Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (2007) - full transcript
Leaving her alcoholic husband, Eiko takes their son Masaya away from Tokyo and back to her hometown in a Kyushu rural mining community. She toils to support him though many years of schooling even after he wastes his time while studying art in a Tokyo university. After graduation he struggles to find work and finally pulls his life together for his mother's sake, ultimately ending up with multiple jobs as an illustrator and even as the host of a sexually-themed talk show on radio. When Eiko becomes ill with cancer, Masaya invites her to live with him in back in Tokyo where the roles of support are reversed.
A day is dawning in 1966
This is the simple, traditional
entrance to my grandmother's house,
where I lived until I was 3 years old
Five seconds from now,
it will become avant-garde
What's up!
Hurts!
Why'd you drink so much again!
Hey, hey, Eiko san! Eiko san!
Get off me!
You're still up!
You'd wake anybody up
This is my Mom
Tiny!
Run to Daddy's room. He'll behave in there
Don't grab my stomach
Just go to bed
Get off me!
Godzilla!
I told you not to grab my stomach!
Tiny...
I'll paint this someday
I can paint this a little better
I got you something good
Here
Good, right?
Make a face like it tastes good
This is my Fujica Single 8
And this is my Dad
He's the same person as the slightly
creepy young man in the photo
The Tokyo Tower, behind him,
then about as half-baked as
my father's taste in clothes,
when finally completed in 1958,
was 333 meters tall
Even today, decades later,
it still stands at the heart
of Tokyo and Japan,
as centered as the pin of a spinning top
These days,
I find myself staring at
Tokyo Tower from very close by
This is the modest story of my father,
who got knocked down
and kicked out by Tokyo,
all the way back to his hometown
It's also about me, who came here
and lost a place to go home to
It's also about my mother,
who never had any illusions,
but was dragged here anyway,
and unable to go home or return,
found her eternal rest
at the foot of Tokyo Tower
< TOKYO TOWER >
- Mom & Me, and sometimes Dad -
Fujica Single 8
I can shoot that, too
Great
He was just feeding him yakitori?
They don't fit his mouth
This is me and Mom and Dad
This is my last memory from
when we lived together
That's when Mom moved us out of
my grandmother's house in Kokura
and into my grandmother's house in Chikuho
You can pass, you can pass
Who's narrow path is this?
This path belongs to the gods
Won't you kindly let me pass...
Mom!
Your mom's mom
Here we go
This is where I was born
Tasty
Thanks
Eiko! You're back! Been a while
Hello
Welcome home, Sister
Hey, Ma, you've grown just a little
We'll have a feast tonight
See you later
It was an old, small, mining town,
served by a single-track railroad,
making 8 trips a day, running in the red
Hardly like Kokura,
which had been a metropolis
It's a crayfish, a crayfish
Run it over
Run the crayfish over!
In this dead end town,
I had totally lost it
Got it!
Now it's a frog
Run it over!
Run the frog over!
Now it's a rabbit
I may have lost my mind,
but I still had some sense left in me
Life is precious
Are you working again, Ma?
You woke up?
I always feel better when you work
You sure have a strange body
It's a children's illustration
There sure are all kinds of work
I can't make ends meet
with just one line of work
They'll scold me if I don't finish today
What's funny?
Even as a kid you were scolded a lot
You were always being scolded
Look who's talking
You were scolded a lot, too
Who would scold me?
I'm the top of the pyramid
I'm ready
All right, game
Oh, no, she got me again
What's with her?
Cards is one thing I can't beat you at
You need 10 more years
before you can beat me in cards
Shut up! I can't sleep!
I've got the morning market
Then, let's just drink
You're not supposed to laugh, Sister
What's with your face?
Hello
Ma, Ma...
I finished the illustration
How rare, you were fast
Slowly but surely, I'm improving
I stirred your pickle brine
for you yesterday
Oh, Tamami
And this is for you
Thank you so much
Nakagawa san, your radio appointment...
- But I just realized you're a writer...
- Let's go
You're on the radio, too?
Behind the scenes
What channel?
I don't talk
What channel? FM? AM?
I don't talk I'm going
What's there to do on the radio but talk?
You'd be surprised
I'll be back tomorrow about this time
What can I bring?
Nothing, I don't need anything
We'll be back
Isoyama san, Tamami, thank you
Bye
He should talk...
Yes, yes, yes. We're driving there, now
And about next week
You're getting the test results,
soon, right?
Yeah, they'll determine,
whether to operate and remove it
or rely on chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is painful, isn't it?
Yeah, it is
Of course it is. It's doing the impossible
Whatever deal Mom and Dad had made,
on long school vacations,
I was sent alone to the house in Kokura
You... only draw pictures of ships
And it's always the same drawing
I don't know what it looks like
from the front
How very unusual
White is good, right?
Yeah
This good? Done, right?
What? Why?
You're almost finished
Clean up the mess
I'm going drinking
You're almost done!
I have no idea why
he never finished the ship
But among all my memories, that was when
he was most fatherly,
and I know I was thrilled
Thanks
Thank you
Tasty, this is good
You're always a great cook
It's easy to simmer fish
You know how to cook it not mushy
My wife's is always mushy
You think?
Yeah, yours isn't mushy
Welcome
Welcome back, is this seat OK?
The usual?
Sister, a plate of simmered fish
and a red wine
Oh, I'll do it
Where to?
Where are you going?
Um...
Want to come, too?
Let's go, I want to go home
Stay there and play
The game will start
Did you press the start button?
Thank you so much
Can't you thank him?
I'll be right back
Around and around, I looked for Mom
Around and around
Around and around
Mom!
Let's go home
Why are you stirring the pickle brine now?
You're up?
Yeah
Counting backwards from breakfast,
the pickles taste best
if I stir the brine now
Your pickles are the best
Of course they are
This brine has been in the family
for over 100 years
That man from yesterday...
Ma
Do you like your Dad?
Yeah
I figured
I started middle school
Maybe Mom didn't want
to rely on Grandma forever
She moved us to a different house
Hello, I'm Nakagawa
Um...
This will be your room
Thank you
This is like a hospital
We don't have a choice
We can't borrow a room
at Grandma's forever
Where's the bathroom?
Mom! Mom!
What's with you?
You're such a chicken
What's wrong with you?
Live here?
You joined the baseball team?
All I do is get hit
What did you expect?
I hadn't seen Dad in a year
How's your mom?
She quit the diner
and works at home now
Piecework? The pay's lousy, right?
But she just bought me a guitar
A Morris
On lousy pay?
What are you doing these days, Dad?
You mean for work?
Architect - Nakagawa
Dad was living alone, then
Yeah, yeah
I want to wait it out a little longer
So, can you start with the large room?
What do you say?
My son's staying with me
Take whatever you want
If you moved, you need stuff, right?
Just a TV
Take that one, over there
Hello
The hell!
There's real deadlines and
there's fake ones!
Need anything else?
Um...
What?
Is there a woman?
What?
Fujica Single 8
I'm rolling film, do something
Hey, there's no film
What?
Take it
But I don't have a projector
I don't either, take it!
In the course of my life,
I've never met a man
so utterly free
Sometime after finishing 8th grade,
I began to have two strong desires
I wanted to go somewhere
other than here
and I wanted to set Mom free
By that time, smoke had stopped
pouring out of the giant smokestacks
of the steel factory in Kokura
and the mines in Chikuho
To me, everything made by adults,
everything I could see,
seemed to be going downhill
Whatever lasts forever,
is what everyone desires without question
But if it's not eternal,
everything is an illusion
With my high school exams ahead of me,
I made up my mind to leave this town
Come in boss, we've got nice girls
Check out the girls, stop in
Oh, you're Na san's son
You're so cute. How old are you?
I'm 15
See my tits?
No
Did you come to play?
I came to study
Study? Study tits?
No
Cut it out. You're scaring him
They're scary, my tits are
Na san, what are you making him study?
This kid says he wants to try to get in
to the Art High School in Oita
So I thought I'd teach him how to draw
What? Why go so far away?
It's best for men
to start their travels young
Start drawing this
I'll check in on you later
This?
Yeah
God, I'm sick. That baldie won't give up
Who are you!
A helmet?
Yes
What's a kid doing here, drawing a helmet?
He's my kid
What a shock, so he's your kid
Yes, sorry
No, your lines are too weak
Give it here
Like father like son
Despite my father's half-assed tutoring,
I did...
Make it into high school
Check your ticket one last time
I have it
Take good care of yourself
and study hard, OK?
Yeah
Can you wake up in the morning
with no one to wake you?
I swear I'll get up
Do your best
To Masaya
From Mother
In that letter,
she wrote nothing about herself,
only endless words of
encouragement for me,
with great conviction
The thing is, I had this dream
No idea what it was
For some reason, in this dream,
I have relations with this lady
who's my relative
And when I spread her legs,
I have no idea what I'm seeing
It's a dream
But it's a fish face
A sardine's face...
He's on a roll, but it's time for a break
We can't have his mother hearing this stuff
Yes, it's better she doesn't
Why did Mom...
start laughing when I only
pushed the start button...
You're so drunk
OK, OK, I'm fine
I understand how you feel
but you're drinking too much
Who asked you?
Don't tell me you understand
Which program are you on?
Dad said he'd visit. He called
Really?
What? When?
Sunday
My hair's a mess I haven't been to a salon
Don't bother
No
I can't see him with my hair like this
All right, I'll see what I can do
High school life in Oita
My first time living alone
My Mom's words proved prophetic
I was totally comfortable in my depravity
Please go out with me
If you'll get baptized
Baptized?
Lmpossible if you're not baptized
You'd better start by reading the Bible
Otherwise Sunday dates are impossible
lmpossible
During those 3 years,
I was snubbed by a Mormon girl...
Naito
Nakagawa
He's late again
Hiraguri, go wake him up
Sure
Hurry up
I found a new friend, Hiraguri,
who was a little unusual
Hurry up!
Bring him here
C'mon, let's go
And all we really did,
was spend the money Mom sent,
puffing our way through
packs of cigarettes
Thank you, Hiraguri san
See, you look years younger
I wanted you
to come over for dinner one last time
What a shame
Don't talk like that
The only reason my son
graduated was because of you
No, I was able to graduate because of him
The deadline for Nyan-nyan?
Oh, that again
Illustration and text for Queen Kong?
All right
I'll be back in touch
Going home already?
I'm sorry, I wanted to stay
with her longer
I just...
Let me pay you
No, really, it's fine
Don't
Nakagawa san
About the test results,
please go see Dr. Hirai,
tomorrow afternoon at 3PM
Yes
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I know it's toughest for you
Thanks
Ma
If you don't have anything to do,
take the vegetables to Granny's
Back from Oita,
studying for my college exams,
I secretly dreamed of
going to college in Tokyo
I'll leave 'em here
Granny, is that all you're eating?
I'm alone, this is fine
Come inside
Forget it, come
Can I really just leave Mom behind?
You've had 3 years
to think it over, but no answers
Thinking it over in the country here,
won't get you anywhere
Go to Tokyo
There's all kinds of people there
Go see everything there is to see
Your mom won't stop you
I'm home
I waited for you, Go ahead, eat up
Why such a feast?
You're trying for a college in Tokyo,
right?
Get your spirits up
Yeah?
But I don't know what to eat first
Doesn't matter which
Tasty
Let's eat, then
Chicken rice, sushi rolls,
condiments, shiso-flavored rice cakes
tempura, broiled fish,
simmered vegetables, turnips,
cucumber, pork miso soup...
The next year,
I made it into a university in Tokyo
Every spring, young kids
from all over Japan got swallowed up
by Tokyo, like so much dust,
sucked in by motor of a vacuum cleaner
The dark narrow hose
was a tunnel to our dreams and the future
But the other end of the tunnel,
was still a dust heap
You hang in there, Mother
Cheers!
It was so dusty, I could hardly breathe
The motor kept churning
We went around, banging into each other
Around and around,
Around and around
Hey, Hiraguri
Nakagawa!
Why are you in Tokyo?
I...
Listen
Loan me 2,000 yen
Not getting into college,
Hiraguri had taken over
the family beauty salon
When he saw Flashdance, he became obsessed
and moved to Tokyo,
dreaming of becoming a dancer
Of course he ran out of money,
and moved into my place
How was it?
Yeah, it was really lively
Oh, I see, now that you're job-hunting...
Have you been in touch with your dad?
He says let's go drinking
when I'm back in Kokura
But the thing is...
What?
For the past 4 years,
I basically did nothing
Shocked?
What do you mean?
At this rate, I can't graduate
What's that?
Why couldn't you work harder?
I don't have to stay back,
I can just drop out
Not graduate
Why...
Why couldn't you work harder?
Sorry
Hello
I'm going to start a restaurant
What? A restaurant?
Someone I knew ran
a restaurant by the river,
but now I can just take over
running the place
I'll hang in there 1 more year,
so you keep going to college
until you graduate
Can you do it?
Oh...
Yeah, I think I can
All right, stay back a year
So, I lived off Mom for another year,
somehow managing to graduate
I didn't land ajob after graduating,
and Hiraguri gave up
on becoming a dancer,
but we both clung to life in Tokyo
This looks great
Hello
Hello
It's your Mohican's fault
It's your fault, you're unemployed
You're unemployed and have a Mohican
You're a double-loser
Where do you work?
A publishing house
Oh, I see
Which publishing house?
It's a small company,
called Kodansha
Oh, really? Even I know that
publisher, it's really important
Oh, Kodansha...
Let's see now...
Nakagawa san
Nakagawa san! Are you there?
You owe 3 months' rent
Nakagawa san, Nakagawa san
Nakagawa san!
Paradise Loans
The days passed by,
as slack as a stretched out rubber band
The only growth were was
the number of loan sharks I owed
Who's that?
Takamizawa of The Alfee
I see
What do you want to be?
An illustrator
Wow
The man from Paradise Loans
is on the phone again
Sorry, please tell him I'm not here
It's all right that you're never here?
Seems fine to me
Be confident
OK, I will
Can you pass this?
Sure thing
Thanks
Where's my fried chicken?
Right up
Sorry to keep you waiting
Ita, did you find work?
That place isn't for me
Oh, right...
Graduation Certificate Nakagawa Masaya
Excuse me
Hello?
What's with you!
You never answer your phone!
Mom, listen,
I'm sorry to ask again but
I'll pay you right back
Money?
Um, yeah
I sent it
Listen, your grandmother's not well
Yeah, my sisters are
watching her tonight,
but she won't last
Thanks
Thank you
Come home
I figured you were broke
so I sent you the train fare home
Yeah...
Don't tell me you already spent that, too
I went to visit my sick grandmother,
just once
See the 1,000,000 yen there?
Use that 1,000,000 yen
to buy yourself a pot
I'll give it to you
Buy yourself a pot
What's wrong, Nakagawa san?
Oh, sorry
What'd you come to Tokyo for?
I win
Grandma died. Come Home
You don't have any money do you?
I need train fare
C'mon, don't go
I know it's a terrible time,
but I just can't make it
You can't keep paying rent
for both of us
Can't we just hang in there
together a little longer?
You're down and out now,
But you've got talent
Hang in there
I...
I can't take it anymore
New Age Fair
You're from that art class
I'm so hungry... I can't take it
Hey, how have you been?
Where are you?
Sorry, I don't have enough
change to talk for long
I can't reach my mother
Your mother's hospitalized with cancer
She nearly lost her voice
Hey! Are you listening?
It was just a small cancer on my thyroid
They said my vocal chords
would be fine, so I let them operate
I'll have to be on hormones
that rest of my life,
but I'm lucky I saved my voice
The operation tightened some wrinkles
What really upset me back then
was having to give up my restaurant
But you really hung in there, Mom
You really hung in there,
all on your own
But some things are beyond
Hanging in there
Don't talk like that
Why look, it's 3 o'clock
The test results will be ready
The nurse told you?
Yes, go talk to the doctor
Sure
May her condition be operable...
Come in
No loan shark would talk to me,
and even illegal dealers turned me down,
but somehow Enomoto and I managed
to cough up the security deposit
on a room in Omotesando
Enomoto
I'm going to work
Maybe in reaction to years of slacking,
I started drawing and writing
Sorry to keep you waiting
Yours will be right up
And Mom didn't give up either
Hey, this is good
Nakagawa, you can write erotica,
want to write a column?
Sure, I will
Yeah, you're right
You're definitely right
But you hear that a lot
Like instant fried noodles
are actually just steamed
They don't get fried at all,
you just pour water over them...
I had my hands full living day to day
Nothing in my life felt secure
I took any job that came my way
Moon's out, moon's out,
moon's out, it is...
Eiko san, you came back
Yes, hello
Yes, it's been a while since
I heard this song
A package from your son
See you
Wow
30,000 yen more and we're debt-free!
Hello
Hey, Mom
When did you find the time
to write a book?
I haven't read it yet
but you're doing great
I'm so happy
I'll read it carefully
There's nothing in
it worth reading carefully
Oh, I'll buy a beeper soon
so you can reach me anywhere
Don't you worry about me
I'm moved back to Grandma's
I'll always be home
What? Why?
The diner fired me
I keep going to the hospital
I take too many sick days
There's still some cancer
on my vocal chords
I thought you were completely cured
There's still a small cancer
that needs treatment
They need to keep it under control
with radiation therapy
I see
But your book will raise my spirits
Thank you so much
It's a real book
Wonder how much it'll make
Sister, time for a drink
Here's to Maestro Nakagawa
getting out of debt,
getting off part-time work...
Don't forget the important thing
And to the opening of your bar,
House of the Rising Sun
Cheers!
Next thing I knew,
life had improved a little
Even Hiraguri had found his way
and opened a bar
I always believed in him
What do you mean Believed?
I'm just barely out of the red
Do you know how many people in
Tokyo stay in the red all their lives?
Welcome
We showed up as promised
Thank you
You really opened it
- Impressed? C'mon in
- Oh, thank you
May I sit here?
Sure
It's not so unusual
Meaning?
And I found a new girlfriend
I talk about Mom a lot, don't I?
Sure, why?
Isn't it depressing?
Not at all, what a funny question
I don't have a mom so I never tire of it
I wonder if she'd come
What do you mean, come?
I wonder if she'd come to Tokyo
To live with you?
But it's not like she's
divorced my father, either
But your mother, I'd like to meet
Really?
Because it's obvious she'll be sweet
What?
No, I just feel so happy
My happiest moment since coming to Tokyo...
Weirdo
Do you really want to meet my mom?
It's really all right to go?
Is it really all right
for me to go to Tokyo?
Yeah, sure, it's fine, you should come
Thank you! Bye, then
Right
What'd she say?
Are you really sure it's all right?
Yeah, it's fine, you should come
That means I'll live with you, right?
That's right, that's right
Maybe I'll go, then
Um...
It's fine that you're coming, but...
Your father?
Your father's living with another woman
He's been living with her
a long while, now
In that case...
In that case,
you should live in Tokyo until you die
Moon's out, moon's out,
moon's out, it is
Moon's out over
the Miike Mines
The smokestacks are so high,
the moon must be all smoky
If you really, really feel that way
I'll make up my mind, to leave you
If you give me back
the 18 year-old girl, I once was
I'll leave you
Wait here, OK?
Mom
Sorry
The station's so big
We're going to live in this town
Yes
We're going to live together forever, OK?
Yes
Fifteen years after I left
my mother's side at age 15,
I wound up living with her again,
in a nondescript building in Tokyo
You moved for me? I feel bad
What are you saying?
This is just the prologue
Time for me to pay you back now
What's that?
There's a bowling alley downstairs
Oh, this is it
Here it is. As long as I have this,
there's nothing to fear
There it is, that smell
Pickle brine...
Dear
Are you sure it's all right
for me to live here?
Right or not, you're already here
When I die...
Don't sound so morbid
You're not going to die
You can just live here forever
In that case,
I hope you'll take good care of me
I'll take you
to all kinds of places
you've never been
Sounds like a strike ball down there
You'll get used to it
Don't you worry about me
Good evening
Smells so good
Tonight is curry and tempura
A nice combo
A gift for you
Let's put it in the curry
You're so thoughtful, Mizue
Hey, check this out!
A rabbit! Cute!
Why, Dear?
I suddenly remembered
my pet rabbit when I was a kid
What's this?
The white one's Bread,
the black one's Grape
I'm allergic
You're so weak
- To rabbits?
- You OK?
OK, time to eat
Thanks for the food
All my friends gathered
in our kitchen,
seduced by Mom's cooking
And Mom befriended them,
one after the other
Mom cooked rice for 10 people
though only the two of us lived there
In the old days,
they had places called Dance Halls
That's where we went to dance
That's where I learned to dance
"QUISAS, QUISAS, QUISAS"
That's where you met Dad
That's true, but...
He couldn't dance
Tell us more
He seduced you? That's so hip
Your father had come by himself
and just kept staring at me
That's creepy
That's right, so I went to scold him,
but he apologized so sweetly,
and bought me a drink
I don't remember our conversation,
but I guess I gave him my address
A few days later,
without saying a word to me,
he brought over a betrothal present
What! Cool!
I was so shocked, I just nodded
But enough of my story
I want to hear what's going on with you
You don't need to hear about us,
we're just fine
How about you?
I'm not...
Mom, you bought me that bed the other day,
but you must be out of savings
It's all gone
What about your pension?
My pension...
After things got tough I couldn't
make the payments anymore
I had to give it up
I see...
I spent all my savings
and everything on this
This is my entire estate
I've got nothing else
I've lived here a dozen years,
but never been up to the observation deck
You either, right?
I bet it feels great up there
with the beautiful view
Too late now, I'll bring you next time
I'll look forward to it
You come, too, Mizue
Yes, the 3 of us
I bet we'll get a discount
A group discount?
They don't give discounts for 3
You're right
I felt like things were moving
in the right direction
And as usual, everyone around me
kept coming to eat Mom's food
The happy times
sped by, leaving sweet echoes behind,
like a bell rolling down a hill
How were the test results?
He said they can't operate
I'd better tell Mom
Can I be there with you?
I see
So they can't operate on me?
They say you're not quite strong enough
Gastric cancer
is the same kind that
killed that news announcer
It won't be easy but we have to try,
so they'll put you on chemotherapy
Right
Try everything that might work
I wonder if it'll work
A vaccine cured some people
It's not government-approved,
but you should try it
It must be expensive
Don't you worry about that
Mom, let's hang in there
If something happens to you,
it won't just make folks back home sad
How many friends have you made in Tokyo?
All of us love you, Mom
Do you know how impossible that is?
I wonder...
Maybe I should try...
Will you try the chemotherapy?
The chemotherapy... Yes
When I asked her what she wanted,
she asked me to bring
my graduation certificate
She was smiling
What an amazing person
Thanks for being there
I couldn't have encouraged her
that much alone
You haven't told her we split up?
No
She still thinks we're getting married
Before you came today, she gave me this
The ring your dad once gave her
Oh, I see
I don't know,
if it's right for me to keep it
Please, keep it
Um, that...
You can wear it and not wear it
Weirdo
Good morning
Morning, Mom
Morning. Did you bring it?
Yeah
But don't put it out,
it's embarrassing
Of course I won't
Hey, Mom
No, nothing
If you've something to say, say it
Dad's coming
He's coming all the way from Kokura
but I can't do anything for him
You don't have to
It's been so many years
I'll go meet him
OK, be careful
When do they start the chemotherapy?
Day after tomorrow
Can you take it?
Can I smoke?
Nope
I have to meet a real estate agent
A real estate agent? For what?
Thinking about you recuperating at home,
I figure I might as well
find a bigger place
I'm off, see you
You know, my hair's grown back
That hair-growth drug actually works
That's wonderful
I'm having trouble
swallowing food these days
You're keeping your doctor's appointments?
He says he'll take X-rays if the drug
doesn't work after a week
Right
Have him take a look at you
I threw upjust a little yesterday
I guess it's my stomach
Maybe it's metastasized
Don't worry so much
You can't keep getting cancers like that
I know my own body best
I often worked late
or stayed out all night drinking
Conversations with Mom
became strictly business
We had gotten used to this
and were simply numb
It's been 7 years since Mom moved to Tokyo
Grape, the rabbit, died on the veranda
It's grown quite big
His tone of voice was of casual surprise
And now,
Mom was about to start
her final hospitalization
This is the gastric cancer
Remember to feed Bread
while I'm in the hospital
Animals can't talk
I feel so bad about Grape
He must've been so lonely
And after I die...
You won't die
If something should happen to me,
you open that box up there
What is it?
Don't open it now
What is this? When did you do this?
Open this after I die
This was the first time
I was leading Mom by the hand
You can pass, you can pass
Who's narrow path is this?
This path belongs to the gods
This is how a hospital
at the foot of Tokyo Tower
became my mother's final residence
Illustrator, columnist,
and disc jockey
What exactly do you do?
I'm ajack of all trades
Ajack of all trades?
You're going to live with your mom?
Yeah? The rent's high
Sure you can pay it?
It won't be a problem
It gets lots of sunlight
Your mom will like it
I know it belongs to you,
but this may be the last house
my mother and I live in together
That's it
It's yours to rent
Hello, it's me, I found a tenant
No, no, that's fine
Excuse me
Your mother went to the shop
With her husband
Oh, I see
We don't need so much
Not to worry
It's not for you to eat
Oh, thank you
This too, and this?
Oh, thank you, that's enough
Dad went home the next day,
and then Mom started chemotherapy
I feel... sick
Mom
Are you OK, Mom?
Maybe Mom had an especially bad reaction,
maybe others suffered equally
But her suffering was far
beyond what I had imagined
In pain,
suffering,
yet Mom never asked to stop it
Mom was desperately trying to stay alive
The second round of chemotherapy
took a real toll on Mom's body,
already weakened by the first round
How long?
How long will this go on?
Mom...
Mom...
You're hanging in there,
but what am I supposed to do?
You're a grownup
Think grownup thoughts
I want to stop
I want to stop this, Ma
Let's stop
Let's stop this
You worked so hard
It's not like the old days
There must be other treatments
You want to stop it?
Yes
She's got 2, maybe 3 months left
After the chemotherapy,
Mom temporarily regained her strength
Can I put this here for now?
Sure, fine
You'll be able to work and
take care of your mom here
Yeah
Time for lunch
Over here
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom
Really...
Already cherry blossom season
Thank you all for coming
We made it here all right,
but the subway's hard to manage
The map's just shows
a bunch of lines snaking around
We brought your favorites
Don't spread that out here
Can we take your mother
to the hotel we're staying in?
Sure, it'll be a nice change for her
Let's take this
Enjoy yourself, Mom
I'm off, then
Don't you worry
It's been so long
Hey, Bread
Hello?
Hi, Auntie, how's it going?
She vomited?
Guess you enjoyed yourself
a little too much
Mom
When... Did you come back?
Me? I've been here a while
It's so much nicer being at home
Yes, but...
Listen, Dear
There's some sashimi in the refrigerator,
and there's also
some eggplant miso soup on the stove
Heat that up and eat it
Eggplant miso soup...
Mom...
What are you saying, Mom...
Mom
It's snowing
Eggplant, you know...
It snowed that day,
though it was already the season
for cherry blossoms
It was like an April Fool's joke,
when you never know
what's true and what's not
Look, an omelet Mom-style
They moved Mom into another room
and as of that day,
I slept on a cot in her room,
to nurse her every night
Here, Dad
Feels like we're all back at home
I'll still be here
when it's his turn
Thank you
Mom was no longer able to eat any food
If you're going home tomorrow,
why not sleep near her tonight
How much does that room cost?
40,000 yen a night
You can afford that?
Amazing
My hair's grown back,
from that hair-growth drug
Right
Your mom,
may not make it
Daddy
Daddy
What is it? Need the toilet?
The radio
The radio, radio
The radio
Ma's show Thursdays from 1:00 - 1:30am
It's like jerking off with Devil's Tongue
Miso's a favorite, now
Wow, Miso Devil's Tongue?
Miso masturbation?
Disgusting
These days, they recommend the combo
The combo?
The combo miso
Devil's Tongue masturbation
What is this?
Have you been listening to this all along?
If you've got any jerking off tips,
send them my way
So, it's time for a tune
I dedicate this to someone I love
QUISAS, QUISAS, QUISAS
The night that Dad was to head home,
Mom was in pain like never before
You'll be OK, calm down
Do you recognize me? You'll be OK
Does it hurt?
I feel so bad, I just feel so bad
I'm so sorry
What is it?
A sudden change
Her vitals?
Blood pressure 146 over 103,
heart rate 138,
oxygen saturation is 91
You'll be OK
Give her an oxygen mask
A shot of tranquilizer
In her side tube?
That's fine
What are you saying, Mom?
What, Mom?
What is it?
The phone for you
Your publisher has to talk to you now
Give me a break! Now's not the time!
Be quiet
We gave you some medicine
What happened?
A turn for the worse
It suddenly occurred to me,
Mom didn't want Dad to leave
Eiko!
Hemostatis
What are you doing, Mom!
You can't do that! Be strong, Mom!
Be strong!
It's me, can you tell? Eiko!
Mom!
Eiko!
Mom!
Don't die!
Dad, Dad
Mom's awake
I'm sorry, Mom
I don't know what you're saying
But I know
You're worried about us, right?
You don't need to worry anymore, now
You're saying, Thank you?
What's wrong, Mom?
You were so strong
You don't have to worry, now
You were so strong
Mom
What do you think of the house?
It's big, right?
It fits about as many people
as Grandma's house
Nakagawa san
About a column deadline...
Hello
I hear your mother passed away
When was it?
This morning
I'm sorry for your loss
You called me at the hospital?
I know this is a bad time,
but we can't push this deadline
What do you say?
What do I say?
Does it have to be today?
Tomorrow and we have to print blank column
Could you write,
staring at your mother's corpse?
I don't need to write today
You should write
I hardly have any time left with you
It's not the time to write a stupid column
You don't want to cause
trouble for that man
Write
But they're going to burn you soon
You're going to disappear
Didn't I tell you before?
You don't remember
When you're working,
I feel better
This is my last chance
Show me
You just watch, Mom
I'm going to make you laugh so hard
My writing will be funnier
than anyone else's
I'll leave this here
Thank you
Please
Hey, Bread
Bread?
Lts name is Bread
But it's a rabbit
I see your point
Done
Fast!
I'll go fax it
A drink for you
Tamami
Would you like to inherit my
mother's 100 year-old pickle brine?
That's,
too much for me
Right
Then carry on her routine
All right!
I'm so sad, so sad!
I'm going to drink, too
There's an illustration,
that goes with it, right?
OK
Everybody, drink and carry on
So that Mom can hear you upstairs
OK!
We'll drink!
Tamami
Mom
I'm really...
Wiped out today
Sorry
Can I have a moment?
A while ago,
Mom told me
The first year she moved to Tokyo,
you took her all over the place
and fed her lots of great food
She felt like in that 1 year,
she had a lifetime
of being looked after by her son
I never told you that
OK
That's all
Dad, here
You're the chief mourner
I won't make a speech
The chief mourner
will address the assembled mourners
Eiko...
and I...
That day,
I saw Dad cry,
for the first time in my life
I'll be back to observe
her first mourning rites
Want to see this?
She left it to you
I'll say good bye to the rabbit
and go home
Dad
When you get home,
can you send me your drawing of Buddha?
As soon as I finish it
It's nearly done
See you
Open this after I die
To Mizue san
Dear Ma
Thank you for all these years
I so enjoyed living in Tokyo
I failed in my marriage,
but I was blessed with a sweet son,
so I can die happily
You were a sickly boy and cried a lot,
so when I prayed to the gods,
it was first for your health
And also that you'd be open-hearted
As you grew up,
your health still came first
but also business success
These days, I'm greedy
and pray for you and
your girlfriend's safety
She really felt like my own daughter
She made me so happy,
calling me Mother, mother,
like she really meant it
I'm so very fortunate
to be able to bid good bye
to life in a state of happiness
Good bye, Ma
Mom
Let's climb it together,
just like we promised
Mom
I'm still sad, now
I can't believe how much of your
hard-earned pay I begged off of you
My work situation is a little better,
but my life's hardly settled
I still bring people trouble
I've a long way to go
I've hardly made any progress
Sorry I'm late
Where's Mom?
Amazing, right, Mom?
Amazing
It's a little late, but it's from Mom
Mom, you wrote me Good bye
but you shouldn't have
You'll always be my mother,
I'll be your son
Don't talk like that
Mom,
I'm so sorry for everything
And thank you
Mom,
it's a beautiful day, today
This is the simple, traditional
entrance to my grandmother's house,
where I lived until I was 3 years old
Five seconds from now,
it will become avant-garde
What's up!
Hurts!
Why'd you drink so much again!
Hey, hey, Eiko san! Eiko san!
Get off me!
You're still up!
You'd wake anybody up
This is my Mom
Tiny!
Run to Daddy's room. He'll behave in there
Don't grab my stomach
Just go to bed
Get off me!
Godzilla!
I told you not to grab my stomach!
Tiny...
I'll paint this someday
I can paint this a little better
I got you something good
Here
Good, right?
Make a face like it tastes good
This is my Fujica Single 8
And this is my Dad
He's the same person as the slightly
creepy young man in the photo
The Tokyo Tower, behind him,
then about as half-baked as
my father's taste in clothes,
when finally completed in 1958,
was 333 meters tall
Even today, decades later,
it still stands at the heart
of Tokyo and Japan,
as centered as the pin of a spinning top
These days,
I find myself staring at
Tokyo Tower from very close by
This is the modest story of my father,
who got knocked down
and kicked out by Tokyo,
all the way back to his hometown
It's also about me, who came here
and lost a place to go home to
It's also about my mother,
who never had any illusions,
but was dragged here anyway,
and unable to go home or return,
found her eternal rest
at the foot of Tokyo Tower
< TOKYO TOWER >
- Mom & Me, and sometimes Dad -
Fujica Single 8
I can shoot that, too
Great
He was just feeding him yakitori?
They don't fit his mouth
This is me and Mom and Dad
This is my last memory from
when we lived together
That's when Mom moved us out of
my grandmother's house in Kokura
and into my grandmother's house in Chikuho
You can pass, you can pass
Who's narrow path is this?
This path belongs to the gods
Won't you kindly let me pass...
Mom!
Your mom's mom
Here we go
This is where I was born
Tasty
Thanks
Eiko! You're back! Been a while
Hello
Welcome home, Sister
Hey, Ma, you've grown just a little
We'll have a feast tonight
See you later
It was an old, small, mining town,
served by a single-track railroad,
making 8 trips a day, running in the red
Hardly like Kokura,
which had been a metropolis
It's a crayfish, a crayfish
Run it over
Run the crayfish over!
In this dead end town,
I had totally lost it
Got it!
Now it's a frog
Run it over!
Run the frog over!
Now it's a rabbit
I may have lost my mind,
but I still had some sense left in me
Life is precious
Are you working again, Ma?
You woke up?
I always feel better when you work
You sure have a strange body
It's a children's illustration
There sure are all kinds of work
I can't make ends meet
with just one line of work
They'll scold me if I don't finish today
What's funny?
Even as a kid you were scolded a lot
You were always being scolded
Look who's talking
You were scolded a lot, too
Who would scold me?
I'm the top of the pyramid
I'm ready
All right, game
Oh, no, she got me again
What's with her?
Cards is one thing I can't beat you at
You need 10 more years
before you can beat me in cards
Shut up! I can't sleep!
I've got the morning market
Then, let's just drink
You're not supposed to laugh, Sister
What's with your face?
Hello
Ma, Ma...
I finished the illustration
How rare, you were fast
Slowly but surely, I'm improving
I stirred your pickle brine
for you yesterday
Oh, Tamami
And this is for you
Thank you so much
Nakagawa san, your radio appointment...
- But I just realized you're a writer...
- Let's go
You're on the radio, too?
Behind the scenes
What channel?
I don't talk
What channel? FM? AM?
I don't talk I'm going
What's there to do on the radio but talk?
You'd be surprised
I'll be back tomorrow about this time
What can I bring?
Nothing, I don't need anything
We'll be back
Isoyama san, Tamami, thank you
Bye
He should talk...
Yes, yes, yes. We're driving there, now
And about next week
You're getting the test results,
soon, right?
Yeah, they'll determine,
whether to operate and remove it
or rely on chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is painful, isn't it?
Yeah, it is
Of course it is. It's doing the impossible
Whatever deal Mom and Dad had made,
on long school vacations,
I was sent alone to the house in Kokura
You... only draw pictures of ships
And it's always the same drawing
I don't know what it looks like
from the front
How very unusual
White is good, right?
Yeah
This good? Done, right?
What? Why?
You're almost finished
Clean up the mess
I'm going drinking
You're almost done!
I have no idea why
he never finished the ship
But among all my memories, that was when
he was most fatherly,
and I know I was thrilled
Thanks
Thank you
Tasty, this is good
You're always a great cook
It's easy to simmer fish
You know how to cook it not mushy
My wife's is always mushy
You think?
Yeah, yours isn't mushy
Welcome
Welcome back, is this seat OK?
The usual?
Sister, a plate of simmered fish
and a red wine
Oh, I'll do it
Where to?
Where are you going?
Um...
Want to come, too?
Let's go, I want to go home
Stay there and play
The game will start
Did you press the start button?
Thank you so much
Can't you thank him?
I'll be right back
Around and around, I looked for Mom
Around and around
Around and around
Mom!
Let's go home
Why are you stirring the pickle brine now?
You're up?
Yeah
Counting backwards from breakfast,
the pickles taste best
if I stir the brine now
Your pickles are the best
Of course they are
This brine has been in the family
for over 100 years
That man from yesterday...
Ma
Do you like your Dad?
Yeah
I figured
I started middle school
Maybe Mom didn't want
to rely on Grandma forever
She moved us to a different house
Hello, I'm Nakagawa
Um...
This will be your room
Thank you
This is like a hospital
We don't have a choice
We can't borrow a room
at Grandma's forever
Where's the bathroom?
Mom! Mom!
What's with you?
You're such a chicken
What's wrong with you?
Live here?
You joined the baseball team?
All I do is get hit
What did you expect?
I hadn't seen Dad in a year
How's your mom?
She quit the diner
and works at home now
Piecework? The pay's lousy, right?
But she just bought me a guitar
A Morris
On lousy pay?
What are you doing these days, Dad?
You mean for work?
Architect - Nakagawa
Dad was living alone, then
Yeah, yeah
I want to wait it out a little longer
So, can you start with the large room?
What do you say?
My son's staying with me
Take whatever you want
If you moved, you need stuff, right?
Just a TV
Take that one, over there
Hello
The hell!
There's real deadlines and
there's fake ones!
Need anything else?
Um...
What?
Is there a woman?
What?
Fujica Single 8
I'm rolling film, do something
Hey, there's no film
What?
Take it
But I don't have a projector
I don't either, take it!
In the course of my life,
I've never met a man
so utterly free
Sometime after finishing 8th grade,
I began to have two strong desires
I wanted to go somewhere
other than here
and I wanted to set Mom free
By that time, smoke had stopped
pouring out of the giant smokestacks
of the steel factory in Kokura
and the mines in Chikuho
To me, everything made by adults,
everything I could see,
seemed to be going downhill
Whatever lasts forever,
is what everyone desires without question
But if it's not eternal,
everything is an illusion
With my high school exams ahead of me,
I made up my mind to leave this town
Come in boss, we've got nice girls
Check out the girls, stop in
Oh, you're Na san's son
You're so cute. How old are you?
I'm 15
See my tits?
No
Did you come to play?
I came to study
Study? Study tits?
No
Cut it out. You're scaring him
They're scary, my tits are
Na san, what are you making him study?
This kid says he wants to try to get in
to the Art High School in Oita
So I thought I'd teach him how to draw
What? Why go so far away?
It's best for men
to start their travels young
Start drawing this
I'll check in on you later
This?
Yeah
God, I'm sick. That baldie won't give up
Who are you!
A helmet?
Yes
What's a kid doing here, drawing a helmet?
He's my kid
What a shock, so he's your kid
Yes, sorry
No, your lines are too weak
Give it here
Like father like son
Despite my father's half-assed tutoring,
I did...
Make it into high school
Check your ticket one last time
I have it
Take good care of yourself
and study hard, OK?
Yeah
Can you wake up in the morning
with no one to wake you?
I swear I'll get up
Do your best
To Masaya
From Mother
In that letter,
she wrote nothing about herself,
only endless words of
encouragement for me,
with great conviction
The thing is, I had this dream
No idea what it was
For some reason, in this dream,
I have relations with this lady
who's my relative
And when I spread her legs,
I have no idea what I'm seeing
It's a dream
But it's a fish face
A sardine's face...
He's on a roll, but it's time for a break
We can't have his mother hearing this stuff
Yes, it's better she doesn't
Why did Mom...
start laughing when I only
pushed the start button...
You're so drunk
OK, OK, I'm fine
I understand how you feel
but you're drinking too much
Who asked you?
Don't tell me you understand
Which program are you on?
Dad said he'd visit. He called
Really?
What? When?
Sunday
My hair's a mess I haven't been to a salon
Don't bother
No
I can't see him with my hair like this
All right, I'll see what I can do
High school life in Oita
My first time living alone
My Mom's words proved prophetic
I was totally comfortable in my depravity
Please go out with me
If you'll get baptized
Baptized?
Lmpossible if you're not baptized
You'd better start by reading the Bible
Otherwise Sunday dates are impossible
lmpossible
During those 3 years,
I was snubbed by a Mormon girl...
Naito
Nakagawa
He's late again
Hiraguri, go wake him up
Sure
Hurry up
I found a new friend, Hiraguri,
who was a little unusual
Hurry up!
Bring him here
C'mon, let's go
And all we really did,
was spend the money Mom sent,
puffing our way through
packs of cigarettes
Thank you, Hiraguri san
See, you look years younger
I wanted you
to come over for dinner one last time
What a shame
Don't talk like that
The only reason my son
graduated was because of you
No, I was able to graduate because of him
The deadline for Nyan-nyan?
Oh, that again
Illustration and text for Queen Kong?
All right
I'll be back in touch
Going home already?
I'm sorry, I wanted to stay
with her longer
I just...
Let me pay you
No, really, it's fine
Don't
Nakagawa san
About the test results,
please go see Dr. Hirai,
tomorrow afternoon at 3PM
Yes
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I know it's toughest for you
Thanks
Ma
If you don't have anything to do,
take the vegetables to Granny's
Back from Oita,
studying for my college exams,
I secretly dreamed of
going to college in Tokyo
I'll leave 'em here
Granny, is that all you're eating?
I'm alone, this is fine
Come inside
Forget it, come
Can I really just leave Mom behind?
You've had 3 years
to think it over, but no answers
Thinking it over in the country here,
won't get you anywhere
Go to Tokyo
There's all kinds of people there
Go see everything there is to see
Your mom won't stop you
I'm home
I waited for you, Go ahead, eat up
Why such a feast?
You're trying for a college in Tokyo,
right?
Get your spirits up
Yeah?
But I don't know what to eat first
Doesn't matter which
Tasty
Let's eat, then
Chicken rice, sushi rolls,
condiments, shiso-flavored rice cakes
tempura, broiled fish,
simmered vegetables, turnips,
cucumber, pork miso soup...
The next year,
I made it into a university in Tokyo
Every spring, young kids
from all over Japan got swallowed up
by Tokyo, like so much dust,
sucked in by motor of a vacuum cleaner
The dark narrow hose
was a tunnel to our dreams and the future
But the other end of the tunnel,
was still a dust heap
You hang in there, Mother
Cheers!
It was so dusty, I could hardly breathe
The motor kept churning
We went around, banging into each other
Around and around,
Around and around
Hey, Hiraguri
Nakagawa!
Why are you in Tokyo?
I...
Listen
Loan me 2,000 yen
Not getting into college,
Hiraguri had taken over
the family beauty salon
When he saw Flashdance, he became obsessed
and moved to Tokyo,
dreaming of becoming a dancer
Of course he ran out of money,
and moved into my place
How was it?
Yeah, it was really lively
Oh, I see, now that you're job-hunting...
Have you been in touch with your dad?
He says let's go drinking
when I'm back in Kokura
But the thing is...
What?
For the past 4 years,
I basically did nothing
Shocked?
What do you mean?
At this rate, I can't graduate
What's that?
Why couldn't you work harder?
I don't have to stay back,
I can just drop out
Not graduate
Why...
Why couldn't you work harder?
Sorry
Hello
I'm going to start a restaurant
What? A restaurant?
Someone I knew ran
a restaurant by the river,
but now I can just take over
running the place
I'll hang in there 1 more year,
so you keep going to college
until you graduate
Can you do it?
Oh...
Yeah, I think I can
All right, stay back a year
So, I lived off Mom for another year,
somehow managing to graduate
I didn't land ajob after graduating,
and Hiraguri gave up
on becoming a dancer,
but we both clung to life in Tokyo
This looks great
Hello
Hello
It's your Mohican's fault
It's your fault, you're unemployed
You're unemployed and have a Mohican
You're a double-loser
Where do you work?
A publishing house
Oh, I see
Which publishing house?
It's a small company,
called Kodansha
Oh, really? Even I know that
publisher, it's really important
Oh, Kodansha...
Let's see now...
Nakagawa san
Nakagawa san! Are you there?
You owe 3 months' rent
Nakagawa san, Nakagawa san
Nakagawa san!
Paradise Loans
The days passed by,
as slack as a stretched out rubber band
The only growth were was
the number of loan sharks I owed
Who's that?
Takamizawa of The Alfee
I see
What do you want to be?
An illustrator
Wow
The man from Paradise Loans
is on the phone again
Sorry, please tell him I'm not here
It's all right that you're never here?
Seems fine to me
Be confident
OK, I will
Can you pass this?
Sure thing
Thanks
Where's my fried chicken?
Right up
Sorry to keep you waiting
Ita, did you find work?
That place isn't for me
Oh, right...
Graduation Certificate Nakagawa Masaya
Excuse me
Hello?
What's with you!
You never answer your phone!
Mom, listen,
I'm sorry to ask again but
I'll pay you right back
Money?
Um, yeah
I sent it
Listen, your grandmother's not well
Yeah, my sisters are
watching her tonight,
but she won't last
Thanks
Thank you
Come home
I figured you were broke
so I sent you the train fare home
Yeah...
Don't tell me you already spent that, too
I went to visit my sick grandmother,
just once
See the 1,000,000 yen there?
Use that 1,000,000 yen
to buy yourself a pot
I'll give it to you
Buy yourself a pot
What's wrong, Nakagawa san?
Oh, sorry
What'd you come to Tokyo for?
I win
Grandma died. Come Home
You don't have any money do you?
I need train fare
C'mon, don't go
I know it's a terrible time,
but I just can't make it
You can't keep paying rent
for both of us
Can't we just hang in there
together a little longer?
You're down and out now,
But you've got talent
Hang in there
I...
I can't take it anymore
New Age Fair
You're from that art class
I'm so hungry... I can't take it
Hey, how have you been?
Where are you?
Sorry, I don't have enough
change to talk for long
I can't reach my mother
Your mother's hospitalized with cancer
She nearly lost her voice
Hey! Are you listening?
It was just a small cancer on my thyroid
They said my vocal chords
would be fine, so I let them operate
I'll have to be on hormones
that rest of my life,
but I'm lucky I saved my voice
The operation tightened some wrinkles
What really upset me back then
was having to give up my restaurant
But you really hung in there, Mom
You really hung in there,
all on your own
But some things are beyond
Hanging in there
Don't talk like that
Why look, it's 3 o'clock
The test results will be ready
The nurse told you?
Yes, go talk to the doctor
Sure
May her condition be operable...
Come in
No loan shark would talk to me,
and even illegal dealers turned me down,
but somehow Enomoto and I managed
to cough up the security deposit
on a room in Omotesando
Enomoto
I'm going to work
Maybe in reaction to years of slacking,
I started drawing and writing
Sorry to keep you waiting
Yours will be right up
And Mom didn't give up either
Hey, this is good
Nakagawa, you can write erotica,
want to write a column?
Sure, I will
Yeah, you're right
You're definitely right
But you hear that a lot
Like instant fried noodles
are actually just steamed
They don't get fried at all,
you just pour water over them...
I had my hands full living day to day
Nothing in my life felt secure
I took any job that came my way
Moon's out, moon's out,
moon's out, it is...
Eiko san, you came back
Yes, hello
Yes, it's been a while since
I heard this song
A package from your son
See you
Wow
30,000 yen more and we're debt-free!
Hello
Hey, Mom
When did you find the time
to write a book?
I haven't read it yet
but you're doing great
I'm so happy
I'll read it carefully
There's nothing in
it worth reading carefully
Oh, I'll buy a beeper soon
so you can reach me anywhere
Don't you worry about me
I'm moved back to Grandma's
I'll always be home
What? Why?
The diner fired me
I keep going to the hospital
I take too many sick days
There's still some cancer
on my vocal chords
I thought you were completely cured
There's still a small cancer
that needs treatment
They need to keep it under control
with radiation therapy
I see
But your book will raise my spirits
Thank you so much
It's a real book
Wonder how much it'll make
Sister, time for a drink
Here's to Maestro Nakagawa
getting out of debt,
getting off part-time work...
Don't forget the important thing
And to the opening of your bar,
House of the Rising Sun
Cheers!
Next thing I knew,
life had improved a little
Even Hiraguri had found his way
and opened a bar
I always believed in him
What do you mean Believed?
I'm just barely out of the red
Do you know how many people in
Tokyo stay in the red all their lives?
Welcome
We showed up as promised
Thank you
You really opened it
- Impressed? C'mon in
- Oh, thank you
May I sit here?
Sure
It's not so unusual
Meaning?
And I found a new girlfriend
I talk about Mom a lot, don't I?
Sure, why?
Isn't it depressing?
Not at all, what a funny question
I don't have a mom so I never tire of it
I wonder if she'd come
What do you mean, come?
I wonder if she'd come to Tokyo
To live with you?
But it's not like she's
divorced my father, either
But your mother, I'd like to meet
Really?
Because it's obvious she'll be sweet
What?
No, I just feel so happy
My happiest moment since coming to Tokyo...
Weirdo
Do you really want to meet my mom?
It's really all right to go?
Is it really all right
for me to go to Tokyo?
Yeah, sure, it's fine, you should come
Thank you! Bye, then
Right
What'd she say?
Are you really sure it's all right?
Yeah, it's fine, you should come
That means I'll live with you, right?
That's right, that's right
Maybe I'll go, then
Um...
It's fine that you're coming, but...
Your father?
Your father's living with another woman
He's been living with her
a long while, now
In that case...
In that case,
you should live in Tokyo until you die
Moon's out, moon's out,
moon's out, it is
Moon's out over
the Miike Mines
The smokestacks are so high,
the moon must be all smoky
If you really, really feel that way
I'll make up my mind, to leave you
If you give me back
the 18 year-old girl, I once was
I'll leave you
Wait here, OK?
Mom
Sorry
The station's so big
We're going to live in this town
Yes
We're going to live together forever, OK?
Yes
Fifteen years after I left
my mother's side at age 15,
I wound up living with her again,
in a nondescript building in Tokyo
You moved for me? I feel bad
What are you saying?
This is just the prologue
Time for me to pay you back now
What's that?
There's a bowling alley downstairs
Oh, this is it
Here it is. As long as I have this,
there's nothing to fear
There it is, that smell
Pickle brine...
Dear
Are you sure it's all right
for me to live here?
Right or not, you're already here
When I die...
Don't sound so morbid
You're not going to die
You can just live here forever
In that case,
I hope you'll take good care of me
I'll take you
to all kinds of places
you've never been
Sounds like a strike ball down there
You'll get used to it
Don't you worry about me
Good evening
Smells so good
Tonight is curry and tempura
A nice combo
A gift for you
Let's put it in the curry
You're so thoughtful, Mizue
Hey, check this out!
A rabbit! Cute!
Why, Dear?
I suddenly remembered
my pet rabbit when I was a kid
What's this?
The white one's Bread,
the black one's Grape
I'm allergic
You're so weak
- To rabbits?
- You OK?
OK, time to eat
Thanks for the food
All my friends gathered
in our kitchen,
seduced by Mom's cooking
And Mom befriended them,
one after the other
Mom cooked rice for 10 people
though only the two of us lived there
In the old days,
they had places called Dance Halls
That's where we went to dance
That's where I learned to dance
"QUISAS, QUISAS, QUISAS"
That's where you met Dad
That's true, but...
He couldn't dance
Tell us more
He seduced you? That's so hip
Your father had come by himself
and just kept staring at me
That's creepy
That's right, so I went to scold him,
but he apologized so sweetly,
and bought me a drink
I don't remember our conversation,
but I guess I gave him my address
A few days later,
without saying a word to me,
he brought over a betrothal present
What! Cool!
I was so shocked, I just nodded
But enough of my story
I want to hear what's going on with you
You don't need to hear about us,
we're just fine
How about you?
I'm not...
Mom, you bought me that bed the other day,
but you must be out of savings
It's all gone
What about your pension?
My pension...
After things got tough I couldn't
make the payments anymore
I had to give it up
I see...
I spent all my savings
and everything on this
This is my entire estate
I've got nothing else
I've lived here a dozen years,
but never been up to the observation deck
You either, right?
I bet it feels great up there
with the beautiful view
Too late now, I'll bring you next time
I'll look forward to it
You come, too, Mizue
Yes, the 3 of us
I bet we'll get a discount
A group discount?
They don't give discounts for 3
You're right
I felt like things were moving
in the right direction
And as usual, everyone around me
kept coming to eat Mom's food
The happy times
sped by, leaving sweet echoes behind,
like a bell rolling down a hill
How were the test results?
He said they can't operate
I'd better tell Mom
Can I be there with you?
I see
So they can't operate on me?
They say you're not quite strong enough
Gastric cancer
is the same kind that
killed that news announcer
It won't be easy but we have to try,
so they'll put you on chemotherapy
Right
Try everything that might work
I wonder if it'll work
A vaccine cured some people
It's not government-approved,
but you should try it
It must be expensive
Don't you worry about that
Mom, let's hang in there
If something happens to you,
it won't just make folks back home sad
How many friends have you made in Tokyo?
All of us love you, Mom
Do you know how impossible that is?
I wonder...
Maybe I should try...
Will you try the chemotherapy?
The chemotherapy... Yes
When I asked her what she wanted,
she asked me to bring
my graduation certificate
She was smiling
What an amazing person
Thanks for being there
I couldn't have encouraged her
that much alone
You haven't told her we split up?
No
She still thinks we're getting married
Before you came today, she gave me this
The ring your dad once gave her
Oh, I see
I don't know,
if it's right for me to keep it
Please, keep it
Um, that...
You can wear it and not wear it
Weirdo
Good morning
Morning, Mom
Morning. Did you bring it?
Yeah
But don't put it out,
it's embarrassing
Of course I won't
Hey, Mom
No, nothing
If you've something to say, say it
Dad's coming
He's coming all the way from Kokura
but I can't do anything for him
You don't have to
It's been so many years
I'll go meet him
OK, be careful
When do they start the chemotherapy?
Day after tomorrow
Can you take it?
Can I smoke?
Nope
I have to meet a real estate agent
A real estate agent? For what?
Thinking about you recuperating at home,
I figure I might as well
find a bigger place
I'm off, see you
You know, my hair's grown back
That hair-growth drug actually works
That's wonderful
I'm having trouble
swallowing food these days
You're keeping your doctor's appointments?
He says he'll take X-rays if the drug
doesn't work after a week
Right
Have him take a look at you
I threw upjust a little yesterday
I guess it's my stomach
Maybe it's metastasized
Don't worry so much
You can't keep getting cancers like that
I know my own body best
I often worked late
or stayed out all night drinking
Conversations with Mom
became strictly business
We had gotten used to this
and were simply numb
It's been 7 years since Mom moved to Tokyo
Grape, the rabbit, died on the veranda
It's grown quite big
His tone of voice was of casual surprise
And now,
Mom was about to start
her final hospitalization
This is the gastric cancer
Remember to feed Bread
while I'm in the hospital
Animals can't talk
I feel so bad about Grape
He must've been so lonely
And after I die...
You won't die
If something should happen to me,
you open that box up there
What is it?
Don't open it now
What is this? When did you do this?
Open this after I die
This was the first time
I was leading Mom by the hand
You can pass, you can pass
Who's narrow path is this?
This path belongs to the gods
This is how a hospital
at the foot of Tokyo Tower
became my mother's final residence
Illustrator, columnist,
and disc jockey
What exactly do you do?
I'm ajack of all trades
Ajack of all trades?
You're going to live with your mom?
Yeah? The rent's high
Sure you can pay it?
It won't be a problem
It gets lots of sunlight
Your mom will like it
I know it belongs to you,
but this may be the last house
my mother and I live in together
That's it
It's yours to rent
Hello, it's me, I found a tenant
No, no, that's fine
Excuse me
Your mother went to the shop
With her husband
Oh, I see
We don't need so much
Not to worry
It's not for you to eat
Oh, thank you
This too, and this?
Oh, thank you, that's enough
Dad went home the next day,
and then Mom started chemotherapy
I feel... sick
Mom
Are you OK, Mom?
Maybe Mom had an especially bad reaction,
maybe others suffered equally
But her suffering was far
beyond what I had imagined
In pain,
suffering,
yet Mom never asked to stop it
Mom was desperately trying to stay alive
The second round of chemotherapy
took a real toll on Mom's body,
already weakened by the first round
How long?
How long will this go on?
Mom...
Mom...
You're hanging in there,
but what am I supposed to do?
You're a grownup
Think grownup thoughts
I want to stop
I want to stop this, Ma
Let's stop
Let's stop this
You worked so hard
It's not like the old days
There must be other treatments
You want to stop it?
Yes
She's got 2, maybe 3 months left
After the chemotherapy,
Mom temporarily regained her strength
Can I put this here for now?
Sure, fine
You'll be able to work and
take care of your mom here
Yeah
Time for lunch
Over here
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom
Really...
Already cherry blossom season
Thank you all for coming
We made it here all right,
but the subway's hard to manage
The map's just shows
a bunch of lines snaking around
We brought your favorites
Don't spread that out here
Can we take your mother
to the hotel we're staying in?
Sure, it'll be a nice change for her
Let's take this
Enjoy yourself, Mom
I'm off, then
Don't you worry
It's been so long
Hey, Bread
Hello?
Hi, Auntie, how's it going?
She vomited?
Guess you enjoyed yourself
a little too much
Mom
When... Did you come back?
Me? I've been here a while
It's so much nicer being at home
Yes, but...
Listen, Dear
There's some sashimi in the refrigerator,
and there's also
some eggplant miso soup on the stove
Heat that up and eat it
Eggplant miso soup...
Mom...
What are you saying, Mom...
Mom
It's snowing
Eggplant, you know...
It snowed that day,
though it was already the season
for cherry blossoms
It was like an April Fool's joke,
when you never know
what's true and what's not
Look, an omelet Mom-style
They moved Mom into another room
and as of that day,
I slept on a cot in her room,
to nurse her every night
Here, Dad
Feels like we're all back at home
I'll still be here
when it's his turn
Thank you
Mom was no longer able to eat any food
If you're going home tomorrow,
why not sleep near her tonight
How much does that room cost?
40,000 yen a night
You can afford that?
Amazing
My hair's grown back,
from that hair-growth drug
Right
Your mom,
may not make it
Daddy
Daddy
What is it? Need the toilet?
The radio
The radio, radio
The radio
Ma's show Thursdays from 1:00 - 1:30am
It's like jerking off with Devil's Tongue
Miso's a favorite, now
Wow, Miso Devil's Tongue?
Miso masturbation?
Disgusting
These days, they recommend the combo
The combo?
The combo miso
Devil's Tongue masturbation
What is this?
Have you been listening to this all along?
If you've got any jerking off tips,
send them my way
So, it's time for a tune
I dedicate this to someone I love
QUISAS, QUISAS, QUISAS
The night that Dad was to head home,
Mom was in pain like never before
You'll be OK, calm down
Do you recognize me? You'll be OK
Does it hurt?
I feel so bad, I just feel so bad
I'm so sorry
What is it?
A sudden change
Her vitals?
Blood pressure 146 over 103,
heart rate 138,
oxygen saturation is 91
You'll be OK
Give her an oxygen mask
A shot of tranquilizer
In her side tube?
That's fine
What are you saying, Mom?
What, Mom?
What is it?
The phone for you
Your publisher has to talk to you now
Give me a break! Now's not the time!
Be quiet
We gave you some medicine
What happened?
A turn for the worse
It suddenly occurred to me,
Mom didn't want Dad to leave
Eiko!
Hemostatis
What are you doing, Mom!
You can't do that! Be strong, Mom!
Be strong!
It's me, can you tell? Eiko!
Mom!
Eiko!
Mom!
Don't die!
Dad, Dad
Mom's awake
I'm sorry, Mom
I don't know what you're saying
But I know
You're worried about us, right?
You don't need to worry anymore, now
You're saying, Thank you?
What's wrong, Mom?
You were so strong
You don't have to worry, now
You were so strong
Mom
What do you think of the house?
It's big, right?
It fits about as many people
as Grandma's house
Nakagawa san
About a column deadline...
Hello
I hear your mother passed away
When was it?
This morning
I'm sorry for your loss
You called me at the hospital?
I know this is a bad time,
but we can't push this deadline
What do you say?
What do I say?
Does it have to be today?
Tomorrow and we have to print blank column
Could you write,
staring at your mother's corpse?
I don't need to write today
You should write
I hardly have any time left with you
It's not the time to write a stupid column
You don't want to cause
trouble for that man
Write
But they're going to burn you soon
You're going to disappear
Didn't I tell you before?
You don't remember
When you're working,
I feel better
This is my last chance
Show me
You just watch, Mom
I'm going to make you laugh so hard
My writing will be funnier
than anyone else's
I'll leave this here
Thank you
Please
Hey, Bread
Bread?
Lts name is Bread
But it's a rabbit
I see your point
Done
Fast!
I'll go fax it
A drink for you
Tamami
Would you like to inherit my
mother's 100 year-old pickle brine?
That's,
too much for me
Right
Then carry on her routine
All right!
I'm so sad, so sad!
I'm going to drink, too
There's an illustration,
that goes with it, right?
OK
Everybody, drink and carry on
So that Mom can hear you upstairs
OK!
We'll drink!
Tamami
Mom
I'm really...
Wiped out today
Sorry
Can I have a moment?
A while ago,
Mom told me
The first year she moved to Tokyo,
you took her all over the place
and fed her lots of great food
She felt like in that 1 year,
she had a lifetime
of being looked after by her son
I never told you that
OK
That's all
Dad, here
You're the chief mourner
I won't make a speech
The chief mourner
will address the assembled mourners
Eiko...
and I...
That day,
I saw Dad cry,
for the first time in my life
I'll be back to observe
her first mourning rites
Want to see this?
She left it to you
I'll say good bye to the rabbit
and go home
Dad
When you get home,
can you send me your drawing of Buddha?
As soon as I finish it
It's nearly done
See you
Open this after I die
To Mizue san
Dear Ma
Thank you for all these years
I so enjoyed living in Tokyo
I failed in my marriage,
but I was blessed with a sweet son,
so I can die happily
You were a sickly boy and cried a lot,
so when I prayed to the gods,
it was first for your health
And also that you'd be open-hearted
As you grew up,
your health still came first
but also business success
These days, I'm greedy
and pray for you and
your girlfriend's safety
She really felt like my own daughter
She made me so happy,
calling me Mother, mother,
like she really meant it
I'm so very fortunate
to be able to bid good bye
to life in a state of happiness
Good bye, Ma
Mom
Let's climb it together,
just like we promised
Mom
I'm still sad, now
I can't believe how much of your
hard-earned pay I begged off of you
My work situation is a little better,
but my life's hardly settled
I still bring people trouble
I've a long way to go
I've hardly made any progress
Sorry I'm late
Where's Mom?
Amazing, right, Mom?
Amazing
It's a little late, but it's from Mom
Mom, you wrote me Good bye
but you shouldn't have
You'll always be my mother,
I'll be your son
Don't talk like that
Mom,
I'm so sorry for everything
And thank you
Mom,
it's a beautiful day, today