchild is born, let me hug him, please!" "How's Dad?" "He's fine." "He'll eat breakfast." "Wait till he finishes." "See him then." "Mom... let me help Dad to eat." "I won't be able to do it anymore." "No!" "Nowadays only I can help him eat." "Have some tea and wait." "Seen Dad?" "Not yet." "He's eating breakfast." "What's wrong?" "We still have time." "What's up?" "What's happened?" "Hiroshi have you seen that?" "What?" "Mom, the way she feeds Dad." "I saw it." "She was chewing the food slowly and feeding Dad mouth to mouth." "Dad has no teeth." "No teeth?" "About a year ago." "Mom found a tooth in his diaper." "He'd swallowed it." "After that, she saw his teeth falling, but one after another." "He has no teeth now." "So he can't chew." "Mom's great." "I couldn't do that." "Yeah, she sure is great." "I haven't told anyone, but I got a divorce." "I shouldn't talk like this today, but..." "I came to see Mom for money." "She sold the mountain and gave me the money." "She said a man shouldn't divorce his wife." "But if he must he should do his best for his ex-wife." "In return for Mom's kindness" "I wanted her to see you in a bridal gown." "She was glad, huh?" "She said she wants to hug her grandchild." "Maybe she's lonely." "After all, we all left home." "Let's go." "Do you remember?" "When she said she'd kill Dad and herself too." "Hiroshi!" "Mom!" "Listen, children." "I'll kill Dad and myself." "I'm tired." "I have to wash and dry his diapers every day." "I have to feed and massage him." "And I have farming work too." "I'm bushed." "I have little time to sleep." "I can't cook for you anymore." "I can't survive like this, huh?" "Tell the police what I said." "See?" "Mom!" "Let go!" "You kids wished he was dead, too, didn't you?" "Mom!" "She couldn't take it." "She could have gone insane." "She was lonely." "Another time too, I could tell how she felt." "About three years ago when I came home on a summer day" "Mom." "Are you in?" "I thought her so tired she was sleeping." "But now..." "I can tell how she felt then." "She wanted Dad to hold her." "I'm sure." "She wanted him to hug her tightly." "Ten more years passed after that." "I was happy then." "I had two children." "Mom phoned me once a year." "Dad sometimes mistook day for nights." "Maybe he was senile." "It became all the more necessary for Mom to stay with him." "She couldn't go anywhere." "The days kept passing while" "Mom shuttled between the house and the field." "Dad, you missed me, didn't you?" "Wow, am I tired!" "Sometimes we met at one of our homes." "We lived separately, but helped each other." "We couldn't go see Dad all together." "Dad never said a word." "He was like a vegetable." "But he was always on our mind." "Mom quitted being our mom, but she was always on our mind, too, the focal point." "Yes, we all thought it strange." "Another year passed, then two more years." "Twenty-eight years passed Dad's accident." "The end came that winter..." "Dad!" "Dad!" "Hiroshi, Yoshiko" "Mitsuko, Susumu, Hisako..." "Hello?" "I'm..." "Hiroshi Isomura's mother." "Would you call him?" "Yes, thank you." "Hello?" "Hiroshi?" "Your dad just passed away." "Dad!" "These are your grandchildren." "It's over." "He died for you." "Your agony has ended." "Fool!" "The saddest thing in the world is to see someone die." "Can't you tell?" "Leave!" "Mom." "Everyone, I'm glad you could all come." "I appreciate it." "Your dad would be happy, too." "For twenty-eight years I lived as his wife." "I couldn't do a thing for you kids." "I'm sorry for it." "Now that your dad is gone" "I thought I should return to you." "But it's too late." "Each one of you is already a father or mother." "You don't need such a mother as me." "So I thought" "I'm old, but my life is only starting." "I was born and raised in this village." "I got married here, too." "I never got out of here." "Like a tree." "I've vegetated here." "Just once, before dying, I want to see a foreign country." "A foreign country?" "I'm shocked." "What's on your mind?" "America." "New York." "I want to see what the Statue of Liberty really looks like." "But after Dad's first death anniversary passed" "Mom really went to New York." "She didn't even tell us." "Our mom really amazed us." "Afterward, she said" ""Before boarding a plane you must wave your hand like you see on TV." ""I did it, so don't worry." "New York is such a big city!" "Dad, aren't you making the snow fall?" "I'm not afraid of snow, but I've got three blisters." "They sure hurt." "Oh, my mom..." "I liked the first thing she said after returning:" ""I'd thought the Statue of Liberty could fly anywhere she wanted at liberty." ""But she was only standing on an island as small as my field." "What a bore!" ""She was the same as me." "So said Mom." "Mom!"