Yoba (1976) - full transcript
1976 National Arts Festival
Participant
Produced by Daiei and
Nagata Production
You may not believe
what I'm about to tell you.
No, I'm sure you'll think
that I'm lying.
What I am about to tell you here
really did happen in the Taisho era.
And it happened here in Tokyo, a place
where we have been accustomed to.
A place where, if we go outside,
there are trains and cars running.
And, when we come home,
there's a phone ringing.
If we look at the newspapers, there are
reports of strikes and women's movements.
In such a day and era,
in one corner of this great city,
Taisho 8 (1919)
this strange incident happened.
No matter how much
I insist that it's true,
it's understandable if
you don't believe me.
No matter how humanity's science
has conquered the natural world,
there remains a hidden
corner of nature's map
that we are still unable
to unfold.
Even in this city of Tokyo,
bathed by the light of civilization,
astonishing supernatural
phenomenons
are constantly appearing
like a beautiful flurry of light.
THE POSSESSED
Produced by: Masaichi Nagata
Executive Producer:
Yasuyoshi Tokuma
Planning: Masumi Kanamaru
Original Story: Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Screenplay: Yoko Mizuki
Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa
Lighting: Gengon Nakaoka
Audio Recording: Masao Osumi
Art Direction: Akira Naito
Music: Riichiro Manabe
Editing: Toshio Taniguchi
Assistant Director: Haruo Ueda
CAST
Machiko Kyo
Kazuko Inano
Kiyoshi Kodama
Shinjiro Ehara
Taro Shigaki
Miki Jinbo
Hideji Otaki
Taketoshi Naito
Tanie Kitabayashi
Kotoe Hatsui
Emiko Azuma
Rentaro Mikuni
Directed by:
Tadashi Imai
Mr. Bridegroom.
Don't worry about anything.
Don't feel bad,
I will go and greet all the guests.
If you say so.
Please excuse me.
He looks like a scholar.
You do have a good eye.
He deserves to be the
heir of this place.
It would be a great help if he could take
over the gold mines in Tohoku one day.
Everything will be fine.
You have found a good man.
Thank you.
Thanks for the meal!
Why are you in such a hurry?
Take it slow.
They said they want to return to
the shop and drink some more.
Is that so?
They can drink without
hesitation that way.
That's right.
Well, it's true that drinking in
one's own shop is better, no?
He is the best son-in-law
you could have.
- And your daughter also seemed happy.
- Really?
- I'd say so.
- I'm sure he will be a good young master.
Please kindly help him, too.
Yes, we will need your support as well.
He came from a completely
different field, didn't he?
What are you saying?
Ma'am.
Would you like me to help you
in the kitchen?
It's okay, Sawa-chan.
You're a guest.
I can't let you do that.
Next time, it's Sawa's
turn to marry, right?
If you find someone nice,
please introduce him.
How about you, Nobu-kun?
She's not going to like me.
Now, if you excuse me.
Thank you.
Please excuse ourselves.
Don't joke about it.
Sawa-chan.
Go ahead and take a bath.
You're going to sleep
downstairs tonight, okay?
I know you've always slept at the
second floor, but, you know...
Indeed.
I understand.
I think I'll go ahead and rest.
Mitsuya...
- Mitsuya!
- Yes?
Get Sawa-chan's nightgown ready.
Is it okay if I take the one
that the young miss wears?
Hush.
She's the young missus now.
Let me hold your hand.
Can I come over there?
Yes.
Please... turn off the lights.
No, I want to see your face.
I'm embarrassed.
Sorry. I'm tired.
Where did this come from?
What's with this comb?
It just come out of the
young master's kimono.
What?
Is this yours, Shima-chan?
No, it's not.
She said it came from your
husband's kimono sleeve.
Why a woman's comb?
Oh? Are you ready to go?
Yes.
Are you going to make your
rounds, greeting everyone?
They'll visit places that are closer
first, just the two of them.
Like the matchmaker's place.
Just the two of you,
so no one can bother you, huh?
It's not like that.
It's just more convenient.
How nice of you.
What?
I understand.
Here.
What's wrong with everyone?
We need to finish breakfast quickly.
Call them.
The young madam says
she doesn't want to eat.
This is Sawa's comb.
What?
I'm pretty sure because I saw
her wearing it on her bangs.
There's something wrong
with your body.
Please, come in.
There's nothing wrong with a newlywed
couple not having good sex
within the first or second
month of marriage.
But he said that I am not normal.
He said that?
Yes.
He is in a very bad
mood these days.
He goes outside every day
and never comes home.
Isn't that just his nerves?
I'll examine you, and we can
see if something is wrong.
This way, please.
Is something wrong?
Hey, you!
Get her in there!
My mother said she found your comb,
and she blamed me for it.
Isn't that just a false accusation?
How can you say so?
The madam was actually against
it from the start,
but her husband, who arranged the
marriage just pushed it through.
A businessman can't be as good
as a child keeper, anyway.
But you do like Shima-chan,
don't you?
But still, it's unexpected
that some people say
I'm doing this to get my hands
on the family's wealth.
I'm jealous.
When I heard that the
marriage has been decided,
I thought to myself, how lucky is
Shima-chan to be married to you.
Say.
Since she's an only child,
the madam always called me
over to their place,
and we both grew up like sisters.
We practiced together.
So I've heard.
As for sewing, Shima-chan
was better than me
because she received better
education at home.
But I was better than her
at performing Nagauta.
I sang "Funabenkei",
while she sang "Kanjincho".
I didn't want to lose to someone
three years younger.
I worked really hard at that time.
So, what can I do for you?
If I can be useful to you, I'd do it.
Everything is fine.
Perhaps your husband was impatient,
or simply unfamiliar
with the situation.
I'll see you out.
No, I'm not leaving just yet.
- I can't stand that heavy mood at home.
- Oh my.
I'll stay with you to help you feel better,
then. I'm worried about you.
The watchman said he saw it.
He's going out and about
even though he's just married,
walking around with another woman
during the day, it's just too much.
In addition, I heard him say that
something's wrong with Shima-chan.
No one would take
his words seriously.
It's inappropriate for us parents to
intervene in a married couple's quarrel.
Are you sure he was
walking with Sawa-chan?
Yes. It's not normal for him
to hold on Sawa-chan's comb
on his wedding day, don't you think?
We've got one hell of a son-in-law.
Would you like me to send him to
Mt. Shinzan for a while?
I think it's useless.
Poor Shima-chan.
She's just an innocent girl.
To be treated like she
carries a defect like that!
Shinzo, he's not infertile,
isn't he?
That's right. I'm going to continue
my affair with Sawa-chan.
She'll hide under the shadows
and beckon me softly.
Unlike you, who's from a reputable house,
she's risking herself by coming to see me.
There's something cute about her,
and it's tickling a man's nature
to want to protect her somehow.
So, she and you will continue..
That's right.
I'll take her to the gold mine and leave
her to stay at the second home there,
and you can take care of
the main house here.
So, I am just for show?
But isn't that just the fact?
No matter.
Being adopted as an heir is hard.
I'm always being under scrutiny.
I don't know where you've
been following me.
No. The watchman just
happened to see you,
and Sawa-chan together.
Is that so?
Well, I don't care.
If you don't like this, just say so
and I will leave this house.
I don't like it when people say
I'm aiming for your family's fortune.
I see.
So, you're a virgin wife and another
woman has taken your husband?
Relax your shoulders.
Take a deep breath in and breathe out.
Your marriage is a bad match.
You should get a divorce.
Isn't there some way to
recover from this?
Unfortunately, there's an evil spirit
who fell in love with her husband.
But I feel sorry for your daughter.
Rather than letting her fall as a prey to
a man possessed by such an evil spirit,
if you really want your
daughter to be happy,
she must first end this
evil relationship.
It's like being watched by a demon.
You should get rid of this man.
I feel like I should do something
to save this young, innocent lady.
Otherwise, she'll lose her mind!
If you want to end up ruining your life
without ever knowing happiness,
you can go on and continue
serving that man,
but you must be given "a breath of life"
to prevent you from going insane.
Return here when you've made up your
mind and decide to undergo the ritual.
Yes.
The first thing you need to do is to
cut your relationship with this man.
And then, pray to our sun god, the center
of our life, and get back on your feet.
Yes.
Once you've made up your mind,
come alone next time.
The evil spirit is clinging around all
of you, it's difficult to do things here.
If you're worried,
you can just drop her off here,
and pick her up again
once we're done.
Then, let me do so.
Please take care of her.
You, please come with me
to the altar for a moment.
I feel like there's an evil spirit
clouding over your person.
We have to get rid of
that evil spirit first.
Please help her.
You were very wrong about that man.
That's why I quickly decided to
put an end to this problem.
As you should!
According to the watchman, he took out
the store's money again yesterday.
If we don't do something soon,
it's gonna be too late.
We have no other choice.
Let's talk to him about it.
Are we going to ask him to leave?
We'd better do so
before Shima gets hurt.
We should!
He even called her a "defect".
Does he still see Sawa-chan?
I don't know. But he did say that
he won't leave Shima-chan.
He did?
Well, it doesn't matter, anyway.
It's like Sawa-chan's the one
who's taking care of him.
Anyway, we have to act fast while he
hasn't done anything to our daughter.
Whatever the method, she should
cut her relationship with that man.
Even with a purification ritual,
it's hard to cleanse it.
The evil spirit must like her very much.
Yes, I asked the priest to bless her,
so that no man will betray her in the
future, after the evil spirit is cleansed.
Well, I'll leave you to it.
Yes.
It's a disaster.
The master's going out!
Four years later,
the Great Kanto Earthquake
turned the entire downtown
area into a sea of fire.
Oshima lost her parents, her house,
and her store in a single night.
The servants were buried under the
crumbling bricks or burned to death.
Oshima, who was attending a sewing
class, was the only survivor,
and later fled to Ueno.
Here you go.
You can sit here.
May I?
We will still have to walk a
long way to Akabane.
Thank you.
Even though last night you
slept outdoors in Ueno,
it wasn't too comfortable,
so you must be tired.
Will the train really
depart from Akabane?
Where to?
I have no idea, but I just want to
get away as far as I can.
Thank you.
I have a house nearby,
only one staff stays there.
He won't bother anyone, so you can
stay there for two or three months.
I see.
But what about your family?
Well, my wife's parents live in
Hokkaido, and she's there now,
so there's less burden on me for now.
If there were children about, I wouldn't
be able to tend to my business.
I was just about to start a paper mill,
but then, I'm back to square
one on everything.
What's wrong?
Please, go on ahead.
Are you okay? It must be difficult
for a woman to ride a train alone.
Moreover, in this unstable situation,
it's dangerous to walk alone.
The rail ahead is broken!
If you can continue by walking,
it's better to do so!
The rail is broken!
Excuse me! How long until
the train can run again?
We don't have enough manpower,
so we can't really say.
Excuse me.
Please, let me pass.
Let me help you.
This way.
It's cold water.
Drink it.
It's so cold!
Here's a hand towel.
It feels good.
- Where did you get that from?
- I asked someone to share it.
It's beef and chicken.
Take it.
Okay, let's cut it half and half.
I already ate.
I was hungry, so I ate some
while you were sleeping.
Thank you very much.
All this freshly cooked rice?
Have you ever been married?
Just the ceremony.
That kind of thing can happen?
It's true.
Well, it doesn't really matter.
Eat lots of food and hang in there.
It's delicious.
I look at you and I feel bad,
I can't just leave you alone.
Here you go.
Is it good? Chew it well.
My wife hates to take care of the kids.
Is this how you take care
of your children?
That's right.
I'm already used to it.
Don't leave anything,
eat them all.
Yes.
What are you thinking about?
You're not feeling well?
You're so innocent.
Why do you say so?
I wish this journey goes on forever.
I don't mind, even if you're
going to kill me after.
You could be a murderer.
Why do you say that?
I don't know.
But I know that Shima-chan,
the murderer, will kill me now.
That's a terrible thing to say!
It's true.
Shima-chan, the murderer.
I feel like I'm about to fall into
the depths of the ocean.
You have no regrets?
Let me show you this.
So cute.
Is this your wife?
My daughter's name is Chidori.
When she turned three, a friend from
England came and took her picture.
She's really cute.
Really cute!
I really like to dote on her.
Why is she so cute?
I'm sorry for what I did to you.
I don't mind.
There's nothing I can
do about it now.
I'm the one who's sorry to your wife.
I don't want to let you go.
I don't care what anyone says.
It's a telegram from Hokkaido.
Chidori fell into a jug of water
lilies and died. Come home now!
I'm home.
Huh?
What's wrong?
I received news that
Chidori has died.
It's said that she fell into a water jug.
It was the mother's carelessness.
I can't believe it.
I hope it's not true.
- You're going to go there now?
- Yes.
She is just a wife who can't
do anything anyway.
I will be back soon.
I need to tell you something.
What do you want to tell me?
What is it?
I'm pregnant.
What?!
But in these two months
since you came here...
It's still early,
but I'm sure of it.
How can you be so sure?
I had a dream.
What dream?
Chidori-chan!
The ghost of a child rising from
a jug of water lilies,
she hugged me and wouldn't leave me.
What's wrong?
What are you sad about, Chidori-chan?
How dare you take a my husband?!
Could that be your wife's voice?
I've never heard her voice before,
but I did hear the harsh
voice of a woman.
Is there such a thing as
a living spirit?
It could be, but still...
The way Chidori-chan
died was not normal.
When I think about it,
it makes me afraid of giving birth.
Midwife
Excuse me.
How are you feeling?
We're not going anywhere
if you're this tense.
I've never seen anything
like this before.
Most of them would just endure the
treatment and returned home soon after.
I intended to have the baby,
no matter what,
and then,
let this child meet the father.
Don't be so stubborn.
He's left for Tokyo,
together with his wife.
I'm sure a man like him is busy,
but I hope I can go outside again
when I regain my strength.
That is good.
That man has no intention of
being with you, at all.
If you rely on such a person, you too
will be dragged into misfortune.
If you understand this,
use this chance to break off
the relationship and start fresh.
In the meantime,
you need to eat properly.
Why is it taking so long?
Right now, your womb is exhausted.
You need to take plenty
of nourishment.
Otherwise, you'll lose.
Here, you need to fight.
To dispel the evil beings
attached on your body,
you mustn't rely on weird
tricks or evil gods.
How can you tell which
ones are the kind gods,
and which are the evil gods?
Most of them are animal spirits
or low-level spirits.
They'll listen to all kinds of people's
wishes, even evil ones.
These people felt grateful, and they
started to gather more believers.
These "gods" tell the people to do evil things,
it's a proof that they're not real gods.
A real god would not
let such evil happen.
I had someone did an
exorcism ritual on me.
An ascetic?
Yes, he even took me to a waterfall.
Maybe it's still clinging on you yet.
It's not going away that easily.
Is it going to stay with me forever?
Maybe they're trying to suck your
blood out of you, like a leech.
It's not normal for someone
to suffer this much.
You're not gonna eat that?
You can't fight back if you're hungry.
How can I get back on my feet again?
I want to start my life over.
Just one more time.
After this matter is settled,
I want to live under the sun again,
until the end of my days.
Please God, save me.
You have to wish it.
If you pray hard enough,
maybe your wish will be granted.
There's not much else that
I can do for you now.
I have some prayer beads that I
received from Kannon-sama before.
I'll rub your body with this prayer
beads. Let's see what happens.
May the baby's vengeful
spirit leave this woman.
May they go to heaven
without any regrets.
Please listen to our prayers.
It's so hot...
Winter, 10 years later
I know it is selfish of me,
but I would appreciate your help.
Yes.
I'll have it tailored
as soon as possible.
It seems that you have a lot of orders,
and it would be more efficient
if your apprentice could handle them.
I don't like the idea of having my
apprentice seamstress
make this cloth as
their training piece,
so I will do it myself
with all my heart.
That's why your business has
such a good reputation.
I'm leaving it in your hands.
Please give my regards
to the landlady.
I will tell her.
Please excuse me.
Excuse me,
I heard there is a famous tailor
around here by the name of Oshima.
Her place is right there.
Ah, so this is the correct place.
I've come here from afar.
So many people came all the way
from afar to visit her.
I'm sure she's very busy, then.
I can't say much since
we're not close,
but she doesn't receive
a lot of orders.
Does she work slowly?
She probably could finish it faster,
but even when there's a lot of orders,
she sews all of them by herself,
day and night.
That's impressive.
She doesn't even have a husband?
Yes, she's very devoted to her work,
which is probably why
she has such a good reputation.
I see.
I heard that, when a person
wears a kimono that she made,
for some reason they all look
more beautiful than usual.
How nostalgic.
Since the earthquake,
I've never visited Tokyo anymore.
It's been so many years.
I heard that you fled to
the vicinity of Ikaho,
so I knew you're safe, at least.
But I'm surprised that you
made it back to Asakusa.
I'm sorry to bother you,
I know you're busy.
Have you been staying
single, all this time?
Yes.
What about you, Sawa-chan?
I've been in and out of
relationships with different guys.
I have bad luck with men.
I've been dumped several times already.
Men are so unfaithful.
I had a hard time.
I wasn't in a position to meet you.
Just when I thought I had
finally found happiness,
he died at the same time as
he made the promise.
I'm not talking about Esaki-san.
There was nothing between
me and Shinzo-san,
even though people
were suspicious of us.
That was a long time ago.
Since then, I've fallen in
love several times.
Once, my fiancé left me before
the wedding ceremony,
and I even had his child.
You kept the baby?
Of course! Without a family name, the
child doesn't have a proper legal status.
But it's my most precious treasure.
No matter what the public says,
I kept on going and
raised my own child.
Oh my!
I had a hard time.
For the sake of my Otoshi,
I've done so many unthinkable things.
I've even stolen a few things.
Searching under a guest's
pillow and everything.
The earthquake wiped out
the entirety of Yokohama,
and there's no one I can rely on.
With Otoshi in my arms,
I wondered how a woman
could survive on her own.
In the end,
I ended up relying on men.
You're doing fine just by yourself,
but I cannot do the same thing.
Oh, please forgive me,
I heard about your
business' reputation,
so I thought I must come and visit.
I know it's silly of me,
but I want my daughter to wear
a kimono that you tailored.
Somehow, she grew up
to be a good girl,
and a rich family took a liking to her.
I sent her to be an apprentice
at a kimono store.
The store owner has
a son named Shinzo.
He's not like that Shinzo Esaki,
he's young and newly joined the store.
They just put him in charge of
the new warehouse here.
The owner and his wife also
like my daughter very much.
They already agreed to marry
their son off to my daughter!
I need a favor.
When I heard about your
reputation as a tailor,
I just knew that it must be you
and I couldn't stay still.
I really missed you.
Anyway, I heard that wearing
a kimono you made,
increases the attractiveness
of the wearer.
That's not true.
Sometimes, all these talks and
gossips make me worry.
Don't be like that, Shima-chan.
This comes from my heart as a parent,
please hear my request.
Let's take this as a chance to forget
the past misunderstandings between us.
We both have no one to rely on,
let's help each other!
Ouch!
The needle!
Thank you.
It's looking good.
Sorry to keep you waiting, ma'am.
Thank you for choosing us.
Thank you.
Please, go ahead and have a drink.
Here you are.
Is Isoko-sensei alright?
Yeah, the permanent machine just
came in today and we're testing it.
Oh, that must be quite a hassle.
It's not easy being a barber.
But I'm surprised Oshima took it on.
Where in Asakusa is she?
Are you planning to visit her?
Of course not, I'm just curious.
Don't worry about it.
I see you're still not over her yet.
Don't tease me.
I'm going to tell Isoko-sensei.
You're an idiot.
I'm an idiot, that's why I came
all the way here to Kamiya.
Oh, come on. I'm serious.
And? What about it?
- Are you that afraid of her?
- No!
You sure have changed.
You've become much more careful.
You're spineless.
Stop being snide.
My life depends on this job.
Don't be ridiculous. I have to
look out for my customers, too.
This is a woman's business.
- Then, please take care of yourself.
- I know.
If Oshima were to accept
your request,
she wouldn't do it for free.
Why?
Because she thinks you're the one
who screwed up her entire life.
Me?
Your comb came out of my
clothes, you know.
I don't care who put it there,
but I was desperate with the situation,
so I decided to go with you.
It's a prank. After all, in the end,
you abandoned me too,
and I've been the target of grudge
from both of you for over a decade.
It's all in the past.
As a professional tailor, maybe she
doesn't think about it anymore.
Or maybe, she'll make you a
kimono laced with a curse.
Don't scare me like that.
She might infuse her grudge
into that kimono she's making.
Why would you ask her to do it for your
only daughter's wedding kimono?
She carefully does each stitch
with her own hands,
and her creations have a reputation
for giving the wearer a beautiful glow.
Everyone wants one.
She's good at promoting her business.
She was such a sheltered young lady.
She's changed completely.
Besides, we were close as cousins,
it shouldn't be a problem.
But still, I'll tell you this.
Please don't think that I'm
accepting Otoshi-chan as my child.
What? Of course not!
Even if it's just a joke,
it's not funny. Please, don't...
That's enough. It's not like
I want this. Excuse me.
Please, through here.
It's nice of you to come.
What an impressive place
you have here.
It's nothing.
I share this place with three of my
colleagues. We're relying on our salary.
It's not an easy life.
I wish I had good skills like you do.
Such a nice room.
Please, have a sit.
I was hoping you could
have a meal with me.
Please, relax.
I wanted to invite you as a guest,
so I sent someone to pick you up.
I'm so happy that you came.
I wanted you to come visit my place,
even if it's just once.
Your parents took such a
great care of me in the past.
Even though I was such
a nuisance to them,
they took care of me
like their own child.
Excuse me.
Tell Otoshi-chan to come here,
and greet our guest.
Yes.
Here you are.
You said you have something
to tell me. What is it?
Oh, it's nothing.
It's nothing, at all.
I thought you wouldn't come
unless I said something like that.
It's nothing serious.
I just wanted to have dinner with you.
I pray to the gods of
Basara Okami.
Please let Oshima, a 33-year-old tailor,
lose his resentment towards Osawa.
Please, purge these 15
years of misfortune.
Please help us to keep
Osawa out of harm's way.
Please lend your support to
Osawa's daughter, Otoshi.
Basara-Okami! Basara-Okami!
This girl is Otoshi.
It's nice to meet you.
The kimono suits you very well.
I thought you would like to see her in
her kimono. Your skill is amazing.
I've never seen Otoshi look this
pretty. Say thank you.
Thank you, ma'am.
It's nothing. You wear it so well.
Really, it's nothing that great.
Serve some tea for the auntie.
Come on.
Here's your tea.
I hope we can still keep in contact,
just like the old times.
I feel the same.
Thank you very much for this favor,
Shima-chan!
It's nothing. Thank you for
treating me this meal.
Don't say that. We're both old,
and have no one to rely on,
and fate has brought us to meet again.
And, like I've told you before,
with your help, I'm finally on my
way to find happiness again.
You've been through a lot.
Raising a child alone as a woman.
- Yeah, well, she's a fatherless child.
- I see.
Yet, you've come so far.
I did my best.
Good for you.
But she's a lonely girl.
Isn't that right?
I'm glad you were able to
help her with something.
It was really nothing.
I know I can count on you.
Oshima, the tailor in Asakusa,
has a reputation for being as good as
Shimada's Oteru, the famous hairdresser.
You are like a woman among women..
Oh, stop it.
I'm just a mere tailor.
I'm one who should be thanking you.
I'm jealous.
There you go again.
Right?
I'm always jealous at everything.
But really,
I've never been better than
you at anything.
But you have a good
daughter now, don't you?
Yes, but it took a lot of
work to get this far.
I don't have anything like that.
Having a good daughter.
I guess I win on that one.
Otoshi-chan, pour a drink for auntie.
It's so nice to see you again
after such a long time.
Basara Okami, Basara Okami...
Basara Okami, Basara Okami...
It's because of the
alcohol you drank.
I'll come back and check
on you again in a few days.
I'm sorry. I'll make sure to
finish your order in time.
Please take care of yourself.
Please give my regards
to the landlady.
Of course.
This is for you.
Whenever misfortune strikes,
this bead of Kannon-sama will purge
your sins and impurities.
Not only the dead spirit of a child,
the living spirit of someone
else can also cause a disaster.
The God of Basara Okami, please...
Are you alright?
Are you alright?
This is not easy.
It's not normal.
There is something that is
blocking my power.
What? What could that be?
And the spirit is too
bad to leave easily.
I need to recompose myself and
pray once more to Basara Okami.
Or else, nothing can be done here.
Basara Okami, Basara Okami...
Good morning.
Oh. Thank you for the
dinner the other day.
You're welcome.
I'm so glad you came.
Please, come in.
Don't bother,
I'm not going to stay for long.
Are you a believer of
some sort of religion?
Those beads.
This? It's nothing...
I was once possessed by
the spirit of a child.
A spirit?
It's a dead person's spirit.
It was my fault,
and I was given this prayer beads
of Kannon-sama to help purge it.
Is it working?
I think it's only to ease my nerves,
and I'm not feeling well these days.
What happened?
I'm just not feeling well.
Oh, my.
An unhealthy body can be a problem.
Please take good care of yourself.
You're the only auntie that
Otoshi has, you know.
Please help her in any way you can.
And it's not good for either of us
if there's a misunderstanding here.
I don't want there to be any
ill feelings between us.
Hey, you know,
I'm glad you broke up with Shinzo.
That man is now working as a
master at Yagumo Beauty Salon.
So I've heard.
It might sound posh, but really, a
hairdresser? That job suits him, I guess.
I heard he's still fooling
around as usual.
I'm not surprised.
Why did you come today?
I was just in the neighborhood.
Maybe I shouldn't have come
and bothered you.
I also haven't had a chance
to thank you yet.
Here, it's sponge cake.
Shima-chan, you like it, don't you?
But I just keep on receiving
things from you.
You used to eat half of the cake by yourself
and then washed it down with lots of water.
In the end, you needed to go the
toilet in the middle of the night.
It was agonizing.
Please, take it.
Thank you very much.
Don't be so stiff.
I would love us to reuturn
to how we were, from now on.
Let's just get along nicely, okay?
Of course.
That's what I wanted to say.
Is that so?
I'm having a hard time thinking
that I have caused of your divorce.
Because there was never
anything between us.
Even I was annoyed.
It's all in the past.
It doesn't really matter now.
Really? You don't have any
doubt about it, do you?
About me and Shinzo.
Even though you may have
ruined my life,
or rather, my future...
No...
Even if that were true,
it would be my own fault, since I'm
the one who had misjudged him.
So, l can't really blame anyone.
But it's definitely not me.
Trust me on that. No matter how much I'm
inclined to want other people's things,
I wouldn't go that far.
Why are you worrying about that now?
I'm not worried,
I just want to brag to everyone
that Oshima the tailor
is a close cousin of mine
that I grew up with.
Besides, Otoshi will be getting
married in a couple of years,
and it would be convenient for the
guests to know that she's related
to the daughter of a rich and influential
man who once had a gold mine.
After all, Otoshi is also pretty
good at socializing.
Is that it?
What do you mean?
It's important.
You don't know how
society works like I do,
so you can't imagine how
my daughter will be worth.
I'm sorry for being so selfish.
In return,
I'll do whatever I can to help you,
Shima-chan.
It's okay.
I swear by Heaven, Earth, and Life
that I have not done anything shameful
towards you. Do you understand me?
Yes.
Oh, that's good to hear!
Now, I can finally sleep soundly.
It's been a really hard 15 years,
being falsely accused.
But I'm glad. I feel like a weight
has been lifted. I'm really glad.
I'm so glad.
Thank you for this.
I'm going to the sushi
restaurant for a bit.
Oh, don't worry about me.
No, it's really close.
Just give me a minute.
Come on, you don't have to do that.
Shima-chan, you don't
have to worry about it.
Welcome back.
Maybe you dropped it
outside somewhere?
No. I was just right outside
when I noticed it's gone.
I'm sure you will
find it soon enough.
I've kept it with me so securely,
how could it be gone?
The Great God made her drop it.
It is not good to go
against Basara Okami.
Now, this Oshima will do
whatever you want her to.
Don't worry, she won't resent
you nor go against you.
Thank you very much.
So, how much do I have to pay you?
No need.
The person shall become the payment.
The God Basara Okami wants Oshima
to be a human sacrifice.
Human sacrifice?
What kind of payment is this?
It is said that Basara Okami's
spiritual power
will suck the life out of
human beings.
Does that mean, Shima-san?
She was chosen to be
a living sacrifice.
But all I wanted was to
make sure Shima-san
doesn't hold a grudge against me,
or do something bad to me.
I never promised to sacrifice
my cousin to the gods.
This is your reward from
Basara Okami,
this is what Basara Okami
wants to do.
Oshima-san?
Are you alright?
Oshima-san?
Thank you for your concern.
I'm just getting more sluggish by the day.
That's not good.
Please, let me know if I
can be of any assistance.
Excuse me.
I'm coming in.
Oh, Oshima-san!
You need to get treated
and restore your health.
I don't know, I just feel strange.
I'm sorry to keep you all waiting,
but my condition is not
getting any better.
So, someone's visiting
her every night?
Yes.
I wonder if it was a man? Sometimes,
I hear a strange moaning sound.
- Oshima-san! Oshima-san!
- Oshima-san!
Someone said they heard
moaning last night, too.
Did something happen to her?
Oshima-san!
I thought you weren't home.
I am sorry for making you all worry.
Excuse me, master.
Master?
Master?
For rent
I'm sorry for making you worry.
Since that day,
I can't find what happened to her.
She said she was going to the hospital
and left, but she never returned.
Not even a goodbye for me or Otoshi.
I've done everything I can.
I just hope she's still
alive somewhere.
I wanted her to come to
the wedding ceremony,
but it's been some time, and still no
news about her whereabouts.
I'm afraid that she might be dead
somewhere out there.
Do you know where she
could have gone?
Where could she have gone to?
I really don't know.
By the way, on my way here,
I passed the Ichinohashi
Bridge in Honjo.
On the rising tide, the boatmen said
they found a body of a woman.
They were discussing how to
bring it to the police station.
And then?
I don't think it's her,
because they said it was a
body of an elderly woman.
I'll check again with them
on the way back.
An elderly woman?
Not a middle-aged woman, I hope.
Well, I wonder how old the
woman was that they found?
This is some incident.
I guess she must have thrown
herself into the water.
- The body will soon float to the surface.
- This is bad.
They were catching some
marlin this morning.
And when they throw the net,
they caught that body.
I guess the body must have
floated up last night.
It must be a sign from the gods.
Look at the soles of her feet!
There's an amulet attached on it!
Basara Okami
What a strange case indeed.
Excuse me.
Coming!
Otoshi!
Please, do not come here again.
Otherwise, something life-threatening
will happen to you.
Where's the long-haired old lady?
She'll be right back.
You need to go now!
What do you mean my life is at stake?
I don't understand! Don't be like this!
Please, just go! Go now!
It's dangerous!
Please, please, I beg you, hurry up!
Okay. I'll come back when the
long-haired old lady returns.
No, I want to stay here, after all.
Do not come in!
Terrible things will happen!
Please!
Otoshi!
Go home! It's dangerous!
Please, leave! I'm begging you.
Otoshi! Wait for me!
I will help you!
Please, wait.
Before you go to the police,
if anything happens to Otoshi,
it will all be too late.
I'll go take a look myself.
You are calling from a soba
noodle shop in Honjo, right?
I'll be right there.
I think that long-haired old woman
is Oshima-san whose life force has
been sucked out by Basara Okami.
I think she's been granted
some psychic powers now.
I'm afraid Otoshi will also have her
life force sucked out
by Basara Okami to increase
her psychic powers.
If I pray hard and beg to
Basara Okami,
I am sure she will listen to me, a believer.
Even if it costs me my life!
Your resistance is futile.
Hello? Hello?
Hello, Shinzo-san? Hello?
The person who came today
is my fiancee, Shinzo-san.
I love that man with my whole life.
I was happy because that
man also loves me.
I've been waiting for the day when
I can give my body and soul to him.
And yet, and yet...
I am drained of all my life energy.
He said he'd bring me
out of here tonight.
Before he went, he has sworn that he would
rescue me, even if it costs his own life.
I'm sure he will come.
Otoshi!
Otoshi!
What are you doing here?
Otoshi! Otoshi!
What have you done?
Otoshi! Hang on, Otoshi!
You infidel who does not fear
divine punishment!
How dare you?!
It's too late now.
You can't take back a daughter
that I have presented to the gods.
How dare you do such a
terrible thing to Otoshi?!
Mother! Mother!
No, it's dangerous!
What if you also drown?
Don't let go of my hand!
Understand?
Yes.
The next morning,
only Sawa's body was found.
After that, the police
conducted a search,
but Oshima's body never turned up.
Could it be that Oshima's
still alive?
Even I do not know if this unfortunate
Oshima is still alive or already dead.
THE END
Participant
Produced by Daiei and
Nagata Production
You may not believe
what I'm about to tell you.
No, I'm sure you'll think
that I'm lying.
What I am about to tell you here
really did happen in the Taisho era.
And it happened here in Tokyo, a place
where we have been accustomed to.
A place where, if we go outside,
there are trains and cars running.
And, when we come home,
there's a phone ringing.
If we look at the newspapers, there are
reports of strikes and women's movements.
In such a day and era,
in one corner of this great city,
Taisho 8 (1919)
this strange incident happened.
No matter how much
I insist that it's true,
it's understandable if
you don't believe me.
No matter how humanity's science
has conquered the natural world,
there remains a hidden
corner of nature's map
that we are still unable
to unfold.
Even in this city of Tokyo,
bathed by the light of civilization,
astonishing supernatural
phenomenons
are constantly appearing
like a beautiful flurry of light.
THE POSSESSED
Produced by: Masaichi Nagata
Executive Producer:
Yasuyoshi Tokuma
Planning: Masumi Kanamaru
Original Story: Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Screenplay: Yoko Mizuki
Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa
Lighting: Gengon Nakaoka
Audio Recording: Masao Osumi
Art Direction: Akira Naito
Music: Riichiro Manabe
Editing: Toshio Taniguchi
Assistant Director: Haruo Ueda
CAST
Machiko Kyo
Kazuko Inano
Kiyoshi Kodama
Shinjiro Ehara
Taro Shigaki
Miki Jinbo
Hideji Otaki
Taketoshi Naito
Tanie Kitabayashi
Kotoe Hatsui
Emiko Azuma
Rentaro Mikuni
Directed by:
Tadashi Imai
Mr. Bridegroom.
Don't worry about anything.
Don't feel bad,
I will go and greet all the guests.
If you say so.
Please excuse me.
He looks like a scholar.
You do have a good eye.
He deserves to be the
heir of this place.
It would be a great help if he could take
over the gold mines in Tohoku one day.
Everything will be fine.
You have found a good man.
Thank you.
Thanks for the meal!
Why are you in such a hurry?
Take it slow.
They said they want to return to
the shop and drink some more.
Is that so?
They can drink without
hesitation that way.
That's right.
Well, it's true that drinking in
one's own shop is better, no?
He is the best son-in-law
you could have.
- And your daughter also seemed happy.
- Really?
- I'd say so.
- I'm sure he will be a good young master.
Please kindly help him, too.
Yes, we will need your support as well.
He came from a completely
different field, didn't he?
What are you saying?
Ma'am.
Would you like me to help you
in the kitchen?
It's okay, Sawa-chan.
You're a guest.
I can't let you do that.
Next time, it's Sawa's
turn to marry, right?
If you find someone nice,
please introduce him.
How about you, Nobu-kun?
She's not going to like me.
Now, if you excuse me.
Thank you.
Please excuse ourselves.
Don't joke about it.
Sawa-chan.
Go ahead and take a bath.
You're going to sleep
downstairs tonight, okay?
I know you've always slept at the
second floor, but, you know...
Indeed.
I understand.
I think I'll go ahead and rest.
Mitsuya...
- Mitsuya!
- Yes?
Get Sawa-chan's nightgown ready.
Is it okay if I take the one
that the young miss wears?
Hush.
She's the young missus now.
Let me hold your hand.
Can I come over there?
Yes.
Please... turn off the lights.
No, I want to see your face.
I'm embarrassed.
Sorry. I'm tired.
Where did this come from?
What's with this comb?
It just come out of the
young master's kimono.
What?
Is this yours, Shima-chan?
No, it's not.
She said it came from your
husband's kimono sleeve.
Why a woman's comb?
Oh? Are you ready to go?
Yes.
Are you going to make your
rounds, greeting everyone?
They'll visit places that are closer
first, just the two of them.
Like the matchmaker's place.
Just the two of you,
so no one can bother you, huh?
It's not like that.
It's just more convenient.
How nice of you.
What?
I understand.
Here.
What's wrong with everyone?
We need to finish breakfast quickly.
Call them.
The young madam says
she doesn't want to eat.
This is Sawa's comb.
What?
I'm pretty sure because I saw
her wearing it on her bangs.
There's something wrong
with your body.
Please, come in.
There's nothing wrong with a newlywed
couple not having good sex
within the first or second
month of marriage.
But he said that I am not normal.
He said that?
Yes.
He is in a very bad
mood these days.
He goes outside every day
and never comes home.
Isn't that just his nerves?
I'll examine you, and we can
see if something is wrong.
This way, please.
Is something wrong?
Hey, you!
Get her in there!
My mother said she found your comb,
and she blamed me for it.
Isn't that just a false accusation?
How can you say so?
The madam was actually against
it from the start,
but her husband, who arranged the
marriage just pushed it through.
A businessman can't be as good
as a child keeper, anyway.
But you do like Shima-chan,
don't you?
But still, it's unexpected
that some people say
I'm doing this to get my hands
on the family's wealth.
I'm jealous.
When I heard that the
marriage has been decided,
I thought to myself, how lucky is
Shima-chan to be married to you.
Say.
Since she's an only child,
the madam always called me
over to their place,
and we both grew up like sisters.
We practiced together.
So I've heard.
As for sewing, Shima-chan
was better than me
because she received better
education at home.
But I was better than her
at performing Nagauta.
I sang "Funabenkei",
while she sang "Kanjincho".
I didn't want to lose to someone
three years younger.
I worked really hard at that time.
So, what can I do for you?
If I can be useful to you, I'd do it.
Everything is fine.
Perhaps your husband was impatient,
or simply unfamiliar
with the situation.
I'll see you out.
No, I'm not leaving just yet.
- I can't stand that heavy mood at home.
- Oh my.
I'll stay with you to help you feel better,
then. I'm worried about you.
The watchman said he saw it.
He's going out and about
even though he's just married,
walking around with another woman
during the day, it's just too much.
In addition, I heard him say that
something's wrong with Shima-chan.
No one would take
his words seriously.
It's inappropriate for us parents to
intervene in a married couple's quarrel.
Are you sure he was
walking with Sawa-chan?
Yes. It's not normal for him
to hold on Sawa-chan's comb
on his wedding day, don't you think?
We've got one hell of a son-in-law.
Would you like me to send him to
Mt. Shinzan for a while?
I think it's useless.
Poor Shima-chan.
She's just an innocent girl.
To be treated like she
carries a defect like that!
Shinzo, he's not infertile,
isn't he?
That's right. I'm going to continue
my affair with Sawa-chan.
She'll hide under the shadows
and beckon me softly.
Unlike you, who's from a reputable house,
she's risking herself by coming to see me.
There's something cute about her,
and it's tickling a man's nature
to want to protect her somehow.
So, she and you will continue..
That's right.
I'll take her to the gold mine and leave
her to stay at the second home there,
and you can take care of
the main house here.
So, I am just for show?
But isn't that just the fact?
No matter.
Being adopted as an heir is hard.
I'm always being under scrutiny.
I don't know where you've
been following me.
No. The watchman just
happened to see you,
and Sawa-chan together.
Is that so?
Well, I don't care.
If you don't like this, just say so
and I will leave this house.
I don't like it when people say
I'm aiming for your family's fortune.
I see.
So, you're a virgin wife and another
woman has taken your husband?
Relax your shoulders.
Take a deep breath in and breathe out.
Your marriage is a bad match.
You should get a divorce.
Isn't there some way to
recover from this?
Unfortunately, there's an evil spirit
who fell in love with her husband.
But I feel sorry for your daughter.
Rather than letting her fall as a prey to
a man possessed by such an evil spirit,
if you really want your
daughter to be happy,
she must first end this
evil relationship.
It's like being watched by a demon.
You should get rid of this man.
I feel like I should do something
to save this young, innocent lady.
Otherwise, she'll lose her mind!
If you want to end up ruining your life
without ever knowing happiness,
you can go on and continue
serving that man,
but you must be given "a breath of life"
to prevent you from going insane.
Return here when you've made up your
mind and decide to undergo the ritual.
Yes.
The first thing you need to do is to
cut your relationship with this man.
And then, pray to our sun god, the center
of our life, and get back on your feet.
Yes.
Once you've made up your mind,
come alone next time.
The evil spirit is clinging around all
of you, it's difficult to do things here.
If you're worried,
you can just drop her off here,
and pick her up again
once we're done.
Then, let me do so.
Please take care of her.
You, please come with me
to the altar for a moment.
I feel like there's an evil spirit
clouding over your person.
We have to get rid of
that evil spirit first.
Please help her.
You were very wrong about that man.
That's why I quickly decided to
put an end to this problem.
As you should!
According to the watchman, he took out
the store's money again yesterday.
If we don't do something soon,
it's gonna be too late.
We have no other choice.
Let's talk to him about it.
Are we going to ask him to leave?
We'd better do so
before Shima gets hurt.
We should!
He even called her a "defect".
Does he still see Sawa-chan?
I don't know. But he did say that
he won't leave Shima-chan.
He did?
Well, it doesn't matter, anyway.
It's like Sawa-chan's the one
who's taking care of him.
Anyway, we have to act fast while he
hasn't done anything to our daughter.
Whatever the method, she should
cut her relationship with that man.
Even with a purification ritual,
it's hard to cleanse it.
The evil spirit must like her very much.
Yes, I asked the priest to bless her,
so that no man will betray her in the
future, after the evil spirit is cleansed.
Well, I'll leave you to it.
Yes.
It's a disaster.
The master's going out!
Four years later,
the Great Kanto Earthquake
turned the entire downtown
area into a sea of fire.
Oshima lost her parents, her house,
and her store in a single night.
The servants were buried under the
crumbling bricks or burned to death.
Oshima, who was attending a sewing
class, was the only survivor,
and later fled to Ueno.
Here you go.
You can sit here.
May I?
We will still have to walk a
long way to Akabane.
Thank you.
Even though last night you
slept outdoors in Ueno,
it wasn't too comfortable,
so you must be tired.
Will the train really
depart from Akabane?
Where to?
I have no idea, but I just want to
get away as far as I can.
Thank you.
I have a house nearby,
only one staff stays there.
He won't bother anyone, so you can
stay there for two or three months.
I see.
But what about your family?
Well, my wife's parents live in
Hokkaido, and she's there now,
so there's less burden on me for now.
If there were children about, I wouldn't
be able to tend to my business.
I was just about to start a paper mill,
but then, I'm back to square
one on everything.
What's wrong?
Please, go on ahead.
Are you okay? It must be difficult
for a woman to ride a train alone.
Moreover, in this unstable situation,
it's dangerous to walk alone.
The rail ahead is broken!
If you can continue by walking,
it's better to do so!
The rail is broken!
Excuse me! How long until
the train can run again?
We don't have enough manpower,
so we can't really say.
Excuse me.
Please, let me pass.
Let me help you.
This way.
It's cold water.
Drink it.
It's so cold!
Here's a hand towel.
It feels good.
- Where did you get that from?
- I asked someone to share it.
It's beef and chicken.
Take it.
Okay, let's cut it half and half.
I already ate.
I was hungry, so I ate some
while you were sleeping.
Thank you very much.
All this freshly cooked rice?
Have you ever been married?
Just the ceremony.
That kind of thing can happen?
It's true.
Well, it doesn't really matter.
Eat lots of food and hang in there.
It's delicious.
I look at you and I feel bad,
I can't just leave you alone.
Here you go.
Is it good? Chew it well.
My wife hates to take care of the kids.
Is this how you take care
of your children?
That's right.
I'm already used to it.
Don't leave anything,
eat them all.
Yes.
What are you thinking about?
You're not feeling well?
You're so innocent.
Why do you say so?
I wish this journey goes on forever.
I don't mind, even if you're
going to kill me after.
You could be a murderer.
Why do you say that?
I don't know.
But I know that Shima-chan,
the murderer, will kill me now.
That's a terrible thing to say!
It's true.
Shima-chan, the murderer.
I feel like I'm about to fall into
the depths of the ocean.
You have no regrets?
Let me show you this.
So cute.
Is this your wife?
My daughter's name is Chidori.
When she turned three, a friend from
England came and took her picture.
She's really cute.
Really cute!
I really like to dote on her.
Why is she so cute?
I'm sorry for what I did to you.
I don't mind.
There's nothing I can
do about it now.
I'm the one who's sorry to your wife.
I don't want to let you go.
I don't care what anyone says.
It's a telegram from Hokkaido.
Chidori fell into a jug of water
lilies and died. Come home now!
I'm home.
Huh?
What's wrong?
I received news that
Chidori has died.
It's said that she fell into a water jug.
It was the mother's carelessness.
I can't believe it.
I hope it's not true.
- You're going to go there now?
- Yes.
She is just a wife who can't
do anything anyway.
I will be back soon.
I need to tell you something.
What do you want to tell me?
What is it?
I'm pregnant.
What?!
But in these two months
since you came here...
It's still early,
but I'm sure of it.
How can you be so sure?
I had a dream.
What dream?
Chidori-chan!
The ghost of a child rising from
a jug of water lilies,
she hugged me and wouldn't leave me.
What's wrong?
What are you sad about, Chidori-chan?
How dare you take a my husband?!
Could that be your wife's voice?
I've never heard her voice before,
but I did hear the harsh
voice of a woman.
Is there such a thing as
a living spirit?
It could be, but still...
The way Chidori-chan
died was not normal.
When I think about it,
it makes me afraid of giving birth.
Midwife
Excuse me.
How are you feeling?
We're not going anywhere
if you're this tense.
I've never seen anything
like this before.
Most of them would just endure the
treatment and returned home soon after.
I intended to have the baby,
no matter what,
and then,
let this child meet the father.
Don't be so stubborn.
He's left for Tokyo,
together with his wife.
I'm sure a man like him is busy,
but I hope I can go outside again
when I regain my strength.
That is good.
That man has no intention of
being with you, at all.
If you rely on such a person, you too
will be dragged into misfortune.
If you understand this,
use this chance to break off
the relationship and start fresh.
In the meantime,
you need to eat properly.
Why is it taking so long?
Right now, your womb is exhausted.
You need to take plenty
of nourishment.
Otherwise, you'll lose.
Here, you need to fight.
To dispel the evil beings
attached on your body,
you mustn't rely on weird
tricks or evil gods.
How can you tell which
ones are the kind gods,
and which are the evil gods?
Most of them are animal spirits
or low-level spirits.
They'll listen to all kinds of people's
wishes, even evil ones.
These people felt grateful, and they
started to gather more believers.
These "gods" tell the people to do evil things,
it's a proof that they're not real gods.
A real god would not
let such evil happen.
I had someone did an
exorcism ritual on me.
An ascetic?
Yes, he even took me to a waterfall.
Maybe it's still clinging on you yet.
It's not going away that easily.
Is it going to stay with me forever?
Maybe they're trying to suck your
blood out of you, like a leech.
It's not normal for someone
to suffer this much.
You're not gonna eat that?
You can't fight back if you're hungry.
How can I get back on my feet again?
I want to start my life over.
Just one more time.
After this matter is settled,
I want to live under the sun again,
until the end of my days.
Please God, save me.
You have to wish it.
If you pray hard enough,
maybe your wish will be granted.
There's not much else that
I can do for you now.
I have some prayer beads that I
received from Kannon-sama before.
I'll rub your body with this prayer
beads. Let's see what happens.
May the baby's vengeful
spirit leave this woman.
May they go to heaven
without any regrets.
Please listen to our prayers.
It's so hot...
Winter, 10 years later
I know it is selfish of me,
but I would appreciate your help.
Yes.
I'll have it tailored
as soon as possible.
It seems that you have a lot of orders,
and it would be more efficient
if your apprentice could handle them.
I don't like the idea of having my
apprentice seamstress
make this cloth as
their training piece,
so I will do it myself
with all my heart.
That's why your business has
such a good reputation.
I'm leaving it in your hands.
Please give my regards
to the landlady.
I will tell her.
Please excuse me.
Excuse me,
I heard there is a famous tailor
around here by the name of Oshima.
Her place is right there.
Ah, so this is the correct place.
I've come here from afar.
So many people came all the way
from afar to visit her.
I'm sure she's very busy, then.
I can't say much since
we're not close,
but she doesn't receive
a lot of orders.
Does she work slowly?
She probably could finish it faster,
but even when there's a lot of orders,
she sews all of them by herself,
day and night.
That's impressive.
She doesn't even have a husband?
Yes, she's very devoted to her work,
which is probably why
she has such a good reputation.
I see.
I heard that, when a person
wears a kimono that she made,
for some reason they all look
more beautiful than usual.
How nostalgic.
Since the earthquake,
I've never visited Tokyo anymore.
It's been so many years.
I heard that you fled to
the vicinity of Ikaho,
so I knew you're safe, at least.
But I'm surprised that you
made it back to Asakusa.
I'm sorry to bother you,
I know you're busy.
Have you been staying
single, all this time?
Yes.
What about you, Sawa-chan?
I've been in and out of
relationships with different guys.
I have bad luck with men.
I've been dumped several times already.
Men are so unfaithful.
I had a hard time.
I wasn't in a position to meet you.
Just when I thought I had
finally found happiness,
he died at the same time as
he made the promise.
I'm not talking about Esaki-san.
There was nothing between
me and Shinzo-san,
even though people
were suspicious of us.
That was a long time ago.
Since then, I've fallen in
love several times.
Once, my fiancé left me before
the wedding ceremony,
and I even had his child.
You kept the baby?
Of course! Without a family name, the
child doesn't have a proper legal status.
But it's my most precious treasure.
No matter what the public says,
I kept on going and
raised my own child.
Oh my!
I had a hard time.
For the sake of my Otoshi,
I've done so many unthinkable things.
I've even stolen a few things.
Searching under a guest's
pillow and everything.
The earthquake wiped out
the entirety of Yokohama,
and there's no one I can rely on.
With Otoshi in my arms,
I wondered how a woman
could survive on her own.
In the end,
I ended up relying on men.
You're doing fine just by yourself,
but I cannot do the same thing.
Oh, please forgive me,
I heard about your
business' reputation,
so I thought I must come and visit.
I know it's silly of me,
but I want my daughter to wear
a kimono that you tailored.
Somehow, she grew up
to be a good girl,
and a rich family took a liking to her.
I sent her to be an apprentice
at a kimono store.
The store owner has
a son named Shinzo.
He's not like that Shinzo Esaki,
he's young and newly joined the store.
They just put him in charge of
the new warehouse here.
The owner and his wife also
like my daughter very much.
They already agreed to marry
their son off to my daughter!
I need a favor.
When I heard about your
reputation as a tailor,
I just knew that it must be you
and I couldn't stay still.
I really missed you.
Anyway, I heard that wearing
a kimono you made,
increases the attractiveness
of the wearer.
That's not true.
Sometimes, all these talks and
gossips make me worry.
Don't be like that, Shima-chan.
This comes from my heart as a parent,
please hear my request.
Let's take this as a chance to forget
the past misunderstandings between us.
We both have no one to rely on,
let's help each other!
Ouch!
The needle!
Thank you.
It's looking good.
Sorry to keep you waiting, ma'am.
Thank you for choosing us.
Thank you.
Please, go ahead and have a drink.
Here you are.
Is Isoko-sensei alright?
Yeah, the permanent machine just
came in today and we're testing it.
Oh, that must be quite a hassle.
It's not easy being a barber.
But I'm surprised Oshima took it on.
Where in Asakusa is she?
Are you planning to visit her?
Of course not, I'm just curious.
Don't worry about it.
I see you're still not over her yet.
Don't tease me.
I'm going to tell Isoko-sensei.
You're an idiot.
I'm an idiot, that's why I came
all the way here to Kamiya.
Oh, come on. I'm serious.
And? What about it?
- Are you that afraid of her?
- No!
You sure have changed.
You've become much more careful.
You're spineless.
Stop being snide.
My life depends on this job.
Don't be ridiculous. I have to
look out for my customers, too.
This is a woman's business.
- Then, please take care of yourself.
- I know.
If Oshima were to accept
your request,
she wouldn't do it for free.
Why?
Because she thinks you're the one
who screwed up her entire life.
Me?
Your comb came out of my
clothes, you know.
I don't care who put it there,
but I was desperate with the situation,
so I decided to go with you.
It's a prank. After all, in the end,
you abandoned me too,
and I've been the target of grudge
from both of you for over a decade.
It's all in the past.
As a professional tailor, maybe she
doesn't think about it anymore.
Or maybe, she'll make you a
kimono laced with a curse.
Don't scare me like that.
She might infuse her grudge
into that kimono she's making.
Why would you ask her to do it for your
only daughter's wedding kimono?
She carefully does each stitch
with her own hands,
and her creations have a reputation
for giving the wearer a beautiful glow.
Everyone wants one.
She's good at promoting her business.
She was such a sheltered young lady.
She's changed completely.
Besides, we were close as cousins,
it shouldn't be a problem.
But still, I'll tell you this.
Please don't think that I'm
accepting Otoshi-chan as my child.
What? Of course not!
Even if it's just a joke,
it's not funny. Please, don't...
That's enough. It's not like
I want this. Excuse me.
Please, through here.
It's nice of you to come.
What an impressive place
you have here.
It's nothing.
I share this place with three of my
colleagues. We're relying on our salary.
It's not an easy life.
I wish I had good skills like you do.
Such a nice room.
Please, have a sit.
I was hoping you could
have a meal with me.
Please, relax.
I wanted to invite you as a guest,
so I sent someone to pick you up.
I'm so happy that you came.
I wanted you to come visit my place,
even if it's just once.
Your parents took such a
great care of me in the past.
Even though I was such
a nuisance to them,
they took care of me
like their own child.
Excuse me.
Tell Otoshi-chan to come here,
and greet our guest.
Yes.
Here you are.
You said you have something
to tell me. What is it?
Oh, it's nothing.
It's nothing, at all.
I thought you wouldn't come
unless I said something like that.
It's nothing serious.
I just wanted to have dinner with you.
I pray to the gods of
Basara Okami.
Please let Oshima, a 33-year-old tailor,
lose his resentment towards Osawa.
Please, purge these 15
years of misfortune.
Please help us to keep
Osawa out of harm's way.
Please lend your support to
Osawa's daughter, Otoshi.
Basara-Okami! Basara-Okami!
This girl is Otoshi.
It's nice to meet you.
The kimono suits you very well.
I thought you would like to see her in
her kimono. Your skill is amazing.
I've never seen Otoshi look this
pretty. Say thank you.
Thank you, ma'am.
It's nothing. You wear it so well.
Really, it's nothing that great.
Serve some tea for the auntie.
Come on.
Here's your tea.
I hope we can still keep in contact,
just like the old times.
I feel the same.
Thank you very much for this favor,
Shima-chan!
It's nothing. Thank you for
treating me this meal.
Don't say that. We're both old,
and have no one to rely on,
and fate has brought us to meet again.
And, like I've told you before,
with your help, I'm finally on my
way to find happiness again.
You've been through a lot.
Raising a child alone as a woman.
- Yeah, well, she's a fatherless child.
- I see.
Yet, you've come so far.
I did my best.
Good for you.
But she's a lonely girl.
Isn't that right?
I'm glad you were able to
help her with something.
It was really nothing.
I know I can count on you.
Oshima, the tailor in Asakusa,
has a reputation for being as good as
Shimada's Oteru, the famous hairdresser.
You are like a woman among women..
Oh, stop it.
I'm just a mere tailor.
I'm one who should be thanking you.
I'm jealous.
There you go again.
Right?
I'm always jealous at everything.
But really,
I've never been better than
you at anything.
But you have a good
daughter now, don't you?
Yes, but it took a lot of
work to get this far.
I don't have anything like that.
Having a good daughter.
I guess I win on that one.
Otoshi-chan, pour a drink for auntie.
It's so nice to see you again
after such a long time.
Basara Okami, Basara Okami...
Basara Okami, Basara Okami...
It's because of the
alcohol you drank.
I'll come back and check
on you again in a few days.
I'm sorry. I'll make sure to
finish your order in time.
Please take care of yourself.
Please give my regards
to the landlady.
Of course.
This is for you.
Whenever misfortune strikes,
this bead of Kannon-sama will purge
your sins and impurities.
Not only the dead spirit of a child,
the living spirit of someone
else can also cause a disaster.
The God of Basara Okami, please...
Are you alright?
Are you alright?
This is not easy.
It's not normal.
There is something that is
blocking my power.
What? What could that be?
And the spirit is too
bad to leave easily.
I need to recompose myself and
pray once more to Basara Okami.
Or else, nothing can be done here.
Basara Okami, Basara Okami...
Good morning.
Oh. Thank you for the
dinner the other day.
You're welcome.
I'm so glad you came.
Please, come in.
Don't bother,
I'm not going to stay for long.
Are you a believer of
some sort of religion?
Those beads.
This? It's nothing...
I was once possessed by
the spirit of a child.
A spirit?
It's a dead person's spirit.
It was my fault,
and I was given this prayer beads
of Kannon-sama to help purge it.
Is it working?
I think it's only to ease my nerves,
and I'm not feeling well these days.
What happened?
I'm just not feeling well.
Oh, my.
An unhealthy body can be a problem.
Please take good care of yourself.
You're the only auntie that
Otoshi has, you know.
Please help her in any way you can.
And it's not good for either of us
if there's a misunderstanding here.
I don't want there to be any
ill feelings between us.
Hey, you know,
I'm glad you broke up with Shinzo.
That man is now working as a
master at Yagumo Beauty Salon.
So I've heard.
It might sound posh, but really, a
hairdresser? That job suits him, I guess.
I heard he's still fooling
around as usual.
I'm not surprised.
Why did you come today?
I was just in the neighborhood.
Maybe I shouldn't have come
and bothered you.
I also haven't had a chance
to thank you yet.
Here, it's sponge cake.
Shima-chan, you like it, don't you?
But I just keep on receiving
things from you.
You used to eat half of the cake by yourself
and then washed it down with lots of water.
In the end, you needed to go the
toilet in the middle of the night.
It was agonizing.
Please, take it.
Thank you very much.
Don't be so stiff.
I would love us to reuturn
to how we were, from now on.
Let's just get along nicely, okay?
Of course.
That's what I wanted to say.
Is that so?
I'm having a hard time thinking
that I have caused of your divorce.
Because there was never
anything between us.
Even I was annoyed.
It's all in the past.
It doesn't really matter now.
Really? You don't have any
doubt about it, do you?
About me and Shinzo.
Even though you may have
ruined my life,
or rather, my future...
No...
Even if that were true,
it would be my own fault, since I'm
the one who had misjudged him.
So, l can't really blame anyone.
But it's definitely not me.
Trust me on that. No matter how much I'm
inclined to want other people's things,
I wouldn't go that far.
Why are you worrying about that now?
I'm not worried,
I just want to brag to everyone
that Oshima the tailor
is a close cousin of mine
that I grew up with.
Besides, Otoshi will be getting
married in a couple of years,
and it would be convenient for the
guests to know that she's related
to the daughter of a rich and influential
man who once had a gold mine.
After all, Otoshi is also pretty
good at socializing.
Is that it?
What do you mean?
It's important.
You don't know how
society works like I do,
so you can't imagine how
my daughter will be worth.
I'm sorry for being so selfish.
In return,
I'll do whatever I can to help you,
Shima-chan.
It's okay.
I swear by Heaven, Earth, and Life
that I have not done anything shameful
towards you. Do you understand me?
Yes.
Oh, that's good to hear!
Now, I can finally sleep soundly.
It's been a really hard 15 years,
being falsely accused.
But I'm glad. I feel like a weight
has been lifted. I'm really glad.
I'm so glad.
Thank you for this.
I'm going to the sushi
restaurant for a bit.
Oh, don't worry about me.
No, it's really close.
Just give me a minute.
Come on, you don't have to do that.
Shima-chan, you don't
have to worry about it.
Welcome back.
Maybe you dropped it
outside somewhere?
No. I was just right outside
when I noticed it's gone.
I'm sure you will
find it soon enough.
I've kept it with me so securely,
how could it be gone?
The Great God made her drop it.
It is not good to go
against Basara Okami.
Now, this Oshima will do
whatever you want her to.
Don't worry, she won't resent
you nor go against you.
Thank you very much.
So, how much do I have to pay you?
No need.
The person shall become the payment.
The God Basara Okami wants Oshima
to be a human sacrifice.
Human sacrifice?
What kind of payment is this?
It is said that Basara Okami's
spiritual power
will suck the life out of
human beings.
Does that mean, Shima-san?
She was chosen to be
a living sacrifice.
But all I wanted was to
make sure Shima-san
doesn't hold a grudge against me,
or do something bad to me.
I never promised to sacrifice
my cousin to the gods.
This is your reward from
Basara Okami,
this is what Basara Okami
wants to do.
Oshima-san?
Are you alright?
Oshima-san?
Thank you for your concern.
I'm just getting more sluggish by the day.
That's not good.
Please, let me know if I
can be of any assistance.
Excuse me.
I'm coming in.
Oh, Oshima-san!
You need to get treated
and restore your health.
I don't know, I just feel strange.
I'm sorry to keep you all waiting,
but my condition is not
getting any better.
So, someone's visiting
her every night?
Yes.
I wonder if it was a man? Sometimes,
I hear a strange moaning sound.
- Oshima-san! Oshima-san!
- Oshima-san!
Someone said they heard
moaning last night, too.
Did something happen to her?
Oshima-san!
I thought you weren't home.
I am sorry for making you all worry.
Excuse me, master.
Master?
Master?
For rent
I'm sorry for making you worry.
Since that day,
I can't find what happened to her.
She said she was going to the hospital
and left, but she never returned.
Not even a goodbye for me or Otoshi.
I've done everything I can.
I just hope she's still
alive somewhere.
I wanted her to come to
the wedding ceremony,
but it's been some time, and still no
news about her whereabouts.
I'm afraid that she might be dead
somewhere out there.
Do you know where she
could have gone?
Where could she have gone to?
I really don't know.
By the way, on my way here,
I passed the Ichinohashi
Bridge in Honjo.
On the rising tide, the boatmen said
they found a body of a woman.
They were discussing how to
bring it to the police station.
And then?
I don't think it's her,
because they said it was a
body of an elderly woman.
I'll check again with them
on the way back.
An elderly woman?
Not a middle-aged woman, I hope.
Well, I wonder how old the
woman was that they found?
This is some incident.
I guess she must have thrown
herself into the water.
- The body will soon float to the surface.
- This is bad.
They were catching some
marlin this morning.
And when they throw the net,
they caught that body.
I guess the body must have
floated up last night.
It must be a sign from the gods.
Look at the soles of her feet!
There's an amulet attached on it!
Basara Okami
What a strange case indeed.
Excuse me.
Coming!
Otoshi!
Please, do not come here again.
Otherwise, something life-threatening
will happen to you.
Where's the long-haired old lady?
She'll be right back.
You need to go now!
What do you mean my life is at stake?
I don't understand! Don't be like this!
Please, just go! Go now!
It's dangerous!
Please, please, I beg you, hurry up!
Okay. I'll come back when the
long-haired old lady returns.
No, I want to stay here, after all.
Do not come in!
Terrible things will happen!
Please!
Otoshi!
Go home! It's dangerous!
Please, leave! I'm begging you.
Otoshi! Wait for me!
I will help you!
Please, wait.
Before you go to the police,
if anything happens to Otoshi,
it will all be too late.
I'll go take a look myself.
You are calling from a soba
noodle shop in Honjo, right?
I'll be right there.
I think that long-haired old woman
is Oshima-san whose life force has
been sucked out by Basara Okami.
I think she's been granted
some psychic powers now.
I'm afraid Otoshi will also have her
life force sucked out
by Basara Okami to increase
her psychic powers.
If I pray hard and beg to
Basara Okami,
I am sure she will listen to me, a believer.
Even if it costs me my life!
Your resistance is futile.
Hello? Hello?
Hello, Shinzo-san? Hello?
The person who came today
is my fiancee, Shinzo-san.
I love that man with my whole life.
I was happy because that
man also loves me.
I've been waiting for the day when
I can give my body and soul to him.
And yet, and yet...
I am drained of all my life energy.
He said he'd bring me
out of here tonight.
Before he went, he has sworn that he would
rescue me, even if it costs his own life.
I'm sure he will come.
Otoshi!
Otoshi!
What are you doing here?
Otoshi! Otoshi!
What have you done?
Otoshi! Hang on, Otoshi!
You infidel who does not fear
divine punishment!
How dare you?!
It's too late now.
You can't take back a daughter
that I have presented to the gods.
How dare you do such a
terrible thing to Otoshi?!
Mother! Mother!
No, it's dangerous!
What if you also drown?
Don't let go of my hand!
Understand?
Yes.
The next morning,
only Sawa's body was found.
After that, the police
conducted a search,
but Oshima's body never turned up.
Could it be that Oshima's
still alive?
Even I do not know if this unfortunate
Oshima is still alive or already dead.
THE END