RAKERU CAFÉ
- Is she really cute? - Yeah, can we trust you?
- How old is she, anyway? - Uh, I think she's 23 or 4...
- Welcome in. - Thanks.
MARCH, 1979
Thanks. She's cute, for real.
- Your table. - Thanks.
Welcome in.
Thanks for coming in.
Hiroo-chan, hey.
You're like a different person... in... in that kind of outfit.
Huh.
Are these your friends?
My classmates.
Ah, four coffees. Black, thanks.
Wouldn't you rather just have juice instead?
An Americano for me, okay?
Me too.
Americanos. Back in a sec.
Okay.
Trying to act cool ordering an Americano?
Sakiko?
Are you okay?
Thanks so much.
Oh!
I thought I told Hiroo not to bother you with all this.
He couldn't just leave you like that.
It's not serious. Bit of anemia.
Sakiko, are you...
Sorry, I just need to change clothes...
Go ahead.
Sorry about this. We'll be leaving before too long.
Oh, it's no problem.
Oh, I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to work today.
I heard that you collapsed. I can't say I'm surprised.
You don't eat anything at all these days.
You're not eating?
You know, if you keep this up,
you could die, long before your man wins. Try to take care of yourself.
Hey, what'd you eat today?
What I eat is none of your business.
You ate a little, didn't you?
You didn't eat anything?
Why didn't you say that you're short on cash?
That's not the issue.
Hide's trying to lose weight.
Over the past ten days, he hasn't been able to...
to eat a grain of rice or his favorite ramen, nothing.
I still don't get it. Why is it that you have to starve too?
Because then, at least, he doesn't have to do it alone.
- Oh, I thought you had a late shift? - I did, yeah.
- Oh, thanks for looking after her. - Oh, of course.
Ah... goodness...
Where do we leave our shoes?
- Just right here or... - Sure, right there.
Wanna try?
- I'm strong. - Bring it on.
- Here! - Wow! Hey, you're good.
Nice.
- Try again. Whoa! - Take this!
Hey, hey, hey! Take that!
I haven't done that for a while.
Really, since when?
Since the last match.
Hey. Hey, that's quite the swing!
Guess you're out of your league, huh? Come on.
MUST WIN! DISCIPLINE IS KEY!
Who does this belong to?
Who had ramen?
Did you guys eat this?
I couldn't eat all of it, though. A little's left.
I'd like you to go.
He said you guys aren't officially married.
I could get over all this.
Her.
I did come back here early, so I share fault in that.
I'll act like I didn't see her.
Don't say anything stupid. He's to blame--
Makiko, just shut up, all right?
It's the food.
How could you?
This...
It's this!
When it comes to this,
I just can't forgive what you did.
My sister, she collapsed during her shift today.
Makiko, shut up!
She couldn't bear seeing you suffer through your weight loss,
so she hasn't eaten anything, just like you said you were doing.
Hold on. Nobody asked her to do that.
Go on and eat, and stop worrying about what I eat, okay?
You know that she couldn't do that.
Women can't do things like that.
You think that she'd be glad to eat alone in secret,
but she just can't do it.
Makiko, please...
She could have rice omelets, French toast,
anything she wanted at the restaurant.
Instead, she gave up food and collapsed from anemia mid-shift!
Can you imagine doing that?
You might apologize at least.
And why would I?
I'd say she's just acting self-centered.
Ah, shit.
Oh well...
I guess I chose it all on my own.
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Keep on going higher ♪
♪ Burning with desire ♪
♪ Everything is brighter ♪
♪ Whenever you're around ♪
♪ Whenever we get down, going higher ♪
♪ Feelings like a tiger ♪
♪ Everything is lighter ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
- I just think you should end-- - Sh!
You want more dumplings, then?
Mm-hmm, I do.
Honestly, I think you should just break up with him.
Go upstairs now, kids.
Come on. Hurry up. Don't dawdle. Go on.
I really think
it'd be best to break up with--
Hey, let's not talk about that for now.
Maybe you should go home to Ikegami.
Ikegami?
I'm not saying you should go now, of course.
You should stay here with us tonight, okay?
Makiko, if your
husband were having an affair, then...
- What?! - What?!
If he cheated,
just hypothetically,
do you think that
Ikegami's where you'd like to go?
For the past seven years,
Dad's been looking after another woman besides his wife.
Mom knows about his affair,
but she never says a single word about it.
She just carries on living with him like nothing's wrong.
So I'm not sure how well I'd do going to their house right now.
TOKYO METROPOLITAN LIBRARY ARISUGAWA BRANCH
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF NATSUME SOSEKI
I'll take a bun.
Mmm, go on.
Ah.
Mind if I take a look?
Mm-hmm.
Soseki's Complete Works: The Third Volume.
May I read it?
Go ahead.
"Gubijinso."
"From beneath the brim of his creased brown hat,
he looked up,
moving his prominent eyebrows."
"Above his head, he could see
all across the vast spring sky
a drifting wash of indigo to the horizon."
"It looked so delicate
that if one were to blow on it,
that breath could shake it."
"And against this scene...
with its unwavering, immutable presence,
stood towering Mount Hiei."
That's an incredibly stubborn mountain.
Gubijinso uses this Gu kanji? I didn't know that.
Know what?
I always thought that they used the same kanji as the one in "fool."
So "foolish beauty"?
Beautiful people aren't that smart.
I guess that's true, yeah.
It's like my sister Sakiko.
There are exceptions to that, though.
So then "Gubijin" is the name of a person, isn't it?
Yes, a Chinese historical figure.
With the "so" at the end, uh, the word becomes a plant name, then?
And it really exists.
Gubijinso?
Yeah. Who's that Chinese girl who sounds
like some kind of squeaky Chinese fiddle when she sings anything?
- ♪ Up the hill, picking corn poppies... ♪ - ♪ Picking corn poppies... ♪
Oh, poppies!
So, "gubijinso" means "poppy"?
I see.
♪ Up the hill, picking corn poppies ♪
♪ Their petals tell the secrets Of my loved one's heart ♪
Well, I'll be honest.
Ever since I heard that he was a boxer,
I can't deny I've had a bad feeling about him.
A bad feeling?
His career's got a short lifespan.
He can't keep fighting past 30, right?
Champion is a title that only one in a thousand can win.
It's just like trying to win the lottery.
You know, one time, I... actually won the lottery when I was a kid.
It was just 500 yen.
Well, regardless,
even if he was guaranteed to be a champion,
I still couldn't stand him at all.
If it'd been just the ramen or only that we found him cheating...
- Seems sour. - If it had been one,
then I suppose I could make... make a kind of peace with that.
But no, the fact that it was both?! It's too much!
Hey.
Well, you...
you saw her, right? The woman of his?
A woman with a plain looking face,
who didn't have good taste in clothes
and didn't do her makeup well?
- And she spoke somewhat slowly too. - Uh-huh.
Tss...
To be fair, I can understand it.
How, you know... that guy feels.
I realize you're going to get angry with me for saying so.
But guys can struggle when their girlfriend
takes good care of him,
like you do, Saki.
Let's say, you're a writer for instance, not that I know any, though.
So then you're writing... your book
and your wife just quietly reads it and makes all these corrections.
Wouldn't that hurt?
On the other hand, what if the wife just sleeps soundly
while the husband is hard at work.
Sure, a lot of husbands would call her lazy or whatever, and yet
the man is still... almost relieved while he's trash-talking her.
What kind of reason is that?
Ramen and women, there's just no excusing it.
All that is certainly wrong.
But, you know,
nothing to do with a man's feelings is logical at all.
It's just how men are, really.
Maybe you should have someone investigate.
Investigate?
- What for? - What is it? Mata...
- Oh, Katsumata? - Yeah.
Your guy's called Jinnai?
He can look into it... all this.
His behavior and future, what his prospects really are.
Stop it now.
If you do that, I'm never talking to you again.
Why don't we talk someplace else, huh?
Hello?!
I really don't like places like this.
Hey!
All this... it's just not my thing, okay?
Let's...
act like this never happened.
No.
The investigation.
Let's pretend I didn't get hired for it.
The fact that I was investigating your dad's affair...
and that's how we started our relationship...
It just seems wrong, you know?
Katsumata-san...
So can I...
Oh.
- Uh... uh... - Huh?
- This is... - Oh!
- ...bad. - It's growing!
It's a fire!
Oh! Uh...
Oh man. Oh no.
- Ah! - Fire!
- Don't get burned. - Whoa.
- It's burning! Look! - Oh no!
- Ah, stay back! - Hey!
Sakiko!
There's some shampoo you can use.
It's on the bottom shelf.
Yeah, okay.
If the tub's too hot, add cold water. Don't hesitate, okay?
I won't.
Hey, you need to stop siding with that boxing jerk.
It's true, though. What can I say?
She'll be hesitant to break up with him if you keep talking like that.
Stop trying to make her decisions for her.
I know it's her decision, but if she stays with him,
I know she's gonna pay for it.
She'd be better off leaving if there's no kid.
No matter what you think, it's still her decision.
She should just go home to our parents' house.
She should talk to Dad about it.
There's no point in pushing her if she doesn't want to.
You're right, I guess. But she can't stay here forever.
Just let her stay.
That back storage room can be cleared. That'd work, right?
Yeah, but
that one's right next door to ours.
Oh!
Ah, it slipped.
Or is... that okay with you?
Huh?
Isn't it strange having her here day in and day out?
Not at all. She's one of us too.
And it's lively with her around.
It's hard to discuss
certain things around her.
We can talk about anything we want with her here.
It seems like sisters... turn into strangers once they're married.
You think it's...
Hey.
Say Sakiko's staying at our place, okay?
- Hello? - Who's calling? Is it for me?
Satomi residence.
What? The police? What?
- Huh? - I'll take it!
Don't. Hold on. Wait a second. I said hold on!
- Yes, hello? What's going on, is he okay? - Ah, yes, I'm sorry.
Huh?
Takiko Takezawa?
Well, she's my sister-in-law.
Takiko? What's wrong? Is she okay?
MORIOKA POLICE BOX
Just imagine if all the couples in this country
lit up a bonfire in the park.
The signs clearly say no bonfires.
This is a clear violation of the Minor Offenses Act.
Ah, I'm very sorry, sir.
And besides, you two appeared
to be destroying workplace papers, which I cannot overlook.
As I said to you earlier,
it's all because I asked, as his client,
that he, uh, close the investigation that I had requested.
Still, you can't just
throw gasoline down
in the middle of a... public area to start a fire.
It was benzine, sir.
What?
No, uh... it's not gasoline. Benzine.
Uh... uh...
I don't care what it is you used, all right?
Yes, sir.
Well, actually, uh,
there's a family issue I should
share with you, sir. It's awkward.
See... I have a 70-year-old father.
Actually, a father-in-law, and he's her father, you see, sir.
Yeah?
And apparently, sir, our father has a mistress.
- What? - A mistress.
- Seventy with a mistress? - Yeah.
So my sister hired an investigator,
and as these things happen, they fell for each other.
But as you know, the circumstances of how these two met
isn't how anyone ever wants to meet a partner.
- And so... - Oh! Oh! Ah, I follow.
- Yeah. - Oh...
So we decided that it's best to just let it all go
and to not dig up any more of our father's shame, you see.
Mmm. A mistress at 70...
Yeah, that's right.
Here, you see this? Twice a week...
- This? - Yeah.
Who's cooking dinner, me or you?
You're offering to cook?
Yeah, I can cook. What?
They're all sooty.
Yeah.
Goodbye, then.
Your hand got hurt, didn't it?
It's nothing serious.
Let's treat it while you're here.
Oh, it's all right.
It's not all right.
No, truly, it's all right.
We're going to treat it. Go.
It's all right.
Go, already.
Ah, oh no, I look...
Just leave it as it is.
Why's that?
With some dirt on your face, I...
I just feel more relaxed, I guess.
Seems I can't talk if you're, uh,
too beautiful, too clean.
Quit that. I'm not beautiful.
Yes, you are.
Uh... c...
Can I, uh... uh...
Huh?
Can I...
Do what?
C... can I...
- Ow, ow, ow! Ah, my foot, you're... - Oh!
Ah! Uh...
Huh.
How long has she been gone now?
I have no idea.
When I brought bedding to her room, she was gone.
And you didn't notice her going?
No.
I thought I'd get to live with Sakiko. Man, this sucks.
Hiroo, that's so gross!
Moron!
Come on. It's nothing like that.
Where would she have gone out to this late?
Maybe back to the apartment?
Call her up. See if she's there.
The phone's in the lobby. I'd wake the building.
All right.
Ikegami, then.
Hello, this is Takezawa.
Oh, hey.
Is there someone on the phone?
Makiko! Ah.
Is it for me?
Yes, your mother's in the bath now.
Uh-huh. What?
- Makiko says not to get out. - Hmm?
Don't worry. It's all right!
What are you doing back here?
You left, didn't you?
So why did you come back?
Stay away from me. Nothing good'll come of it.
You wanna bet?
Go away!
Go away! Go away!
Go away!
Go away. Go away.
I'm not running away.
So, Hide, don't you run away either. Stay and fight like me.
All right, I will.
And become a champion. Don't quit,
'cause then...
the people who never once believed we could do it...
will see they were wrong.
You got that?
It takes about three hours on Hikari to get to Osaka, right?
Mm-hmm.
Sleep on the way, okay? You tossed and turned all night.
Okay.
Your dad's going away for work, kids. Say goodbye at least.
See you later, Dad.
Huh? Uh, efubashi?
- Yatsuhashi! - Oh, oh.
Hey, that's a Kyoto souvenir, moron.
That's Kyoto, moron.
Oh, red bean popsicles?
Those'll melt, dummy.
- Then pork buns? - Later today, I'll head to Ikegami.
All right.
I don't know.
I said I'd lend a hand with the work over there.
Ah, I see.
That bag is gigantic.
Well, you'd better get one that's a little smaller, then, huh?
You could try entering a contest. Maybe you'd win one.
It's not as easy as that.
Your shirts are all packed up. I put two in the bag, okay?
Okay.
And it's two nights, right?
If you need anything, tell Sodei-kun at work.
He can send it along.
Here, cold medicine.
No, I'm fine.
Well, have a good trip.
Okay?
Mmm. Mmm.
A pack of Seven Stars.
- Hey, it's me. - Mmm!
- Mmm. - It's me.
I've got time before the train heads out.
- Let's grab lunch first. - What's wrong with you?
I can come over there.
You're blocking the way, like I said.
- Will that work? - You can get through right there.
- Go around. - Look at this. It's not wide!
Yes, you can. Come on, man. Just go ahead and go past.
What? You can get through fine, so please, go ahead.
- You're blocking it. - You have your license?
I can't get through.
Just taking a break here. What's your problem?
I'll be late for deliveries if you don't move.
- You gonna pay for it if I'm late? - Fine. Just go!
Hey, look behind you. You're causing a lot of trouble
by blocking the road with your truck.
- You're blocking the road! - I'm not!
Guess he called the wrong one.
Getting sloppy now, huh?
Honey, what are you doing?
Oh, Mama? Can you please put a fried egg on my hamburger too?
Only if you eat your carrots.
Hey, why are you bringing up carrots when I just want an egg?
- Wow! - Whoa!
Hey, I did it!
Shoji, did you win?
- Yeah, I just won! - Wow, that's amazing!
You're getting stronger and stronger, Shoji.
- Hey, Gin-chan, I just won! - Ah, guess I lost.
All right, dinner's ready. Let's eat.
Ah, here.
Thank you.
- Papa? - Yeah?
Hey, you know at the park we did that one ride?
How we got to drive go-karts around that day?
I really wanna do it again!
Then let's go.
Are you sure?
- I'm sure. - Yay!
Good for you!
Sis, do you still pickle napa cabbage?
Mm-hmm, but just little batches.
I sure used a lot of peppers, didn't I?
Oh, don't rub your eyes. Please don't.
Mmm!
So even though you live alone now, you still... do all of this?
Or have you managed to find someone to cook for you now and then?
No, I just eat them by myself with some rice and tea.
Oh, is that the case?
It is, yes.
Don't boast that you eat alone.
- Huh? - Oh, hey.
Goodness, I guess you really do hit the nail right on the head, huh?
She's great at that. Here.
Ah!
Please, you have to be careful, girls.
- Just look at that now. - Go wash that off quick.
Oh my.
I'll wash it.
Is that for us?
Yes?
Door's unlocked!
It's Machida Dry Cleaning!
Oh! No, thanks! I'm all right! No dry cleaning!
- Ah. - Of course.
But thank you very much!
Machida Dry Cleaning...
- You still bring your laundry there? - Still? Even now?
Of course I do.
- Machida Dry Cleaning, of course! - That's right!
They had that guy with all the pimples clustered around here?
- That actor he looked like Tr... - Huh?
- Tr... - Tr...
Wait, it's the guy who had big lips, and, um, he had a bold look. Uh...
The one in the white suit.
Posing like this.
Ah!
- Tr... - Tr... Tra...
Travolta!
That's right!
Stop laughing, and get to work already, you silly girls!
I'm not even sure if you're helping or getting in the way at this stage.
- I'm helping, really! - No, we're helping!
Oh, we're all out of yuzu.
Oh, there's still one more in the kitchen.
Okay, I'll go get it.
Travolta...
How's Takao-san? Is he doing well?
Yeah, he's great.
Great enough to have an affair.
Earlier today, he...
he said he's traveling for work when he's not.
Hey, where is it?
- Hmm? - I can't find it.
It's next to the fridge. To the left, on the counter.
And I think I have a rough idea of who he's seeing and where.
I'm still just
gonna keep quiet, though.
Yes, of course.
It turns out worse if we try to speak out.
That's true for women, huh?
It's true, dear.
I'll try to stay
as strong as you're able to, then.
Did you get the yuzu?
I just want to start over again
with everything.
Mmm, mmm!
You love him that much?
- Kosuke, I mean. - Satomi residence.
Is Mom there?
No, she's out. She's probably at Grandma's.
Back there again, huh?
Yeah, she's there cooking, I think.
She told you that, Dad. Didn't you listen earlier?
Of course not. He never really listens.
You can kiss me...
But I can't talk now. My show's on.
Ah.
No, we're on break right now.
Come on. You're killing us.
Should I tell her?
Uh, no. No, no big deal, it's not urgent, so...
See ya.
KADOYA RESTAURANT
Bye. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you for coming.
It's just so frustrating.
With Mom or...
Yeah, since she knows about how Dad's cheating instead of going to work.
And yet here she is, carrying on like there's nothing wrong at all.
I can't hold a candle to her.
Extraordinary, huh?
I guess women her age know how to...
to rise above feelings of hate and resentment.
I don't understand how they do it.
Astounding, right?
It's beyond me.
- Too sticky. - Hmm? Hmm?
For my false tooth.
I guess I got these bad teeth from our dad too, huh?
Am... I like our mom or dad?
Hmm...
Like Mom.
Don't you think?
Looks or how so?
You're alike here.
Your big heart.
They say ignorance is bliss.
Well, that's never gonna happen to me ever.
Some more tea, please.
- Mm-hmm. - Be right there!
Seriously?
Why is this where I went?
Oh no. No!
Mom!
Shoji!
It's pretty fun.
It's lots of fun!
- Thank you for visiting us... - Wow, he's fast, isn't he?
As a reminder, all children must be accompanied...
Hey, wait for us!
Ah!
Mama! Papa! Hi there!
I've been thinking of marrying someone.
Have you?
Well, then I'm glad for you.
He's here. I know. You've got my errant husband here.
He's not here.
I guess you misjudged where he's at.
I know if I open this and look,
I'll see his shoes tucked inside, hidden out of view.
By all means, go ahead and check.
You're going to find a few men's shoes...
They're just my son's and husband's that I hold onto still.
And what was your husband's shoe size?
He wore a size seven or so...
My son, let's see, wore... a size eight.
That works out well since my husband wears nine and a half.
I guess you know that already, right?
I didn't. Of course I don't know. How could you be so--
Well, allow me, then.
If you've already lost your husband, then you should understand how I feel.
You know what it's like to lose the one you love.
Yes, but you have a living husband still!
Mine is... he's dead and gone now.
Then, if his heart has been stolen from me, he might as well be dead.
Then go and say all that.
What are you doing?
What the...
Don't do anything stupid.
Ah!
Ah.
Looks like a real gun, huh? It's a stupid toy.
It's just water?
Yes, hello?
- Makiko... - What the hell, Toyoko?
Toyoko!
Who fainted? What are you...
Mom did?
Where is she at?
Yes.
Right.
Wait. She left Ikegami to go to Meguro? Why?
Makiko?
All right, I'll be there right away.
Sorry, what's... what's going on with your mother, then?
Just go. You need to leave now.
Huh?
I didn't expect much, but then you...
you used me to hide when you thought she'd shoot!
I, uh... No, I didn't try to hide. I just...
Hey, Tsunako!
Just hold on. Hey.
- Thank you, then... - Wait.
...for everything over the past few years!
So, Dad... where did she faint?
Have you got any idea?
For ages, now, she knew about what you're doing.
She knew what you'd do
every Tuesday and Thursday instead of work!
She bottled it all up inside of her
'cause Mom was a... a woman, so she stayed quiet.
With shopping in hand, she
was outside your woman's home, just standing there!
Hey.
What have you got to say, Dad?
Stop it! Stop it! You can't do this. Don't!
- What can you say, Dad? - Stop it!
Don't!
You have no right to hit... to hit your father. Now just calm down!
I didn't hit Dad at all!
She's our mother!
Where do you get off?
His wife forgave him already. That's why she kept it from you.
No, he wasn't forgiven!
She was jealous.
So jealous that she couldn't
even put it into words!
She was so angry at you!
And broken and sad!
You were the love of her life, Dad! You!
How could you do that to her, Dad?
Okay.
This man spent his entire life working hard.
He worked to build a house and raise four girls.
Then the man just tried to have a little fun
without causing anyone any worry.
Is that so wrong?
He left his wife crying while he had his fun!
So he prays with his hands together and begs to be forgiven by you all!
So if he really feels that bad,
why not just stop the affair?
Stop it right now!
Mom's right here. Please stop it!
Sakiko.
Well, I'm back.
Fuji.
She's going to get hitched.
She moved on.
She left, so it's only us now.
It's better this way, you know?
It's all done-with for good now.
It's too late at this point.
If he'd broken it off earlier...
It's true, yeah. If she hadn't gone through this, she might--
You guys are all being really mean to Dad.
You all turned on the guy.
What are you doing?
There's something they should know.
About what?
We're engaged.
Saki-chan, you...
I know.
I'm pregnant too.
I would've... really liked our mother to hold this child.
So do you know? What the sex is yet?
I would like to have a boy.
- How you're carrying looks like a son. - That's an old wives' tale.
So what's going on with Dad?
Oh, here he is.
He's really aged a lot lately, hasn't he?
I can imagine living alone after all these years is really hard.
I wonder how he takes care of his laundry now.
Well, he deserves it. It's his own doing.
- Well... - He can hear you.
I don't care if he hears.
Well, our mother can't rest in peace if he's got too much energy.
Ah, wait. I'm pretty sure we've had this exact conversation already.
Well, it's true. No husband does well outliving his wife, as they say.
- Right? - I'll keep that in mind.
- That's not what we're saying at all. - She's right, you know.
You're always awfully quick to make assumptions about women.
- Uh-oh. - Yeah, yeah.
I just try to stand up for Dad and then end up getting the blame.
Oh, please, Dad, let me do it.
My mother died around this same time of year.
Ah, sis, more to the left, please.
Which sis are you talking to now?
Our names are a safer bet with four of us.
Oh, uh... uh... Ts... Tsunako-san, then, please.
Hey, you doing all right?
I hope these pictures aren't like your others.
He gets nervous.
Yeah, please.
Okay, say cheese.
You're so round, now!
Look at her!
Look how she walks... like this.
She does!
Are you excited?
Oh, for sure. Yeah.
How about you? You want kids?
You know what? Kids are hard.
Can you reach?
Nah.
You know Soseki's Gubijinso at the, uh...
the tail?
The tail?
The part at the end.
Oh, I see.
Do you know how it ends?
How's it end?
"Here, it's the comedies they want."
Eh? So not a tragedy?
Mm-hmm.
He could've been right.
Seems like it for now, I mean.
What was that? What did you say?
Never mind, nothing.
You looked back at us and said something.
Yes, you did. I saw.
"A tragedy is greater than a comedy."
"Millet or rice?"
"This is a comedy."
"This woman or that woman?"
"This is another comedy."
Holding up all right, dear?
"English or German?"
"This is also a comedy."
"It's all a comedy."
"In the end, it all comes down to one question."
"Life or death?"
"This is the tragedy."
EXCERPT FROM "THE POPPY" BY NATSUME SOSEKI