1
MIDNIGHT INVITATION
Asami Kobayashi
Kaoru Kobayashi
Etsushi Takahashi
Masakane Yonekura
Junko Miyashita
Mitsuko Yorichika
Atomu Shimoj
Yutaka Nakajima
Tomoe Hiiro
Yasukiyo Umeno
Eri Kanuma
Akiko Hoshino
Tetsur Tanba
Makoto Fujita
Tanie Kitabayashi
Tsunehiko Watase
Shinsuke Ashida
Based on a novel by Shsaku End
Music: Mitsuaki Kanno
Director: Yoshitar Nomura
- Um...
- Yes?
Which way is neurology?
Through there, at the far end
- Thanks
- Not at all
Inagawa, to see Doctor Aizawa
Please wait there
Thank you!
How about this?
I wonder what these people are doing?
Doctor,
will these childish games...
make my leg better?
It's a real puzzle
There's nothing wrong with your leg
That's been proved conclusively
by the X-rays and blood tests
There's no physical reason
why you can't move your leg
It's due to your mind
Buried within your mind...
is a disinclination to walk
Absurd...
Give it another go
I'll join in too
Is this person asleep?
Or crying?
I've had enough
Mr Yamazaki...
Take care
Ms Inagawa
Please go to Room 2
Please excuse me
Ah... please
Doctor Aizawa?
Yes, that's right
I have a referral from Doctor Nakamura
of the surgery department
My name's Inagawa
Yes, I was informed
Please take a seat
Pre-exam card
Oh, Doctor
The person to be examined...
isn't me
Who then?
Well,
it's about my fianc
Is that OK?
Yes, certainly
Well,
it happened about a month ago
At a friend's birthday party...
Mr Tamura, the phone
I wonder who?
- I'll take a dip too
- Swimming?
- Not with you!
- Rejected!
Work related?
What is it?
My brother in Mito called
to say he's coming to Tokyo
What for?
My brother in Numazu has disappeared
This was the second disappearance
Second?
Yes
My fianc Tatsuo is
the youngest of four brothers
The eldest brother living in Kumamoto,
also went missing 7 years ago
We were waiting
for his brother to return from Numazu,
the day after the party
He's arrived
Just the same as
our brother in Kumamoto!
So he left in the dead of night?
And his wife laying beside him said she
didn't notice. He literally vanished
My younger brother from
Numazu is somewhat timid
He's not the type to make enemies
And he's just got married, so it's
hard to believe it involves a woman
I hope you're safe
From what?
We're disappearing one by one
Silly
Don't worry about it
Ah, shall I make it?
I'll do it
Ah, here
If I vanish by some chance,
I'll let you know the circumstances
To set your mind at ease
Keiko, I have just one request
Yes, what is it?
I'm genuinely delighted about
your engagement to this fellow
So I simply want to say,
that with two family
members having disappeared,
it may be thought our blood is...
Come on, she doesn't think that way
Be quiet
I'm asking her family
Keiko, there's no doubt
this is just a coincidence
For this fellow too,
please explain it as such
Alright
The brother in Mito researches
atomic energy at Tokaimura
When he comes to Tokyo,
he invariably dines with Tatsuo
He's a very considerate brother
However...
What is it?
- Today I went to Mito
- Mito?
Kazuo has disappeared!
Last night he sneaked out the house
while sister in law was asleep
It's the same
It's just the same as the others!
Does this sort of thing really happen?
Hey, the other day,
your brother was in fine spirits
I'm sure he's back by now
Try calling him
It's my turn next
That's silly
Why?
You've no reason to disappear
Neither did my brothers
It isn't just chance
There's no guarantee I won't disappear
- It's Mr Tamura?
- Yes
Your fianc's family has
no history of neurological illness?
As far as I know
My mother checked when I got engaged
But I don't quite understand
A search for missing persons
is a matter for the police
Yet doctor,
Tatsuo has now had a nervous breakdown
He's locked himself in his flat
So he's obsessed with
the idea he's next...
I could try seeing him
Ah... thank you
However, please make it clear
that I'll be examining him
- There must be no secrecy
- Yes
Also,
please have faith in my methods
Otherwise, Mr Tamura will
lose confidence in me too
It will be the biggest hurdle
OK?
Yes
Somehow, I feel at very much at ease
Thank you for helping me
Tatsuo
Tatsuo...
Yes
May I?
Feel free
Mr Tamura is having
to see a psychiatrist?
Who told you, papa?
Doctor Nakamura got in touch with me
Listen, Keiko
How about we shelve
this talk of marriage for a while?
Why?
Even you were praising him
Not really
I meant that he was a capable employee
As a family member it's another matter
But we don't need you
getting a neurosis too
Just think it over
What?
Mr Noda's here
Ah, I'm coming
Well then
Keiko, I'm also against it
Even you, mama?
Why, Keiko!
You were all for this match with Tatsuo
I'm not your plaything!
I... will marry Tatsuo
Keiko!
Weren't you doing the night shift?
Yeah, I got out of it
by doing an outside exam
You're having dinner?
I've eaten
You go to bed
Oh, did you get the medicine
for Haruo's blister?
Forgot
You're always doing that...
Disappearance
You found it OK?
Yes
I'll introduce you, this is Ms Akashi
She runs this bar
I'm Akashi
- Please have a seat
- Thanks
She has my interests at heart
Will you have something?
The vongole's very good
No, greasy food is a bit...
No, really
I've quit alcohol due to my stomach
- Do you have milk?
- Yes
I'll have that
Ah, please warm it up
to 20.5 degrees Celsius
And Mr Tamura...
what shape is he in?
Well, he's still...
He's agreed to the exam.
I expect that was hard
He even said himself it's for the best
By the way, did you bring it?
Ah, yes
It's Junkichi, Shohei and Kazuo
who disappeared, in that order?
Yes
Tatsuo has a different surname?
The Tamura family had no children and
they adopted Tatsuo when he was small
Welcome home
Mother, this is Doctor Aizawa
- Glad to meet you
- I'm Aizawa
Thank you for helping Keiko
Please come in
- Is Tatsuo here?
- Not yet
At the bar earlier...
it was Ms Akashi?
You're old friends?
Yes
We study Japanese dance
under the same teacher
A really pretty lady
You're curious about her?
Yes
Is she married?
Five years ago she lost her husband
in a traffic accident
She said it had left her
a shell of her former self
Just as I thought...
Huh?
Ms Akashi just now, all the while,
had her hands clasped
That is, her right thumb was
placed on the left-hand thumb
It's not a good sign
It's a theory proposed by
the Spanish academic Jose Bons
He suggested that people who
clasp their hands in this way...
can be regarded as
very fatigued or aged
Dynamic people do the reverse.
In other words, like this
Even though
Ms Akashi is still young...
Well, it's a bit of a concern
OK, please feel free to speak
I'll sit behind but don't worry
When I was 8 years old,
I moved from my parents in Kumamoto...
to the Tamuras in Tokyo
Shortly after,
my father in Kumamoto died
Before that my mother had passed away
So I didn't return to Kumamoto
How were relations with your brothers?
I hardly saw my brothers
from Kumamoto and Numazu
But with my brother
in Mito it was different
We often met,
as I was at a Tokyo university
It felt like...
Kazuo was my only true kin
It must have been a shock
when he went missing
Not just that...
What is it?
The phone
The phone?
Yes, during the night
When I wake up,
the ringing has already stopped
It's happened numerous times
Maybe I'm imagining it
However, I'm certain it has rung
That indicates neurotic anxiety
I think it's down to
your brother's disappearance
Alright, please relax and
make yourself comfortable
Mr Tamura,
I will examine what caused
your brothers to disappear...
and eradicate your psychological trauma
Your cooperation is essential
Your brothers aren't here, so we
have to examine the psychological side
When you go to bed,
leave a notepad by your bed
Please write down your night dreams
and anything else that springs to mind
Freud?
No!
It's a test based on a theory of Daan
According to this,
human beings have an instinct...
that foretells the future
in the form of a dream
Then you believe my dreams
can occur in reality?
It's not 100%, but it's
something that's possible
You know there are cases of rats and
ants migrating prior to an earthquake?
Civilised people have been losing
that instinct for self-preservation,
but it's still there
Sometimes it's awoken
when danger approaches...
and alerts us in the form of a dream
My dreams...
Mr Tamura,
in order for me to remove your anxiety,
I have to take a scalpel
to the depths of your mind
However, the mind of
a human being is just like a deep sea
The bottom is pitch black
It silently harbours secrets and
enigmas that are beyond imagining
I have to stir up the profoundest
depths of that sea of yours
If it goes well we'll find out
why your brothers disappeared
And then your neurosis will be cured
Come in
You said it would take an hour...
It's good timing
Doctor, this is a note given to me
before my brother in Tokaimura vanished
It's about a dream
Would you try reading it for me?
"I'm often having the same dream"
"Coming out of a long tunnel,
a deep valley to the right"
"I pass through many tunnels"
"Then a ruined castle comes into view"
"Three times this dream has occurred"
Doctor
I wonder if this is a forewarning too?
In the future, my brother may...
I can't say at the moment
I'd like to take a trip
to Tokaimura near Mito
We may discover something
It was a shock when you suddenly
called out to me at Ueno station
I apologise
You're very much
in love with Mr Tamura, then?
Yes!
Sorry I asked
Doctor, I thought
you said you'd quit drinking
A doctor's indulgence
Don't tell anyone
Doctor
Are dreams really to be relied on?
Yes
According to Jung,
a dream symbol can be
regarded as a significant message...
that stems from the unconscious
Then how would you explain
the dream described in that note?
A really desolate landscape
You think it'll be found in Tokaimura?
Well, who knows?
Tunnel, mountain, valley,
ruined castle
It seems it could be anywhere
But it also seems like
a scene from another world
Excuse me, would you be Doctor Aizawa?
Yes
I'm Fujimura of Ibaraki News
Actually, I''m the brother in law
of the vanished Mr Harada
- Thanks for your help
- Not at all
The fiance of
the younger brother in Tokyo
I'm Keiko Inagawa
Thanks for taking the trouble
I brought a car
- Please
- Thanks
The Atomic Energy Research Institute
Ah, so Kazuo Harada worked here
Yes
It's quieter than I expected
What kind of job did
your brother in law have?
Head of engineering
Giving technical guidance
on fast critical equipment
Don't ask for details...
Ah, it's that building
This is staff housing
Please wait a moment
Hiroko
Hiroko!
What's the matter?
I know!
They've come because of Kazuo
Yo-chan, come along
Ah, hello
I'm Harada's wife
I'm Aizawa
Yo-chan, you might say "hello"
Hello
- Hello
- Come along
It's messy, but go ahead
She's tired
And in front of the child...
Yoshiko's been told that
papa is on a trip abroad
It seems she has an inkling
Ah, please
It's this room. Come in
It seems Mr Harada got home
about 9 on the day he vanished
He said he'd eaten and
came straight into this room
Is the room as it was?
No, the police rummaged about
for a diary or note of some kind,
which annoyed Hiroko
That evening, my sister
went to bed first in this room
And when she awoke at dawn
Ah, that lamp was left switched on
And the figure of Mr Harada
was nowhere to be seen
The police say that he may have been
abducted or taken away by someone
Even his relations with women
were thoroughly investigated
But at present
they are completely clueless
There's no sign of that
dream landscape around here
Ah, please
Had Mr Harada changed
in any way recently?
He was very worried about
his brother in Numazu
Otherwise...
No matter how trivial it seems
Ah, come to think of it
After the Numazu disappearance,
he'd often go to the beach
Beach?
Yes, the mouth of the River Kuji nearby
And that's where I last saw him
Over there
When I showed up,
Mr Harada was sitting there,
absently looking out to sea
Did he say anything on that occasion?
Yes. He spoke about nuclear accidents
He said even if
the science is faultless,
you can't do anything about human error
Things like that
Just like that
Mr Harada was sitting there
in exactly the same posture...
Mountain, valley,
railway, castle remains...
Sengoku era castles
are usually mountain fortresses,
so a mountain and
valley landscape isn't exactly rare
However, concerning a railway...
I expect it exists,
but I can't give you an instant answer
I see...
The book I wrote
For future reference
Anyway, let's investigate
I'll be in contact if I find anything
Thank you for your help
But what is this?
A referral from Mr Aizawa.
Is it dream interpretation?
Yes, that's right
Numazu
Shohei was working here
They preserve fish to be
deep fried at the harbour
Kazuo came a second time?
Yes
What for?
He kept asking about
the evening my husband vanished
And?
Yet it was while I was sleeping,
so I don't know what happened
He was generally a man of few words
Neglecting his wife when
she wanted to know his mind
Mother...
Excuse me please
Coming!
Then you've been here
since it happened?
Sometimes I go and clean up at least
On your own...
It was creepy...
The phone calls
Phone?
Around then the phone frequently rang,
in the dead of night
Even if I picked up the call,
there was just a steady silence
Come in
We lived here six months exactly
One of his sandals had fallen off here
It's just weird
And those phone calls too
Nobody believed me, but...
my husband was summoned
What do you mean?
My husband often returned to Kumamoto
On one occasion
he'd brought back a photo
It showed him and his sister in law
Behind them, the face of an old man
with long hair was faintly apparent
Can you show me that photo?
It's not here,
my brother in law took it
The spirit in that photo...
summoned my husband
- Mrs Sugeno said so too
- Mrs Sugeno?
A psychic researcher
Sugeno Psychic Research Centre
Certainly, I saw that photo
That aged person is likely of...
the spirit world
Well, for some reason, when that soul
still roamed in the land of the living,
it happened to respond
to the photographic film
I already have a few examples
Shohei Harada...
was of the belief that his
missing brother in Kumamoto had died
And he was eager to make contact...
with the ghost of that brother
Well, this time
Shohei has disappeared,
before I could complete my preparations
You're able to make
contact with his ghost?
Yes I am
The reciprocal psychic influence is
at its strongest among blood relations
Ah, if you're doubtful,
how about you try observing?
Right now,
there's an experiment...
in which a lady will make contact
with her dead mother's spirit
You're welcome to attend,
it's no trouble
Thank you
Go ahead
Thanks for your patience
Chairman, please start
Mother has come
Mama...
- Say something
- Mama...!
- Please speak
- It's...
It's me, you understand? Mama!
You know your daughter's here?
You understand?
Sorry... it's my fault!
I'm... sorry
Um... I'm sorry,
today I came on my own
Mama, papa couldn't come
You understand?
She said father couldn't come
Who do you want to see?
(Sugeno)
It seems to be an animal of some kind
Was there an animal
she was affectionate about?
It's Taro?
There was a dog she liked
Tatsuo!
Kazuo!
Tatsuo!
Wait for me!
- Thanks for waiting
- Sorry to bother you
So there's been progress
It appears that Mr Harada
was abducted by someone
Abducted?
Yes
It seems that when he was investigating
the disappearances of his two brothers,
Mr Harada discovered something
However, there was someone who
didn't want that fact to be known
That guy abducted Mr Harada
No doubt about it
But how did you learn this?
A diary was discovered in
a locker in Mr Harada's office
It's now with the police
But I extracted the parts
relating to the case
"Thursday, 6th.
Investigation in Numazu"
"Hypothesis 1: Disappearance
of Kumamoto brother related to X"
"Hypothesis 2: Shohei,
knowing about X, was abducted"
"Saturday, 8th"...
"A call from Gogatsu but not present.
Having the dream again"
"Long tunnel, train line, castle ruins"
"Sunday, 9th. Business in Tokyo.
Eat with Gogatsu"
"Tuesday, 11th.
On the dune, thinking"
"Assuming X killed Kumamoto brother
and abducted younger brother,"
"who'll be next?"
That's on the 11th, when Mr Harada
reached some sort of conclusion
That evening he dis...
well, he was abducted
This Gogatsu...
ah, I guess it's read as Satsuki,
who is it exactly?
Uh, well... I'm not really sure
It seems to be a friend in Tokyo
who also appears earlier on
But when I asked around,
nobody knew anything
I believe it's possible
that this person is X
And this?
Ah, it was placed in the diary
We only met at a wedding, but...
it's the brother from Numazu
with his sister in law
Um, take a look here
It appears as though someone
is peeping through the window
This is it
It's the photo the brother in Numazu
brought back from Kumamoto
Shortly after that he disappeared
Then Keiko and Mr Tamura
went to investigate in Numazu
Thereafter Mr Tamura's
neurosis grew worse
I wish I'd stopped her
Keiko left for Kumamoto this morning,
saying it all originated there
And it's the source of this photo,
so she thinks she'll learn something
That's a worry.
What if she's targeted by this X?
Excuse me, how long
does it take to reach the city?
- 40 minutes by car
- Thanks
Satsuki?
Satsuki!
Satsuki!
Harada Medicines
No one's here?
There's not a soul
And the wife?
I think she moved to her brother's
Where?
It's pretty far
Kyomachi 2-Chome
Excuse me
Alright
I came because I heard
Junkichi Harada's wife lives here
And who may you be?
My name's Inagawa
I'm the fiance of Junkichi's
younger brother Tatsuo
Well, my sister's under the weather...
Mrs Harada...
You're Junkichi's wife then?
I'd like to ask you about
the time your husband vanished
Tatsuo has now had a complete nervous
breakdown due to these disappearances
His breakdown has nothing
to do with the Junkichi matter
But he got on so well
with his brother in Tokaimura
Kazuo?
Really? Kazuo has disappeared?
You didn't know?
Well, no...
You really have no idea
what caused your husband to disappear?
Anything would help
For instance, someone
who may have resented him
Nothing comes to mind
It's a curse
Well, somehow it feels like...
the house of Harada has a curse upon it
Curse?
If it's not a curse, how else do you
account for a situation of this sort?
Three brothers vanishing one by one
But I'm sure there must be some cause
Look, it's best not to stir things up
I say that for your own benefit
Well, if you get in too deep,
no good will come of it
Ah, Mrs Harada
I'd like to see a photo
Photo?
I learnt of it in Numazu
In it you can discern an old man's
creepy face or something
You know it?
I don't know the photo,
but I have pictures of an old man
Junkichi made them
He was always good at drawing
Go and get them
But, I'm not sure where...
Look for them
Tell me your hotel later
- OK
- I'll send them over
Once you see those drawings, it'll be
obvious why I say there's a curse
They're horrible to look at
Junkichi disappeared,
leaving those pictures behind
Mr Tamura, special delivery
Mr Tamura?
Kazuo Harada
Here
You're in room 830
- OK
- Please
Follow me
Satsuki?
I noticed you earlier
I see
This hotel?
Yes
Oh, going out?
No
I'm just going to change
Tea in around 30 minutes?
Yes
Then I'll see you later
I'd like to see Junkichi's pictures
as quickly as possible
You'll return to Tokyo soon?
I should get the pictures tonight,
so tomorrow
Oh, and doctor
I just saw Satsuki in the hotel
Satsuki
Satsuki?
You know, from that bar in Roppongi
How do you spell Satsuki?
Gogatsu...
So you think Satsuki grasped something
about the brother from Tokaimura...
and then came to Kumamoto?
Well, I'm not certain,
but it won't hurt to check
Please
Excuse me
In which room is Satsuki Akashi?
- Ms Akashi?
- Yes
Ms Akashi departed a little while ago
Her room was cancelled
No way
Hey, what's with you?
Hey, Mitsu
Why hand them over?
Why hand over the pictures?
Please get rid of them
Please just tear them up!
Tear up those pictures!? Shit!
No... stop
Please stop it...
Get rid of those pictures!?
Doctor
Oh, welcome back
And the Satsuki matter...
- Actually, we didn't meet
- What?
I got stood up, for the first time
Sit
Doctor
I think your conjecture about Satsuki
and the brother from Tokaimura is right
Even cancelling her room
I have a suspicion that missing brother
showed up in Kumamoto
Why?
That was my feeling
when I visited the sister in law
And the pictures by Junkichi?
Here
Doctor, what's this!?
The photo you heard about in Numazu
Keiko
Actually, I was perusing
Mr Tamura's dream diary
Tatsuo's?
It came yesterday
"A lift comes to a halt midway"
"Above I hear my brother Kazuo calling"
"Suddenly the lift plunges"
"Relentlessly it falls"
"I'm on a train"
"There's a long tunnel"
"Passing through into a deep valley"
"A tunnel again"
"Then a ruined castle"
Just like his brother's
Keiko, I feel as though
I've started to figure out something
What?
The cause of the disappearances
May I ask you to come to
Tokyo University's medical faculty...
tomorrow evening,
together with Mr Tamura?
Perhaps there...
Fascinating research
is carried out here
Here
He's carrying out hypnotherapy.
Please observe
The subject believes
she's being supported
The power of the mind is amazing
However, what I want you
to observe isn't her posture
It's the facial expressions of
the hypnotised girl and the therapist
Please look carefully
Take a deep breath
One
Two
Now you'll wake up, OK?
I'll clap three times
You'll begin to regain awareness
Once more and you'll be fully aware
Now for the last one
You'll open your eyes
Well? It feels pleasant?
Here are the pictures
They share three features
Firstly, an abnormal head
Next, a half-open mouth
And thirdly, eyes that
seem to suggest dark caverns
They're all the same
According to Machover,
drawing a head this way
indicates social inadequacy...
and a desire to seek refuge
from a guilty conscience
Someone who draws
like this has a sadistic nature
It speaks of a hatred
for the outside world
Well?
Isn't there a resemblance to the
expressions of the pair we just saw?
Ah, hello
Doctor Sugibayashi, a noted researcher
in the field of unconscious suggestion
- Where are you up to?
- Machover
I see
When I saw these pictures,
I realised immediately
The face is that of a hypnotiseur
or a hypnotis
- Hypnoti...
- Yeah
It means hypnotist and hypnotised
I would say this shows a hypnotiseur
So I guess it's a hypnotist's face?
You saw the girl?
A suggestion under hypnosis can remain
in effect after the subject has awoken
Making someone vanish
wouldn't be difficult
Then the three brothers were
hypnotised into disappearing...
by the man in that picture?
I can't confirm that,
but at least we can be sure that...
the face in this picture is
performing a suggestion,
or receiving one
I'd like you to view a short film
How was it?
Nothing special...
You wanted a cigarette?
Meaning?
Please show it again
Ready
That's it, here's the frame
The film has an image
inserted at certain points
That single frame isn't noticeable
So you began to desire a cigarette
That is, you took a suggestion
I think it may be apt
to call the current situation...
a curse rather than a suggestion
A curse!?
Yes, since a curse is
the most powerful of suggestions
This can be shown scientifically
For instance, I let the breath
of a woman who hates someone...
into a glass bottle
and put a fly inside
Within a minute it's dead
So spirit photography...
is a perfectly plausible phenomenon,
when bearing that sort of thing in mind
Mr Tamura, what is it?
Doctor, I noticed something strange
The dates my brothers vanished
My Kyushu brother on 11th September
My Numazu brother on 11th July
My brother Kazuo on 11th August
All on the 11th
Today is the 7th,
so if it goes on like this,
- in four days, I too...
- Tatsuo!
Mr Tamura, the human mind is fragile
A curse or suggestion hidden there
will begin to exploit that
But the curse is recognised
There's nothing to fear
It's alright
Trust in yourself and
fight that invisible adversary
Come
Doctor
You too, please give him your support
Mr Tamura has nobody but you
Yes
It seems he's been taken in
Yes
Thanks. Sorry to trouble you
Not at all
Now the battle begins
Tatsuo, be strong
The doctor said you must fight it
Fight what?
Where's my opponent!?
I don't understand!
Please be strong
Keiko
What?
- You should go home
- Why?
I'm fine on my own
The 11th of the month
stuff is just coincidence
Your family will be worried
You should leave
I'm alright here
I want to stay and give you support
Isn't that OK?
What is it?
I'm ashamed of myself
It's a bunch of nonsense
now I think about it
Isn't it?
You're right, it's nonsense
So enough of this
But...
I wasn't thinking straight
I'm not leaving
Look, go home
Curses and spirits don't exist.
It's crazy to believe that stuff!
Hello
Ah... doctor
Doctor Aizawa
Yes
Yes, he was fine
This morning Tatsuo is much calmer
Yes, I understand
Thank you very much
OK
The doctor phoned as he was concerned
And he wants you to
continue recording your dreams
Tatsuo, there are
three days before the 11th
You'll let me stay then?
Three days...
What is it?
Work
I'm going back
It's alright, it's no big deal
But tomorrow's the 11th
I can't stay secluded in this flat
That's hardly the way
to fight against it
Am I right?
I'm OK, allow me to go
He's gone to work?
Actually that's good news
It's an encouraging sign.
Credit to you
But doctor, tomorrow's the 11th
I not sure what to do
That's no good, you'll get a neurosis
Listen, let him have his own way
It'll turn out fine
Don't worry
Contact me if anything happens
Yes, speaking
Doctor Aizawa, hello.
Um, I don't really have any news
What about you?
Yes
Ah! I see, he's recovered
Yes
And how is Keiko?
Yes
I was concerned too
No, I haven't met Tatsuo
Yes
So we're unacquainted
Yes
Yes, yes
Did you draw something?
Anything's fine
A person's face or
an imaginary landscape
Give it a try
Let me see, what do I like...
This is pretty, I'll take it
OK, how many?
- Five
- OK
Swimming in the sea
From my junior high days
Kazuo is swimming ahead of me
I'm struggling, my body is sluggish
It feels like I'll be
dragged into the sea
I call my brother
But Kazuo...
steadily swims away from me
No matter how much I call out,
he carries on swimming away
What is it?
I'm riding on a train by myself
The train... enters a tunnel
It's a long, dark tunnel
I exit the tunnel
A deep valley...
that seems to draw you in
Another tunnel!
To the left...
...castle remains...
There are castle remains!
Be strong!
You OK?
Please be strong
You OK?
I see, that dream again...
No, you shouldn't worry too much
So long as he's gone to work
Keiko, one day at a time
Stay calm
I understand
I'm relying on you
I appreciate your helping me
Yes
Yes
Hello, this is Tamura
Oh, it's you
How are you feeling?
Because I'm worried
I can't have you disappearing
Don't be silly, I'm fine
I finish at 5 o'clock
Today, let's eat out or something
Really?
You're right, today's worth celebrating
I'll come meet you
Yeah, at 5 o'clock?
At 5 then
Right, see you later
Bye bye
Hello
Yes, I've just finished
Perfect, I'll come straight down
Yes, right now
See you downstairs
See you tomorrow
Um, Mr Tamura of sales?
He's already left
Eh? Oh no...
20 minutes ago
Excuse me, do you have some sort
of memo from Mr Tamura in sales?
- Mr Tamura?
- Yes
- Isn't he still in the office?
- No
Aizawa
Ah, doctor, it's Keiko
Just now Tatsuo disappeared
Doctor, what should I do?
Is that right? I see
Anyway, please remain calm
No need to worry
What do you mean, I needn't worry?
Mr Fujimura?
Keiko, I owe you an apology
I've deceived you
Deceived me?
How do you mean?
The experiment at Tokyo University
The talk of such things as curses
and suggestions was a gambit of mine
When I saw Mr Tamura's dream record,
I had doubts
Ah, be seated
Alright?
Long tunnel, castle remains, valley
It's just the same
as his brother's dream
Dreams may hint at the future,
but two people seeing the same
dream landscape is overly contrived
And yet this dream unexpectedly
started to appear for the first time
Clearly it was intentional
So assuming Tatsuo
had tried to con me with this,
I thought I would turn it against him
The experiment at Tokyo University...
Yes
You could say I set a trap
Sure enough, Tatsuo was taken in
A doctor thinks the incidents
are due to hypnotic suggestion
Then he himself
pretends along the same lines
So he came up with that thing
about the 11th and vanished
I can't believe it
But why...
why did Tatsuo do that?
Presumably he didn't
want either one of us...
to know the truth
Tatsuo's dream record became phony
before you returned from Kumamoto
I believe around then, he somehow
learnt the truth about his brothers
Do you know Tatsuo's
current whereabouts?
No, I dont know
I expect you're worried
But I'm waiting
for a report from Mr Fujimura
- You're waiting...
- Keiko
If it comes tomorrow...
we'll learn everything about
where he's gone and what his purpose is
Doctor...
It's fine
You should go home and get some rest
I bet you haven't slept much lately
Er, Doctor Aizawa...
Ah, doctor
It's Fujimura
Sorry doctor, I was given the slip
Oh...
Yes, he kept changing taxis
I thought it was strange
I got caught at a red light...
Where are you now?
I'm in Kumamoto
Ah, it's a place
called Sunroad Shinshigai
Yes, the amusement zone
Yes, um...
what should I do now?
Keiko
Yes
It's the phone
Phone?
Yes, from a Mr Toba
Hello, this is Keiko
It's regarding your enquiry
Mountain, valley,
railway and castle ruins
I think all these may exist
in the vicinity of Kumamoto
From Takamori, the Takachiho line
Takachiho Pass, Ama-no-Iwato
The clans in that area
were vying for supremacy...
in the second half of the 16th century
So they are more like
mountain fortresses than castles
- Doctor!
- Why are you here?
To Kumamoto?
Well, actually I got
a call from Mr Fujimura
He says he was
given the slip by Tatsuo
Anyway, I've decided to go
Tatsuo's in Kumamoto after all...
It seems from Takamori to Takachiho...
there are valleys and
castle ruins along the railway
I got a call last night from that
Mr Toba you introduced me to
I see
Keiko
Daan's theory that
dreams predict the near future
That's just one theory
Very few scholars take it at face value
Doctor
I want to believe it
Tatsuo went so far as to deceive me
What's he trying to hide?
Something tells me the key
is contained within that dream
I want to take this risk
It's something I have to do
Doctor, Keiko...
please take a look at this
Double Suicide at Tatsuda Park
It's Kazuo
He was killed
It's definitely murder
He wouldn't kill himself
The double suicide
thing is a fabrication
His female companion?
The body's unidentified
Doctor
Could it be...
Satsuki...
You know her?
She's "Gogatsu", from the diary
Why...?
It's Junkichi's wife
Kazuo...
Why did you...?
The man had been laid carefully
at the root of a cedar tree...
from which a woman hanged herself
But it will be noted that this man...
also has a cord scar to the neck...
and a haemorrhage
to the eyelid conjunctiva
Based on the degree
to which rigor mortis had set in,
it will be noted that at least 12 hours
separated the pair's time of death
12 hours...
Well, anyway,
it will be confirmed
by the final autopsy result
The following is speculation based on
the aforementioned preliminary findings
To start with, the woman,
discovering the hanged body of the man,
brought it to the ground
And after laying down the body,
she too decided to hang herself
In other words,
a copycat double suicide
Kazuo...
was here in Kumamoto
around the time the young lady came
He probably wanted to resolve
the situation before anyone found out
I suppose that's why
he pretended to disappear
That much is clear
Why exactly did Kazuo Harada go
so far in trying to resolve things?
Naturally, there's a connection to the
disappearances of Junkichi and Shohei?
Mrs Harada, given what has happened,
may I ask that you
tell us everything you know?
It could be that Junkichi and Shohei...
were killed by Kuze...
By your brother?
He isn't my brother
What do you mean?
I'm committing a sin
I'm living with a man who killed
my husband and his younger brother...
I'm committing a sin...
Mrs Harada
Keiko brought these
home with her last time
To whom does this
old man's face belong?
It's not the face of an old man
It's Kuze's child
Child!?
He's barely 20 years old
He can't speak or move his limbs
What he thinks is a mystery
I've been made to look after
that child for 7 years
I've been made to atone
Atone?
My husband was the one who caused
the child's body to become like that
Please explain
The medicine
Medicine?
The child suffered from rheumatism
Since Kuze and my husband
went back a long way,
he offered to take responsibility
for the treatment
It was a new drug
Certainly, it had an instant effect
and all the pain suddenly stopped
Kuze was delighted
But... as the treatment continued,
things took a turn for the worse
His head started to swell up...
and he lost the use
of his arms and legs
I expect it was ACTH
Administering large doses of steroids
is highly effective for a while,
but very risky
Naturally, he was taken to hospital?
He was hospitalised
for nearly 6 months,
but even at the hospital
they threw up their hands
Kuze ended up going crazy
He struggled to raise the child
on his own, after he lost his wife
Kuze became someone else...
became like a devil
It was around then
that Junkichi disappeared
And for the 7 years since then?
Yes...
Believing I must atone
for the sins of my husband
Believing so...
Taking care of the child
Being in Kuze's embrace...
It's like hell...
For 7 years, a living hell
Mrs Harada,
where is Tatsuo at the moment?
Tatsuo, now...
is with Kuze,
where the child is kept
Kuze is raising the child
under cover at his family home
He's hiding his son from prying eyes
And where is it?
A place called Hinokage
on the Takachiho line
Takachiho...
Doctor!
It's there, doctor
From the dream...
Please come in,
Kuze is waiting inside
Please step inside
It seems Mitsu has told you
just about everything then
Fine
I couldn't keep it concealed forever
But please believe this at least
Neither Junkichi nor Shohei...
were killed directly by my own hand
They both did it themselves
You're saying it's suicide?
That's right
What rubbish...
Shohei at least had no reason to die!
Mr Fujimura
That's the way you look at me?
If I could, I'd strangle
those two with my bare hands!
But...
if I ended up in prison,
my son would be all alone
He wouldn't be able to survive
Even so, I can't forgive Junkichi!
It makes my blood boil!
When that rascal was alive, I wanted to
imprint my son's image in his breast...
so he wouldn't forget it
That was all I kept thinking about
As he was now alone with my son, I told
Junkichi to draw 1000 pictures of him
Until then, he couldn't leave
When that was done,
I'd forget about what he did
That's what I told him
The guy gladly complied
He drew 6 or 7 each day
But that was at the beginning...
and before long the rate dropped
In the end he couldn't draw any more
He kept saying,
"Let me die, let me die"
But I wouldn't let him die
I was determined he'd live long enough
to complete 1000 pictures
Stop it!
You can't die yet!
Get drawing! Shit
Wait!
Wait!
It's likely he died on that occasion
Even if he survived somehow,
it's fine by me
Until the end of his days,
he won't be able
to forget about my son
What happened to Shohei from Numazu?
Shohei was the one who tempted
my husband to use that medicine
Yet when it went wrong, he sneaked off
But this year he suddenly started
coming to my place and making threats
What do you mean?
He knew of my relationship with her
He wanted to dispose of
Junkichi's place and pocket the money
Apparently he needed
the money to get married. Moron!
I was aware that he was
absorbed in spiritualism,
so before he went home,
I put a photo in his pocket...
with my son's face superimposed on it
I didn't lay a finger on Shohei
I just let him hear my voice
Your voice...
Phone calls, at midnight?
Shohei... Shohei
Please help me, it's Junkichi
Shohei, please help me
Brother, where are you?
This way, Shohei
Kazuo from Tokaimura
was different though
He was a decent guy
He cried when he learned
about his brothers' deeds...
and apologising, begged for
forgiveness on hands and knees
I was glad
It was some relief...
after 7 years of suffering
Why did Kazuo...
Why did he end up...
I'm now exhausted
There's never going to be
any fairness in this
Because no matter what,
my son's body won't recover
You said you were
Tatsuo's fiance, didn't you?
Yes...
Come this way
I'll take you to him
Kuze! Let me out!
Open it!
Kuze!
Tatsuo!
Let me go!
He locked me in
this storeroom with a beast!
Tatsuo!
Keiko
Beast?
A beast you say...
You call my son a beast!
Son of a bitch!
...Stop
Kuze... Kuze!
I couldn't forgive you...
for trying to use money
to settle this thing...
Money...?
Yoshikazu
What is it, Yoshikazu? Your dad's here
Keiko, don't go inside!
There, there... does it hurt?
There, there... let's move, Yoshikazu
Don't be afraid.
Yoshikazu, your dad's here now
There, there... let's lie down
When did you find out about Kuze?
Answer me
I got a letter from Kazuo
Why didn't you tell me?
I wanted to keep it from you
I didn't want my future with you
ruined by past events in Kumamoto
So I came to do a deal
A deal?
Because I wasn't the one
who made his son like that
It's nothing to do with me!
10 million yen
That's a lot for me
What more can I do?
There was no other way
I can't do any more
Tatsuo
When you suddenly
vanished before my very eyes,
I was genuinely worried
And that stuff about the 11th
I was really worried about you...
You understand that?
I was in love with you
I didn't want you to know about this
Other than money,
I wonder if there wasn't
perhaps some other way?
Tunnel
Mountain, valley
Castle ruins
It makes you wonder
I mean the dream
Prior to his coming here,
the Tokaimura brother...
dreamt of this place
Do you think Kuze's grudge
summoned him?
Who knows?
Some things we don't understand
Yamazaki
Ah, please
Mr Yamazaki, it's been quite a while
How are you?
Same as ever
Here
Oh, you drew something!
You said I could draw
anything I felt like
Junkichi...
So he'll be the head accountant in LA
Remarkable at such a young age
Among us brothers,
I hope this guy at least will be happy
Junkichi
Why don't you speak to Tatsuo?
I guess you're no longer in hiding
Doctor
Junkichi Harada died 7 years ago
Someone else is standing before you now
Excuse me
Doctor
An acquaintance?
Yes, a patient
Sadly, I don't think
he'll get any better
Here
Thank you
Doctor
A wrongly-addressed letter came,
that Satsuki sent from Kumamoto
At that time...
she'd been waiting at the hotel
for Kazuo Harada
Keiko
I feel as though I understand...
Kazuo's feelings
You see, men are exhausted...
and fed up with life
I suspect that deep down,
Satsuki was looking for a place to die
Confronting that incident
became the trigger...
When will you go to LA?
I won't be going
The engagement has been called off
Somehow, there are too many issues
I'm no longer clear
about my own feelings
Keiko,
Tatsuo's behaviour on that occasion
As a concerned party,
I suppose he had no choice
Kuze, whose wrath was implacable
Tatsuo, who tried to
resolve it with money
In today's society,
everyone's warped in some way
In that vein, perhaps I'll follow him
to Los Angeles before the year is out
Or maybe...
I'll fall in love with you, doctor
As I don't understand my own feelings,
it seems I should get examined too
Yes
You're always welcome
I'll be counting on you
Please excuse me
Thanks to londonsatoshi
THE END