1
A PIA Film Festival Scholarship Fund Film
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"Introduction"
The 0120 prefix,
is necesary from all area codes.
Please be sure to use it.
the nationwide number is...
I'm not drunk.
I won't drive it right away.
I'll nap in the car first.
Welcome.
C'mon, please.
I have to get there tonight.
I'm sorry.
Come back when you're sober.
How much later?
We're closing soon.
Can you come back tomorrow?
Next customer please.
How long do you need it?
Can I take it one way?
Yes, that's fine.
Here's a list of all our offices.
You can return it anywhere.
And where are you going?
Where? You need to know that too?
For emergency purposes only.
Really it's for your own safety.
Where shall I go?
What do you think?
Well, it's... really up to you.
I'll get your car ready.
Please wait here a moment.
Where you off to?
What? Couldn't rent one.
Says I'm drunk.
I asked where you're going...
Yokohama.
Yokohama...
Yokohama, Yokohama...
Your car is in the garage.
Yokohama.
What?
You asked where I'm going.
Yokohama.
Oh, I see. OK, then.
Please follow me.
I'll give you a lift.
That's a big bag.
What's in it?
My tools.
Say, wasn't there a post office
robbery today?
There was?
What happened to your hand?
I'm no robber.
Age?
How old are you?
27, huh...
Married?
Not yet.
Any plans?
Not for now.
Whatever.
What is it about Yokohama?
I wonder.
I don't know. My first trip.
Why go?
Yokohama has a harbor...
And then of course, Chinatown.
I know. How 'bout some noodle
soup when we get there?
Sounds good.
When I heard the name Yokohama
in the rental office, it dawned on me...
that human beings are alone.
You're born alone
and you die alone.
I'm starting my life over again,
alone, in Yokohama.
Say, Japan first entered the modern
age through Yokohama, right?
Guess that's true.
Now you've become
my sort of guide in life.
Not that you need to know that.
And that's history in a nutshell.
What do you mean?
What do I mean? There's no meaning.
There's only living.
Are you married?
What? Didn't I just tell you?
What?
No, I'm not.
Oh, right... that's right...
It's just as well.
Something happen with your wife?
Who said so?
No one... it's just that,
it just occurred to me, that's all.
What is love...
What do you think it is?
I wonder...
Useless. That's what she called me.
Useless.
What's so funny?
She called you useless,
so you ran away?
You make it sound so trite.
I always get called that.
I really don't know
anything about you.
But... words are like the skin
on a piece of fruit.
Rotting skin always covers spoiled fruit.
Are you listening?
Spilt milk stays spilt... forever.
We've come pretty far.
Are we half-way?
Nowhere near.
It's barely been an hour.
I see. Doesn't matter.
No need to rush.
How'd it go?
Shall we go?
You in some kind of hurry?
Not really.
Didn't think so.
She probably needs to hear from me.
Taste good?
What? The cigarette?
Can't tell.
Why do you smoke then?
Have you?
Never.
Wanna try?
I'll call her.
I was wrong.
We both were.
So you made up.
There was no cause for discord...
We had only imagined it.
Hey, that's great.
Thank you! It's all because of you!
Great... great...
Thank you.
Great, great.
I must rush to her side.
Yeah. You should.
No time to waste.
Then you've no time to waste.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I know something good will happen
to you, too. See you some day.
Thank you.
"Scratch"
Hey.
Hey.
What's that?
I found it.
You can play it?
I dreamed about a trumpet.
Yeah.
And today I found this.
Huh.
Amazing, right?
Yeah... but it sounds kind of fake.
I know, but...
You know, that happened to me, too.
Really?
Yeah.
Changed the drums.
Yeah. Yesterday.
Hasegawa's coming today.
Huh.
Know Kobayashi Billiards?
Yeah.
He's taking lessons there.
Paying money?
10,000 yen an hour.
Must have time to waste...
Hope he's got enough to pay me.
Today could be iffy.
Meaning?
You almost lost to him the other day.
It's all part of the game.
Where's Chikako?
At her job.
Where?
Restaurant.
Amazing they took her.
- You have money?
- To loan you?
No, not for me.
I mean to buy this place.
Oh, that. Did she bring it up?
Not really.
You know how much this place costs?
How much it costs?
I wonder...
Listen...
What?
I want to go out on the boat.
Yeah.
Maybe we'll go fishing this time.
What's up?
Meaning?
Came straight from work?
Yeah.
You never come at night.
Not really... I came last week.
Really?
Oops. You weren't supposed to
miss that one, were you?
One ball left.
Three ball, side pocket.
What's that?
Fortune telling.
What fortune?
Can't you figure it out?
What?
The future.
Guess that's why
there's fortune telling.
Want to know?
No thanks. It's better
to keep it a secret.
I'll tell you what you'll
treat me to with that money.
So, what does it say?
Hold on, I'll know in a minute.
Take Kawamoto out for dinner.
Hey!
Been a while.
Nice boat you got here.
Does it move?
What do you want?
Sato.
That's not your name anymore, is it?
What do you go by now?
Um... Shinoda, that's it,
it's Shinoda now.
Nice name.
Who'd you get it from?
I'm looking for a man. A man who
owns just this sort of boat.
Any one come to mind?
I've worked for you all I'm going to.
Uh huh...
When do you get off?
Are you a student?
No go?
Really cool, man.
Which one you listen to?
There's only one.
Huh?
See...
Right.
Isn't this great?
What is this?
I think it's for effects.
Huh.
Hey, look at this.
Huh?
It says "free piano."
No room.
Is too.
Where?
At the pool hall.
The owner won't like it.
She won't even notice.
Yes she will.
"Why, what have we here?"
"Can't you tell?
It's a new pool table."
"Oh, I mistook it for a piano."
"There's even a keyboard."
Cut it out.
No go?
Well, I can ask.
I gotta go now.
Yeah. Tomorrow then.
Well, maybe not tomorrow.
Oh, OK.
Call the hall then, at night.
OK. See you.
You, too. Bye.
See you. Bye.
What a cute dress.
Isn't it?
Come here, Chikako.
How 'bout this one?
See.
It's perfect for her.
It really is.
It's not really me.
Just try it on.
No.
Oh, there's no harm
in trying it on, is there?
Don't get so serious. I'm only asking
you to come and live with me.
What would I do over there?
Stay at home and talk to you?
Don't be silly.
And just what exactly
do you do here?
I'm sure you never go to school.
I dropped out.
You dropped out?
Whatever for?
You never mentioned it to me.
I thought about telling you,
but it didn't seem that important.
I don't believe this.
What are you having?
Almond pudding.
Looks good.
Want a bite?
Is it sweet?
Yeah... but not too sweet.
Thanks. I'm full.
OK.
Maybe just a little bite.
Wow, that's good.
Want one?
No, one bite was perfect.
...Oh, well.
You're just like me.
I know you'll love it over there.
They've got loads of art
and music schools.
At least come and visit.
If you don't like it, you can come home.
Decide for yourself.
I don't speak any English.
You'll pick it up in a flash.
You're young.
What made you
want me to live with you?
You never said anything like it before.
The truth is, I want to apologize to you.
I really regret...
having been so selfish...
Morning.
Sorry... for sneaking in.
Yeah...
I'm going home.
Have some coffee first.
I'm fine, thanks.
Then you can go.
Oh, yeah, about that piano.
I told them I'd pick it up.
Huh.
Oh, and Yamazaki keeps
inviting us to Osaka...
I'll go get some breakfast.
Go back to sleep.
What's wrong?
You OK?
Something happen?
Why, why...
are you always so nice to me?
Excuse me.
Come in.
Can I park my car?
Oh, sure.
He looks totally normal.
He's not even supposed to be alive.
What?
Legally, he's dead.
Huh.
Hey!
Oops. Oh, oh.
You Shinoda?
You weren't at our spot.
Where's Nakamura?
This isn't his kind of place.
Huh. I thought for
sure he would turn up.
You OK?
What? ...yeah...
The car?
Parking lot. West exit. 4th floor.
It's a...
I know. It's my car.
Nakamura will contact
you next week.
Hey, haven't seen you in a while.
What brings you here?
Nowhere else to go.
That wound?
Oh, this. It's no big deal.
It's just a scratch.
Are you sloshed?
Get yourself a glass.
OK.
You're always here, aren't you?
So what.
What would you do without this place?
Oh, well...
Where's Chikako?
What?
What's she up to?
No idea... Unlike me, she seems
busy with lots of stuff.
Huh. Listen, you know,
women are like...
a whole different species.
Totally different from us.
Isn't that piano out of tune?
I got it for free.
Does it bother you?
No, keep on playing.
I hear you.
You stink.
My head hurts.
She'll be pissed off
if she finds out.
"This isn't your house, you know."
I'd like some coffee.
The water's boiling.
How you been?
I wrote a new song.
Huh... Me too.
It's not finished yet, but...
Shinoda, want some coffee?
Let him sleep some more.
Hey, come here.
"Timeless Melody"
Hi, it's Kawamoto.
You told the cops? Why?
What for?
I can't go, I'm busy today.
What's he doing?
Tuning.
Mind if I play?
Go ahead.
My father disappeared in a tanker
accident when I was 10 years old.
He was never found, and several years
later, he was officially pronounced dead.
But all along, I had this sense
that he was alive somewhere.
Which doesn't fully account for why
I wasn't that surprised that day
when I saw him at the hall.
When I was a student, I went to
a piano competition in Tokyo.
When they called my name and I went
on stage, I knew my father was there.
I sat down at the piano.
I sat there and just
stared at they keyboard.
In fact, it was probably no
more than a minute or two,
but it felt much longer.
Then I stood up and
walked off the stage.
I didn't even look,
but I knew my father
was already gone.
I was going to play
that song I just played.
If I'd wanted, I'm sure I could've
played it, just as I'd practiced it.
But I didn't.
I wanted to hurt my father.
I thought he'd be hurt, if I refused
to play, knowing he was there.
Why'd you call me?
Want some?
Bet you haven't eaten.
Answer the question.
I just... wanted to see you,
to help clear things up.
Clear what up?
I don't know...
I can't figure that out...
I just can't figure it out.
Thanks. That's enough. Let's go.
OK, here goes.
Let's take it slow.
Me, too.
OK, here goes.
You ready?
What time is it?
Past 3.
Where's Chikako?
Time to go.
Dead bodies are so cold.
It's because of the ice.
Yeah, but it still
shouldn't be this cold.
Wait. Which way's north?
North... that way, I think.
That way?
No, it's that way.
That way?
A little more.
No... this is it.
Huh?
Pull the shift toward you.
OK, I did it.
Push it down.
I did.
Turn the key.
Pretty good, man.
Wanna try?
No, not me.
You gotta.
This is so great, man.
No good.
Outta gas?
There's extra gas...
it must be the gas.
This is good here.
I wanted to know...
I have a ticket that's good
on any day during a 30 day period.
Yes, yes, that's right.
Yes, to Los Angeles.
From Narita to
Los Angeles, that's right.
And this ticket, if I go to the airport,
can I get on any flight?
Putting me on the waiting list...
I see...
No, alone.
30SEP99... 30SEP99...
No, that's fine. Yes... yes.
Screenplay & Directed by
Hiroshi Okuhara
Translation: Linda Hoaglund