"60th Agency of Cultural Affairs Art Festival participating piece" "Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei" "An individual who has lived through all four periods has now fallen into eternal sleep" "Here, please use these to collect the bones" "Sis, you first" "These things are meant to be done eldest first" "What?" "Me?" "I'm the first daughter of great-grandmother's" "You're the youngest great-granddaughter" "So let's see her off together ok" "What were you saying?" "huh?" "You were saying something when picking up the bones" "Tell me, I'm curious" "I was saying goodbye" "Mother, thank you for all these years" "The war is finally over, isn't it?" "War?" "The one long ago?" "The one with the atom bomb?" "Of course." "The war that was going on when I was your age" "But the war ended 60 years ago" "I wonder if that's so" "What do you mean?" "Can you bring me that box over there?" "Sure" "I bet a high-schooler like you has no desires" "Is this you?" "Oh my" "This is great-grandmother" "So this girl in uniform must be..." "Yes, is it strange?" "No way!" "You in a school uniform!" "Of course" "This is the last picture we took as a family" "Mother had kept it all these years" "There's something else in here too..." "A newspaper from Showa 20 (1945)!" "It's like a time capsule!" "What's this?" "A can of droplets?" "What is it?" "Is that something to be so suprised about?" "yes" "What's inside?" "Something very valuable" "Something valuable?" "That summer, Showa 20 (1945)" "We lost so many things" "War had burned away cities, people, and even our hearts" "This is our family's sad and bitter war experience" "September Showa 20 (1945), Kobe" "How strange..." "I heard he'd be here" "How disgusting..." "Can't you go somewhere else?" "The Americans are coming soon; what an embarassment to have these types in our stations" "Go somewhere else" "Excuse me?" "Do you know someone named Yokokawa Seita?" "What?" "He's a relative." "We heard someone saw him around here..." "How would I know." "Every day, several tramps die here" "He's a third year in middle school;" "wears a Kobe 1st Middle School hat" "Has a sister this tall" "Could that be last night's boy?" "He was just over there..." "This one's dead too" "Wow, it's a Kobe 1st Middle School hat" "How did a "1st Middle School"er end up here?" "He must've stolen it" "Yeah?" "I guess so..." "What's this?" "Don't mind." "Just throw it away yeah, you're right" "Mustn't think too hard" "Did they die?" "Did Seita and Se-cchan die?" "That can't be" "They're alive somewhere, right?" "Say something, mother!" "It's your fault" "You killed them" "Thank you very much (Kansai dialect)" "shhh, you mustn't cry" "Let me show you something cool" "One, two, three!" "Wow!" "Fireflies!" "They're pretty, aren't they?" "Brother, thank you" "Come here, Setsuko" "Hotaru no Haka (Grave of Fireflies) ~60th Anniversary of the End of the War special drama~" "The word "firefly" is usually written in one character." "However, in this title, the characters meaning "dripping fire" is used." "Showa 18 (1943) Summer" "Setsuko" "Come here quick" "Look, Setsuko!" "That's father's ship." "A unified fleet." "Isn't it gallant?" "Where is father going on a ship?" "To defeat the enemy" "Father is a Naval colonel" "America doesn't stand a chance" ""Doesn't stand a chance!"" "Seita-san!" "Se-cchan!" "Your father is departing." "Come back now." "Yes, mother" "Hyogo prefecture, Mikage" "Father, I'm home" "The Naval colonel calls us!" "Wait outside, Setsuko" "Why?" "Your brother and I have something important to discuss" "Se-cchan, come here alright" "You're a good girl!" "Let's have some congee with eggs" "Sit down, Seita" "Yes, sir" "Hyogo prefecture, Manchidani" "Smells so good!" "Open it up!" "Wow, sekihan (red rice)!" "We had it specially divided for us" "Really?" "Let's eat it quick!" "Yay!" "Sekihan!" "Such bad manners;" "they can hear" "Since it's been so long..." "We've been having only wheat or soup for so long" "Come" "Do you have any idea why we're having sekihan?" "Of course" "Because father's going to into the army" "Do you know what it means to go into the army?" "To fight the enemy." "BAM!" "You two are happy?" "Father may die!" "Congratulations!" "Thank you for coming all this way" "Such an accomplishment, to be going into the army from a sokai" "A truly honorable thing" "Thank you very much" "Please have sekihan with us" "Thank you!" "I'd be much obliged" "Get your father" "He knew we had sekihan" "He goes around accepting food from all the families with departing men shhh, just get your father" "Sis" "Te-chan is coughing again" "Are you okay?" "Does it hurt?" "You don't have a fever, but let's have some medicine anyway" "He doesn't need medicine" "What?" "He's just exaggerating for attention" "Now now" "Excuse us, we're here to celebrate" "We brought a 'senninbari'" "I'll be right there -....congratulations...." "Father's missing" "What?" "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen brother in a while" "Where could he be at a time like this?" "I will be traveling out of the country today" "Yes, father" "Do you know the state Japan is in now?" "I read in the newspaper, there was a great victory in the Solomon Islands" "Yes" "Sorry for my impertinence" "No, it's true that there was victory in the Solomon Islands." "However, at Guadalcanal and New Guinea, we're almost wiped out" "We're losing in the Marshall Islands too" "This is not reported in the newspapers or radios" "Then Japan!" "?" "Seita" "Japan will win" "No..." "Japan must win after having suffered so much casualties" "I am willing to die fighting for the sake of this country" "Do you understand what I am trying to say?" "Once I am gone, you are the man of the house" "Your mother has a heart disease and Setsuko is still little" "Like I will be fighting for the sake of the country you must defend your mother and Setsuko." "Don't ever yield." "Yes." "I will defend them with my life." "Well said." "That's how a Japanese boy should be" "Yes, father" "What are you doing?" "I'm fixing the leak" "You don't have to do this on the day of your departure" "I won't be able to do it after I leave" "Please stop." "I can't have you get hurt" "I'm a carpenter." "I won't fall" "Mother, it's dangerous" "You better not fall / I'm going up too!" "No!" "Hisako...." "Please stop" "What are you being so stubborn for?" "You can fix it after you return" "I don't know if I will come back" "You WILL come back" "I wonder..." "They're drafting discharged country folk like me in sokais, the situation can't be good" "You WILL come back, you will definitely come back" "Hisako!" " Mother!" "Be careful" "Please, don't die" "I don't need any merits or medals" "Just come back safely, I beg you" "Congratulations to Sawano Genzo's departure into the army!" "BANZAI!" "BANZAI!" "Thank you very much." "I, Sawano Genzo, will go off to fight!" "Get those American soldiers!" "Thank you (Kansai dialect)" "I pray for your success" "Dear!" "You mustn't cry at embarkation!" "He probably recalled his son who died in battle" "That boy died for the sake of the Emperor!" "Why are you crying?" "Sorry" "Here, drink up" "We're celebrating with a great sea bream!" "What a spectacular sea bream!" "It's a bit thin" "Hey" "You're a naval colonel's wife" "Have a good departure" "Yes" "Thank you for your trouble" "Father..." "Setsuko" "Father~~" "Setsuko" "My shoe broke" "Good luck / BANZAI" "Teizo" "Yes, father" "You're the eldest male" "Don't have likes or dislikes with food and grow up strong." "Yes, father" "Yoshie, you be well too" "Don't worry." "I will protect Sis and the children" "Don't push yourself with that body" "More importantly, don't fall for Hisako while I'm gone" "Brother!" "Don't say such silly jokes" "Hisako" "Take care of everyone" "Yes" "Don't worry." "I've always been good at running away" "I'll come back safe" "Father" "Father" "Dear" "Be careful, Setsuko" "That looks good on you" "Thanks" "Mother, don't push yourself" "Seita-san" "From now on, I'm the man of the house" "You will listen to what I say" "My, how dependable" "My, how dependable" "A train departed today too?" "The army needs soldiers in the South too" "Hisako-chan?" " Kyoko-san?" "The first time we met Seita-kun and Se-cchan was the day father departed" "My mother and Seita-kun's mother were cousins but they weren't that close until then" "But by having given their husbands to war on the same day an invisible bond formed between them" "It had been just about six months since we had lost our home due to firebombings by the Americans and escaped to the sokai in Manchidani" "It required courage to leave Tokyo, but my in-law's house had been destroyed and running away from bombings was difficult with Teizo's asthma" "Is that so..." "What trouble you've been through" "Both your children seem healthy" "You're in Kobe 1st Middle School so you're going for Kobe 1st High School, right?" "I am thinking of going into Naval Academy" "I hate soldiers" "They're always so arrogant" "But it's the military that protects this country" "Brother, don't argue" "You're such a good girl, Se-cchan." "Let me give you a treat" "A treat?" "Droplets!" "Are you sure it's okay at a time when there's so little?" "My husband's brother got some at work at Kobe" "My children already got some" "May I open it?" "Before that you have to thank her" "Thank you very much (Kansai dialect)" "You're such a good girl" "huh?" "Give it to me" "Wow." "So pretty!" "This is strawberry / This is grape" "What's this?" " Melon?" "I'm so glad I ran into you today" "After I saw my husband leave, I lost my strength" "Me too." "Just when I started to get used to here, my husband was drafted..." "I felt like crying, I was so lonely" "Come quick!" "Fireflies!" "Wow!" "Where?" " That, flashing over there" "Wow, so pretty" "It really is" "You can't see fireflies in Tokyo" "There are a lot of fireflies around here because of the clear water" "There too / Over there too!" "Hisako-chan" "If you ever need anything, just ask" "Kyoko-san" "We don't know when Kansai will be bombed" "If something happens, let's help each other protect the children" "Yes" "Let's help each other as fellow wives, and wait for our husbands" "Yes, promise?" "Definitely" "Besides the men having left for war it was still a peaceful summer" "March, Showa 20 (1945)" "However, as it reached Showa 20 (1945) in the Great Tokyo Firebombing of March 10, 10,000 were killed and Osaka and Nagoya and many other cities also saw heavy bombing" "Mother, are you okay?" "I'm fine" "Let's go" "Kobe was no exception." "On March 17th and May 11th, two great bombings decimated the west half of Kobe 4000¸killed, 200,000 were affected." "It was a devastating blow" "Mother, are you okay?" "By this time, rations were getting close to nil" "The civilians were beginning to strongly feel war's devastation" "Quickly now" "Umm.. we have six people" "Madame, please persevere." "It's better than what the soldier's get" "Then, that day..." "June 5th came..." "Stand by at home." "You're dismissed" "So hungry" "Hello" "Hello" "Who is she?" "A relative" "Really?" "Not a girlfriend?" "NO" "Just a relative, I say" "The naval colonel's son having relations with a girl!" "It's been a while" "There have been many bombings..." "is your mother and Se-cchan okay?" "Yes, and you?" "I'm fine." "We haven't had any bombings yet" "That's good" "But... to tell you the truth" "I'm worried" "Father hasn't written to us, rations are getting smaller..." "Don't worry." "My father said Japan will definitely win." "So don't worry." "Is that so" "Thank you" "It's nothing" "Please come visit us any time" "Ok, till next time" "Hurry mother" "Brother, this too" "Sure" "Mother, what are you doing?" "I said go ahead to the shelter" "Se-cchan" "I'll take her." "You can't run so you must go ahead" "You're right" "HURRY!" "Sorry." "Be careful, you two" "Mother!" "Do you have your medicine?" "Thank you." "Yes I do" "Seita-san" "You hold on to this" "I got it, just go!" "Then I'll see you later" "Setsuko, get on" "Ok" "Hold on tight" "Yes, brother" "Brother, my doll" "Brother!" "I can't do it." "I can't get to the shelter" "Like I will be fighting for the sake of the country you must defend your mother and Setsuko." "Don't ever yield." "Madame" "Yoshie-san?" "Are you okay?" "It's no big deal." "I just got sprayed by some oil from a bomb" "You work at the Kobe Customs." "Amazing you escaped" "I can't fight the war like brother, but I must protect his family in his place" "Oh, I just meant, this bombing was worse than ever so..." "The sky was black with B-29s" ""Black"...." "Kobe is finally decimated" "How is Kyoko-san's house" "The whole area is destroyed by fire" ""Destroyed by fire"..." "So this is the black rain that falls after bombings" "Are the B-29s gone?" "Setsuko, are you okay?" "No injuries?" "I lost one of the my shoes" "I'll buy you a new one, a better one" "I liked that one." "Let's go pick it up" "We can't now" "Setsuko, wait here" "It's all cleared away" "Is our house burned down?" "I guess so" "What are we gonna do?" "Dad will avenge us" "What about mother?" "Where is she?" "She's at the shelter." "No worries" "Everyone, please evacuate to the Mikage National School" "Setsuko, let's go to the school." "Mother will probably be there." "Yeah" "Sponsors..." "Seita-san?" "Aunt Hisako" "Se-cchan?" "Are you okay?" "No injuries?" "Yeah" "Do you know about my mother?" "She's inside." "She's hurt" "Thank you (Kansai dialect) Mother's inside, Setsuko" "Wait, Seita-san!" "Leave Se-cchan with me" "Seita-kun" "Oobayashi-san" "You're fine!" "I was looking for you How's Setsuko-chan?" "She's fine I heard my mother was hurt" "Yes... come" "Over there" "Two bombs fell into the shelter." "How unfortunate..." "Where's the doctor?" "Mother has a bad heart." "She needs to see a doctor quickly" "Was that so..." "I'll get him" "Mother..." "Answer me" "Brother" "Where's mother?" "Mother went to the hospital for her heart ...yeah, to the hospital" "I want to see mother" "Tomorrow." "It's too late today" "Se-cchan, come to my place tonight" "Your mother said so too" "Then lets go get my shoe" "I said, "We can't now"" "If we don't get it soon we might never..." "Mother bought me that shoe" "Be quiet!" "I said, "We can't now!"" "Your brother is acting as your father." "Please understand" "It's okay, Seita-san" "I'm home" "Se-cchan, we're here" "Where's Seita-kun?" "He's staying at the school tonight" "Se-cchan, come inside" "Do you dislike my home?" "Let's play ohajiki (Japanese taw)" "Thank you" "Not, "Thank you" (Tokyo dialect)" "It's "Thank you very much" (Kansai dialect)" ""thank you"?" ""thank YOU" -"thank YOU"" "good!" "Se-cchan" "I'm sorry about mother" "Contact your father" "Seita-san, Se-cchan" "My, how dependable" "Mother?" "Where's mother?" "Setsuko, mother's still..." "Her heart still isn't well?" "Yeah, and she was hurt too." "Just a little longer." "I want to see mother" "Oh yeah, mother lent this to me" "She's giving it to you" "Look, aunt!" "Mother gave it to me!" "It's beautiful." "Do treasure it." "I'm going to show the others" "It must have been hard, Seita-san" "Please don't tell Setsuko yet" "You don't have to worry" "May we stay here until I get word from my father?" "Of course." "You can go to school from here" "No." "I have to watch over Setsuko so, I'm not going to school or the factory" "I'll watch over Setsuko for you" "No, I mustn't trouble you" "Don't be silly." "You can trouble me all you want" "I promised your mother" "But..." "Now, come in." "Let's have dinner" "What are you doing?" "How pretty!" "Is it real?" "Of course" "Wow!" "Here, Se-cchan." "Now you won't lose it" "Thank you" "Sure" "It's so pretty" "Lemme see, lemme see" "Grace" "You're not eating?" "Yes, I'm not hungry" "Are you feeling ill?" "No, I'm fine." "Just a stomach ache" "Greetings father," "I must report to you sad news" "Mother passed away in a bombing on June 5th" "Setsuko and I are fine" "We are staying at Aunt's house in Nishinomiya" "Aunt Hisako is very kind to us however, please tell us what our next course of action should be" "Please reply soon." "Setsuko, I've got it!" "Wow!" "Eggs!" "I haven't seen eggs in so long!" "Butter too!" "Herring and dried bonito!" "This was given to executive officers of the military" "Amazing." "Isn't it, mother?" "So many things we haven't seen in months" "Aunt, make congee with egg!" "Yes" "I want to eat quick!" "What's that?" "Salt!" "It's salt!" "Brother, where are the fireflies?" "They're not here, I guess" "How come there are no fireflies this year?" "I wonder why..." "I wonder why..." "Oh yeah!" "Setsuko, close your eyes" "Why?" "Just close them" "Droplets!" "Your droplets were safe!" "I love you brother!" "droplets..." "My droplets!" "The eggs were sooo good!" "I guess the military is living luxuriously even at times like this" "Don't say it like that..." "I just thought, if only we had an eggs worth of rice" "You can go." "You have kinro-douin tomorrow right?" "Go to sleep" "Right" "Good night -'Night" "I said, "You can go"" "Oh, excuse me" "Sis..." "Please accept this (bankbook)" "Yoshie-san?" "Sorry for my disrespect but, please use this to buy rice" "You mustn't." "This is your hard earned money" "But..." "Rations are little to begin with..." "and now you have two more adolescents to raise" "Rations can't be enough" "Please, don't worry." "If I accepted your money, what would my husband say" "Is this it?" "This time, we only got 1.5 cup per person" "We have four children" "You told me before" "Next" "I'm housing two children who lost their homes too" "This won't even last three days" "That's what you get for trying to look good" "If you want more, you have to buy off the black market" "Next" "Is this it?" "The rations were smaller this time" "Now, let's eat." "Grace." "I'm hungry from kinro-douin" "Me too" "It can't be helped." "Everyone's in the same boat" "No they're not." "We hungry because we have more people" "What do you mean?" "It's because they came" "Don't say that" "But it's true" "Teizo!" "Thank you, I'm finished" "Setsuko, you mustn't cry." "You'll wake everyone" "Mother~~" "Setsuko" "Mother~~" "He's been getting sick often lately" "He hasn't been getting much nutrition" "It's alright." "Go to sleep" "1 bottle of rice 1 bottle?" "Those from Tokyo aren't worth much here" "This was given to me by my mother when I married" "You don't have to accept the offer" "We're giving rice out of good will" "Why don't you lower the price a little" "You're kind to pretty women" "She's housing two extra children" "About those two children..." "The boy is in middle school and he neither does kinro-douin nor does firefighting" "He lost his mother and has a little sister" "He's not the only one to have lost parents" "1 bottle is fine" "Thank you" "I was on my way to your house" "Mine?" "I salute your husband's honorable death as a Japanese male" "Death...?" "Father... really died?" "It can't be" "No.... father" "How did brother die?" "47 regimen of the infantry was ordered to charge and they committed gyokusai (to all die fighting) gyokusai...?" ""It was an honorable death"" "I don't understand what's so "honorable"" "How is dying "honorable"?" "Aunt Hisako" "Uncle died an honorable death as a valiant soldier of the Imperial Army" "It's something to rejoice, not grieve" ""Rejoice"?" "My father says, "Japan will win"" "Uncle's death will not be in vain" "As a naval colonel, he will avenge his death" "I don't care if he's avenged" "Aunt?" "Seita-kun" "I'm fixing the leak" "Please don't die." "Just come back safely." "I beg you" "Don't worry, I've always been good at running away" "I'll come back safe" "Sponsors" "Te-chan" "Mother" "Te-chan, here" "Sis, the doctor won't come" "Be strong, Te-chan" "We can't go outside today, Setsuko" "Mother~~" "Seita-san, Teizo is not doing well" "Could you please be more quiet?" "I'm sorry." "The leaking sound was bothering her" "Do you have something to eat?" "She seems to be hungry too" "Of course not, at this hour" "What about the food I brought?" "We finished that ages ago!" "Mother?" "I'm going to the doctor's." "I'm going to beg again." "But..." "I can't let Teizo die too!" "If you cry so much, you won't see mother again" "Mother~~" "From this night on, mother never shed a tear" "The notice of father's death made up her mind" "I can never forget what happened the next morning" "Please" "Grace" "Brother" "Mine doesn't have rice" "Just eat" "Teizo, I'm glad you're better." "Eat up and get nutrition." "If you don't get nutrition, your disease won't go away" "Yes, mother" "I'm going to eat up too" "Now that your father is dead, I must stay healthy" "I wonder why father won't reply" "Who knows" "Yeah." "Of course you wouldn't know" "I'm hungry" "Wait until dinner" "We can eat fine at night?" "Of course" "That's good" "What's wrong, eat up." "You're going to be a soldier right?" "Excuse me, aunt" "What is it?" "We haven't eaten properly in a while..." "How strange of you to say that, I serve you food every day" "Yes, but..." "You just give us the top part without rice" "That can't be helped, our rations have declined" "But you do it just to us" "Just to you?" "Do what?" "Nothing..." "If you have something to say, just say it" "Air raid alert!" "Let's hurry to the shelter hurry, hurry" "Are you okay, Na-cchan, Hana, Miki?" "Mother, where's Seita-kun and Se-cchan?" "What?" "Is there something wrong?" "Our relative..." "You got separated?" "Hope they haven't been hit" "That can't be helped." "Maybe it's better for them if they died" "Don't say that" "What a terrible thing to say" "Setsuko, we're going" "Charge!" "We're safe here" "So bright!" "It's kind of pretty looking at it from here" "It's like the fireworks we saw with grandmother and mother" "Whoa!" "Setsuko look!" "Amazing isn't it?" "Over there!" "Where?" "I can't see" "Come here" "Setsuko look!" "So big!" "Don't separate with us like that!" "It's decided that we go to the shelter with our tonarigumi!" "Yes" "You're not a child." "You must start thinking about helping others" "My neighbors criticize me because you don't help with the firefighting" "I understand." "But I can't leave Setsuko alone" "Then I have something to say to you" "Your mother's ring..." "Why don't you exchange that for rice?" "Because you are not part of the tonarigumi, you don't get rations" "Special aid is very small." "Even I sell my kimonos for food" "But the ring is..." "With that ring, we can maybe get 10 or 20 bottles of rice 10 or 20 bottles!" "?" "That much?" "I don't want to say this but..." "She doesn't need it anymore and your mother would probably be happier this way" "I won't force you" "I got it" "Here, please" "Alright" "Then..." "No, it's mother's ring!" "No!" "Setsuko, stop!" "Let it go" "It's mother's!" "No!" "Mother!" "Mother!" "Let's have this for dinner tonight" "Setsuko, look!" "White rice!" "Setsuko?" "You smiled" "I give up!" "Stupid brother!" "The "Battleship Yamato" is strong!" "Delicious!" "White rice is good" "It fills the stomach" "More please!" "Alright" "Me too" "Me too" "You still have some left" "Oh right" "Still haven't finished?" "Could you please hurry?" "Everyone else has long gone to school or kinrou-douin" "Umm..." "Can you boil white rice tonight?" "Setsuko doesn't like kouryan (Manchurian millet)" "You mustn't ask for luxuries." "Kouryan is a valuable food too." "You may be the son of an officer, but you are a guest right now" "But there should be some of that rice left" "I'm saving it for emergencies" "If rations ended, we'd still have something to eat" "But that's our rice" "Are you saying I'm being unfair?" "No." "It's just that that rice was bought with mother's ring" "What about all the rice you had been eating up until then?" "You can't ask for free food doing nothing all day" "Natsu and Hana are off at kinrou-douin" "Even little Yuki and Teizo are helping me with the fields with our tonarigumi" "You're the only one doing nothing" "I'm protecting Setsuko!" "My father is protecting our country and I am protecting Setsuko!" "The military isn't protecting the country!" "They force people to fight who don't want to and kill them like bugs" "What's that look for?" "I understand." "If you are that dissatisfied, let's have separate meals" "Then you won't have complaints" "I wonder what happen to Aunt?" "Before, she gave me droplets and was so kind" "Who knows" "Brother!" "Here" "Hold out your hand" "No more..." "I'm sorry, brother" "It's okay." "Let's go" "You work like that and we won't finish by night" "Work harder" "By July, rations were sporadic" "For people like us, who came to sokai from Tokyo we didn't have relatives or friends who could share food with us" "Here, thank you very much" "Here, good work today" "What do you want with a stove?" "We're making meals" "Your aunt makes you meals" "We're doing it ourselves now" "A knife and eggs too" "Yourselves?" "That's impossible" "It's just until father gets back" "How much?" "200 yen... actually 170 yen will do" "I don't know what happened, but don't be stubborn" "We'll have good congee soon, Setsuko" "Ok!" "It's dinner, help out" "It's because you were so harsh" "I didn't say anything wrong" "I just said we must help each other out in times of emergency" "They're the ones being stubborn and trying to show us off" "Setsuko, you don't have to eat so proper" "Ah~ so delicious" "Seita-san?" "Yeah?" "Bad manners" "Yes" "Seita-san" "If you're going to live on your own, you must provide your own water" "Brother?" "Yeah?" "What me to help?" "You just hold the lamp" "Brother?" "Yeah?" "Isn't it cold?" "Brother" "Be quiet Setsuko" "Fireflies!" "You're right!" "So glad!" "The fireflies came back this year" "Over there too!" "They're pretty" "Yeah" "Over there too!" "Amazing" "Yeah" "Brother..." "I don't like Aunt's place anymore" "Then do you want to make this our home?" "No one will bother us." "We can do as we please" "Yeah!" "Mother didn't say anything" "And even though we knew what was going on we kept quiet too" "Thank you for keeping us." "We're moving elsewhere now" "Where elsewhere?" "It's a nice place" "There's plenty of room for sleeping and playing and plenty of water" "Right Setsuko?" "Yeah!" "Is that so, then no worries" "What?" "Mother!" "Well, good bye" "Seita-kun" "This is the kitchen" "This is the entrance" "This is the Japanese style room And that's dad's study" "And that's mother's..." "Brother" "What about the bathroom?" "What do we do?" "Anywhere!" "I'll be with you" "OK!" "I wonder where Se-cchan went?" "I wonder if they're ok" "They said it's a "nice place"" "How could it be a "nice place"" "Welcome home" "How can you be fine at a time like this" "Are you hungry?" "Mother!" "Sis" "Oh, you're back early" "You're not going to go look for them?" "They left on their own." "I didn't kick them out" "But, two children cannot live on their own" "If they must, they will come back" "This is unlike you" "Yoshie-san?" "Can you lend us some money?" "You may think, "How hypocritical, after rejecting the offer earlier"" "But there was no rations this week either" "No more rice, no more soybean, and no more kimonos" "We need to have you share the burden too" "That's fine" "You can't live off of pretty ideologies anymore." "Pride and will can't feed you." "Am I wrong?" "No, you aren't wrong" "Setsuko, don't cry" "Mother..." "Setsuko" "Setsuko, open your eyes" "Ready?" "Let me show you something" "What is it?" "Just come over here and see" "Ready?" "Wow!" "Fireflies!" "Now we're not alone" "Brother, thank you very much (Kansai dialect)" "The fireflies... they've died" "Setsuko!" "What are you doing?" "I'm making a grave." "A grave of fireflies" "You're so kind, Setsuko" "We have to make mother's grave too" "I know" "Mother died right?" "She won't come back no matter how long we wait, right?" "Setsuko" "Sorry for not telling you" "Mother, at the bombing was burned by an incendiary bomb" "Japan will win the war and father will come home and we'll have a grave made." "Then, let's pray there, the three of us" "It must have hurt mother" "Please use this (bankbook)" "Thank you" "I shall go now" "You are really leaving?" "Yes, a coworker says he can keep me" "So sudden" "Brother has died," "I can't stay here using my leg as an excuse" "I don't want to see you changing more" "Is that so?" "Then it can't be helped" "No worries, I'm an adult" "Please be well" "Uncle Yoshie" "Uncle!" "You're terrible" "You kick out Seita-kun and Se-cchan, and now Uncle Yoshie too!" "Uncle has a bad leg!" "He just finally found a job!" "You're too cold to throw him out on his own" "Done." "I've added more cotton so it should protect against incendiary bombs" "You can't bribe me with this" "Whatever." "I'm going to get rice so come with me" "I don't want to become like you" "I don't want food if it means I have to abandon others" "Then I don't have to cook for you?" "I'm grateful" "We just barely have enough rice, salt for five people" "If we lose one person it'll be better for the rest of us" "Devil!" "You're the devil!" "10yen!" "?" "10yen for just this?" "if it's too expensive, don't buy it." "I wasn't intending on selling it anyway" "You're not buying?" "With the rice and stuff we spent a lot of mother's money, we should save some" "Let's go" "Brother?" "Setsuko, wait here" "Why?" "Just wait here" "Hey, what are you doing?" "Setsuko, let's go" "Seita-kun..." "You thief!" "Mister, stop!" "Shut up!" "Are you with him!" "?" "Huh?" "Are you with this guy!" "?" "Hey, stop!" "Where were you?" "I boiled white rice" "Eat up today" "From that point on, I never mentioned" "Seita-kun or Se-cchan" "Don't go!" "Our dinner escaped..." "Everyone was desperate to live" "Everyone was losing themselves" "Everyone was forgetting something important" "Tomorrow, we may burn and die from a raid" "Tomorrow, we may have no food and starve to death" "There's nothing greater than that fear and worry" "Setsuko, dinner" "I don't want it" "You musn't have likes and dislikes, whether it be soybean or baby potato" "Yeah, but" "I have diarrhea" "Setsuko, what's wrong?" "Setsuko!" "It's a weakening due to malnutrition" "She hasn't eaten anything good for two weeks" "The diarrhea and fainting are also from the malnutrition" "Next" "Wait, no medicine?" "She needs nutrition, not medicine" "Nutrition?" "Like what!" "?" "Nutrition like white meat from fish or egg yolk" "Oh, apples would be good for her too" "Where the hell would I get that?" "If you're a doctor, tell me!" "Where could I get them!" "?" "Where?" "Tell me!" "Stop it!" "Oh no.... we're even out of salt" "Man am I hungry." "What would you like to eat Setsuko?" "Tempura" "That sounds nice and sashimi and tokoroten" "Anything else?" "Congee with egg and... droplets" "Eggs!" "What are you doing?" "You thief!" "Get all impudent after all our kindness" "I'm very sorry" "Thanks for coming" "You must be surprised how beat up he is" "You have no right to complain." "Thieving during a raid is a serious crime" "I'm very sorry" "If apologizing was enough we wouldn't need the police!" "Leave this to the police." "Be merciful." "Merciful" "It's woeful that a naval officer's son is stealing" "If it happens again, you will take responsibility" "Because of you, your aunt is in trouble too!" "I'm sorry to butt in but can you please take him back?" "There must have been problems, but you don't want them to be tramps" "You too." "Bow and beg to be taken back" "It's impossible to live on your own as children" "Come on." "It's not a shame." "Your sister's still little right?" "You have to have her feed you" "Do you know why the kind general store owner got so mad?" "His son was also a naval officer and on the coast of Malaysia, he was killed in action" "It's so depressing that a naval officer's son is stealing!" "Um..." "I..." "Setsuko is..." "You don't have to apologize, Seita-san" "I can't have you apologize" "I don't have food to provide you if I forgive you" "Even if I had more rice, even if it be one grain, I'd give it to Teizo or Natsu" "I don't despise you" "I just can't let Teizo," "Natsu, Hana, or Yuki die" "Bear a grudge on me all you want" "Seita-san, this is what war is about" "This is what it means to be at war" "I have no intention of apologizing!" "I'm the first son of Naval colonel Yokokawa Kiyoshi!" "Brother?" "Setsuko, sorry for being so late" "It's okay" "What happened to your face?" "Nothing, just got stung by striped mosquito" "Does it hurt?" "You have to call the doctor and get a shot" "Don't say things like mother" "Sponsors" "Brother" "Setsuko, you feeling better?" "Is that so!" "That's great!" "I got better after having a droplet!" "Droplet?" "Dummy!" "What are you eating!" "?" "It's an ohajiki!" "Setsuko?" "Brother, here." "It's dinner." "Do you want a bowl?" "Let me give you an okara" "Setsuko..." "You're not having it?" "Setsuko, wait here" "Let me get you something good with this (bankbook)" "Brother, don't go" "I don't need any food" "I just want to be with you" "Setsuko" "But you need to eat" "Let me buy eggs and make congee with egg" "Then I'll hold you, blow your food, and feed you" "It's a promise." "This time for real" "What is it?" "Showa 20 (1945) August 15" "What does it mean?" "Japan lost" "The war is over" "What?" "The war is over...?" "Then no more bombings?" "I suppose so" "No more B-29s?" "Yes" "Yay!" "No more running!" "No more kinrodouin, right?" "Of course!" "What's going to happen?" "Who knows..." "Dad died for this war..." "how could they lose?" "What's going to happen to Seita-kun and Se-cchan?" "If Japan lost, that must mean" "Seita-kun's father also died" "Time to eat" "At a time like this?" "Regardless of Japan losing or what happens to the country, the body gets hungry" "Excuse me?" "What's going to happen?" "How should I know?" "The devilish American soldiers are going to come?" "Um... did something happen?" "We surrendered" "Surrender?" "Japan lost?" "Yeah, "unconditional surrender"" "Then what happened to the unified fleet?" "They've long sunk and disappeared" "No way" "Like I will be fighting for the sake of the country you must defend your mother and Setsuko." "Don't ever yield." "No way!" "My father can't have died!" "What the hell" "It can't be!" "Idiot!" "Japan has lost!" "No way!" "No way!" "Stop!" "Seita-kun, are you okay?" "Seita-kun!" "Stupid, stupid father!" "Sis" "It's been a while" "Yoshie-san!" "You were fine!" "Thankfully" "I'm glad." "Come in" "What are you doing from now on?" "I don't know yet" "I will be getting a ticket to return to Tokyo" "Where at?" "I haven't decided" "But there are no more raids." "I will be fine" "I suppose" "I saw Seita-kun" "He was living by the river, all thin" "I'm sorry" "Why do you apologize?" "I acted all moral in front of you but I too was too busy with my own business and couldn't do anything for them" "I didn't understand anything" "Like brother was fighting on the battlefield, you were also..." "Yoshie-san," "be careful" "We may never see each other again, but I pray for your well being" "Give my regards to your children" "Come on, now" "You must hide it all." "If there's a riot, it'll all be taken yeah..." "There's nothing we can do about the country losing" "I'm sorry, we're closed for...." "You thief!" "Why are you here?" "Give me rice and eggs" "We have nothing to sell to thieves" "My sister's sick" "I don't care how many, please sell me some" "Please" "He's gone mad!" "Go home, Japan's lost" "That money's worthless" "I don't care." "Sell me eggs." "Give me rice!" "Setsuko's going to die!" "I beg you" "I beg you!" "Please!" "I beg you!" "Mother?" "I'm going" "The war is over" "Setsuko, I'm back" "Look!" "Eggs and rice!" "Setsuko?" "fireflies..." "Setsuko, I'll make congee with eggs real quick, okay?" "Brother, thank you very much (Kansai dialect)" "Just wait" "Mother's egg congee used to be so good, huh?" "The eggs were soft and the right saltiness." "So good my tongue would melt." "Right, Setsuko?" "So stupid, Setsuko" "The congee with egg was almost done" "Setsuko..." "Setsuko!" "Why Setsuko?" "What am I supposed to do?" "Mother..." "Seita-kun, Se-cchan!" "Seita-kun, Se-cchan!" "Setsuko" "I'm sorry" "I couldn't find the other one" "Mother will probably have it" "Seita-kun put Se-cchan's little bones into the can of droplets and left, never to return to Yokohana" "Seita-kun died at San'nomiya Station and was cremated with the other tramps about a month after the war ended." "It was the day after the law to protect child war victims was passed" "We're going" "Wow, so pretty." "Setsuko, look!" "Over there!" "Over there too!" "...rations are getting smaller..." "Don't worry" "Here, Se-cchan." "Now you won't lose it" "Thank you!" "Delicious!" "I..." "I don't want to live" "because we killed them, Seita-kun and Se-cchan" "We killed them!" "Ow!" "Don't be stupid!" "The war isn't over yet!" "The real war starts now!" "If you die, you lose" "If you die, it's over" "If you die, it's over" "Afterwards, mother brought us back to Tokyo and raised us without a single tear or complaint" "And until she died at the age of 95, she never mentioned the war." "Here?" "This was our sokai, Manchidani" "And over there. the entire city of Kobe was in ruins" "It has completely changed" "Nothing remains of its past" "This is the first time huh?" "This is the first time you spoke about the war" "I didn't want to recall the war nor the events that took place here" "Even Seita-kun and Se-cchan who died here" "But" "But mother remembered..." "And every time she looked at this, she probably felt the weight of having survived" "I guess the war isn't an old tale" "It's because great-grandmother survived, that you survived, and mother was born and why I'm here." "Grandmother?" "Yes?" "I wonder how far this river flows... translated by expo1970" "This drama is fictional." "However, there are many children worldwide like Seita and Setsuko who are living in the fire of war."