"Once more from the top." "not too rushed." "Shiori." "Shiori is taking your lessons for two years now?" "Yes." "Do you think Shiori can continue on like this?" "She's doing the best she can." "I honestly think you are taking it a bit too easy." "It can be..." "It can be a little more rhythmic." "It's a happy song." "It seems like your pace doesn't match the rhythm." "I wonder if that's the cause... why she makes so many mistakes." "{\fs31\1cH3B3B84\1aH25\3cHFFFFFF\3aH20}Flour for 'shiratama' dumpling" "500 yen and your receipt." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Welcome home." "How long has it been?" "Three years." "I took a long time." "your shoes." "Nothing has changed here." "shiratama." "Do you want to eat them?" "Sure." "Thanks." "I'm digging in." "It's hot." "Careful." "Delicious." "Did I scare you?" "Yes..." "You're..." "I died." "ln the sea near Toyama." "My corpse has been devoured by the crabs." "That's why they never found anything." "I see." "I was sick then." "Was that my fault?" "Ofcourse not." "I was stressed out because of work." "It was a strange ordeal." "It went by so fast." "After the first step there's no going back." "You're gasping for air while being pulled down." "My intuition told me you drowned." "But I didn't suffer." "That's good." "I think so." "Thanks for the meal." "I looked everywhere for you." "in churches... in big parks... between the homeless near the riverbanks." "Did you think to find me there?" "l had no choice." "You shouldn't have looked for me." "You didn't want me to?" "it's still like it was." "I had to look through your stuff though." "Listen... wait." "Wait up." "Yusuke." "Yusuke." "Yu..." "Why are you panicking?" "Where are you?" "Why are you sitting there?" "I feel good here." "Can I turn on the light?" "It's already on." "Can I make it a little brighter?" "Come sit with me." "It was a long journey." "Many deceased are on the road." "Some get tired... and decide to settle somewhere." "But as soon as they lose themselves... they leave just as sudden." "What a strange dream." "What..." "You're really here?" "Yes." "Do you blame me?" "For what?" "That I didn't notice... that you were sick." "You couldn't have known." "I only knew at the final moment." "I suddenly became desperate." "No one could have stopped me." "nothing more." "Your shoes again." "Never mind." "I don't care." "forever." "Mizuki..." "Do you want to come with me?" "Whereto?" "I know many beautiful places." "Not on the other side." "Real places." "Many people took care of me." "Some I abandoned." "Will we be gone for a while?" "Yes." "0)}JOURNEY TO THE SHORE" "What's that?" "Shinto prayers." "Show me." "show me." "{\fs31\3cH000000\3aH20}Prayer manual" "Did you write these?" "Yes." "to pray for your safe return." "but..." "I was willing to try anything." "What sloppy writing." "Outragious." "I wrote with everthing I had." "You better take them with you then." "burn them." "What happens than?" "We'll know when you burn them." "I shouldn't burn them?" "Do we rent a car?" "I burned my license." "Really?" "Let's take the train." "Is that possible?" "Why not?" "You know why." "Me?" "No problem." "I walked home." "that's right." "I'll go and ask." "I want to travel to Yaga." "To Yaga?" "ln that case..." "Masahiko!" "I'm sorry." "It should be around here somewhere." "What's the address?" "No idea." "Yusuke." "Let's go back if you don't remember." "We'll return when we're better prepared." "Don't you think?" "I know for sure it's around here somewhere." "Come on." "It's mr." "Shimakage." "Mr. Shimakage!" "Come on." "Wait!" "Mr. Shimakage!" "It's been a while." "Yu." "Yes." "I remember you." "This is my wife." "Really?" "I'm Mizuki." "Mr. Shimakage took care of me." "You've come just in time." "That thing is acting up again." "As expected." "sometimes it doesn't." "You two are a bad fit." "Now it turns on." "I'm only a small paper deliverer... business expoded." "He was heaven sent." "Are you staying over?" "Ehm." "You'd better." "Let me make dinner then." "Not too salty?" "not at all." "Good." "I really don't understand these shows anymore." "What do you think of her?" "Huh?" "Do you think she looks like her?" "O." "Honestly it's a little disapointing." "Really?" "She doesn't look at all." "did you work here?" "but not that long." "As a paper delivery boy?" "Yes." "I can hardly believe it." "such an ordered life." "Say..." "What?" "You we're talking how I didn't look like someone." "Who were you talking about?" "His wife." "She ran away." "I thought you looked like her." "Really?" "Yes." "It was just an idea." "I promised to take you along." "And his wife?" "She's missing." "She's probably enjoying life somewhere else." "Mr. Shimakage is like me." "Really." "How do you know?" "How I know?" "I can just feel it." "Does he know about you?" "he doesn't even realise that he's dead." "Maybe his sense of duty won't allow it." "That doesn't explain everything." "I had a violent dream." "After that I knew how he died." "A scary dream." "Let's sleep." "Ok." "that's alright." "Lately my fingers are not that flexible anymore." "Use these." "Ok." "I put the flyers in..." "Like this?" "Fine." "Take it easy." "Ok." "These." "Good day." "please." "From 1.010 yen... 300 yen change." "Thank you." "Thank you." "ok?" "Welcome back." "Thanks." "Tell me..." "Yusuke?" "Mizuki... I love you." "For a long time... but... it's actually real good fun." "Suddenly I felt like it again." "What is it?" "My hobby." "Amazing." "In reality this is my whole life." "What do you think?" "Very nice." "The computer stopped working." "I see." "It held on for a long time." "So its time finaly came." "I'll take it apart and call the recycling service." "right?" "Although it doesn't seem necessary to deliver papers." "We can also hold a party as a memorial." "Let's do that." "What's the meaning of this?" "I took it without asking." "Why that of all things?" "But... you told me you liked sukiyaki." "I never said that." "You did." "That pan got saturated with oil the more it was used." "A pan with a rich history." "That pan..." "I once threw it." "And then... it hit my wife on the head with a laud bang." "Family or not... if you cross that line just once... is it all over just like that?" "Should I stop?" "No." "Mr. Shimakage." "Yu?" "Let's go home and eat sukiyaki." "Why is it so complicated?" "Don't worry about it." "You know... lately it feels like I'm being called." "but..." "I need to go." "Do you understand?" "I'll carry you on my back." "Hold on tight." "it's all right." "How are you doing?" "I mistreated my wife." "Ok." "Really bad." "I would've lost my ties with everyone and everything." "It really scared me." "I understand." "Yusuke..." "I feel that because of your visit I can finally take the step." "Is he alright?" "He's sleeping." "He's so heavy." "Are you ok?" "Fine." "You're here." "Can you turn on the lights?" "Ok." "I'll let him sleep." "Help me put him down." "Here he goes." "His shoes." "Can you take them off? Cover him with this." "There are a lot more now." "Let's go." "Do you think mr." "Shimakage will one day... see his wife again?" "Who knows." "He will only find peace... when he goes where and does what he wants." "Don't." "Right." "Such things... are impossible?" "I'm sorry." "I got it." "Here you go." "Thanks." "I was totally surprised to see him back again." "He never cooked at home." "He is very skilled." "He can become great." "So Yusuke worked as a goldsmith in Tokyo?" "That's right." "You're both lucky... that you have such fulfulling work." "Why a goldsmith?" "Did you make that up?" "Why would you say that? come right in." "Ouch!" "Come on." "All done." "I'm thirsty." "it was so good." "I think they're great too." "But I had nothing on me." "You left without paying?" "Ofcourse not." "Afterwards I confessed that I couldn't pay." "What happened then?" "but they let me work for it." "Wait a minute." "What if they had called the cops." "That's true." "But... mr. and mrs." "Jinnai aren't heartless people." "Are they also... they are like you." "Regular people." "I see." "They probably led a pleasant life." "Welcome." "How many?" "Three." "Come on in." "Do you want to share a table?" "One chashu ramen and beer." "Coming right up." "One order of chashu ramen and beer." "Ok." "Here you are." "Thanks." "I can't believe it." "What?" "My hands are so soft." "Usually they're rough and dry." "The water here does you good." "Is that why?" "You should live where the water is good for you." "Fried liver." "Ok." "Wait up." "Ok." "Hello." "He scares me." "Let's go." "It's alright." "Nothing to worry about." "Excuse me." "the fire-fighter?" "No." "Yusuke..." "I'm amazed by you." "let's do the groceries." "Say..." "What if we stayed and live here." "What?" "I could... live in this town forever." "If that was possible." "It would be wonderful." "Alright." "You can open the curtains." "Ok." "The last rental of this room seems ages ago." "We really need the business." "The financial crisis has lasted long enough." "A piano." "Fujie?" "I used to." "An idea from my parents." "I found the exercises horrible." "Me too." "Did you play the piano as well?" "Yes." "I hated the exercises." "And every time I was told:" "'Listen to your own sound." "'Focus and listen carefully." "'Even though you might hate it... that is you.'" "That's what I was told." "lnteresting." "my piano teacher." "My parents didn't care much about music." "They died a long time ago." "I'm sorry." "Let's stop talking about it." "Mizuki." "What do you mean?" "You never waver." "you still eat." "I don't know about that." "When I'm alone I can't do anything." "But you're taking care of yourself for three years now." "What did you say?" "You have no idea... what I've been through these last three years." "I was just kidding." "Yusuke... wouldn't you want to live here?" "A whole life making gyoza?" "That would've been a possibility." "Why did I ever become a dentist? That's a first for you." "Sorry." "{\fs39\1cH74869A\1aH25\3cH000000\3aH20}Public bathhouse" "That was amazing." "Yeah." "Why would I feel this great?" "I think I feel better than ever. 230)}Choir of Angels" "'Choir of Angels'" "What are you doing?" "I'm sorry." "I don't want that." "I'm so sorry." "I really do apologise." "It sounds like you've played quite a lot." "Yes." "Is it your job?" "l just teach children." "Now I get it." "I shouldn't have touched it." "An instrument like this is something its owner is fused with." "Mizuki?" "No." "I see." "Then you might not understand." "You know." "eight years younger than I." "she was ten." "At an early age she suffered from her intestines." "She always complained about pains." "She died young." "That score... the 'Choir of Angels'." "She loved that song and she taught it herself while playing." "Really." "Time and time again." "She played it so much we got sick of it." "but than her pace started to falter again." "I can't get that song out of my head." "I wasn't aware." "And then..." "I..." "It only happened once... but I hit her." "'Your performance is terrible." "'You know this." "'Don't ever touch my piano again.'" "To a ten year old girl." "I don't know what came over me." "I was a bit confused around that time." "A little while later... my sister died." "That's why I stopped playing." "My parents wanted to get rid of the piano... but I wouldn't allow it." "until I picked it up." "O well..." "It doesn't really matter." "But... even if it seems insignificant..." "I get tangled up in it like in the strings of a kite." "The older I become... the stronger it binds me to the past... so I can't take another step ahead." "I'd love to... if just for a moment... return to that one time... to give my sincerest apologies to Mako." "'Sorry for hitting you." "right?" "'Every time I played... isn't that right?" "'Can you find it in your heart to forgive your sister?" "'I'll see you again in paradise." "'At that time I'll be an old lady." "'But don't forget me.'" "All that time I've had regrets." "Even now..." "I still feel remorse." "Mako..." "Is it alright if I teach her?" "Come on over." "Sit." "Once more from the top." "not too rushed." "At your own pace." "Thanks for everything." "Please come again." "We will." "Bye." "There's the bus." "Hurry." "Do you have something against motion sickness?" "I do." "Shall I take a look?" "In here?" "I don't know where dr." "Yabuuchi is." "{\fs31\3cH000000\3aH20}To Mrs. Yabuuchi." "{\fs31\3cH000000\3aH20}From Tomoko Matsuzaki." "What is this?" "My lucky charm." "Did you write her a letter?" "I had to." "I thought you might have been with her." "Ofcourse not." "I had no clue." "Until I found the emails on your computer." "That's stupid." "You kept in touch quite often." "You even described the sheets in your hotel room." "It made me so angry." "But strangely enough it also gave me strength." "Should I throw it away?" "No." "Why not?" "l don't want it." "I thought you stood above such things." "Who's in the wrong here?" "It was just a fling." "She means nothing to me." "Do you dare say that to Tomoko's face?" "Well?" "Well what?" "Alright let's go to Tomoko right now." "What?" "We're going back to Tokyo and ask her if she thought it was just a fling." "Deal?" "I'm getting off." "Wait." "Wait up." "Where are you going?" "Stop." "it's already long over." "Leave it in the past where it belongs." "It isn't over." "For me it's anything but over." "Were you planning to keep it from me forever?" "Did you think I'd never find out?" "I had already forgotten about it." "But I won't forget." "Never..." "I'll never forget." "Where are you going?" "Watch out." "Kanto University" "Are you dr." "Yabuuchi's wife?" "Are you Tomoko?" "Nice to meet you." "Can I offer you some tea?" "Sorry to bother you at work." "That's alright." "My name is Mizuki Yabuuchi." "Mizuki." "Yeah." "I'm Tomoko Matsuzaki." "Please sit." "Do you have any news on Yusuke?" "I know where he is." "You do?" "Thank goodness." "but I was worried." "He has made known that he's doing fine." "That's a relief." "Yeah." "And... this was between his mail... so I thought it better to let the hospital know about his situation." "I understand." "Sorry you had to worry." "You don't need to anymore." "But... he won't return to work here anymore." "I'll let the director know." "Thank you." "I actually was quite curious all this time... what type of woman dr." "Yabuuchi was married to." "But..." "You're just like I imagined." "That's kind of disappointing." "Tomoko." "You gave me a lot of support." "by me?" "Yes." "I was persistent to be the first one to find Yusuke." "it gave me strength." "no?" "I'm a different kind of woman." "If he had cheated on me... he could have just dropped dead." "Unfortunatly..." "Yusuke is alive and kicking." "I feel like I understand him now better than I used to." "Did you come here to tell me that?" "Not really." "I just want... regular marriage." "I knew that." "Even better." "The relationship between spouses is very complex." "That's difficult for an outsider to understand." "I do understand." "I'm married as well." "What?" "I'm expected to have a baby this fall." "I stop working next month." "From now on... untill I die." "But... what can one want more than that?" "They're here." "Hello." "Welcome." "Mizuki." "please." "Come on in." "Mr. Hoshitani." "Come..." "Enter." "right?" "No." "please." "Thank you." "Your notebook." "I kept it safe." "What is that?" "My notebook." "I taught the villagers." "but that just expanded." "You did that too?" "Yusuke's lessons were very fascinating." "We were hanging on his every word." "I had never heard of something like an Einstein." "Einstein wasn't a thing he was human." "O right." "Come come." "This way." "Sit." "Thank you." "Hello." "his daughter-in-law." "Mizuki." "Mizuki." "Can you bring us some tea?" "And some cookies?" "but a bit unsociable." "that's not necessary." "Yusuke really is like a son to me." "I want you both to feel at home." "Stay as long as you like." "Please sit." "Thank you." "where's mom?" "Making tea." "Yusuke-sensei!" "Ryota?" "sensei?" "Hurray!" "He's back!" "Yusuke-sensei is back!" "He's back?" "Yes." "Hello." "Hello." "Let's see..." "Last time we learned that light can be a partical as well as a wave." "Today we'll learn why a light particle has zero mass." "Like the name implies light moves at the speed of light." "And according to Einstein... the mass of a body is infinte when it moves at the speed of light." "But a light particle is so small that its mass can't be infinite." "The only possibility is that its mass is zero." "has zero mass." "That's the only possible answer." "But doesn't that seem strange?" "a particle with zero mass?" "How do we view something like that?" "Now think back to the fact that light is also a wave." "because every wave has a wavelength." "do we end up with wavelength zero?" "Or is that no longer a wave?" "a wave always has a length." "That means that the smallest wavelength is paired with zero mass." "Are you able to keep up?" "It's quite complicated." "It means that on the smallest level zero still has a length." "zero is not zero." "This room and the universe are filled with an infinity of zeroes." "Zero is the basis of everything." "is anything but meaningless." "Nothingness is the basis of everything." "from the earth and mankind." "Everything exists from a combination of nothing." "That seems to be the true shape of this world." "are you not?" "I'm discovering a totally different side of you." "Really?" "Maybe." "But I don't notice it myself." "Say..." "Can I tell you something from before I met you?" "Go ahead." "There is one thing I never told you about." "What is it?" "ln my first year at college I had a relationship... with an older student I knew from school." "It lasted four and a half years." "in each others rooms." "but... neither one of us ever spoke about 'marriage'." "We never even gave it a single thought." "I didn't have a care in the world." "The bond between two people is so strange." "You and I never talked about this." "I'm glad you told me." "I rather know it than not." "There are actually many more things I haven't told you." "Are you serious?" "Yes." "Now I'm getting worried." "Too bad." "It's a secret." "Excuse me." "What are you doing?" "I saw a quail." "She disapeared." "Are you ok?" "I am." "You're actually not allowed to catch them." "I was given this." "Ryota's lunch." "I forgot to give it to him." "but he wasn't there." "Thanks." "I'm so absentminded lately." "Should I bring it to Ryota?" "Would you?" "Where could he be?" "Most certainly near the waterfall." "The double waterfall." "He's there quite often." "I don't know why." "Should I bring it?" "Ryota." "You forgot your lunch." "Did you come here just for that?" "I did." "I couldn't find you at school." "Don't you have anything to do?" "No." "I'm wide open." "Here you go." "Do you scare easily?" "I don't know." "I won't tell you." "What?" "Now I'm curious." "See that dark spot there?" "That one?" "It's a cave." "It's a passageway for the dead." "That dark spot?" "A gate to the realm of the dead." "For real." "Ryota... you better not come here anymore." "So you are scared." "Not really." "Want to go see?" "How?" "and enter the cave." "Past the waterfall the realm of the dead begins." "Really?" "Yes." "So this is where he came from." "Who?" "Yusuke-sensei." "That's rubbish." "He came by bus." "with my mom." "I'll put your tea down here." "Thank you." "Nice work." "I'm sorry to put you to work." "No problem." "Finished." "Mizuki." "Yes?" "What do you think about Kaoru?" "My son died two years ago." "but at that time a lot of things were happening." "He wanted to sell our land without my permission." "I'll spare you the details." "But my son and I were arguing about it." "He left home and died soon after." "It appears that in his travels he caught a terrible cold." "He died alone like a dog." "When I heard the news it shook me up." "when I was ready to to pick up his ashes..." "Kaoru told me she wanted to go by herself." "Suddenly she was gone and left me with her son." "I was desperate." "And about to give up." "But when all hope seemed lost... she came back this one fine day and brought Yusuke along." "Appearently he addressed her because he almost died of starvation." "more dead than alive... and had bruises all over." "she wouldn't say." "Ever since it's like her soul has slipped away." "It doesn't matter what task I give her... she's always ever absent." "Did you see the waterfall?" "Yes." "I don't believe in the legend that is told." "But maybe..." "Kaoru might not be alive anymore." "No one... could ever change that." "I couldn't bare it... if more people around us disappeared." "She knows how I feel... and that's what's keeping her here." "But not forever." "Kaoru is not like me." "Not at all." "But mr." "Hoshitani said..." "Her husband is like me." "That's a certainty." "something stuck out." "but her husband." "He was already starting to perish." "Still he dragged Kaoru along... but he was already too far gone." "Her husband..." "How is he now?" "Who knows." "I left him behind." "What will become of him?" "He'll transform in a dark... confused..." "I imagine." "What is it?" "Nothing." "Hello." "Tell me..." "Who are you?" "Mizuki." "Do you not recognise me?" "Father..." "Thank goodness you still remember me." "Why?" "I was worried about you." "Have you all this time... looked over me?" "Ofcourse." "When I died you were only 16 years old." "Every parent would have done the same." "I kept looking over you..." "I knew it would spell trouble." "I could only hope... nothing would happen to you." "Father..." "Did you know it would turn out like this?" "Yes." "I am so sorry." "It's not your fault." "He was sick." "Do not defend him." "What he has done to you..." "Father." "Father." "Mom died 5 years ago." "right?" "Have you seen her there?" "How are you both doing there on the other side?" "We are in peace." "Thank goodness." "Do not worry about us." "So I ask of you... forget that man." "I..." "I'll be ok." "Can you tell mom?" "Maybe... there's no difference." "Huh?" "Between you and me." "That's why I'm thinking... to get over to the other side as well soon." "What?" "I was talking to myself." "I heard you." "But I was talking to myself." "Let it be." "you said recently." "That's that." "We're done." "is something wrong?" "I saw mom walking with a stranger." "You don't know who?" "Some kind of man." "With a man?" "Where are they now?" "What is this?" "There's nothing human about him." "What have you done to be so far gone?" "Him again." "Come." "That woman has no willpower." "How long are you going to keep at it?" "Doing what?" "Wandering about with your wife." "don't you think?" "This was your home." "Here?" "Yes." "but I couldn't place it." "Watch out." "Stop it." "That's enough." "Where is Kaoru?" "Kaoru!" "I know you're out there!" "Damn it!" "I can't even see anymore." "Aren't you done by now?" "You've lived way too long." "You're rotting away from the inside." "What about you?" "I died of a bad cold you choose your own dead." "What's the difference?" "At least I know my bounderies... but you can't let go of Kaoru." "She can't let go of me." "She's what's keeping me here." "Kaoru?" "!" "stop it!" "Control yourself!" "You can't move on like this." "Leave him alone." "My husband doesn't understand himself anymore." "I promise he won't bother anyone anymore." "I'll stay with him till the end." "I'll take care of it." "let him stay for just a bit longer." "It can only end one way now." "You know it." "Stop talking." "Ofcourse Yusuke is right." "No one wants to hear your excuses anymore." "Yusuke." "We're better of leaving them be." "I can't do that." "Sometimes you shouldn't end things." "Mizuki?" "Don't you understand?" "It's over." "ls this the end?" "Yes." "I'm scared." "What should I do?" "Tell me your final wish." "I can't hear you." "Speak louder!" "I asked you your final wish!" "Can you grant it?" "The least I can do now is remember it." "A wish?" "My final wish?" "Tell me your final wish." "I didn't want to die." "I didn't want to die." "Tell Kaoru that." "Takashi." "Mizuki." "It hurts." "The air and the wind too..." "They're hurting me." "Thanks." "Excuse me." "Today..." "Today I want to talk to you about the universe." "the Big Bang." "7 billion years ago." "So... it obviously should have an ending." "The universe isn't everlasting." "7 billion years now." "Does this mean that its ending might be near?" "Does the universe suddenly disappear leaving nothing behind?" "right?" "But that's not the way it will happen." "It has been proven that the universe is still expanding." "but is still increasing." "Besides we've only discovered about 4%... of all the matter the universe is made of." "There are also 10 to the power of 500 other universes." "7 billion years seem only a brief moment." "The universe has only just begun." "You all are lucky to be born in this young universe." "Isn't that amazing?" "8 billion years... too hot for human life." "And after 4 billion years the Milky Way will collide with the Andromeda Galaxy." "But that is an insignificant event." "The universe isn't on its last leg." "It's just beginning." "And we are witness to that beginning." "That single thought is enough to get me excited." "I'm glad for being born." "And I feel chosen to be born in this era." "Leave the lights off." "Mizuki." "Come here." "Mizuki." "I love you." "Is it alright? Maybe this worked better than I expected." "What?" "{\fs31\3cH000000\3aH20}Prayer manual" "You really do write sloppy." "O." "Here." "Why?" "You wanted to burn them to go home." "I'm ok." "It's beautiful." "Yeah." "Is this the place you were talking about?" "One of them." "Some are even more beautiful." "Are you going there?" "Yes." "Do you really have to go?" "Yes." "Those places... don't go there." "Let's go home." "Home together." "Please come back home." "Mizuki..." "I wanted to say sorry." "But all this time..." "I didn't know how." "You already have." "Really?" "Will we meet again?" "280)}Eri Fukatsu 280)}Tadanobu Asano"