"I told you to write him a Letter." ""January 5, 2006"" "It doesn't matter if it's bad." "If you pour your heart into it, he will get the message." "Email?" "No, handwritten." "The Northwest region..." "Excuse me." "...is your territory." "Once I get there, I'II touch base with him, too." "Um..." "I have a reservation under the name of Suzutani Hiroshi." "The next flight to Moji, #224." "I plugged him with 2 shots, but he's a tough nut." "Enough." "When you get there." "Brother Nakajima should be there to meet you." "You were born down there, weren't you?" "Not to worry." "I'II have you back in 6 months." "Until I do, make the most of it." "Some twenty years ago, when I was 9 years old," "I lived here for almost a year, in this modest port city, Moji, on the island of Kyushu, though I'm really from Tokyo." "My father died in an accident." "Mother... sent me to the inn my grandmother managed, while she stayed in Tokyo." "My beloved home town..." "Although the inn has passed into stranger's hands, everything is exactly as it was..." "What?" "Nothing." "That's..." "Me, 20 years ago." "That's me!" ""A HEARTFUL OF LOVE"" ""January 5, 1986"" "This is a dream, I'm sure it is." "I've got to be dreaming." "If I'm dreaming, I'II wake up." "I'm going to wake up now, wake up now!" "You were in the row ahead of me... about 2 or 3 seats over, right?" "Yeah." "By the way, did you eat all those box lunches?" "Yes." "Well, um..." "It's my job." "Job?" "Yes, our department store's... holding a national box lunch festival, and I'm coordinating with all our branches." "The festival's next month, but the branch here..." "When did you say?" "Like I said, next month..." "I mean, which next month!" "Listen up, jerk." "See that ship over there?" "That's not a 2006 ship, it's from 1986." "See that sky?" "That endless blue sky isn't from 2006, either." "And also... these tiny grains of sand, they aren't from 2006." "They're grains of sand from 1986." "Do you get it, man!" "It seems..." "Literary." "I'd better call the manager." "You jerk!" "Try that again and I really will kill you, Lunch Box!" "Yes." "I'm sorry." "Did it only affect us?" "How about the other passengers?" "How should I know?" "." "When... my Bro's saw me off at the airport," "I figured "Oh, right, I'm finished."" ""My Bro's will take me to the woods, and bury me there."" "I figured some lives end like that." "Then suddenly, I wake up to this mess." "Can't tell if I'm alive or dead..." "Besides, I haven't really even been born yet..." "Nunokawa san, how old are you?" "Me?" "Not even 20." "My whole life's ahead of me Promising future." "I'm off, then No point hanging around here." "Hey, don't follow me." "I go my way and you go yours." "Yes." "And any money you have is useless, except for the change." "I found out trying to buy smokes." "The money they use here now isn't Like ours." "Nunokawa san..." "If we need to get in touch, we'll put messages in that bottle," "and bury it under that red stake." "See ya." "1986..." "January... 5th." "Grandma's... birthday." "Haru san." "You idiot!" "You are such a stupid child." "I step out for a minute and look at this mess!" "As I keep telling you, our business depends on our customers." "One tiny fire and we could be shut down, might even be forced to close our doors for good!" "Are you listening, Hiro!" "Yes." "No... the thing is..." "Gran..." "Madam, the way I see it, Hiro didn't intend to cause any harm." "It's just..." "I've heard that today is your birthday, isn't it?" "So Hiro baked a cake as a surprise for you." "He wanted to please his beloved grandmother." "And..." "Right?" "Hiro, thank this man." "Hiro!" "Thank you very much." "Well, that's..." "Madam, a customer at reception for you." "I'II be there." "Please, make yourself at home." "You..." "Don't call me "You"." "It's really irritating." "That's my line." "Just who are you?" "Me?" "I'm..." "Suzu..." "Suzuki Hiroaki." "You're..." "Suzutani Hiroshi, right?" "Um..." "Our names are sort of similar, but that's pure coincidence." "Got a problem?" "Not really." "Um, sir..." "I've prepared your meal over there, please." "Hiro, no supper for you tonight." "Haru san." "Yes?" "Actually, there's something." "I'd Like to discuss with Tsubaki san, the proprietress." "You're going to share your room with this person, so be nice." "We get up at 4 AM." "Sorry." "Don't be ridiculous, I won't take this!" "I don't Like it either." "But what can we do?" "That lady told me to sleep here." "I know, I have a present for you." "Here, eat it." "Don't want it." ""Don't want it..."" "Of course you don't." "How long are you staying?" "Where's Hiro?" "I see." "Kazumi... sister..." "Sister Kazumi's... still... alive." "Say." "Yes?" "You play chess?" "Sort of." "Who are you?" "I'm Suzuki Hiroaki." "I've been here since yesterday." "Yes." "So..." "Yes." "Are you angling for Tsubaki san's inheritance?" "Sure..." "Just hold on there a minute!" "What's that all about!" "No big deal if you're not." "Yes it is!" "Who's spreading that lie?" "Grandma Tsubaki." "That Lady is?" "Says you Look Like the son she lost." "She thinks her husband had you on the side." "I get it." "That's why she hired me." "But do I Look that much Like Hiro's father?" "Not especially." "But, there's something familiar about you." "Hey, your turn." "Yes." "Not so fast!" "So fast." "Hey." "What do you think of your teacher, Nunokawa?" "Like her?" "I see." "Is she nice and pretty?" "I see." "Rito." "Rito, let's play with the others." "May I help you?" "You're the teacher, Nunokawa Yasuyo?" "That's right." "Sorry to bother." "Hey, Hiro." "Are you asleep, Hiro?" "Thing is," "I met someone named Kazumi today." "We played chess together." "She's so pretty." "Wonder if she has a boyfriend." "You touch her, I'II kill you." "OK." "Twenty years ago..." "When my mother... left me with Grandma Tsubaki," "I tried desperately... to conceal my loneliness... from everyone." "How are you, Mother?" "I'm doing just fine, here." "Grandma is sweet." "And I have lots of friends at school." "I realized that I was always alone, but..." "I couldn't tell anyone I was lonely." "Hey, Hiro." "Remember me?" "A Long time ago, we used to take baths together." "Hey." "She was... our local noodle shop owner's only daughter." "I've heard that once, a Long time ago, he was in love with Grandma Tsubaki." "But I don't know the true story." "Come to think of it, you're teaching me chess, so I'II teach you, to thank you." "Teach me what?" "No!" "Play with more nuance and more feeling." "Give it here." "Ready?" "Kazumi." "had graduated a Tokyo music school, at the head of her class." "and come back to this town." "She was supposed to go professional, but she came back." "But I was just happy, to be able to be near her." "Of course, I was still, only in elementary school, but..." "In a few years, when I grow up..." "But..." "Sorry, I don't feel very well today." "OK." "After that..." "Kazumi." "never played the violin again..." "I never played the violin again..." "And then..." "Kazumi... died." "Checkmate!" "Not so fast!" "So fast!" "One more game." "I still don't know... that Kazumi will die." ""East Japan Symphony Orchestra Concert"" "So, what have you been up to?" "Me?" "Well..." "I met my old self, and I met my grandma, and then..." "Me, I met my mother for the first time in my life." "What makes me laugh, is that I'm the baby in her belly." "Flight 224." "Flight 224!" "Don't you remember?" "Remember in the airport lobby..." "Sorry..." "And Nunokawa san, remember by the gate..." "Sorry, I don't remember a thing." "Fine, forget it then." "I'm not very impressive anyway." "Oh, don't get so ticked off At least there are 3 of us now." "No, there's one more!" "Or, at Least, there was." "The thing is, she was blind, an older woman, but..." "Actually, I just stayed on that bus." "We'd started out on the bus, and I figured if I stayed on the bus, I might just slip back." "into our old time, without knowing it." "That's when..." "Excuse me!" "Let me off!" "Thanks." "Flight 224!" "Flight 224!" "The older woman's name was Tsunoda Tomoe." "She ended up on that bus, too." "and had stayed at that bus stop, completely confused." "That's rough." "Time travel when you're blind." "Yes." "So when I explained the situation to her, instead of despairing, she was thrilled..." "Thrilled?" "About what?" "That's right?" "What's there to be happy about?" "Well," "this is what she said..." ""I can't see, but blessed with." ""a kind husband and children," ""I've known no discomfort." ""I can proudly say my Life has been blessed"" "And yet..." ""Yet, there's one thing that I've never forgiven myself for." ""It had to do with my dearest friend," ""who dedicated many years to helping me," ""body and soul, my seeing-eye dog," ""Amber."" "Did you know there's a home for retired seeing-eye dogs?" "No." "No." "Well, there is one." "And 20 years ago, it broke her heart, but Tomoe had to put the aging Amber into that home..." "But while Tomoe was convalescing in the hospital," "Amber passed away and Tomoe wasn't there with him." "Actually, Tomoe san... came to Moji to visit Amber's grave," "but "Now, Amber's still alive!" ""I can see Amber..."" "Why not, it's not that far." "Thank you so much!" "Please wait, thanks." "The shop owner will drive us there in his car." "Where?" "Where's the car?" "Over here, be careful." "The Home was in the mountains by Kokura." "Amber!" "Amber!" "Tomoe san!" "Amber!" "Where are you!" "To the dog, a 20 year time slip." "meant nothing." "Where are you!" "Tomoe san, he's here!" "Thank you, Amber." "Amber, thank you." "Tomoe san, Amber's thrilled!" "He's wagging his tail for all his might." "Thank you, Mommy's happy." ""I got to see Amber." ""I never thought I'd see him again, but here he is." ""Now, I have no regrets." ""My Life was truly blessed..."" "Tomoe san... looked serenely happy as she said that." "And then..." "And then?" "She disappeared." "Disappeared?" "What does that mean?" "I don't know." "My field of vision seemed to warp and then..." "She was gone?" "What's going on?" "I don't know." "What's going on... based on my study of the circumstances, what Tomoe's disappearance means, may just possibly mean, is that she... slipped back to the present..." "Which means..." "Means that once we accomplish what it is we have to do over, we can go back to the old world..." "Right?" "I don't know, I don't know." "But..." "What's that?" "That doesn't make any sense." "Besides, I don't have anywhere to go in that world." "And plus, there's no end to my regrets about Life." "But if we stay here in this time forever..." "That's not..." "Shut up, idiot!" "Did anyone say I'm staying here!" "I've got my own plans together!" "Idiot!" "I'II be excusing myself, too." "I'd Like you to tell me the truth." "What is this about?" "Why did the teacher, Nunokawa have to leave." "You fired her, right?" "That's wrong." "No, it's not!" "She loved the children and the children Loved her, too." "Why would she have quit on her own!" "We have a guest, Let's Leave now." "Hurry up and tell me." "Six months ago, Yasuyo was raped." "They haven't caught anyone yet, but you know they're just punks." "Over her parents' objections, she reported the rape to the police... and then realized that she was pregnant," "with a rapist's child." "But still she resolved to have it." "Why!" "Of course her parents opposed her violently." "They refused to let her do it." "Refused to let her smear the Nunokawa family name with mud." "Her father even pushed Yasuyo down the stairs, hoping she'd miscarry." "That's when she Left home, determined to have the baby," "and raise it by herself, relying on no one." "I was... raised by the fucking father who kicked her down the stairs!" "Yasuyo san." "worked very hard here." "But when news of the incident spread, the children's parents came... and demanded she quit." "I tried desperately to persuade them, but there was only so much I could do." "That's when she decided to Leave." "What are you writing?" "Listen, Hiro." "Want to have a match with me?" "A match?" "Here." "If you beat me, I'II give you a week's salary." "But if I win, you have to follow these." "What's this..." ""Ten Conditions for Improving Hiro's Life."" "It's no big deal." "But they could change your whole Life." "Will you or won't you?" "A week's pay?" "A week's pay." "Checkmate." "Checkmate." "My game." "OK, promise me man-to-man." "Read it out loud one more time." ""One, I will brush my teeth each morning and night"" "You're proud of not having any cavities yet, you have your teeth for Life." "It's too late to regret not brushing once you've got a mouthful of cavities." "Next!" ""Two, master the forward roil-up while I'm in elementary school"" "Right!" "The forward roil-up on the bar, is something you master in elementary school or never..." "In middle..." "I can do the forward roil-up." "Oh, all right." "Next!" ""Three..."" "But how come there are only 9 things when it's the "Ten Conditions?"" "Well, there is one more..." "But I'II tell you that one later." "Move." "Hang in there... me." "Say." "Where's Hiro?" "Went to school a while ago." "He'll be back in the afternoon." "Oh, I see." "Say Mr. Freeloader." "What do you say we go on a date, now?" "." "Yes." "Where are you really from?" "Tokyo." "Where in Tokyo?" "Um, now in Nakazato." "Really?" "I Lived in Oji until last year." "That's one town over." "You're right, they're close." "Maybe we passed each other, somewhere." "Maybe... we did." "So, do you go to Ueno a lot?" "Yes, well, sometimes." "Remember that fire in Ame-yoko, a few years ago?" "I was right nearby, then." "That was a real shock." "Tokyo, huh Brings back memories." "To get all these flowers to bloom at this time of year." "The person who Lives here must really Love flowers." "They cultivate them so lovingly, and share all that Love with every passerby." "Kazumi san!" "Don't, silly." "I was moved, really." "It was a miracle I could play at all." "That was my Last performance." "I'II never play the violin again." "Why is that?" "I'm going into the hospital, day after tomorrow." "I'm going to die." "Don't joke Like that." "I'm not joking." "Why are you telling me this?" "I wonder why." "Because you're going to go away, someday." "What's that?" "It's a habit when you play chess Just Like Hiro." "I guess you're right." "Checkmate!" "So fast!" "It's getting cold." "Let's go." "Sister!" "Sister!" "Yes, Suzutani, here." "Madam?" "Oh, how is Kazumi?" "She seems OK for now." "But..." "I'II put Tamotsu san on." "Hello?" "Hello." "Tsubaki san, it's me." "The thing is..." "Kazumi doesn't have much time." "How Long does she have?" "According to the doctor, three months, if she's lucky." "Three months?" "But just recently, they said she might have another year." "Why's she being punished..." "I'm sorry, I think Hiro just overheard I'II call Later." "It seems Hiro overheard." "Hiro." "Hiro." "Go to sleep now." "Tomorrow we can go to see her." "No!" "No way!" "Hiro!" "That's enough." "Shut up, you old bitch!" "I hate your damned guts!" "I'm never..." "coming back to this damned place!" "That idiot!" "Remember." "Where did you run to, back then?" "Checkmate." "Hiro!" "Hiro!" "Listen to me!" "Let go!" "Remember the 10 Conditions?" "About the 10th condition, I never wrote down." "Hiro," "A Long..." "A Long time ago, exactly the same thing happened to me." "I Loved a wonderful friend." "and I was the only one... who wasn't told... that she was dying." "I was just so furious," "I ran away from where I Lived, all the way back... to my mother's house," "up in Tokyo." "In my heart," "I wanted to see my friend so badly," "I couldn't bear it." "Hiro!" "So, Hiro..." "You can't run." "Go visit her, smiling, as you always do." "You have to... make Kazumi Laugh." "Right?" "No!" "No way!" "I hate it!" "I can't believe she's dying!" "No way!" "Because..." "Kazumi's..." "Because..." "No!" "No way!" "She's going to die!" "There's nothing you can do about it!" "You can't help it!" "Of course I don't," "I don't want her to die either." "I don't know... what to do, either." "He's asleep." "What are you doing?" "I was trying to write a Letter to Kazumi for you." "But I don't know what to say." "I'II write it." "What am I supposed to write?" "How you feel." "It doesn't matter if it's bad." "Tell her exactly how you feel about her." "It doesn't matter if it's bad?" "It doesn't matter if it's bad." "If you pour your heart into it," "I know she'll get your message." "To Sister Kazumi." "I'm sorry I only think about myself." "I'm sorry I always act so spoiled." "I'm sorry for spilling that sauce on your dress." "When we had planned to go see a movie." "and I got so mad because you were too sick." "and couldn't go," "I'm sorry for calling you names." "Just keep playing." "You've got more." "Hey." "Where are your friends when you need them..." "My... seat..." "What's it doing here?" "We're all dead." "We're all just phantoms, here!" "You just saw it, inside your head!" "Didn't you!" "Didn't you!" "I know you saw it!" "Our plane..." "Yesterday a student suddenly stabbed me." "When I came to, I was on fire inside the plane..." "No..." "I don't believe it!" "No!" ""Condition 10:" "Never Give Up"" "Kazumi insists." "that she has to see you..." "Kazumi isn't... really my daughter." "Her own parents... died when a tunnel collapsed, when she was 12 years old." "And then," "I took her in because she didn't... have any relatives." "Oh, I see." "Yes." "I'm the one who encouraged her to take up music." "I thought playing an instrument would lift her spirits." "Right around here on her brain, there's a complicated problem," "something Like a tumor." "A rare disease called Chana Syndrome causes it." "They say there is some, hope if they operate." "Is that true?" "Yes." "But she only has a 1 in 10 chance, of surviving the surgery." "Also, she'll have permanent disabilities." "Even so," "I want her to do it." "But Kazumi absolutely refuses to try it." "And now she's, completely Lost her will to live." "I just want Kazumi, to survive." "Even if she's disabled." "I want her to stay alive." "How's Hiro?" "He's depressed enough to die." "It's not just Hiro." "Tsubaki san, Tamotsu san, and even me, we're all very depressed." "What am I supposed to do?" "Please try the operation." "What's that?" "Don't be ridiculous." "What have you Lived for, in your Life?" "In the future?" "What will you Live for?" "That's got... nothing to do with you!" "I'm sorry." "I... always, dreamed of being a violinist." "I don't know if I'm talented." "But my violin was all I ever had." "There was never anything else." "Passages of music, I know by heart... are suddenly impossible for me." "My fingers..." "My fingers refuse to obey me." "The terrible ringing in my ears, makes my head feel it's going to split." "Why me?" "Why am I the only one this is happening to!" "I'm scared." "Of course I'm scared." "But..." "Even if the operation succeeds, I'II never play the violin again." "So why..." "Why what?" "You think we're going to buy yourself pity?" "Go home, then!" "No." "I came here because you wanted to see me." "You ask how Hiro is?" "What a joke." "You have no right to worry about Hiro." "In this world, there are people who want to Live but can't." "If you won't... if you won't even try to survive, how dare you worry about anyone else!" "What am I supposed to do?" "Come!" "If you really think you're better off dead, go ahead and smash this violin, right here, now!" "In front of your father!" "You die!" "You die instead of me!" "Why... won't you just Let me die!" "Because I Love you." "Because..." "I always have, and I still do," "Love you." "You went and saw Kazumi Last night, didn't you?" "Did she ditch you, brother?" ""Brother..."" "You mean, me?" "Kazumi and I aren't involved that way." "But you Love her, right?" "I Love you, brother." "Here." ""East Japan Symphony Orchestra"" "I wanted to take Kazumi, so I had grandma buy them as a surprise." "But I..." "Love you and Kazumi, both." "So you two should go instead." "When did you become such a grown up?" "Hiro," "I've fallen in love with several women." "Some of them have Loved me back." "But nothing ever worked out." "I think..." "That must be because I Love someone else." "I've finally realized this." "Hiro." "If Kazumi chooses to Live," "I won't be able to stay here." "I won't even be able to stay on this earth." "But you're me, so you'll understand, right?" "I know you'll understand what I'm doing." "Please!" "There's..." "Someone I would give my own Life to save!" "Please." "Suzuki san wants to invite us, to a concert." "He says it's his Last wish." "Our seats." "How can I be hungry when I'm dead?" "I won't hurt you." "I know that." "You're a good person, I can see that." "Are you going through with having that baby of yours?" "I am." "What for!" "Why do it when you don't even know who the father is?" "I'm going home." "Idiot!" "I'm talking to you!" "You don't know a thing!" "Even if you have that baby..." "There's no way he'll turn out right!" "He'll just grow up a worthless punk, not a human being!" "On top of that, when you do have that worthless baby..." "You'll have a terrible delivery, and wind up sacrificing your Life for his worthless one." "Isn't that ridiculous?" "Don't you get it?" "It's not about whether or not I want to have the baby." "Because..." "Because he's already moving." "Please touch there." "You're right." "He's moving." "He's moving." "You're... so strong." "I'm... so glad I was your kid," "Mom." "Before my wife died, she suddenly longed for flowers." "That's when I started, what choice did I have, growing these flowers..." "Then it's all the more unforgivable." "Who would do this to your precious flowers?" "He's a neighborhood kid His name's Usui Mitsuo." "You mean, you knew?" "." "You hardly notice him, but he's not a bad kid." "He must be under stress, studying for exams." "Must've been upset, done it impulsively." "If you nurture them, flowers will bloom again." "And when they do, every time he passes them, his heart will ache at the memory of what he did." "It's worse for him than for me." "I always..." "I always wanted to apologize." "But I never had the courage." "I'm so very sorry!" "Today, we have a yet unknown, but extremely gifted violinist in our audience." "Let me introduce her, Aoki Kazumi." "Please come up to the stage." "Don't play for anyone else." "Just play for yourself, just as if you're practicing." "I'm no good." "I'm hopeless..." "I want to get so much better..." "Much..." "Much..." "I want to Live so much!" ""January 21, 2006"" "The Last four bodies of those presumed dead, were added to the many victims of flight #224, which crashed en route, from Haneda to Moji." "They were recovered from the Japan Sea, this morning." "They are," "Usui Mitsuo, 34, a professor at Kyushu University, world-renowned for his work." "in fundamental mathematics." "Tsunoda Tomoe, 72," "Nunokawa Akira, 19," "Suzutani Hiroshi, 30." "OK." "I'II play now, so please watch." "The first thing I feet, when I came to, after the operation," "was fear." "Then, gradually," "I felt brave enough to Live." "and started my second Life." "Thank you, teacher." "Good bye." "Take care." "A year after my operation," "Hiro's mother took him home." "Hiro and I, used to call each other every weekend." "But our contact dwindled to New Year's cards, and even," "my memories of him, began to fade." "Thank you." "Hiro's dead." "That person was Hiro." "It's as if this is something." "I've known all along." "Why am I the one who, has to go on living?" "Once again, my courage falters," "and he whispers, to my faltering self..." "But yet, you must Live." "And then, I..." "Look ahead." "and resolve to go on." "And so, now," "I wish to convey, my heart full of Love," "to Hiro and that someone..." "I Lost." "Can you hear?" "Some juice?" "Thanks."