"TOHO-SCOPE Translated from French by Kagetsuhisoka@KG FAN-SUB, NOT FOR SALE" "AS A WIFE, AS A WOMAN" "Production:" "Sanezumi Fujimoto Hidehisa Suge" "Script:" "Toshiro Ide Zenzo Matsuyama" "Image:" "Jun Yasumoto" "Production design:" "Satoshi Chuko" "Lights:" "Choushirou Ishii" "Music:" "Ichiro Saito" "Assistant Director:" "Masazumi Kawanishi" "Editing:" "Eijii Ooi" "Tokyo Laboratory LTD" "Cast:" "Directed by:" "Mikio Naruse" "Here he is again" "Susumu with his strange voice." "His voice changes." "He only sings when he's taking a bath." "Close the gas!" "You sing a lot, but did you shower?" "Is mother back home?" "She just arried and she brings a lot of presents." "For real?" "How much it costs what we eat for a day?" "Oh well, a day..." "Let's see..." "Or during a month?" "Rice, meat, fish vegetables." "All that we eat in a month." "I have it all registed in this notebook." "You can check it whenever you want." "My mother is too tiresome, right?" "I don't really think that she's tiresome." "Not at all." "On the contrary, she's very tidy." "Regarding that, I'm much more similar to my father." "Your father always comes back home early and never drinks." "Mother!" "And mother?" "What about the presents?" "Do you think it's right to scream when you're almost naked like that?" "Also, they are still not here." "You lied to me!" "You're not alright." "Welcome!" "What about the presents?" "What are you doing, half naked?" "I'm off." " Welcome." " Hello, my daughter." "Welcome, lady, gentleman." "Thank you for resting here so late." "Have a tea with us after you are going to sleep." "Alright, thank you." "Daddy, how did your speech go?" "It was much more than a speech, it was a salutation." "Your dad is improving." "Oh really?" "I would love to listen to it." "It's not that important." "Are you going to change?" "I'm too tired." "Is this your first time, acting like a matchmaker?" "That's true." "It was a love marriage, but they still wanted a formal meeting." "There was a lot of people for a simple marriage like that." "Didn't you find it a bit over the top?" "I was very surprised." "The bride changed clothes three or four times." "After the wedding dress, she wore a kimono with the traditional hairstyle." "Then, she wore again the wedding dress" "And in the end, she left with a blazer." " That seems like a cat walk." " Oh, but it's very cute!" "When you get married, it will be much more simple." "That's not fair!" "Right?" "Are the presents here?" "Help Mine to open them." "Here it goes." "And you and your husband?" "How long have you been married?" "Who, we?" "That's right, how long..." "We got married the same year the second sino-japanese war occured." "It was in 1937, right?" "So, it makes... 24 years!" "Oh my..." "Already 24 years?" "That's a long time!" "Already 24 years that you are together?" "Are you silly or what?" "!" "Mine, please bring the sweets that we brought." "Here!" "Here they are." " Hello." " Hello." "Maman, I found it!" "Quick, let's buy it!" "Wait, calm yourself." "Sit down and have a tea." "But they only have one more." "What if someone take it first?" "Don't worry, it's very expensive for someone to buy it like that." "You know that in Ginza things are always very expensive." "The draw is amazing!" "And the price too?" "No, it cost 50.000 yens." "But the same thing in other place would cost 900.000 yens." "It's golden and white." "You entered university with excelent grades." "Congratulations." "It is thanks of my father." "Hiroko!" "Let's go, please!" "Go to the store from early, that one who has conditioned air." "Get it done, if you don't mind." "Yes, don't worry." " Bye." " Bye." " Please, I..." " It's nothing." " Here." " Thanks." "Is it true that you're going to open another bar in Shinjuku?" "Yes." "That's what you always wanted, right?" " Will your wife manage it?" " No." "And the air conditioning?" "I found that ridicule." "She was very angry because you didn't put her in here." "First of all, we must re-build the local." "I agree, yes." "She wants to make it more attractive." "But most likely, she will end up reforming it." "Hi, you were here?" " Good evening." " Hello." "Come in." "Where it will be best to put it?" " Let's see..." " What?" "He will install the air conditioned." "He will do it." "We are the only ones in Ginza that don't have it." "The business will work better starting now." "Did you want something?" " Can we talk for a bit?" " Alright." "Aoki, help the electricist, he will install the air conditioned." " Yes." " I'll come back in a second." "How will you pay it?" " The air conditioned?" " Yes." " We will pay it little by little." " But..." "It will all be good, don't worry." "What is that you wanted to tell me?" "Next tuesday, I will go somewhere for a couple of days." "I have a congress at Kansai University." "I will meet at Atami station wednesday, 5 PM." "I will come back the day after, at lunch time." "It has been a while, right?" "Can you come?" " I will call you to discuss the hour." " Yes." "Do you know already where to put it?" " What about here?" " Very good." "When can you install it?" "When you have the machine, the sooner the better." "Good." "Aoki, bring him a beer." " I shouldn't, I'm working." " Come on, it's better than tea." " Hello." " Hello." "Hey." " The lady is happy." " Why is that?" "We see them together, and their faces" "Their faces... are blazing?" "What do you think?" "A bit too much sweet." "I'm going to add salt." "That's fine now, don't add more." " I'm getting this." " Yes." " And that, for latter." " Yes." "Hurry up, mommy!" "She just arrived." " Stop singing!" " I'm sorry for the wait." "It's time to cheer." " Congratulations!" " Thanks." "And now..." "Here's mom and dad's present." "Thank you." "What's that?" "A watch!" "This will be useful." "It's very pretty." " This is mine." " Danke." "What's that?" "A box?" "You're rude!" "What's that?" "A lingerie box." " Wow!" " That's a surprise!" "Did you go buy that all alone?" "No, they sell it on my friend's store." " They made me a discount." " You're the worst." "This one comes from me, a french foulard." " Please, you can start to eat." " It smells great." " So, eat." " Yes." "Oh, it's awesome!" "This will be great with shoes and a brown bag." " Right, mommy?" " Your dad already bought you that." " Mine is not very good." " Can I see?" "It's a very beautiful butterfly!" "A Sasakia Charonda?" "They are a very difficult catch." " One must be quick." " It was two years ago, I think." "He fell from a hill and broke a leg." "He payed a lot to catch it." "I see." "You wanted to have the best, right?" "In Japan, there is around two thousand species of butterflies." "The " japonese cyrène" is one of the most stunning." "It's wings shine like they were made of metal." "I think that you will be a great biology teacher." "Please, don't give him ideas!" "I can't even clean his room, because of the insects and ticks he buys." "Oh my!" "Ticks?" "Ticks are very interesting." "But butterflies are dangerous, right?" "The dangerous insects and the inoffensive ones, even humans when we closely observe them, are much more complex." "But the world belongs to human beings." "Possible, but animals and insects are here for us." "Humans only live for themselves." "I only live for myself." "And you do the same, right?" "Mom, dad, you too, no?" "What are you talking about?" "I don't know how to explain it." "Parents live only for their kids." "Husbands live for their wifes, and wifes for their husbands." "It's like this that babies are born and we can create a nice family." "All of this represents human happiness." "Living only for and to himself is not a reason to exist?" "You're a charlatan." "We can't let young people to think like this." "We didn't have a father." "If we started to think, I don't know where we would be by now." "What's important is what we could do." "And marry early as possible, right?" "That's right, we educated you for that." "But they force you to." "If the person who put you in this world asks you, you can't refuse." "You don't understand how important that is." "But when you have kids, you'll understand." "Alcohol doesn't suit you." "Maybe you're right." "I hope you can excuse me for that." "I am your only family." "Takeshi and me, we live in a tiny apartment." "But you, you have family." "A house, a husband, a wife and two great sons." "I can't help but feel envy." "You're honest." "I sure am!" "Are you stupid?" "!" "If you excuse me, sirs." "Thank you." "Dad, I got a present from that Ginza Lady" "Oh yes?" "Alright..." "Each night when I see you, I feel so happy." "If only I could see you more often." "But our families... don't let us meet!" " Hi." " Welcome." "Do you feel like eating sushi, granny?" "Yes, thanks." "And you?" "I will eat one or two." "Can I bring a bottle of sake?" "If you want to drink it that much..." "I just was at a funeral." "Where?" " Someone died?" " The wife of Mr. Murakoshi." " How?" " Labour problems." " The child has died too." " My god." "She waited too much to have this kid." "With 39 years, it's too late." "Poor them..." "A lucky occurrence that ended badly." "We are nothing." "While it lasts, it's beautiful." "Maybe Sake is fine?" "Yes, let's drink." "It has been 100 years and he never found anyone." "And me," "I fell in love" "with you..." "But if you don't love me back," "I will let you go." "If you haven't the guts to stay with me," "I will leave and I will bring with me" "all your money." "By the way, granny." "I need that you go to the bank tomorrow and take 50.000 yens." "For what?" "I'm going to put the conditioned air in the bar." "And you're the one who will pay?" "I asked him, but with the opening of his new bar in Shinjuku, he doesn't want to take risks." "But the heat will come and the clients will stop from coming." "It's not even your business and you will spend your own money." "That's absurd." "That bar will end up being mine." "And I want to install the air conditioned in Shinjuku too." "If I can, I'll do it." "And you will pay it too?" "That's not important." "It's the only thing that I invested." "Instead of waiting that they do it, you preffer doing yourself?" "Mr. Kono always wins." "Don't say things like that." "I'm not worried about myself, I don't think I'll live for long." "C'mon, you're not going to die tomorrow." "I will die like everybody does." "Isn't it true that you spend more time now looking at the mirror?" "You start to have wrinkles, right?" "We, women, are weak." "But I don't worry about him, he's not like most of men." "It's been years since you're with this man and he never slept a single night in here." "And what can I do?" "His wife waits for him." "It would not be a big deal if he forgot about his wife a night." "Even if it's just my opinion." "That's not important" "I love him, anyway." "There is no solution" "It's been ten years and he's still cheating you." "Yes, and even in 100 years, it'll be the same." "I am on a car with the man I love." "I demand to the driver to lead us to a silent place." "We look at eachother, face to face." "So much love!" " Excuse me." " Yes." "I'm sorry to change everything so suddenly." "I thought it would be best to change it into a coffee shop." "Here's the plan that my husband gave to me, yesterday." "The sewerage goes until here." "I think it would be the best solution to put the counter on that side." "It's just a little design change." "Yes, I understand." "In that case, we can do without one of the cupboards, right?" "Of course." "Very well." "He's a professor at the university." "And, didn't he think about what will happen to the business if we fail with something." "It's a very good idea to put the counter there." "Was it your idea?" " Yes." " Just as I thought." "Sorry for being late." " I just arrived." " Really?" " Thank you for your letter." " It's nothing." " Would you like to work here?" " I would love to!" "But you must do it good." "I mortgaged the Ginza bar in order to open this one." "I will do my best." "I know that with you business will bloom." "If only we had young people like you in the Ginza bar." "So, everything good?" "I'm talking about the publicity agency chef, what was his name?" " Mr. Minami?" " Yes." " Do you think he will come?" " Yes." "Apparently, he is crazy in love with her." "I see." "And what do you think Miho feels?" "I don't think that she displeases him." "Yesterday, after the bar closed, we all got to go to a club." "Mr. Minami, Prof Kimura, Miho, Chie and I went there." "Miho drank a lot so we escort her back home." "Prof. Kimura said to her that Minami is crazy for her." "And that she should sleep with him to please him." " Sorry." " It's nothing." "I did what you asked me and I watched Ms. Miho closely." "Apparenly she's tough, but deep inside, she's one of those that gets carried away." "Is Minami single?" "Do you think he'll ask for marriage?" "He says that it's not his style to have only one woman." "And that monogamy is the worst law created by man." "Doesn't matter." "If something happens, tell me." " Isn't Miho in a trip?" " No." " Did she come to work yesterday?" " Yes." "Well, very good." " Good night." " Good night." "Hi." " Listen!" " What's all this fuss?" "Guess who we saw in the next room." "Newlyweds?" "Shall we spy them?" "That's rude!" "It's someone you know." "It's shinachiku." "Prof Kona?" "I have your beers, can I leave them here?" "Yes, thanks." "Sorry I was late." "It's no biggie." "Suit yourself." "Who were those boys?" "They are my students." "I see!" "Do you think they noticed us?" "And how was that woman?" "That doesn't matter!" "C'mon, hurry up." "You say that because you're jealous." "You're the one who is talking!" "You, who is crazy about shinachiku!" "What is shinachiku?" "It's the bamboo that we put on noodle soup." "It seems rough, but it's very sweet." "It's neither good or bad." "Let's see if there's a hole." "Stop it!" "Who matters about the adventures of a mature man?" "What is happening to you?" "Don't think more about it." "Shall we take a bath?" "Things are getting complicated." " I'm going to cut here." " There?" "Alright, let's all play!" "Oh well!" "I lost." "What are they talking about?" "I'm going to take a bath." "You're not changing anything staying here, standing up." "What bad luck!" "Don't have any fear." "Well, let's go take a bath!" "Go first." "Why are you so shy about it?" "Shy?" "They're only students." "Do not worry!" "If you think it's so wrong, it's not worth it to stay here." "Now, we can't leave." "Yes, we can!" "If you want, we can." "That would be even more embarassing." "You think that coming with me is so embarassing?" "You wanted to change hotel because of the gossips." "Look how it ended!" "You're a teacher." "No one will notice what you do or don't!" "You're always scared!" "I'm not." "But I can't avoid it." "If you..." "If I what?" "Maybe that's it." "But it's been more than 15 years that I suffer silently." "And now you're in this state because of some little students." "The problem is they're my students." "So, you should say I'm your wife." "You only think about yourself." "And I have no reason to be angry." "Because, when I first met you, you were already married with your amazing wife." "I think I've suffered much more than you all this time." "Why don't you just take a bath and stop bitching?" "I take baths everyday!" "Don't shout!" "If you have so much fear that they see us it's better if we stop this now..." "You're a bad man." "I never thought that you could get so cruel." "Yes, I've become worse." "My grandmother was a geisha in her time." "It's difficult to imagine now, but she was quite a beauty." "She says that she did a lot of money." "My grandmother always says that happiness for a woman, it's to prepare the breakfast for the husband." "In the past, there was no electricity." "They utilized logs to burn." "She always talks about the good scent of the logs burning." "I'm already 38 years old." " Give one to the lady." " Here." "Thank you very much." " How old are you?" " 5 Years." "Oh well..." "Come to daddy, Yumi." "Very good, sit down." "Here." " Are you finished?" " Almost." "Very good." "I'm going to make gloves for my mother." "That's very difficult, can you do it?" "It's easy!" "So stupid." "Don't make such racket." "Your dad is working." "Can we speak?" "It's from your father." "What is he saying?" "He wants to buy a television set." "And that we should send him more 55.000 yens than we already send him each month." "They're from the country, and they want a TV?" "We can't say no to them." "Do you want anything to eat?" " No." " Okay." "Our neighbors gave us pickles from Shinshu." "I would love if you could get me something when travelling." "Sing, Mr. Minami." "What's wrong?" "Alright, today madam is very inspired." "Something happened today, am I wrong?" "That's because Mr. Minami is here." "Come in!" "Come in!" "Excuse me." "Today is your day." "Don't waste it." "Out of question." "You have an apathetic look." "It seems like another person." "Minami, we must go to Emily." " Shall we go?" " Yes." "So, go with me too, I will show you the way." "Madam wants to come?" "If I go, yes." "I am her bodyguard." "Listen..." "Did something happen?" "Why?" "You seem so unchained." "I want to stay with you tonight." "Adventures are not my thing." "Don't say that, you're the lover here." "What's the difference between a lover and a wife?" "To have a lover is expensive, a wife is free of charge." "That's not funny." "That's what women say, but it's alright to have lovers." "Same thing for men and women." "That is true." "I agree." "That's intolerable!" "Don't make him suffer so much." "It's obvious that she's a woman with good taste." "Don't make that face, it's scary." "Mr. Minami." "Being unfaithful is a vice or a virtue?" "I wouldn't be surprised if my husband is unfaithful." "That's because you're too modern." "If neither of them know..." "Being unfaithful is not bad to the other person, but to oneself." "Could be." "But I don't think that way, one must add colour to life." "One man for one life is very boring." "Could be." "Some people think that way." "I'm happy that you're life is that colourful." "I realized all that very late." "Don't say that, it's still not too late." "They say that women in her 30's are the best." "Right, teacher?" "That's because they seem they are going to succumb, but they don't." "That's wrong, I will succumb." "Nobody think that way." "And if I succumb?" " Amazing!" " What?" "If you search for a lover, I will respect you." "So, I will do it." "Do you agree, Mr. Minami?" "Why do you say that?" "To be honest, I like you." "Impressive." "If that was true, he would die, that's why he was sitting so far." "You're evil." "Starting today, my life will change." "Ruri is right." "I will not live for only one man." "That's talking." "Cheers!" "So, Mr. Minami." "Teacher." "What is it?" "We will cheer when she's away." "Ruri, go away." "And it's better if you don't come tomorrow." "Why?" "You know why." "I don't think I did anything wrong." "Teacher..." "When I say you're leaving, it's better if you leave" "What are you waiting for?" "If you call for Kono's wife, she will be very happy." "I finally decided to become unfaithful." "Why would I do that?" "I don't understand what are you talking about." "Either you go away, or I throw my glass on you." "The place where you thought you were going, once I quit, of course." "The Shinjuku bar." "Spy." "Go away!" " Be careful." " I'm okay." "I'm not worthy as a wife, I know it." "It seems like if I am unfaithful I will commit an error." "But I was faithful for more than ten years." "And even if it's not like it, it will not be easy to disengage me." "Besides Ruriko, there is Michiko, another woman to spy me." "I'm not faifthul for hypocrisy." "After all these years, I try not to commit any error." "And that, is the head of a woman." "You don't understand me." "Or do you?" "No." "It's as I thought." "It's very unusual that a wife and a lover have a good relation." "But you will not reject that possibility." "People can do everything." "Let's go." "If I was unfaithful, it would be with you." "If men do it, why not us, women?" "That's unfair." "Why is the world like this?" "What world?" " I'm sorry." " Why?" "I only had him all these years." "If you love him so much, what does it matter to be alone?" "That's true." "But I think we're breaking up." "Why?" "Suddenly he seems so insignificant." "We, human beings, are so bizarre." "Even his way of smoking bothers me" "It will be better tomorrow, you need some rest." "I'm calling a taxi." "What's wrong?" "Well," "I don't want to go back home." "But it's 2:00 AM." "I want to stroll during all night." "But if you're too tired, I can sleep with you." "In a motel." "Where?" "In Africa, I believe." "Unfaithful women are stripped, beaten up and killed with stones." "Ten by day." "Being beaten so badly, I'm sure they die quickly." "What a story." "You must be prepared for love." "Mr. Minami..." "Are you ready?" "Yes." "I think." "But you, it's obvious." "What have you seen in me?" "It's probably absurd." "But during all these years, you stayed with the same man." "You're a museum article." "And I love antiques very much." "You're leaving?" "You depreciated myself a while ago." "I'm going to Aoyama." "Today, it's me, who will be the wife in your house." "It's close to my course." "You're staying?" "I want to see a bachelor's apartment at least once." "Come in." "Careful." "Enter." "What's wrong?" "come in." "I know you well." "It was like this that I imagined your apartment." "It's like I was here one thousand times." "Don't stay there." "Good night." "It's not needed to escort me." "No." "Don't come closer." "But..." "Sorry." "They say it's good to be honest, but you're not a schoolgirl anymore." "That hurts!" "You should go see a doctor because there is still make up inside." "You're coming with me?" "For sure." "Am I more similar to you or daddy?" "Listen..." "You're similar to both of us." "Yes?" "It's time." "Really?" "Parents meeting?" "Yes, and it's far away..." "Such laziness." "It was you who insisted for me to go." "Because it's there where you will find the best boys." "You're hurting me!" "I will go on." "That suits you, you're very beautiful..." "Really?" "Everything's a mess, she never tidies up." "Why are you so mad?" "When you left, I spend all day tiding up." "But you love that." "That's what you wanted." "Don't forget that." "What's "that"?" "That." "Where did I put it?" "But it's right in front of your nose." "Is that your wallet?" "That's right." "Hurry up, it's for today." "And he is almost arriving." "What are you talking about?" "I have a lot to say today so take your time." "Oh, I will choose the triple feature." "Maybe it will have a western." "That's what you're going to do?" "If you think you can make it, I will come back in three days." "I hope he stays." "That's why you bought some meat yesterday." "Of course." "And if he stays, it'll be for you." "Don't joke with me." "Now, leave." "I'm going, I'm going." "Good night." "I'm sorry for the other day." "It's alright." " Are you taking a bath?" " No." " Beer?" " No." "I'm sure your wife said anything." "She said it was not fair to fire someone without a reason." "But yes, there's a reason." "Don't you think she was spying you, you just simply met." "It's normal that your wife hates me." "It's logic, cause she's a woman." "She doesn't hate you." "Men never understand." "I was sitting there, looking at myself in the mirror." "It's crazy how we rot throughout the years." "Wrinkles, marks..." "Poor us, women." "I was wondering what I did all my life since I was born." "That's what I was thinking about." "And now you ask that question?" "You're right." "But I'm not sure, I have nothing to hold on." "It's the same with everyone." "There is nothing certain in this world." "I want to ask you something." "Stay in here this night, I don't want you to leave." "I can't." "Why?" "I never slept outside home, only when I'm travelling." "And the kids are home." "Why are you asking me that now?" "I wanted you to stay." "I never asked that during all these years." "Does it bother you that I suddenly asked it?" "It doesn't bother me." "So, stay this night." "It doesn't matter if I stay or if I go." "If it's like that, stay." "If I could, I would stay from the beggining." "Why can't you stay?" "Be honest." "Is it because you have a wife?" "Because you teach at the university?" "We already talked about this and we both agreed on it." "We are alright like this, isn't that so?" "No." "What do you want for us to do?" "That's not what is bothering you, right?" "Yes." "If you don't even want to spend a night with me..." "If that's your condition..." "It's better if we break up." "But you're very good like that." "We should break up in the past." "We should never meet eachother." "When I met you, I become a wife like others." "Yes..." "It would be better if I never knew you." "Do you remember when we were together in that factory?" "When we saw a B29 that flied through the sky." "So beautiful." "Where is it going?" "You said to me that we would loose the war." "I didn't understand it well." "I couldn't imagine that we would end up loosing the war." "Do not worry about your wife, we are not going to her zone." "And I held your hand." "Do you remember?" "At that time, I was pregnant with your daughter." "That B29 only left my grand-mother and killed my family." "We used to walk together around the city ruins." "When granny saw you, she asked me if you were my friend." "We should separate at that momment." "I am here." "We have a lot of canned meat." "We should sell it." "Are you good?" "Yes, sure." "Where are you going at this hour?" "I'm going for a while." "You know well where I'm going." "I know that you were always with her." "It's hard for her." "She only has her grand-mother." "She can't live otherwise." "I understand that she needs you." "But you, do you need her?" "She has my child." "Sorry." "You don't have to be sorry." "If you agree, I would like to keep her with us." "This is a man's world." "I refuse." "That's what I said, but you did what you wanted." "And I had to raise the kids for more than ten years." "I should ask for a compensation." "What shall we do?" "Regarding what?" "About the bar." "Shall we give it to her?" "For her to quit you?" "Yes." "She run it for twelve years." "The glasses and the tables are that old." "So, she only has to take them, if she wants" "But you know that the bar gives us profits." "I raised her kids while she lived like she wanted." "Mommy!" "He stole my coin!" "I don't have any coin!" "Susumu, you should not take money from other people." "God is watching us and he will punish you if you don't behave." "When you want money, ask mommy." "So that.." "If you find the coin in your pocket give it to your sister and say: "I found it!"" "But I don't have it!" " Liar!" "You stole it!" " You're stupid!" "Susumu!" "Hiroko..." " Here we are!" " Hi, kids." "A used Toyota, 500.000." "A Skyline, 450.000." "A Cedric, 550.000." "And we have the ones that are imported, A Hillman costs 480.000." "And a Renault, 330.000." "Not a Renault, they are tiny." "Right, mommy?" "Better an american car, they are bigger." "Are we going to buy a car?" "You were not listening when I told you." "And who will drive it?" "Mommy, you or me." "First one who gets the license." "Not me, I don't have the knack for machines." "Daddy, then." "I would love to be driven!" "We give up and we break up, but..." "Such a old song!" "It was popular when we were little." "You don't know what's "revivalism"?" "Old songs are fashionable now." "Revivalism?" "What's that?" "It takes back to old songs." "Now we watch it all the time on television." "That's true." "Don't you think that singer is cute?" "A love that made me risk my life..." "I'm going to take a photo." "Come closer." " Why doesn't Kusuhara do it?" " Good idea." "Quicker!" "Quicker!" " Why don't you do it yourself?" " I can't." " So, isn't it amazing?" " He can't do it anymore." "Sorry for the wait." "You're so late." "Sit here, quickly." "Toshibo, congratulations for you." "Thank you." "Didn't you add that to our bill?" "Not at all." "She says that because she's good with it." "I was told that today, Mr. was inviting you." "It's on this occasions that we should smile." "Eh!" "My company has business with this hotel!" "I don't think it's right to win money like that." "Don't say that!" "C'mon, serve me." "Today, you're the one who is going to serve us." "You're lucky." "You're surrounded with beauties." "Thank you very much." " Are you all served?" " Yes." " Congrats, Toshibo!" " What's this party for?" " Toshibo is an official wife." " Oh well..." "The other wife is dead." " Didn't you killed her yourself?" " You're cruel." "You're celebrating Toshibo's party with my money?" " Sorry." " You know what you're doing." "I thought that when you become an official wife, you would not hang out with us anymore." " How are you feeling now?" " Good, it's not bad at all." "I love to be seen as a wife." "On the contrary, your wife is still alive." "Excuse me." "I begin to understand the pain of mistresses." " Maybe he has another lover." " Impossible to know." "It's true." "You changed your mistress status to that of a wife." "It's normal that your husband is searching for a substitute." " How hard it is to be a wife!" " What were you expecting?" "Miho, what's wrong?" "You're sad." "She's like that because she's anxious." " Tell us, we will help you." " I think I will quit him." " Did you find a better one?" " No." "So, why do you want to quit him?" "That's why I want your advice." "I was observing you." "You're all very inteligent." "Your life is good." "Toshibo is an official wife." "Hanagi owns this amazing hotel." "Kyoko has two hairdressing saloons." "And Fuku... is so good too." "But you own a bar in Giza, right?" " It's not mine." " How's that?" "You're stupid." "I already asked them to give me." "It's the least they can do." "After all, it was I that was responsible for it." " How's that go?" " I pay 100.000 yens each month." "His wife comes every month searching for the money." "Does that mean if you win less than 100.000, you gain nothing?" " I see." " That will never happen to me." "The restaurant is in my name." "Whose name is the bar?" " His wife's name." " Bad deal." "And if you go away, you have to leave the bar too?" " Do you believe it?" " Of course." "His wife will do it." "But I always did anything here." "I even payed the decoration and the seats from my pocket." "You're so silly." "You should never do it." " So, I'm not leaving." " Not a chance." " But the problem, is the money" " True." "The best thing is that they give you money to leave the bar." " What's the quantity?" " How much is the indemnity?" "Indemnity?" "What are you talking about!" "For how long are you working there?" "After the end of the war." "Circa 18 years." "Let's imagine that the percentage is 30.000 yens for month." " So..." "How much it will be?" " 360.000 yens for a year." " Wait..." " How much does a pensioner earns?" " In that case there's not a pension." " They should give you 3 millions." "Because you sacrificed your youth to him." " They shouldn't give you less." " Defend yourself, whatever it costs." "The most precious thing in the world is the body of a woman." "But you know, most of the times that's the most cheap thing." " Don't be pessimistic." " 3 millions is not much." " Can I do something?" " Sure." "His wife hates you so much that if she could, she would kill you." "She despises you and she made you live in the shadows." "If we are all women, why does, she have the right to be a wife and you the mistress?" "Listen, you, you're a man..." "It's you, men, that decide who is a lover and a wife." "Why is it like this way?" " It starts." " She's drunk quickly." "He doesn't know how to drink." " Do you have a good massagist?" " Yes." "He looks like Takarada Akira." " So, I'm going with him!" " But.. he's blind." "It's curious, women always justify their sorrows." " This year will be unlucky." " Here, here." "Go a little stronger." "They say that this year is the year of destruction." "The Mars star is between East and South." " Lately, my neck hurts." " You worry too much." "In this position the star from Mars senses the destruction." "In this year, I warn you to be more carefull than usual." "Your husband is rabbit and the other woman is mouse." "According to my estimate, if you don't interfere, their relation will end starting in July." "Which means, if you can resist to the temptation and not interfere the problem will solve itself." "Be patient." "It's very simple." "I'm back!" "I met Oda near the Station." " Hello!" " Come in." "Welcome, madam." "What I told you happened, right?" "You did the exam?" "That's because I studied a lot." "No, it's destiny." "You were born in 1943, and precisely that year, your mother had a lot of luck." "We call that being born under a good star." "It can't be only destiny." "I was born in an lost Kofu place during the war, hein, mommy?" "Yes." "Mommy wanted beautiful roses to put them at the hall." " Let's go buy it." " Yes." "Daddy." "Mommy and you, you almost never argue." "But at Suzuki house, they argue all the time." "Why?" "Suzuki's dad spends all his day playing golf and his mother always brags that his not at home." "So the father says she spends all her day sleeping on her bed." "His mother likes to sleep a lot." "I see" "I still didn't gave you the money from the other time." "I don't know what I can do more for them to give me the money." "It's not a problem." "Takashi says he will quit school and start working." "But I would love if he keep studying." "At home I also have Susumu and Hiroko." "It's not easy." "A woman can't take care of everything." "Even if he was weak," "I would love that my husband was still alive." " I am jealous of you." " Don't say that." "Sometimes I envy you and Takashi, because you can be alone." " That's absurd." " I'm serious." "Is that because that Ginza woman?" "After this long, I resigned myself." "But the other day she asked me to give her the bar." "How shameless!" "Hiroko and Susumu still don't know?" "No." "They have a fragile age and I'm affarid." "I'm sorry I made you come here." "Don't worry." "Is this your friend's?" " Yes." " It seems like he's a great restaurant." "The Isshin Seiko president bought it." " Now, she's responsible for it." " Oh well." "Thanks." "Welcome." "She's the owner, Fukuko." "It's a pleasure." "I am Miho's old friend." "I know what are you going to say." "I only ask you to try to put yourself in her position." "I'm sorry to stick in my nose." "I'm leaving you alone." "Please stay as much as you want." "Miho, if you need me, call me." "Why did she said that?" "It doesn't matter, let's not hide anything." "But say it all, once and for all." "I don't like to see you this often." "Because I more or less know what you're going to ask me," "I prepared some answers." "But I warn you: there's a subject that we promised not to discuss." "Yes." "If you touch on that subject, I will leave immediately..." "So, speak." "I don't have much free time for you." "I think I'm going to quit Kono." "I know, he told me." "You asked for the bar in compensation, right?" "That bar is mortgaged." "We can't give it to you." "I think that Kono already explained it to you." "Yes." "Then I want 3 million." "Is that a compensation for your farewell?" "It doesn't matter how you call it." "In that case, it's me who deserve a compensation." "It's not that." "I think I somewhat deserve that quantity." "I don't want to listen to your whining." "Let's speak clearly." "As Kono's wife, I refuse your proposal." "You have the bad habit to think you're the victims." "But the real victims are the wives." "If you don't give me the money and the bar I'll chase you." "I lived alone for a long time." "What's the price for a woman's life?" "It has no price." "You can get me on trial if you want." "But I warn you that you're the one who will loose." "Both the bar at Shinjuku and Giza are in my name." "But I was the one who always run the Ginza one." "And each month, without fail, I gave you 100.000 yens." "Within a year, that represents 1 200 000 yens." "If it wasn't for that, you wouldn't have any profits." "Who do you think you are?" "And what do I care?" "What do I know?" "I did a lot for you." "You didn't realize that all this time, you did nothing but hurt me?" "Because you never got to be a wife." "Your friend said that we should try to put in eachother's position." "Because I don't want you to make this nasty affair public and to be embarassed I will give you 500.000 yens." "I can't pay it in a single time, though." "But you have to leave the bar once for all." "Until you can't give me the bar or 3 million yen" "I'm not leaving." "Alright, do as you want." "I don't care if you break up or not with Kondo" "It's time to make all this accumulated hate disappear." "You should do it too." "After the war I become brave" "Bye." "Hi" "Thank you for coming." "Shall we have a tea?" "I studied your case and there is nothing we can do." "They will not pay you an indemnity." " Even If I'm right?" " Yes." "According to the statistics of family tribunal, less than 1% of the people who asked for indemnity won that process." "Oh well..." "You could get 200.000 yens maximum, that would be 20 to 30.000 for month." "That's a joke!" "What do you want to do?" "But what are you telling me?" "Did something happen?" "A woman who spent all her time satisfying a man's needs doesn't cost so little!" "It's really a good price!" "Maybe regarding your case, they'll give you 1000 yens." "You're more wrinkled than a raisin!" "Only 200.000 yens?" "What kind of indemnity is that?" "Everyone looks down on mistresses!" "Everyone treats us badly!" " But you..." " Grand-mother, I want to drink." "Alright." "You will see what I do to have the bar back." "I worked hard for it everyday, rain or shine." "I dedicated all my life to that bar." "It's like a part of my own body!" "Why don't you ask someone's advice?" "Even if the business is in his name, they can't take it away from the person who always worked for it." "That's why I gave you that advice." "Miho, take things seriously." "A Geisha's kindness is like a pair of sandals." "You can get them as long as you have money." "Miho, stop it once and for all." "You'll not win anything, shouting." "It's because of that that I'm screaming." "What else can I do instead of shouting?" "There's a thing you never tried before." "What?" "Ask for the children that were taken away from you." "The children?" "Exactly." "If they don't want to give you money nor the bar, you can only have those kids that you put in this world." "Why can't you have them?" "But it was you who made me give the children to Kono!" "Why are you saying this now?" "I promised to that woman never say anything to the kids." "Why are you saying this now?" "Maybe for you that's the same, but when they grow-up they will be looked down because they don't have a father." "Kids who have a father and a mother are much happier." "The fact that they asked to keep them was a present from heaven." "You should be thankful." "You should thank Kono's wife." "She's a good person." "If she hated you she would never do this." "I already resigned in loosing Hiroko." "I thank her for keeping Hiroko during the war." "But I would love to raise her myself." "You're so silly." "How do I say it so you can understand?" "Children need a house, and a father and a mother." "Me too, I never liked the idea that you give away that baby." "But you'll see that someday you will thank me." "You understand, right?" "You're saying the exact opposite that you said in the past." "I didn't have a choice then." "Times have changed." "How long was it since I come back in tears because I saw them at the tempura restaurant?" "I don't remember that." "Oh, but me, I'll never forget the shock I had that exact day!" "It's been awhile!" "Are you alone?" "Yes" "Eat with us." "Hiroko, Susumu, you don't greet the lady?" " Hi!" " Hi!" "Hi." "Sit down." " Don't take it, it's mine." "Maman." " Susumu!" "Come in." "Leave us alone, please." "I'm sorry I came to the university." "It was not a good idea." "What happened is" "I tried to call you many times, but I wasn't able to contact you." "The only way I can see you is to come here or my place." "I always call you when I have some free time." "The problem is, I'm very busy." "Yesterday was sunday." "You were at home all day." "I wanted to go out and talk with you a bit." "But time has passed and..." "nothing." "Yesterday I spend all my day working on a translation." "That's not true." "Yesterday at your house there was lawyers and real estate officer that wanted to buy the Ginza bar." " You're going to sell it?" " I'll not do it." "A buyer came today with your wife's card." "You haven't told me." "Nothing has been decided yet." "If I end up selling it..." "It's not a problem." "I don't need money or the bar." "Give me back my son, Susumu." "Why are you saying silly things?" "I don't care that officialy he's your wife's son." "Give me back my Susumu." "Miho." "What are you talking about?" "What have I done wrong to you?" "I am good like this." "You and me, we're good like this, right?" "Do you want to destroy everything?" "You can't do that now." "Give me back the kid." "I beg you, Miho." "The children ignore it all, and are growing up happily." "Because none of us had the courage to say it." "It would harm them, don't trouble the scenario." "You plan to steal everything away from me, right?" "That's not it." "But certain things are inevitable." " Don't you think so?" " No." "How come?" "Kids shall live as kids." "You understand, right?" "I'm going to search for Susumu." "Miho!" " Susumu!" " Ginza Lady!" "Hi." "You're going home?" "Yes." "And you?" "I'm going to pay something and I recognized you." "Did you finished the payings?" " Are you inviting me to go drink?" " Yes." " Can I come with my friends?" " Sure." " Alright, drink." " Are you sure?" "You're invited." "You're aunt is great." "She's not my aunt, she's the owner of the Ginza bar." "The owner?" "Such luck." " Say, does she treat you well." " That's surprising." "So, have you been busy?" "And you know I would do anything for you, but things are complicated for me." "I am leaving for Africa." "What?" "A-fri-ca." "Africa?" "Can we meet eachother tonight?" "No, it has nothing to do with the bar." "I want to ask you something." "I would like if you helped me." "Sorry, but I don't have the time." "Sorry, but I really don't have time." "I will come back in March." "We'll see eachother again." "Say hi to your mother for me." "I will bring you an alligator bag." "I'm really sorry." "Susumu, listen." "Would you like to go somewhere with me?" " Where?" " Wherever you want." "Such an energic woman!" "Kono is lucky!" "Here you go." " Do you love it?" " Yes." " What time is it now?" " Now?" "07 PM, it's still early." "I'm leaving in a bit." "But it's still early!" "I hope they're not late bringing desserts." "Look, here she is." "I'm sorry for being late." "Geishas are here and things are a bit agitated." "Thanks." " Here it goes." " I really need to go." "So early?" "You're mother will punish you?" "If I'm late, yes." "Are you scared of your mother?" "No, not really." " Did she ever beat you?" " Yes." "Your mother beated you?" "Stop, Fuku." "You can't say it, that's it?" "It doesn't matter." "What doesn't matter?" "It's not a big problem." "But no, it is a problem!" "If you can't say it, I will do it for you." "You said you would struggle until your death, right?" "Susumu, your mother..." "Fuku!" "Shut up." "You know, Susumu?" "Your true mother is the woman who is facing you right now." "It's the truth, look closer at her face." "She said she would search for Susumu?" "She doesn't want the bar and she doesn't want money." "She just wants her kid back." "And you, what did you answer?" "Why didn't you stop her?" "It was unwise to let her go." "searching for Susumu." "I bet there would be other ways to solve things." "It's not only my fault." "This time you went too far too." "She is blackmailing me, saying she is going to trial." "I can't let her embarrass me in public." "But we could still solve this in a friendly way." "You never change." "You always do nothing." "You only wait, expecting me to give up or solve things." "You're sly." "You're the one who is sly." "You spied me to know what I was doing and when." "They even informed you what I bought." "I didn't do it for pleasure." "You reap what you sow." "Hi, my child." "You're late." "Where were you, Susumu?" "Susumu!" "What's wrong with you?" "Do you want to eat?" "I eat with the Ginza lady." "Really?" "The bar owner said she was my mother." "Open the door, Susumu!" "Don't say stupid things!" "What did they told you, Susumu?" "Dear!" "Open, Susumu!" "Susumu!" "Hi!" "What are you doing?" "Susumu always takes things too seriously." "Someone said to him that I'm not his mother." "That's absurd." "Susumu thinks that you're our step-mother?" "Yes, that's it." "Susumu!" "Susumu!" "Do you want a fruit tart?" "Talk to me, Susumu." "Susumu!" "I don't want to see daddy or mommy, only sister can enter." " Do you want me to go alone?" " Yes." "Don't say here, I'll solve everything." "Say to him that it's false." "Or else, I'll go search for the family book and official registry." "Don't worry." "This kid is just naive!" "Open it, Susumu." "I'm going to enter alone." "What is wrong?" "Do you want the fruit tart?" "Are you crying?" "Don't be silly." "If mommy was our step-mother, who would be our real mother?" "You already saw a copy of the family registry." "Yes, I saw it, but that doesn't matter." "And who is our mother?" "The lady from the Ginza bar." "The owner of Catherine?" "Exactly." "And if that was true, what would that change?" "Nothing." " So, it's not a problem, right?" " No." " Don't take it too seriously." " You're right." " You're such an idiot." " You're the stupid one." "You're not mom's child, but you're the daughter of the Ginza bar's owner." "What are you talking about?" "Our true mother is the owner of the Ginza Bar." "Come in." "Stay in the room until I say so." "I will call you when we are finished" "Understand?" "Why did she come?" "She told me a lot of things." "When mommy married daddy, she couldn't have any babies." "Is she sterile?" "When I noticed that you were pregnant with Hiroko," "I was so furious that I believed that I was going to kill you." "I got an operation with 19 years and almost died." "When they said I couldn't have kids," "I believed that I would never be able to marry anyone." "When I was asked to marry, my defunct mother said to be thankful to my husband and to accept me as a sterile woman." "That's why I would like to forgive you and my husband." " But..." " I'm not finished." "I didn't forgive you;" "I took advantage from your children to regain my honor as a woman." "I lead society into error by making believe they were my kids, and I led myself into error as well." "I was pretending to honor my husband." "I asked for services and they registered me as a pregnant woman." "I was given rationing tickets for milk and clothes." "I wrapped my belly with cloths and walked on the streets to make people believe I was pregnant." "I had to suffer during 10 months in order to give birth to a girl that my husband had conceived with other woman." "I had her registered like she was my daughter." "That's why I reclaim her as mine." "You didn't know that, did you?" "Hiroko was already my daughter even before she was born." "We, women, we are complex." "Whenever I thought about that, I imagined" "I was pregnant." "When Hiroko was a baby and when we separated her from your figure in order to hold her, I felt the labour pain." "I believed that she was my daughter, and that I was her real mother." "Until now, I never thought that she was someone else's daugther." "And the same goes for Susumu." "They are both my kids." "That's your point of view." "But for me, you are someone who thinks that has the right to steal and eat what other have cooked," "without get the hands dirty." "That's what happened with the Ginza bar and with Suzumu, you transformed my suffering in order to obtain happiness." "You said that you would not repeat the same thing again." "But when you knew that the baby was a boy you changed your mind and you behaved like a lady." " That was..." " It's my turn to speak." "You wanted a boy." "And because I was pregnant with him, you did it like it was nothing, and, once again, you took the baby from my arms." "I should have run away at that time." "I should have flee, even letting my son without a father." "Now we would be together, Susumu and me, and we would have led a fine life, without suffering so much." "You're free to think what you want." "I ignore what Susumu told you, but him and Hiroko are mine." "No." "Give me back Susumu." "Hunny, say something, I beg of you." "I don't have the right to." "Why do you never assume your responsabilites." "Speaking honestly," "I don't know what to say or do." "The only thing I can do is to ask for your forgivness." "If I say I'm not able to separate from you and Miho," "You will think I'm playing with your hearts." "I never imagined anything like this to happen." "This is destiny's work." "But a lot of years have passed." "If I change things now and force their development, I will hurt greatly somebody." "I don't ask for you to forget this episode." "But give me a bit of time." "You had more than ten years." "You and me always avoid important conversations." "During twenty years." "The life of a person doesn't have a logical explanation." "It's like a mathematical problem." "Each life is diferent." "When I try to speak seriously you always avoid the subject." "You're always like this, you always do the same thing." "I'm not deceiving you." "I'm not deceiving myself as well." "I only wanted to be sincere, since the beginning." "From a moral standpoint, I behaved like a coward." "I don't have excuse." "I thank both of you." "You've done a lot for me." "I know that what I'm saying is not easy to understand, but what will happen if we start to search for guilt?" "How it will all end?" "The more we talk, the least we understand eachother." "We are husband and wife." " Husband and wife?" " Exactly." "And what is the place of a husband and wife?" "Here it is!" "What a magnificent place." "With a marvelous wife and a marvelous husband." "That's because of that that I decided to abandon." "Lately, I only wish your death." "Before, sometimes I thought about it, but now I'm always thinking of that." "Even I don't understand." "Suffering causes me hate." "I was an unlucky woman that dedicated her life to a man." "What was my goal in these thirty years?" "I don't have any family." "I don't have kids." "I want to have something that shows that I lived in this world." "Please, give me back your kids." "You have a family." "I have nothing." "Nothing." "And me, what do I have achieved?" "Next year, we're celebrating our golden wedding anniversary." "These 25 years weren't easy." "I lived only to secure my house." "We could keep on talking, but we wouldn't solve anything." "You, you put children in the world, but me, I raised them and educate them." "No." "They are my children." "They should give their own oppinion." "I don't run away from my responsabilites." "We are going to call them and we will ask them." "We mustn't do that!" "Hiroko is 18 years old, She's not a kid anymore." "And Susumu too." " I'm going to call them." " I'm doing that." "We heard everything." "Dad, mom, I hate you." "And you, I hate you even more." "You're nothing but an unlucky stupid woman." "But you, you're even worse, mommy." "And you, dad, you're worthless." "I'm going to leave this house, but I'm not going with any of you." "I don't want to be here." "Nothing that you said has any relation with me." "Isn't that so?" "I don't have time to listen to these stories." "Let's go, Susumu." "Hiroko!" "I'm very angry." "Grown-ups are liars." "Since I was born my life has been filled with lies." "I'm fed up with them." "Their behaviour is unforgivable." "They treated us like we are excessive." "We were just a bother for them." "And mom was the one who hate us the most." "You're right." "Whenever I think that since I was born my life has been filled with lies," "I get furious." "I can't forgive them." "I'm leaving our house." "I can't live with them anymore." "And where are you going to live?" "With a friend or at the university dorm." "And you, what will you do?" "I don't know." "500.000 yens." "After struggling so much during almost 40 years, 500.000 yens." "Only 500.000 yens." "Better that, than nothing." "Enough!" "How can you sing so softly?" "Do not whine!" "Sing a song that you love and start from scratch." "Even if you killed yourself, we couldn't stay in here anymore." "That's done it!" "But you're the one who convinced me." "How will the next bar look like?" "It will not be a bar, but a street fast food joint." "I see." "Bye." "I'm thinking" "I should break up with him." "Break up with him?" "That's surprising!" "Why do you say that?" "Nothing bonds us." "I don't know why I lost all these years." "And what will happen to Hiroko and Susumu?" "They are two marvelous kids." "But, what I did was an error." "What's happening?" "Today's saturday." "If I go back home early, I'll be bored." "And mommy and daddy?" "They are like usual." "Grown-ups never change." "Me too, I want to go to university and being able to leave home." "I'm sorry I left you alone." "But I think you're very mature, Susumu." "I study a lot." "Forget all the bad things." " Shall we go to the cinema?" " Yes!" "Wait for me, I'm going to ask permission." "THE END" "Translated from French by Kagetsuhisoka@KG"