A Class to Remember 4: Fifteen (2000) - full transcript

A Class to Remember IV
~ FIFTEEN ~

I hate school.

Just being in the classroom
in school uniform sucks.

I hate the teachers' stereotyped
way of speaking also.

Why do I have to go to school?

Why do I have to learn things

that don't look to be useful
when I become an adult?

When I said so to my father,
he suddenly hit me.

Directed by YOJI YAMADA

I haven't been to school...

for six months now.



There's an aquarium with two goldfish...

on my desk.

What are you going to Osaka for?

My grandfather is sick.
I want to visit him at the hospital.

Why don't you ride a bullet train?

I don't have money.

Where in Osaka
does your grandfather live?

In Tennoji.

Where in Tennoji?

How dare you lie to an elder?

What are your parents thinking?

Don't they care
where you spend your time?

That's today's parents for you!

They spoil their children too much.



And teachers?

If a child misbehaves,
he must be beaten!

That's how I was raised.

How old are you?

Are you still in secondary school?

Isn't attendance compulsory there?

Yes! Yes!
You're getting on my nerves!

How dare you talk to me like that?

You looked so miserable, standing there
in the rain. That's why I picked you up.

The company's rules prohibit
picking up strangers.

I broke the rules
only out of pity for you.

That's it, I'm getting off!

Idiot!

We're on a highway!

Are you out of your mind?

Cheerful, honest and obedient...

that's what good children
are supposed to be like.

Says who?

Shut the door.

There's someone on the phone for you.

There'll be a return match next week.

Have you learnt how to play already?

What line?

Four.

Prepare well.

I'm here.

Oh, it's you.

What happened?

What?
Daisuke ran away from home?

How do you know?

I found a note on the table.

Just listen.

'I'm off to seek adventure.
Don't worry.'

Signed 'Daisuke'.

Adventure, you say?

Doesn't make any sense!

I'm still at work.

You're distracting me.

I thought we agreed that
you'd deal with his upbringing!

Are you trying to put
the responsibility on me?

This is ridiculous!
He's your son as well.

What are you going to do
if something happens?

I could pretend to be a good boy.

But I don't want to.
I would be lying to myself.

'TO OSAKA'

Mister, I'm hitchhiking.
Can you give me a lift?

I don't care where to.
Please!

Well, alright.

Let's go.

Thank you.

Damn!

I'm so sleepy!

That was a close call.

I'm exhausted.

Didn't I tell you to get some sleep?

We have to be there
at 8 in the morning.

We can't afford to be late.
The boss will fine us!

Thank you.

Miyamoto, what are your plans now?

I'm going to waste my money
on pachinko.

Come off it!

What about your son?

I want him to start working
as soon as possible.

But he wants to carry on studying
no matter what.

And, as ill luck would have it,
he studies really well!

If he was a fool,
he would give up this idea.

Stop talking nonsense!

Your son would be happier...

if he lived with his mother.

Didn't I tell you
not to mention her again?

Yes, but she's his mother.

She would, no doubt, support
his willingness to study.

Shut up!

I was only joking!

Cretin!

Yes, of course.

Anything new about Daisuke?

Hideo is home.

I'll notify you
as soon as I know anything.

Maybe, he's at his grandfather's
in Shizuoka?

Sorry for having disturbed you.

I just called. He's not there.

Maybe, he's with friends then?

I've called everyone already.

How much longer
do we have to tolerate his tricks?

I thought Mai might know
something, so I asked her.

She said that...

he wanted to go to Yakushima Island.

Yakushima?

Yes, the one with the famous old cedar.
I checked in Daisuke's room...

the rucksack and the sleeping bag
that you bought for him have disappeared.

If this is what happened, it's terrible.
How is he going to get there?

Don't be ridiculous.

Just think.

Going to Kyushu by himself?

This milksop isn't capable of that!

But he wrote here,
'I'm leaving to seek adventure'.

What adventure?
All he can do is roam around the city.

Don't be stupid!

Dad, you should be ashamed of yourself!

Why do you keep
putting my brother down?

Yakushima? Wow, brother!
But that's on Kyushu!

I've given many people a lift,
but you're the first one to go that far.

But I can hitchhike there, can't I?

You have to get to Osaka first.

There are a lot of trucks
going to Kyushu there.

What's so interesting on Yakushima?

In the textbook, there was a poem
about a cedar tree on Yakushima.

In the thick of the forest...

there is a giant cedar tree.

It's seven thousand years old.

I wanted to touch its trunk at least once.

That would give me strength.

So I decided...

What about school?
Spring holidays are over.

I don't go to school.

Why is that?

School is boring.

Why go there?

I see.
Did you break up with your girlfriend?

It's not because of that.

Better stay away from this guy!

Though he jokes around,

the transportation company he joined
went into bankruptcy.

He lost his job.
I wonder what he'll do now.

He has three kids.
The oldest is still in the 9th grade.

And the wife has left their home.

He lives with an old man
with intermittent dementia.

The world continues to get worse.

I wonder why things go like this,
young man.

Hey, neaten up the floor!

Yes, sir.

I should help his unloading,
as he kindly picked me up.

So I thought. But...
It was hard work.

I almost died.

- It smells good.
- Does it?

Take sugar and a spoon.
They are over there.

Yes.

Did you run away from home or what?

I did that too once.

I was in 9th or 10th grade then.

You also ran away from home?

I wanted to see Tokyo.

I used to dream about Tokyo every day.

I didn't even have a driver's licence.

One night, I took my father's motorbike
and set off.

And?

I didn't have any money.

In the morning I got to Lake Biwa.

It started raining.
I ran out of gas.

A motorbike is useless without gas.

I had to push it all the way back...

in the rain.

Suddenly...

a policeman noticed me.

And what happened next?

He called my father
and my father came to pick me up.

When he saw me...

he hit me over the head.
That's it.

What was the point of running away?

And did you misbehave often?

Check this out.

A scar!

One boy in school
threw a stone at me.

So I broke his nose.

There was a lot of blood.

Drink your coffee while it's hot.

Well, let's go to Osaka!

The other schoolchildren
don't know anything.

Come in.

Daisuke often talked about...

going far away.

Right?

Yes. We looked at the map,
the three of us,

and dreamed that it would be good...
to go to Hokkaido. Or to Okinawa.

We wanted to hitchhike.

You mean, in someone else's car?

There's a program on TV.

Something like,
'Traveling for the poor'.

So he actually ran away from home!

We don't know that yet.

Sit down.

Have you also thought...

about running away from home?

Of course, many times.

But you didn't.

Are you heading to Kyushu?

This guy is going to Kagoshima.

Could you give him a lift
if you're going in the same direction?

It's your lucky day, kid.

Thank you for everything.

I made you work.
So here's some money.

Eat some noodles, at least.

Come on, take it.

Well, keep your head up!

Come on,
spread your wings and fly!

Goodbye.

Hey kid!

You're fifteen!

It's great!

I kept going further and
further from home.

I felt sad.

I wanted to get back in his truck
and go back to Tokyo.

Thank you.

Put your bag over there.

There has been an accident...

in the Tsukamoto district.

No details available so far.

There is a 7 km-long traffic jam.

It's 30 minutes to the ring road.

What is she thinking about?

She's so gloomy.

I already miss the guy
who drove me to Osaka.

How old are you?

Eighteen.

Don't lie to me.

You're in 8th or 9th grade, right?

Why aren't you at school?

Why do you care?

I'm just curious...

why you're playing truant.
Why don't you tell me?

It's not interesting.
Besides, it's a long story.

The longer, the better.

We have plenty of time.

We're going to be in Miyazaki
by only tomorrow afternoon.

So spill it out.

One morning I was getting ready for school,
and suddenly I had a stomach ache.

Really?

So I decided not to go. I took some
medicine and went back to bed again.

By lunchtime, the stomach ache was gone.

And I decided I would get up earlier
the next day and go to school.

The next morning...

as soon as I started getting ready,
I had a stomach ache again.

Where was your mum?

Both of my parents work.

They didn't know I stayed at home.

They learnt about it a month later.

Someone called from school.
They got really angry.

They didn't go to work that day.

Instead, they put me in the car and took me
to the school, and then to the hospital.

They took me to different
doctors and psychologists.

They tried everything,
but I just couldn't go to school.

Mum said that if I didn't study...

I wouldn't be able
to get into university.

Her reproaches
made me feel even worse.

Six months later...

my parents stopped talking about it.

On Sundays...

we have dinner together.

And every time,
mum starts crying.

Every time.

I understand that it's because of me.

But I also have my limit.

Daisuke!

Calm down!

I hate school.

It's like a torture for me.

Why does it exist at all?

Why do I have to go there?

I decided I would never go there again.

What does your father say?

He says, 'If you really don't want
to go to school, don't.'

He's a kind man.

I don't think so.
He just doesn't care anymore.

For him, someone who can't
enter university, just doesn't exist.

His words are kind,
but, in fact, he thinks I'm stupid.

I can see it in his eyes.

Call home.

Your mum's probably worried.

She doesn't care.

Did you hear what I said?

It's my truck.

If you don't do what I say,
I'll put you off.

Go ahead. Call.

Hello.

It's me.

Daisuke?
Where are you?

Miss...

where are we?

Hiroshima prefecture.

Hiroshima prefecture.

What are you doing there?
Do you have any money?

Let me come and pick you up.

When are you going to come back?
Hold on!

Say something else.
'OK' is not an answer.

I'm your mother, after all!

I'm giving the phone to your father.

He says he's in Hiroshima.

Hello, it's your dad.
Hello?

Broke off?

Why did you give me the phone?

You know how he feels about me.

No wonder he hung up at once.

Maybe, you'll go pick him up
instead of working tomorrow?

It's better to be near him,
just in case.

Stop talking nonsense.

Talk to his teacher.

Wake up!

Come on, wake up!

Shimonoseki channel.

Here we are, on Kyushu.

Can you see the sea?

It's so beautiful

The problems of yesterday...

and past troubles...

like an old cargo ship,

like the smoking stacks of a plant...

disappeared in the fog...

dissolved...

My breath has turned into a cloud

Well, let's go?

Hyuga is very close.
I live there.

What are you thinking about?

You must be regretting...

running away from home already.

Not at all.

I was just looking at the sea.

Are you a fast runner?

So-so.

Let's race.

I'm sorry I took so long.

Thank you for everything.

For what?

I'm going to hitch a ride
to Kagoshima now.

You're going to get there
way after midnight.

You'll spend the night at my place.

Yes, but... thank you.

Don't be shy.
It was my plan.

Careful.

You said you would be back tomorrow.

You came one day earlier.

This is my daughter.

Hello.

Bye! I'll call you later!

Granny!

Mum is back.

This is my son's room.

Wait here.

Noboru! Mum's here.

Here I am.
How are you doing?

I've brought you a present.
Some sweets.

And I've brought a guest.

He's from Tokyo.
His name is Daisuke.

Make the guest welcome,
and I'll cook dinner.

Alright?

Come in.

Hello.

Surprised?

2,000 pieces?

Cool!

I'll bring some tea.

Like this.

Kaoru!

Could you take the tea
to your brother's room?

What's his name?

Daisuke.

Daisuke?

This is the most difficult bit.

It doesn't fit.

Do you like jigsaw puzzles?

I love them.

How long will it take you?

Only three hours?

Really?

Three days.

Three days?

Yes, that's about how long it takes.
Even for a pro.

I'll leave the juice here.

Thank you.

This hat suits you.

Your sister's nice.

Mum, they're engrossed in the game.

Really?

I think brother likes Daisuke.

Maybe, they'll become friends.

That would be good.

Where did you meet Daisuke?

In Osaka.

A truck driver asked me
to give him a lift.

When I saw him...

I thought his mum is worried
about him just as much...

as I'm worried about my son.

I couldn't leave him there.

Why doesn't a good boy like him
go to school?

Mum, is it necessary to go to school
to be good?

If a good person is one who obeys
teachers and parents and studies well...

then I'm rather bad.

I don't like school. And the teachers
are always angry with me.

What are you talking about?

You're a good girl.
The best in the world.

Nonsense.

Don't flatter me.

Granny, is everything alright?

We don't need so many plates.
We have only one guest.

Granny, here's some seaweed.

Noboru, eat with us at least once.

As usual.

Who is that boy?

I told you already.
It's Daisuke, Noboru's friend.

By the way, something happened.

What is it?

Do you know Osumi,
he works in the town hall?

His face looks like a turnip.

His wife died last year.
What about him?

What's so funny?

Recently, on the way from school,
I met that gentleman from Shinmachi.

He took me to a cafe and said...

'Why doesn't your mother leave her truck...

and marry Osumi?'

What?

He said Osumi has been in love
with you for a long time.

With that face!
It's so funny.

Stop laughing.
It's not nice to Osumi.

You're blushing.

Who is it?

Go open the door.

Quick!

What a bad-mannered girl!
Laughing at a person like that!

A face is not the most important
thing in a man.

That's true.

Who are you?

I'm Daisuke.

Hello.

Mum, Turnip is here!

Mr. Osumi?

Ah!

Welcome.

Good evening!

I'm sorry, I'm so late.

It's okay. What is it?

I heard you came back.

I caught this in the sea.

It's the best time now.

You can make sashimi.

Is it still alive?

I'll leave it here.

Thank you.

And one more thing...

It's...

Oh, it's nothing.

I'll be going.

I'm sorry for the trouble.

Thank you.

Daisuke, I'll make a bed
for you here, alright?

In this room?

There's not much space here,
but I'd like you...

to tell Noboru about Tokyo.
Alright?

I like this room.

It's very cosy.

Good.

Aren't you bored with it yet?

Has Daisuke told you already?

He hitchhiked here from Yokohama.

He's going to Yakushima tomorrow.

Why don't you go with him?

You could get a big rucksack
like his. It would be fun!

You would meet new people,
eat delicious food...

enjoy beautiful scenery.

He used to spend all his time outside.

Is it hard?

Damn. Take that!

You won.

Good morning.

Sorry to bother you.

Thank you.

Shery...

Well, I'm off.

Daisuke, bye.
Come again sometime.

Are you leaving already?

When are you coming back?

On Friday.

Be careful on the road. Bye.

Take care of granny.

Well, let's go?
We're going to be late for the ferry.

Noboru, I'm off!

Thank you for everything.

Bye.

Noboru always sleeps
till late in the afternoon.

Sorry.

It's okay.

He could at least wave from the porch.

He can't even do that now.

Is this for me?

Thanks.

And something from me...

Here. Take it.

It suits you.

A present.

A good present.

See you.

Well, we have to go.

He ran so fast to catch up with you!

He used to run like that
at school competitions.

He even talked.

He said, 'a present'.

He talked a lot yesterday.

About what?

About samurai movies.

He also said that in 9th grade...

he fell in love with a great girl,
but she rejected him.

Yes, he was friendly with a girl
named Kana.

A slim, fair-haired girl.

And he told you about all that?

He told me about you too.

About me?

He would like to see his father...

but he's afraid you won't like it.

He's never told me that.

He wrote something here.

A poem, probably.

A poem?

He can write poetry?

Can you read it aloud?

Alright.

'Dedicated to Daisuke...'

Amidst the boundless prairie

A ronin is wandering...
- A ronin?

He only reads samurai stories.

What's next?

Everyone else is riding horses,

But the ronin is walking on foot.

He's taking his time.

He's walking slowly,
like drifting clouds.

He doesn't want to miss
glimmering stars,

Morning dew on the grass,

Afternoon clouds,

Birds chirping...

The ronin stops,

Then carries on walking again.

'Ronin from Hyuga'
by Noboru Oba.

Read it again.

Amidst the boundless prairie

A ronin is wandering.

Everyone else is riding horses,

But the ronin is walking on foot.

He's taking his time.

He's walking slowly,
like drifting clouds.

Does he really think about such things?

I never noticed it.

I'm so stupid.

Here's a ticket for the ferry.
Forget about the money.

Thank you.

It would be better for you not to go
to Yakushima, but go back to your mum.

But I know it's impossible.
Men don't change their decisions.

Thank you for everything.

It's nice that you came.

Thank you.

Well, go now.

Good bye!

In fact,
that cedar tree on Yakushima...

didn't interest me anymore.

But she bought me a ticket.

I couldn't say I wasn't going,
so I got on the ferry.

It was raining on Yakushima.

They say,
it rains 35 days a month here.

I had imagined a paradise island.

I was so wrong.

I found a cheap hotel
on the shore.

It was closed.

But I got soaked,
and an old lady let me spend the night.

She offered me a mattress
in a mouldy room.

Damn!

Hi!

Are you local?

No. I've come to see
the old cedar tree.

Is it far away from here?

An hour? Half an hour?

So you don't know anything?

It's ten hours both ways.

People usually spend the night there.

Ten hours?

Is it worth going at all
if it's so far away?

Whether it's worth it or not,
is up to you to decide.

Lady!

Oh, it's you again.

Can I join you?

OK.

You're not afraid of heights, I hope?

No.

You go to secondary school, right?

Yes.

Are you playing truant then?

Don't you have better things to ask?

I'm just curious.

I'm tired of all of you!
Shut up!

A train is coming!

Oh, a train!

You have a nice raincoat.

Last year I said I wanted
to go to the mountains...

and my father bought me everything.

That was very nice of him.

I don't want to be treated
like a child all the time.

Are you alright?

Listen...

What are you carrying there,
on your back?

A present from a friend.

From a girl?

From a close friend.

What's inside?

It's a secret.

Are you okay?

I'll walk first now.

Be careful!

Is this the old cedar tree?

Wow!

On Yakushima...

any cedar tree under 1,000 years old
is considered young.

This one is fairly small.

Wow!

I'll decide when to have a rest.
Until then, we're going to keep walking.

What happened?

I can't.

I'm not stopping.

I'll stay here.

As you like.

Grown-ups contradict themselves
so often.

Don't you think?

They say people have to
differ from one another.

Be unique.

But when I try to follow my own path...

they get angry with me
for not being like everybody else.

There are too many things you can't do.

Plus, there are lots of things
you're obliged to do.

It's unbearable.

I see.
That's why you don't go to school.

Did you like it at school?

Not really.

But I had a favorite teacher.

He had such a thick beard...

that it was difficult to differentiate
the top of his head from the bottom.

I went to school only because of him.

So you wouldn't like my teachers then.

Never mind. Going to school or not
is your business.

But one has to grow up.

No matter how.

What does it mean 'to grow up'?

Well, you can ask the cedar tree.

Hey you, stupid cedar!

Aren't you fed up with having stood here
in silence for 2,000 years?

How much longer?

Quite a lot.

This is Wilson stump.

Wilson stump? Wow!

Let's get inside.

Here?

No, that one.

Come on.

No, you do it.
I'll just look.

The cedar!

Daisuke! The cedar!

Look.

We've made it!

In front of me,
was a 7,000-year-old tree.

I finally saw the cedar
I'd been dreaming about.

I managed to get here,
thanks to a girl who pushed me.

In my heart, I was crying...

'I did it! I managed!'

Hello.

Brother!

Where are you?

On Yakushima?

No way!
You're really on Yakushima!

How's the cedar tree?

It's great. I'm impressed.

We're descending the mountain tomorrow.

I'll bring you cedar sticks
as a present.

I don't need any presents.
Just come back sooner.

Mum is worried. She cries.

Father says he'll kill you.

It's true.

Tell mum not to worry.

Bye.

Thank you.

Was it successful?

Who picked up?

My sister.

Your sister?

Is she cute?

Talking to her is nice.

She's smart and funny.

And pretty, too.

Yeah...

If she ran away from home...

my father would leave his job...

and go looking for her everywhere.

Compared to her...

I'm nobody, a nuisance.

Plus, I have spots all over my face.

So what?

You're cute.

Talking to you,
I understood that you're smart.

And you have an agreeable character.

You're a great 15-year-old boy.

But you have to love yourself
the way you are.

Growing up begins with that.

Well, it's time to sleep.

Good night.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Good morning.

Where are you heading?

To Mount Miyanoura.

How long is it to the summit?

About 5 hours. Come with me.

I'm not going.
I'm afraid I can't make it.

Can you descend by yourself?

Of course.

You want to go this way.

Here.

Take this.

I marked difficult areas to help you.

Be careful.

And one more thing.

If it starts raining heavily...

or it gets dark, you need to stop.

Find shelter and wait for help.

Don't fool around with mountains.
Got it?

Well, time to say goodbye.

We weren't together for long,
but it was a fun time for me.

For me, too.

Thank you.

You have a lot to experience
in the future.

Appreciate your life.

Don't dice with death.

Value your life and gain experience.

Understood.

Well, bye.

Hey!

Stay strong!

I had thought descending was
easier than climbing.

But half an hour later,
my legs started to ache.

And I became weak in the knees.

Weird.

I should have come across
that stump a long time ago.

Maybe I made a mistake?

It's better to go back.

And I'd better put on my raincoat.

I don't want to get soaked
and catch a cold.

If it starts pouring down...

I'll find shelter and wait for help.

What do I do now?

Don't worry!

Maybe, if I walk a bit further,
I'll get to the road.

Help!

I'm lost!

What do I do now?

'Stop and wait for help.'

I'd better go back.

I wonder why?

I remembered my classroom.

Two goldfish in the aquarium
on my desk.

I'm going to die.

That's what I thought then.

Help!

Somebody help!

Damn, I thought, I'd die here.

Are you okay?

Hey, are you alright?

Hey!

Are you alright?

Listen...

Is there a cheap hotel nearby?

Get in.

Thank you.

This is my house.

I live alone.
Get some rest.

See that tap?

Use it to get hot water.

Change and wait for me.

See that fridge?

You can eat anything you want.

And I'm going to the casino.

Not to play. I work there.
I'll be back at 9.

Get some sleep!

Sukichi!

I have to entertain a guest.
Let's go to karaoke.

Is Masao here?

Masao!

I'm singing karaoke today.
Come along.

Hello?

Who? The old man?

He's gone to work.

My name's Daisuke.

He let me spend the night.

That's why I'm here.

What happened?

Well, it's a long story.

Hold on.

He seems to be back.

Are you hungry?
Come with me.

Your son's calling.

My son?
Do I have one? I forgot.

Cut it out. Hang up.

Where is it... Ah, here it is!

Well? Let's go!

He's asking about your health.

My health? What health?
Idiot. Let's go.

He's fine. Goodbye.

I should have taken a turn.
Reverse!

There's no happiness...

without a close friend.

Well, we're ordinary friends.

But at war, there's a different
kind of friendship.

Everything's for real there.

You give your life for your friend there.
Your friend's life is your life.

Only at war can one understand that.

How old were you during the war?

What war?

World War Il, idiot.

We had four American machine guns
shooting at us.

They fire bullets parallel to one another.

Japanese machine guns are different.

Ours shoot all over...

a 30-cm target.

Tetsuo, sing. It's your turn.

My turn? I can sing now?

Thank you for your attention.

And now, the pride of Yakushima...

The Siberian rogue will perform for you
a song called 'Tetsu from Baikal'.

Welcome him!

Womaniser from Baikal!

Ladies' man!

I dedicate this song
to my brothers in arms...

who died in Siberia.

Commander...

Naka-a!

I was lucky to come back home.

But what have I been doing
these 50 years?

My comrades died...

in Siberia from hunger and cold.

I have to be happy for their sake.

With this thought, I came back to Japan.

But my wife and children rejected me.

I drag out a miserable existence,
surviving on a ridiculous pension.

My friends, who died in Siberia...

understand my grief and my pain.

I'll join you soon.

And we...

will sing together again.

We sang this song
in Siberian wilderness.

Apple trees and pear trees were aflower,

River mist was rising all around

Young Katyusha
went strolling by the hour

On the steep banks,
O'er the rocky ground

Hey kid!

Come on, son!

Sukichi!

Masao!

Get up, you old fools!

Are you dead or what?

Take off your jacket.

Do you want some water?

Thank you.

You're a real nice kid.

- Here's water.
- Water?

Get up.

Mitsuo...

We have a guest today.
A kid.

You were the same at that age.
Smart.

Make a bed for him in the next room.

Alright? Mitsuo!

Old man, I'm Daisuke.

Mitsuo is your son.

Yes...

Mitsuo is in Hakata. Idiot!

Where's my old woman?

I don't know.

Didn't she go to Kagoshima
to assist her daughter in childbirth?

I see.
That old hag is in Kagoshima.

I see.

I'm alone.

Thank you for everything.

I'm leaving.

Leaving?

Hold on, I'll see you off.

Damn.

Are you unwell?

Give me that medicine over there.

Maybe, I'd better run to the hospital?

I'll ask to for a doctor to sent to you.
It would be better.

I don't like doctors.

They stick needles in your body.

Last year, I took the needles out
and ran away.

I don't like doctors.

But you're unwell.

I...

died in Siberia.

What I have now
is just a shadow of my previous life.

My fallen friends
are going to come for me soon.

I'm waiting for them.

I'm telling the truth.

I don't need anything.

You can go.

Go.

Come on.

Leave.

Hold on.

When you come back home,
tell your parents...

that they're lucky
to have a son like you.

Now go.

Goodbye.

'Put the contents inside and boil.'

'Then add tempura.'

Ouch, it's hot!

The noodles seem to be alright.
Eat while it's still hot.

Old man...

Why are you crying?

Are you in pain?
Let me give you a massage.

It's wet.

What's wet?

Damn old age!

I...

wet the bed.

It's really wet.

What to do?

First of all,
we have to change the mattress.

We have to dry this one up
and lay a new one.

Take off your underpants,
I'll wash them.

Kid, go to the kitchen
and bring a big knife.

What for?

I'll commit hara-kiri.

I, Tetsu from Baikal,
am not going to live wetting the bed!

I'm not going to wait
for my comrades to come for me!

Bring the knife!

Understood.
I'll bring a kitchen knife right away.

Bring it.

Bring the knife!

Let's change your underpants first.

Committing hara-kiri in wet underwear
is inappropriate.

Where's your clean underwear?

How about that knife?

I'll bring it, but first,
take off your underpants.

If someone learns
that Tetsu from Baikal wet himself...

...I'll kill you!

I won't tell anyone.

Well, take them off!

Alright, I'm sorry.
Give me a hand.

It hurts!

That hurts even more!

Have you found the bike?

Yes.

I hope it doesn't break under me.

What a load of junk!

Are you doing alright?

I'm fine, thank you.

See you next time.

Bye.

Pampers.

One package?

Will they do for adults?

These are for children.
Who do you need it for?

For an old man.

You need a bigger size then.

I haven't seen you before.
Where are you from?

I've come to see the cedar.

The old man,
who let me spend the night...

needs diapers,
so I've come here to get them.

What old man?

He asked me not to tell anyone
that he wet himself.

Don't worry.
I won't tell anyone.

Well, who is he?

I don't know his name,
but everyone calls him Tetsu from Baikal.

Tetsu?

Oh my god!
That libertine old man?

He needs diapers?

Please, don't tell anyone.
It's a secret.

But we have to notify his son in Hakata.

I wanted to call myself.

But he forbad me.

He said, he couldn't stand
the sight of him!

What kind of man is he?

It's his own fault that no one likes him.
He's a quarrelsome, fretful old man!

Thank you for coming!

Do you know how to put them on?

I don't have children.

Yes, of course.

First, put him against the wall,
like this.

Imagine that you're him.

Wipe him with a towel...

then put on a diaper.

Fold the edges up...

and fasten here.

That's it.

Easy!

I'll call Mitsuo in Hakata.

I'll tell him to come.

Are you sure?

What else is there to do?

Whether he likes it or not,
they're father and son.

I'm sorry for the trouble.

How much?

Don't worry. Mitsuo will pay.

It's alright.

I'm off.

Thank you.

So long.

Goodbye.

Will he make it?

What the...?
It would be faster on foot.

Hold tight!

I decided to stay with the old man...

until his son arrives.

Washing the dirty laundry...

didn't disgust me that much
for some reason.

I did the cleaning and
cooked for him.

I worked tirelessly...

Is it bad?

I'm just not hungry right now.

Eat yourself!

Do you like it?

Eat at least a banana.
It's nutritious.

Kid!

What?

I can't fall asleep.
Can you talk to me?

What about?

Doesn't matter.

About women, for example.

About women?

How old are you, by the way?

Fifteen.

Fifteen?

At this age you probably
already have a girlfriend.

Her name's Izumi.

Izumi?

She must be pretty...

and kind-hearted.

Well?

What happened?

When I stopped going to school...

she worried about me
and came to see me.

One day,
she came to our house and said...

'In our classroom,
only Daisuke's desk is empty.'

'That makes me sad.'

'That's why I put an aquarium
with fish there.'

'With two goldfish.'

Izumi...

is such a kind girl.

When I think about Izumi...

I want her to be happy.

And this desire...

fills me with happiness.

I'll be at work the day after tomorrow.
Sorry for the trouble.

Dad, it's me.

Mitsuo? Why are you here?

I talked to a doctor
from the local hospital.

You have to stay there for a while.

I don't want to go to the hospital.

I was told that you're unwell.

So I left work and hurried here.

I didn't ask you to.
You came by yourself.

Leave me alone.

I'll die here alone.

Enough already.

You don't want to live with us...
And now this 'no hospital', 'I'll die alone'...

Maybe, you don't care.

But people will think we abandoned you.

For us, your children,
it's the ultimate disgrace.

Brother and sister think the same way.

Do you understand?

Let's go to the hospital.

Do whatever you want.

Can you transport him?

What a stench!

Do you have incontinence?

What a shame!

Let's go.

Sorry for the smell.

I'll clean it up and come later.

It's disgusting!

If he wets his bed,
he's a done man.

Ah, it's you?

The pharmacy woman told me
about you.

Thank you
for taking care of my father.

What a smell!

Sorry, but I'm going to lock the house.

It's better for you
to take your things and leave.

Sorry.

What a smell!

You know what...

Take this.

Get yourself something to eat.

It's not necessary.

It's just to express my gratitude.

Mister!

I didn't look after him for money.

Then why?

Do you know what happened?

When he wet himself...

he cried out of shame.

And what did you do?

You started screaming 'it smells!'
in front of strangers.

You...

He also changed your diapers
when you were little.

He raised you. Didn't he?

And after all that,
what does your father hear from you?

Don't you, a grown-up man...

...understand how it must have felt
for him to hear that?

Are all of you, 'grown-ups', like that?

Goodbye.

That's how my adventure ended.

Welcome back!

Brother is back.

Mum called me.

Is he upstairs?

Listen.

Please, be nice to him.

He's tired.

Let him sleep.

You can talk to him tomorrow.

Tomorrow won't do.

He has to be taught a lesson today.
We've spoilt him.

It's your father. I'm coming in.

Sit down.

Dad...

I'm sorry I caused you worry.

It's good
that you at least understand that.

How was your trip?

It was fun.

Really?

It was fun...

Alright.

We'll talk again later.

Well, dad, what happened?

Let's have dinner.

Mai...

Get beer glasses.

After all those days, the city suddenly
seemed small to me, for some reason.

I had a feeling that the rooftops...

and the monorail had become lower.

What are you doing?

You've grown bigger.

No way.
In just two weeks?

No, really.

Amidst the boundless prairie
A ronin is wandering.

What is that?

A friend gave me his poem.

A poem?

Everyone else is riding horses,

But the ronin is walking on foot.

He's taking his time.

He's walking slowly,
like drifting clouds.

He doesn't want to miss
glimmering stars,

Morning dew on the grass,

Afternoon clouds,

Birds chirping...

The ronin stops,

Then carries on walking again.

I forgot to give it to you yesterday.

Cedar sticks.

Bye.

Thanks.

Daisuke is going to school?

Really?

I see.

We'll check the school gate.

Yes. Goodbye.

Good morning.

Hi.
I'll remove the aquarium.

I'm sorry I put it there.

Thanks for the postcard.

Did you see the cedar?

Great!

Stand up!

Greeting!

Good morning!

The weather is nice today.

How about a roll call?

I don't care what everyone says.

I will walk alone, slowly.

I'm alright.

My new adventure called 'school'
is about to begin.

That's what I kept telling myself.

Kawashima!

I'm waiting for the response.

Daisuke...

Kawashima!

It's me.