"March 11, 2011"
There was a big earthquake minutes ago
in the Tohoku region.
Service on all subway lines has been suspended.
Please follow the staff's instructions
and proceed to the exit.
Areas by the gates and stairs are heavily congested.
Please watch your step and proceed with caution.
Strong aftershocks are expected. Please stay alert.
The ticket gates are open! Remain calm and walk slowly!
We appreciate your cooperation!
Please don't run along the walls! Proceed slowly!
Are you okay?
Sit down.
Please.
Breathe slowly.
Slower.
We're here, ma'am.
Ma'am? We're here.
We're here.
Coming.
Hi.
Be careful.
I need to sleep.
Without washing your face?
I'm too sleepy.
But you'll regret it in the morning.
What's this?
Ayako got it for me at the arcade.
She must be good.
"The Lies She Loved"
Good morning.
I feel sluggish. Caught a cold, maybe.
Yeah?
You want another one?
Why?
The one I want is different. It's a little smaller.
And the arms extend.
I used to have it.
Does it really exist?
You okay?
My throat hurts.
Open your mouth.
Wider.
You have early signs of gout from excessive alcohol consumption.
I'll come home straight tonight.
Will you cook that chicken and tomato dish?
Sure.
Well then, off to work.
Last one.
Under the sink.
Good texture
but the euglena falls short of 500 mg, right?
Can I try a 500-mg sample?
Certainly.
Will you do that again and hold it up higher?
Stand closer to the researcher.
Both of you as well.
Take another bite, please.
Many companies rely heavily on market research but
I don't trust it blindly.
I don't produce what people want now.
I create the trend.
This product could make you
Woman of the Year again this year.
Wouldn't that be nice?
But a hit product is hard to come by.
Go ahead.
"Mom
We're fine.
Your mom's coming?
To visit a friend in the hospital.
She wants to get together for dinner.
She wants to eat pancakes at Omotesando.
For dinner?
She's different.
Wanna join us?
I shouldn't intrude.
Mom wants to meet you.
It'll be a casual dinner.
7:00 at that shop
we went to Kotto Street.
- Everything under control? - Yes.
How did that mixer end?
I went home alone, of course.
But you guys were into each other.
He got me candy at the arcade.
So he chickened out.
Are you still seeing the same guy?
Nope. Stigmatized property.
Divorced and paying child support.
He was lying to me.
How'd you find out?
My uncle's a private detective.
Are you serious?
Does he wear a fedora
and a trench coat?
Of course not.
At our age
we can't take too long to appraise property.
I'm introducing my boyfriend to my mom tonight.
The doctor? Finally.
Not a doctor. A research doctor.
Naughty girl, when you own such prime property.
He only makes as much as a part-timer.
But good future investment. I envy you.
Work, maybe.
No cell phone in this day and age?
Such expensive pancakes.
- May we order? - Yes, ma'am.
Why didn't you come?!
Sorry to disturb you.
Is he Kippei Koide?
So... What happened?
He didn't show up for dinner tonight.
He was discovered 4 hours ago
collapsed in a park near his home.
Brain hemorrhage.
What?
You're sure he's Kippei Koide?
Yes... I'm sure.
Ms. Kawahara, a word.
There's no record of this driver's license.
In other words, it's fake.
Excuse me?
Everything on it is fabricated except for the address.
There is no Kippei Koide in the residence registry either.
He'll live but he's still in serious condition.
The next two weeks will be critical.
He may wake up but could be suffering from brain damage.
"Patient's name"
"Surgery Manual”
"Kippei Koide Cardiac Surgery Researcher”
Dr. Koide?
Yes. Kippei Koide.
A heart surgeon in your research lab.
One moment, please.
Do we have a Dr. Koide?
Never heard of him.
Adjunct researcher? Instructor?
Recently resigned or transferred?
I'm afraid there is no Dr. Koide.
And this... Where did you get it?
Hey!
Assuming a false name isn't all that uncommon.
People in debt, running away, involved in crimes.
That's not the point.
I want you to find out who he is.
But you don't know any
of his family members.
I told you he's an orphan
and he doesn't know his relatives.
And he has no friends.
There are people like that.
No bank account or credit cards.
That's right.
And you cover his living expenses.
You should be glad you found out
before you married him.
Consider yourself lucky.
Service on all subway lines has been suspended.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Feeling better?
Yes.
I have to get back to the office.
Office?
On foot?
Yes.
You can wear these if you want.
I live close by.
Um...
They're dirty though.
You can throw them away.
But...
Bye.
Excuse me!
What's your name?
Koide.
I'm Koide.
"Koide Building"
You have so much energy.
Aren't you tired from work?
That's why it's good.
My annoying boss and incompetent colleagues...
Everyone. They all disappear.
There's only pleasure.
Nothing else.
I enter a void.
I'm ticklish there.
I know.
Hey.
You're late.
Huh?
"Kippei Koide"
Can you find out who he is?
Let me warn you.
Digging up people's past usually causes regret.
You could sue him but he's in a coma, right?
Just do it, please.
It'll take time but I'll do what I can.
You're my niece's friend.
Please don't tell Ayako about this.
I certainly won't. My lips are sealed.
You're over-charging her.
Why not? She can afford it.
She's this year's Woman of the Year.
What?
- "Yukari Kawahara" - She developed that drink you're drinking.
Is that right?
I should've charged her more.
Most likely a small-time marriage swindler.
"Kippei Koide"
Excuse me.
Do you have a minute?
Have you ever seen this man?
A doctor, right?
That's what I heard.
Different glasses or hairstyle...
Are you finished?
Sorry. No?
No.
It's not a press event. Just a meeting with our president.
Just adjusting the time.
Make the secretary change his schedule. You have to...
Okay. I'll try.
Next week, right?
Wednesday won't work so how about Thursday?
Yukari? Are you there?
Hey.
What are you doing with other people's mail?
So...
Ouch.
You're taking off? Hey! Wait!
Listen.
We can get you arrested for trespassing on private property.
The right to remain silent?
You know him, don't you?
Tell me, please. He collapsed.
Huh?
He's in a coma. I can't talk to him.
"Sensei"... He was always here writing something on his computer.
Sensei?
Are you a patient?
He's so handsome. Just like Mr. Akutagawa.
That famous author.
He was my first love.
He drowned himself and his girlfriend.
That's Dazai.
Akutagawa also killed himself, right?
He didn't own a computer.
He didn't carry it around with him.
What?
He stowed it away.
This is optional. It'll cost you extra.
That's fine.
Okay.
Here's the password.
2010...
September 20, 20107
Any ideas?
"User set-up”
Open it.
"Untitled"
What's that?
A novel?
How many pages are there?
700
So he really was an author.
The wind from the Setouchi Sea...
The crowded ferry to the island...
Did he ever mention Setouchi?
No.
The novel isn't finished.
Like always, Yuko smiled before
she left the house...
It ends there.
I think lately he had writer's block.
Oh yeah? And?
He's handsome even with a troubled face.
That wasn't my question.
Did he say anything about the novel?
Think.
Oh.
What?
Can I go visit him?
I'm worried about him too.
You're a complete stranger.
I know him.
You know nothing.
I know he uses 2 sugar cubes
and drinks them melted.
He pulls his eyelids when he gets stuck.
It means nothing.
It's enough to fall in love.
I can't concentrate here.
You did that on purpose.
I should get going too.
"Yuta ran down the ferry's gangplank as soon as it was lowered."
He jumps up and down with delight
on the swaying landing pier.
Ignoring Yuko. who tells him not
to go without us
his small body is already across the pier.
Running her fingers through her hair
Yuko catches her breath and smiles.
I can see the small mole behind her ear.
Yuta looks around, listening to the beckoning sound of the birds.
"Red-throated loons."
He hangs down from my arm to hide his embarrassment.
Yuko holds out her hand from the other side.
"What is that bird saying?"
Sandwiched between Yuko and me, Yuta's eyes light up.
The next Woman of the Year.
Thank you, sir.
I'll do the unveiling to the press.
Shouldn't you apologize first?
What?
You requested the change in the president's schedule.
Take some time off. She'll take over.
But she can't handle the press.
Who do you think you are?
It even has a high absorption rate.
Women come up with such innovative ideas.
Yes, indeed.
When does it hit the market?
Around June.
I see.
"Wife, Yuko Son, Yuta"
The lighthouse might be a clue.
He mentions it a lot. He played there as a kid.
Listen to this.
The sun would set over the lighthouse
making it look like a candle.
Like those.
Why would he write this novel?
Who knows. Frankly, it's not...
Not good?
Mr. Kaibara said
it sounds like a diary of a happy family IRL.
He's been divorced
thus the cynical attitude.
I'm home.
Hi, honey.
What are you doing?
- Come here. - Ouch.
Stop. You're hurting me.
You can't do that.
You've been neglecting him.
I feel bad for him.
But you're a complete stranger.
No, I'm not.
Oh yeah. You're his stalker.
You don't get any sex, do you?
Huh?
From Sensei.
Are you crazy?
I first met him on an online dating site.
He doesn't have a cell phone. Stop lying...
He said he sometimes feels like entering a void.
And forget all his troubles.
Maybe it's your fault he collapsed.
Is there a problem?
It may not even exist.
I doubt it.
What are you doing?
I'm going to Setouchi.
Huh?
What good will that do?
Leave the investigation to us pros.
What are you doing? You can't take that.
"...a small hole at the base of the lighthouse"
"where I hid my treasures like bottle caps and marbles."”
There was a small hole at the base of the lighthouse
where I hid my treasures like bottle caps and marbles.
A secret to everyone else, even friends and family.
My heart danced at the thought.
Leaning against the lighthouse
I'd listen to the waves
and forget time as I watched the setting sun.
My secret base.
A kingdom of my own.
I wonder what it's like now.
Are my treasures still there?
And does the sunset
still cast its golden rays on the lighthouse?
Why don't you go to Setouchi too?
What for?
We don't even know if what he wrote is true.
But clearly, you think it's a lead.
Mr. Kaibara...
What's this?
"DNA Paternity Test"
"The subject is 99.999% the father”
Now do you believe Misaki is yours?
Or do you wish she wasn't?
I don't have any doubts about Misaki.
In any case, you can keep that.
I'll apologize to Misaki.
It's too late.
Shit.
No way. You're such a wimp.
Hello.
Good evening.
What can I get you?
Beer, please.
She's hot.
Terrible, huh?
For 5 years, he's been lying about everything.
Wanted for murder, for sure.
He must be a good liar.
Why would I suspect him?
About being an only child, not knowing his relatives.
How long are you gonna be here? Where are you staying?
I haven't decided.
What?
You'll never find a place at this hour.
How about our dorm?
We have a spare room.
That sounds nice.
Really? Let's go.
Ryuji.
Since when do you live in a dorm?
Please...
Your wife is having a baby soon.
Take Masa and go home.
Masa, wake up.
Time to go.
Come on, Masa. I'll pay later.
Okay.
- Let's go. - Wake up.
Time to go home.
Be careful.
But...
Hey...
Don't make a fool of yourself.
For your information...
He's the one who betrayed me first.
Kippei, water.
It was a work thing.
I couldn't just leave.
I'm worried. Two nights in a row.
It's part of my job.
How far will you go for your job?
You don't understand.
You've never had a demanding job.
What's the matter? Where are you going?
Do you like children?
My sister has a baby girl now. Remember I told you?
She's so adorable.
We're an all-female family so I want a boy.
Sorry.
I don't deserve it.
Huh?
What do you mean?
I deserve it less than you.
But my mom keeps bugging me about you.
Swings... It's been so long.
Finally, you're up.
I'm so sorry about yesterday.
Ryuji's here.
Hi.
About that guy in the photo...
"Yukari Kawahara"
- What do you want? - I have a lead.
What?
This guy thinks he saw a transient laborer
who looks like him.
Are you serious?
So help me.
I don't know what to do.
Good luck!
I'm begging you.
I need to know.
So...
I'll be waiting.
Hello? Hey!
Unbelievable. She's a nightmare.
I need info on the island's transient laborers.
Fill me in later. I'll call you.
You're driving there?
I'll be there for more than a night or two.
For 4 days or more, it's cheaper to drive.
He checked the fares.
Mr. Kaibara!
I already looked south so let's go north.
Aren't you gonna thank me first for making this long journey?
I'm glad you're safe.
- Thank you. - Let's go.
Seriously?
Kimura will send us a list.
Let's check out the contractors and bars in the meantime.
No lighthouses?
Why? We have a witness account.
But that clue in the novel about a lighthouse...
It'll look like a candle
from anywhere depending on the time of day.
We don't have enough sunsets to cover them all.
It'll take months.
Have you ever seen this man?
He might've worked here around 6 years ago.
How tall is he?
A little taller than me. He might not have had glasses.
Low voice but he probably didn't sing.
Never seen him.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
If he had a beard?
Nope.
If his hair was longer?
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you.
Come on. To the next place.
Closed down?
Don't waste our time. Get me good info.
I narrowed it down the best I could.
Before I came, that woman
went around the island knocking
on every door.
Really? Wow.
So do your job.
"Inn Chaume"
Today...
Shall we try the lighthouses?
What?
So steep.
This isn't the only lighthouse. We have to pace ourselves.
The sun would set over the lighthouse making it look
like a candle.
- Not this one. - I agree.
The lighthouse would use the sunset's warmth
to light up the night sea.
That's what I believed
and why I decided to hide my treasures there.
Yuko would probably laugh at the child I used to be.
Yuta will no doubt beg me to show him the treasures.
Can I have one?
Sure.
- Here. - Thanks.
We're not making any progress.
I think we are.
You found a witness, didn't you?
Yeah but...
Being a Pl takes patience.
Effort doesn't always produce results.
You're a natural at this.
Maybe God knows how desperate you are.
I'm surprised to hear you say something like that.
How did you see me?
Like Kogoro in Detective Conan.
He sucks at his job.
What an insult.
- He also has a mustache. - You look like him.
No, I don't.
Uh-oh... The fishery will be closed.
I told you we had no time.
But I had to take a break.
Damn your nicotine craving.
You smoked too.
Take the next right to the lighthouse.
What? Let's forget it.
This one's a candle too.
You said
a good investigator follows every small lead.
Phew.
What is it? What'd you find?
Give it to me.
It's tight.
Sorry!
- No.. - Sorry'
So that novel is true?
This... It's the one he was looking for.
There you go. Now you know.
Your man was definitely here.
He was really here...?
Nice and chilled.
Our last room available.
No problem.
Enjoy your evening.
We'll find someone who knows him in a few days.
Let's drink to pre-celebrate a successful investigation.
You're sleeping there?
Oh, I am? How considerate of you.
No, wait.
This is the only inn in town.
You could sleep in your car.
I've been driving all day.
I'll be paying for the room.
Okay, fine.
When I have to go pee at night
I'm going to step over your head.
It's a fishing port on the other side of the mountain.
I see.
Go left over there by the ferry landing pier.
About a 10-minute drive.
Okay.
Come on. Get in.
Hello.
It smells good.
Hello there.
May I interrupt you? I have some questions.
Yeah?
Have you ever seen this man?
Isn't this Toshi?
Toshi?
It looks like him.
So this Toshi person, is he from here?
He was laid off 7 or 8 years ago
and started working at the fishery.
Really? What was he like?
He had a bad drinking habit.
Once he was so hammered.
He said he wanted to die.
This was the year-end party.
Toshi's the guy next to me.
- Him? - Yeah.
May I borrow this?
Sure.
Take a look.
"Tsukura Fisheries Association”
Hey.
I'm... too tired.
Go without me.
What's the matter with you?
You asked for this.
What difference does it make if I didn't go?
Are you getting freaked out?
Then let's quit and go back to Tokyo.
Don't you see how hard I'm working for you?!
You don't understand.
What?
No wonder your wife left you.
Hey... What are you doing?
How could anyone spend 5 years with you?
The pedestrian overpass is extremely congested.
Please remain calm and walk slowly.
Take extra caution around the stairs.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
Mr. Koide.
Mr. Koide!
Hey!
Kippei, do you have a cold?
Maybe.
You have to cure a cold before it gets worse.
"Physician, heal thyself?"
Stay warm.
Here.
Eat well.
Why don't you stay here until you get better?
Even after that...
But I can't afford the rent for a place like this.
You can do the housework instead.
I'm an awful housekeeper.
So...
Will you stay?
You're burning up.
Thank you. Thanks.
This was Toshi's room.
It's been vacant since he left.
Did he mention where he was going?
He said a friend got him a job in a dockyard.
A dockyard.
Let's go talk to them.
Okay.
We're sorry to bother you. We have some questions.
Was there a man named Toshi
who used to work here?
What about Toshi?
We're looking for him.
Toshi, you have visitors.
Toshi! Visitors!
Can I help you?
Are you Toshi?
Yes, I am.
Did you use to work at a fishery?
Why are you asking?
Hey.
Thank you.
Hey!
I explained why we came.
I'm not cut out to be a private detective.
They say there are 3 people in the world who look like you.
He doesn't look like him at all.
Not at all.
What did I...
want to find out about him?
I'm glad you're still here.
I wasn't sure if I should tell you.
People came looking for that man before.
The same man, I think.
The year before the big earthquake.
The police from Hiroshima.
What?
Yes?
Oh... Mr. Kaibara.
Huh?
Hiroshima?
Newspaper?
We'll be there in 3 hours. Update us then.
Three hours?
The date for the password.
What was it? Some date in 2010.
Don't worry. I have faith in you. Bye.
What?
September 20, 2010...
What are you doing?
What the hell?
Oh no...
Let's leave it.
This car is special to me.
We can take a cab.
What cab? And why hurry?
Your man isn't waking up any time soon.
Sorry.
Hey.
Push.
You can drive?
I have a driver's license.
Whoa...
Hold on. Stop.
Turn it off.
I bet your license is a fake too.
You sure about this?
About what?
If the police are involved, it must be really bad.
You see...
My ex-wife...
She cheated on me.
Many, many years ago.
It happened long ago but it still made me suspicious.
I thought maybe my daughter wasn't really mine.
Once during a fight with my ex, I lost my temper.
I yelled, "Don't call me Dad!"
To my crying daughter begging us to stop fighting.
I doubt she'll ever call me Dad again.
Do you wish you never knew?
Yes.
Somewhere in my heart, I'd been wishing
that he'd never wake up.
But...
Maybe he was also
tormented for not being able to tell me the truth.
Yet I was...
What a pain in the ass.
Hold on.
It's from Kimura. He has something.
"Murder-suicide of mother and child?"
We know your man's real name.
It's...
Kohei Yasuda.
A doctor.
Six years ago, his wife killed their child...
and then herself.
The password is the day they died.
Your man's been a missing person since then.
Hello! Please stop!
"Child drowns in bathtub. Murder-suicide?"
"Mother unable to cope with stress”
"Mother killed minutes later"
"Husband, a physician, missing"
You two... What business do you have with this house?
Hello.
Can I ask you something?
Yes?
Did a Kohei Yasuda used to live in this house?
Why do you want to know?
Well, you see...
He collapsed.
With brain hemorrhage.
And who are you?
I'm...
I'm his wife.
Well then... Come with me.
I took this photo.
What happened in that house?
To me, they looked like a normal, happy family.
The father was a skilled surgeon.
He was gone half the month
on business trips.
The mother was kind and dedicated.
Maybe too dedicated for her own good.
Hello!
Is my husband here?
No, of course not.
My husband... Is he here?
Mrs. Yasuda, what happened?
I'm sorry.
Yes.
I'm leaving right now.
Yes.
That's fine.
Mariko?
Mariko!
Mariko...
Hey!
Mariko!
Hey, you okay?!
Oh my God...
Call an ambulance!
The key's hiding place...
Right here.
Under the white pot with yellow pansies.
The pansies would be dead.
Bingo.
It seems like time had stopped.
The novel tells a story about a happy family.
Maybe he was trying to make amends.
The child in the novel is a boy, right?
Yes.
A boy named Yuta.
Look at this.
Why?
Hey... What are you doing?
Stop!
Stop it.
It's not what you think.
No. Just stand still.
Don't move.
There it is.
There.
Come.
Here.
Running her fingers through her hair...
...the small mole behind her ear.
You have one right here. A mole.
You have a mole.
This is you.
Running her fingers through her hair
Yuko catches her breath and smiles.
I can see the small mole behind her ear.
I'm ticklish there.
I know.
Yuta ran down the ferry's gangplank as soon as it was lowered.
Squealing with delight...
I want a boy.
I was walking alone down the path.
Eyes cast down at my feet, seeing nothing else.
Taking no notice of my dishonesty and arrogance
you grabbed my hand.
Your crinkly laughing eyes and soft high cheeks.
I never wanted to let go of the hand I was now holding.
If I'm given another chance...
If I'm allowed to look forward to the future
I want to spend it with you.
I call out your name and you call out mine.
May the sound of our voices always remain close.
Kippei...
Hello?
Case closed.
Good job.
She's rushing back to Tokyo.
I see.
Kippei probably came here to disappear.
In Tokyo
one missing person would go unnoticed.
One wrong turn and he could really
have been an ill-fated novelist.
I'm back.
I went on a trip.
Setouchi is a nice place. Laid-back and peaceful.
I wouldn't mind living there.
The lemon fields.
The sun setting in the sea.
Kippei... I...
I cheated on you.
Remember that time when things were kind of awkward?
It was then.
I was worried... Scared.
I should have told you.
I was lying to you too.
Why...
did you stay with me?
I'm obsessed with my job.
I only think of myself.
I take you for granted.
I'm sorry I always left you alone.
On the way back...
I thought of 10 things I want to do with you.
Number one.
I want to go to a hot spring.
A room with an outdoor bath.
Number two. Practice yoga together.
You're super inflexible. I'll teach you.
Also...
Children... I want our children.
A girl first and then a boy.
Our daughter will take ballet lessons.
Our son, piano.
He'll be so popular with the girls.
We'll pack lunch
and go to the beach and the mountains as a family.
Kippei...
Kippei!
There are so many things we have to talk about.
Kippei!
Wake up! Please!
Hi.
Who's that?
My dad, I think.
You think?
99.999%.
I got good, huh?
The cherry blossoms on the island...
Have they bloomed? I bet they're beautiful.
Kippei?
Kippei!
Kippei.
Kippei...
Welcome back.
Masami Nagasawa
Issey Takahashi
Kotaro Yoshida
Written and Directed by Kazuhito Nakae