Original subtitles

AN

You want to go to high school?

Studying doesn't put food on the table.

Hello?

I'm at the dorayaki shop.

- Who is it? - Dorayaki.

- Stop fooling around. - I want to talk.

Sorry, I've got noisy friends.

Who's noisy? That's mean.

- Keep it down. - Why should we?

Be quiet, really. I'm talking.

She's blushing. Very fishy.

I'll call you back.

- It's very serious. - It is.

Sorry. Bye-bye.

- She hung up. - She'll call back.

I didn't hang up, so stop.

She'll call back.

- Don't try to hide it. - Fishy.

Very fishy.

- Our teacher? - Why in the world?

I'm only interested in Sentaro.

- Did you date him? - No way.

That older boy?

- I didn't. - But Sentaro is glum.

- On such a beautiful day. - Hold it!

This is a cherry blossom.

There's a blossom in my dorayaki.

What have you done, Sentaro?

A foreign substance.

It's contaminated.

Awful!

I'll give you these, if you leave.

- Great! -Thank you!

- Thanks. - Cheer up!

- See you! - Bye-bye!

- Bye, Sentaro. - Oh, Wakana!

Hello.

Here you go.

Here.

Umm...

Hello.

I see your notice for part-time work...

- Is there really no age limit? - Yeah.

I... Do you suppose I could?

I've always wanted to do this kind of work.

How old are you?

I'm 76 this year.

We don't pay much. Just 600 yen.

Oh, 300 yen an hour is plenty.

300 yen is fine.

- 300 yen? - Yes!

Well...

I don't think it's possible.

My name is Tokue Yoshii.

You'd hurt your back.

It's hard...

It's harder than it looks.

Have one.

Ah...

It's on me.

Please.

Do you know...

this cherry tree,

who planted it?

I'm not from around here.

Thanks, I'll come again.

Sonny...

- The rejects. - Thanks.

That part-time work,

could I do it?

Well... when you start high school.

I might not go to high school.

Please consider me.

Thanks.

No, Marvy.

You have to be quiet.

Ah...

What is it?

This is how I write my name.

But I can't hire you, I'm sorry.

As you can see, my hands are a bit crippled.

So...

it could be less, 200 yen is fine.

- For what? - The hourly pay.

That's not the problem.

Your an, your bean paste, do you cook it yourself?

Well, that's...

a corporate secret.

What do you mean, "corporate"?

In this tiny place?

Well, I...

I tasted your dorayaki.

I thought the pancakes weren't bad.

But...

the bean paste was...not so good.

An isn't easy to make. Have you ever made it?

I've been making an for 50 years.

50 years?

Yes. A half century.

Making bean paste is all about heart, sonny.

I can't hire you, I'm sorry.

Here, have a taste of this.

What is it?

What is this?

Chunky bean paste.

Excuse me.

Coming in?

Welcome!

- Good evening. - What?

Pardon me.

You came to eat?

A bottle of beer and...

the tempura meal.

I'll have the tempura too.

Tempura.

And an ashtray.

Here you go.

Is he a friend?

Yes. He was in my club at school.

He's in high school now.

Here's your beer to start with.

The woman who stopped by,

wanting to work...

She came back later.

She brought some chunky bean paste that she made herself.

It was incredible.

I was surprised.

Why was that?

The taste. The fragrance.

Totally different from what I use.

You should let her try.

She wanted to work.

Oh, hello.

Nice to see you again.

The blossoms have all fallen.

Yeah, they certainly have.

They're waving their hands.

Your bean paste was delicious.

Oh, you tried it?

So... if you don't mind, could you help me out?

Let's sit down.

Well, wow...

Boss...

Wow, boss.

- Thanks. - Not at all.

Please...

Can you lift the pots? It takes some strength.

I'll let you lift the pots.

That's right.

Can you handle a spatula?

Yes, of course.

You said the other day, your hands are a little...

They're not really a problem, except how they look.

All I ask is that you make the bean paste.

Wow, really...

I'm going to be able to work here!

Thank you.

Write your phone number, or your mobile phone number.

My phone...

I don't have one. I get by with letters.

I won't be late for work. I get up before the birds.

It's not that...

Well, then...

Thank you.

I was wondering...

Do you make your own bean paste?

Well, uh...

I tried many times.

But it's hard to do.

It had a burnt taste, or it was thick.

It's beyond me.

Beyond you?

Where's the bean paste?

The shop opens at 11:00. I start preparing at 9:00.

- And the bean paste... - What's this?

- An? -Yes.

This is it.

An.

- Bulk order. - Bulk order?

Why? How could you?

We've always got it this way.

Always?

An is the soul of a dorayaki.

How could you treat it so lightly?

They deliver as soon as we order it.

You have to make your own bean paste.

If the shop opens at 11:00, tomorrow morning...

we'll start preparations before the sun shows his face.

- The sun... - Yes, before dawn.

Good morning.

Good morning.

There was a tree with tiny cherries.

Was there?

- Do the buses run this early? - It's OK. Don't worry about it.

Well, then.

Please.

Thanks.

Here they are.

Oh, good.

Boss, did you look before you soaked them?

At what?

The azuki beans.

Here, look.

Some are no good.

Like this one. See?

I'm sorry.

- Why do you apologise? - I don't know...

Good, good.

Pour them into the copper pot.

Look at the colour of the water.

Really. A lot soaks out.

OK, good, good.

Pour them in the colander.

- Straight in? - Yes. Careful.

- Yes, here. - Ouch!

Hot, isn't it?

Raise the colander. Drain them.

OK?

Hold it.

Rinse them. Like this.

You have to rinse thoroughly, or the beans will be bitter.

Good.

Pour them back into the copper pot.

Now, water. Clean water.

Sorry.

That's right.

- Pour this in? - Yes, pour it in.

Slowly, gently.

Slowly. Not too much.

That's good.

Pretty soon now. The scent of the steam has changed.

The scent of the steam?

Good.

We'll let them sit awhile.

It's a lot of trouble.

We're hosting them.

Hosting?

Our customers?

No, the beans.

The beans?

They came all this way, from the fields.

Did it go well?

It did.

Put the copper pot in the sink.

The warm beans... break easily.

Gently, gently...

Gently, gently, gently...

The harsh juices will run off the top.

Until the broth is clear.

Clear...

It takes so much time.

But... what do you see there?

Huh?

Putting your face so close,

what are you looking at?

What, you ask?

Oh, they're beautiful.

This is how they turn out.

Now we add the sweetness.

The other, too.

That's right.

We wait again?

It would be an insult to cook it right away.

We have to let the beans get used to the sweetness.

So...

It's like a first date,

the young couple needs to get friendly.

How long do we watch them?

Oh, about two hours.

Two hours?

Two hours...

Here, this is critical now. They'll burn in a flash.

Keep the spatula on the bottom of the pot.

If they burn now, they're ruined.

Keep it straight.

Move it quickly.

Don't stir it so hard.

The more you stir, the more you crush the beans.

Move the spatula carefully.

That's it, don't crush them.

Little by little...

Little by little, how much is that?

Little...

...is little.

You don't knead the paste, you simmer it down, OK?

Turn down the heat...

- Now, the mizu-ame. - Mizu-ame? OK.

A double handful, lift it out.

Oh, good job.

Shake it a bit, then slip it in the pot.

Slip it?

There we go.

Now, on to the next...

Can I wash?

Of course, what were you waiting for?

Well, uh...

Oh, the faucet? OK.

- Here goes. - Careful.

Good, good. Looks great.

It's still a bit hot.

Did it burn you?

It's still hot.

What do you think, boss?

Never had anything like it.

It sure is delicious.

It is.

I've finally met a dorayaki I could stomach.

Huh?

What did you say, boss?

I've never ever eaten a whole dorayaki.

I don't have a sweet tooth.

Well, that's...

But I can tell that your bean paste is great.

It's rarely this good.

Why do you have a dorayaki shop then, boss?

- Delish. - Enough.

Enough flattery. It's just so disappointing.

How could someone, who doesn't like sweets, run a dorayaki shop?

Why?

Actually, I'm partial to this kind of thing.

Then why don't you run a pub instead?

Why not?

It's 11:00. I'll open up.

Delicious.

- Somethings changed. - Isn't it the bean paste?

This chunky bean paste is firm.

Lets you know it's there.

Why? It's so smooth.

It wasn't such a good match before. Now it's the star of the show.

What have you done, Sentaro?

Did you get serious?

An upgrade?

"A little."

He smiled!

- Hello! - Can I help you?

- Three, for my grandkids and me. - Three, OK.

Three at once!

360 yen, please.

The bean paste is delicious.

- Is it? - Everyone says so.

Thank you.

- Isn't it good? - Yes.

Did you try one? Delicious.

Thanks.

Rave reviews.

He's grinning. He's glad.

Can you read this to me?

This ? I'll read to you.

Sit up here.

"The Night Bear".

"You know, last night,

"late at night, a cute kid came by.

"Knock-knock, at the door.

"Oh, really? Mama didn't hear."

Who came?

Who do you think?

"Was it a boy? Or a girl?"

A boy.

"No. A bear cub.

"He came looking for his mother."

- Why was his mother gone? - I wonder why.

- His mother! - There she is.

"Oh, Mother! Where have you been?"

Why was she here?

- His mother was busy. - Oh.

The moon, it's sparkling so pretty.

- What's this? - That's a green moon.

I want to see you, soon.

I'll make you some lunch.

Are you free some afternoon?

Really? OK, I'll make you something.

Let's meet here.

It's all right. I'll call you.

Oh, I spilled it.

What's this?

It got wet, this kid's book.

What is it?

It's OK, just a little wet.

Hey!

You have to get rid of this bird.

Wakana!

- Keep up the good work. - I will.

Not you, boss.

I'm talking to the beans.

To the beans...

People say they like it.

Like what?

Your bean paste.

- The schoolgirls raved about it. - Really?

I look forward to meeting them.

They're just noisy kids.

It's good for kids to be noisy.

I want to meet them.

Oh, it's 11:00. Time to open up.

What's this?

What is it?

What's up?

We came to buy dorayaki.

- Not ready yet? - Oh, welcome!

There's a queue?

You can go now.

With so many customers, you can't manage alone, boss.

Well, then help me.

That'll be 1200 yen.

- Here you go. Thanks. - Thank you.

This is great!

- Do you have a minute? - Checking on your shop?

There's a rumour going around.

Your part-time worker...

Oh, Tokue.

She's called Tokue?

You never tell me anything.

She's just helping me make the bean paste.

And working at the counter too.

A friend told me about her.

That woman...

Her hands are crippled, right?

Now that you mention it, a bit...

My friend says she might be a leper.

They call it Hansen's disease now.

How old is she?

In her mid-70s.

But she's strong.

And... Where does she live?

This...

this is where they quarantine leprosy patients.

It's a sanatorium.

This chicken-scratch!

She says she's cured.

Of course she would say that.

Did you know?

In serious cases of leprosy,

people's fingers fall off.

Their noses melt off.

Tokue has her fingers and her nose.

I don't know, but...

they used to confine people for life,

when they had leprosy.

I saw them when I was young,

at a temple...

Those people were on the temple grounds.

After they passed by,

the health office sprayed disinfectant.

But, ma'am...

This shop is booming,

and it's because of Tokue's bean paste.

I know that.

But if the person who tipped me off starts telling others,

it'll be the end of it.

Who told you?

That doesn't matter.

Anyway, you've got to let her go.

I'm sorry. Give me some time.

Hand me that, the spray, the disinfectant.

I don't like it,

having to tell you this.

My husband put this shop in your hands.

Sentaro, he trusted you.

You're the manager here.

Besides...

we covered the payoff for your incident,

and you still owe us money.

Anyway,

do what you have to.

Yeah, hello.

Ah, boss, where are you?

I'm feeling a bit...

Are you OK?

I think I'm just tired.

Oh, sure.

It's no surprise, you never take a day off.

Why do you work so hard?

You don't even like sweets.

Would it be OK to take the day off?

You should.

Take two or three days off.

No. I'll be in tomorrow.

All right.

Since I'm here, I'll cook the bean paste for tomorrow.

Can I ask you to do that?

I hate having this closed.

Can I get a dorayaki?

Ah, a customer?

Am I too early?

Just a moment...

Am I too early?

No, it's fine.

Can you wait a moment?

- I've just finished the bean paste. - Certainly.

What's the right amount?

I've burned this one, it's black.

Oh, dear...

- Hello. - Welcome.

Five dorayaki, please.

- Five for three people? - Yes, five for three of us.

- Can you cut them? - It'll be fine.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

That's 480 yen. Thank you very much.

- Thank you. - 100, 200...400.

I see how hard the boss has to work.

- Excuse me. - Coming.

- One dorayaki. - Oh, just the one. Good!

Oh!

Are you finished for today?

I was thinking of closing up,

but you made it just in time.

Come on in.

Today...

...the boss took the day off, so I...

I usually make the bean paste,

but today I made the pancakes too.

Like this...

I ruined loads of them!

It's nice to be young.

You're so lucky.

Oh, a bird!

Birds are lucky, they're free.

So many. Look!

Do you have brothers and sisters?

No, I don't.

Aren't you lonely?

No, I'm not lonely.

Oh, I know...

you have a pet cat or dog.

No, I don't.

I do have a canary.

A canary? How does it sing?

And when its food is tasty?

- Then it sings stronger. - How?

That sounds lovely.

Oh, boss! Good morning.

Good morning. I thought you had today off.

Well, I had to cook the bean paste.

- For today. - Bean paste?

I thought you cooked it yesterday.

Well, yesterday...

...customers came,

so I had to open up the shop.

But... what about the pancakes?

I fried them all.

You fried them?

I ruined a lot of them, though.

Sorry, boss.

But I sold them all.

I put up a sign: "Sold Out! Thank You!"

But, selling the whole batch, you must've been tired.

I was.

Even so, you came early this morning.

Right, I got it.

How much bean paste today?

- Two kilos of dried beans. - Two kilos...

Well, Tokue...

If you're not too tired,

and only if you want to,

could you help serve customers?

Oh, boss...

- Do as you please. - Really?

There's a hole!

It's hot.

Boss, I knitted these at home.

It's still too hot for them, but...

- You made these? - Which do you like?

See them in the light.

- Which one? - Which one...

I guess, the blue one.

Sure? It's thin, the other has two layers.

No, I like this one.

It's still so hot.

- Shall we take a break? - Oh, that would be nice.

Thank you.

I, erm...

I have a debt, to this shop.

Oh, really?

I have a burden I'll carry all my life.

Is it a large amount?

You haven't been tricked, have you, boss?

No...

The owner of the shop paid a debt for me.

That's why I'm here.

We all have our stories.

We just have to work hard.

Thank you.

I'll do my best.

- That maths we're doing... - What is it? "Factor" something.

Factorisation. Factorisation, what's that all about?

- It's pointless. - Meaningless.

Really?

Of course it is, just "factorising" time.

- School's so boring. - It's boring, these days.

Find a way to make it matter.

- How'd we do that? - That's hard.

Turn it into a game.

- No way. - Miyu's parents...

They'd kick me out.

Then you could run away.

- Just for a day. - That's trouble.

- We have entrance exams. - We'll fail.

You're cruel.

No... I don't want that.

But you should do what makes you happy.

You have all that freedom.

What did you want to be, Tokue?

At our age...

At your age... I wanted to teach Japanese.

No, really.

I wanted to read poetry with my students.

But, back then,

the war had just ended, and everything was chaos.

Oh, no! The time!

- What? - Cram school.

Well, take those with you.

Take care.

We've only got five minutes.

You're not going, Wakana?

- I don't go. - Oh, I see.

Do we have any rejects, boss?

The rejects...

- Here you go. - Thank you.

- And the rejects... - Thanks.

Erm... Tokue, what happened to your fingers?

I can't shake this summer cold.

- I keep coughing. - Are you all right?

I'm fine.

Erm...your fingers, what happened to them?

They ended up crooked like this.

I was sick when I was young.

You're really sweating, boss.

This is hot work in the summer.

The summer's tough.

Let's have a look...

Reading Braille with his tongue...

The Leprosy Prevention Law was repealed...

...in 1996.

Until then,

people were forced to live in quarantine.

People lost their hands or feet.

Or they were crippled.

They lost their noses and their faces were deformed,

which made people fear them.

"We too want to live in society where the sun shines."

What's happened?

It's turned cold.

When it's cold...

...people want a sweet dorayaki.

I'll take a break.

- Tokue... - Yes?

Take the rest of the day off.

OK.

See you later.

Hello. This is for you.

Thank you.

Dear boss, how are things at the shop?

I worry that your spirit might be down.

When I cook the bean paste,

I always listen for the stories the beans tell.

It's a way of imagining

the rainy days and sunny days the beans have seen.

What breezes blew across the beanstalks?

Listen to the story of their journey.

Yes. Listen to them.

I believe that everything in this world

has a story to tell.

Even the sunshine and the wind,

I think you can hear their stories.

Maybe that's the reason.

Last night, the breeze that blew in across the hedge of holly

seemed to be telling me that I should get in touch with you.

Boss...

We try to live our lives beyond reproach,

but sometimes we are crushed by the ignorance of the world.

There are times when we have to use our wits.

I should have talked about that with you.

I'm sure that someday, boss, you'll create a dorayaki

that fulfills your own vision.

Have confidence to follow your own path.

I'm sure you can do that, boss.

Where's Tokue?

She quit.

What is it?

I, erm...

I ran away from home.

You ran away?

When?

This morning.

Just this morning...

His name is Marvy.

We live in an apartment, and pets are prohibited.

A neighbour complained to the landlord, and he said to get rid of him.

I once talked with Tokue about this, here at the shop.

Here?

When I first spoke with Tokue.

And?

She said that if I can't keep Marvy,

either you or she would take him.

Without asking me...

You can't?

I have an apartment too.

I can't.

I only told one person about Tokue's fingers.

Who?

My mother.

The rumour mill is scary.

But then...

...in this case...

...more than the rumours...

...I'm to blame.

I couldn't protect her.

I'm to blame.

Boss...

why don't we go and see her?

In the place where Tokue lives?

When I first spoke with Tokue,

we looked at the moon together.

The moon was rising above those cherry trees.

Tokue said, "It's so pretty, let's have a look."

As the two of us were looking at the moon,

she said she'd look after Marvy.

Tokue said that the promise was made

between her and the moon and me.

A promise to the moon...

The next stop is Zensho-en.

Zensho-en, next stop.

It's so quiet.

With Hansen's disease, some people lose their noses.

Their faces are disfigured.

There'll be people like that here.

This way.

Tokue.

Hello.

How have you been?

Both of you...

This is Marvy.

You're a beautiful yellow.

Little Marvy.

My husband departed for the other world just about 10 years ago.

I was feeling lonesome.

But Marvy's arrived just at the right time.

Tokue...

when did you start living here?

When I was about your age, Wakana.

So...

...it was a long time ago.

I came here with my brother.

He brought me.

When we got to the station, he said to me for the first time,

"You probably have leprosy.

"If you do, I'll have to leave you.

"I'll have to leave you, and go back home."

My mother...

she stayed up all night,

sewing a blouse for me.

I don't know where she found the material.

It was a white, knitted fabric.

I'd never worn anything like it.

But when I got here,

everything I wore and everything I'd brought was disposed of.

I never saw the blouse ever again.

Tokue!

Are you the boss of the dorayaki shop?

Yes, I am.

- I see. - Hello.

I wanted to work there too.

This is my friend, Yoshiko.

Glad to meet you.

This is where we cooked sweets, for many years.

Back then,

the cooks and the customers were all patients.

Yoshiko's speciality is Western cakes, unlike me.

Please eat.

While it's warm. You don't need a sweet tooth.

Thank you.

Thanks.

It's delicious.

This salted kombu is Tokue's homemade.

This is...pickled plum?

Yes, I use plum, and shiso too.

How do you make this?

I'm not telling.

You should tell him.

I'm so glad.

It's really nice, they seem to like it.

- Won't you have some? - Well, I...

She's lost her appetite lately.

I'm fine.

I'm a little worried.

I'm having my dentures fixed.

When we cook bean paste, we use just a little salt.

But along with red bean soup,

we serve distinctly salty things, like kombu.

That's right.

We combine salt and sweet dumplings too, like shio-daifuku.

The concept of reversal.

So... what about salted dorayaki?

It's worth trying.

Thanks, boss...

You were very kind to me.

I had a great time.

Boss...

I'll be all right.

Boss...

Smile when something is delicious.

I enjoyed it so much.

It was pure pleasure.

The cherry tree was so beautiful.

Oh, those cherry blossoms...

Dear Tokue Yoshii...

To be frank,

for entirely different reasons,

I too spent time apart from society.

Three years before I came to the shop...

...I was working at a pub.

Trying to mediate in a fight, I turned violent,

and I left one person with a severe disability.

While I was in prison, my mother came to visit.

But...

...she died before I was released.

I never got to hear her stories.

I haven't been able to hear anyone's stories.

No good?

Too salty. I used too much.

It's so tricky.

I think it's good.

Well, then, how about this?

This salt has been dried

under the light of a full moon.

It's from a southern island.

There are all kinds.

Pour me some.

A little more.

Hey, there. Excuse us.

This is the manager, Sentaro.

Hi.

I've been thinking things over.

I know it's very sudden, but I'd like you to work with this kid.

He's my nephew.

He worked in a restaurant,

but he ran into some personal problems.

You know how touchy cooks can be.

So I want to remodel the shop next month,

and we'll add grilled okonomiyaki to the menu.

Sweet and salty pancakes, that's the idea.

Remodel?

There are lots of students around here.

You'd get along with him, right?

Hang on a second...

I know, I know.

But this shop can't stay as it is.

I've loved him since he was a baby,

so when he began training as a chef, I started making this plan.

Won't you accept this, as the wish of the owner?

But I...

You want to continue making dorayaki, right?

You can train the future owner while you do.

Right?

Now, Wakato, make a proper greeting.

Hiya.

What do you think?

We'll put the griddle here.

And you can make the dorayaki over here.

I think it'll work out fine.

It'll be a big improvement.

Young people are always hungry.

- Sweet. - Dorayaki are always sweet.

Dorayaki...

Come and get them.

Dorayaki...

Dorayaki...

Boss?

I thought I'd find you here.

I looked all over for you.

Are you all right?

Shall we go?

Yoshiko...

Hello.

Ah...

Tokue has died.

Three days ago.

She died of...

...pneumonia.

I see that Tokue's feelings...

...reached you.

Excuse us, Tokue.

Come in.

She would be so pleased to know you have these.

TOKUE

And this, too.

Tokue...

She gave me this before they took her to the hospital.

She said it was for the boss and Wakana.

Is it recording?

It seems to be.

I'm not sure that this will get to you, but I hope so.

First, Wakana.

I have to apologise to you.

I promised to take care of Marvy,

but in fact I quickly let him go.

As I listened to him sing,

I realised he was telling me, ”Let me go. ”

Forgive me.

As you know, I didn't have any children.

I became pregnant, but I wasn't allowed to have the baby.

When I first saw you, boss,

it was on my weekly walk, drawn by the sweet fragrance in the air.

There I saw your face.

Your eyes were very sad.

It was a gaze that made me want to ask you,

"Why do you suffer so?"

Because I once had a gaze like that.

It was the look I had when I thought I'd never go outside the fence.

It was as if I was drawn to your shop,

when I found myself standing there.

If my child had been born,

it would now be about your age, boss.

You know, boss,

the full moon whispered to me that day,

"I wanted you to see me.

"That's why I was shining."

We can't have graves.

So when any one of us dies,

we plant one tree.

This is Tokue's tree.

We all agreed to plant a cherry tree.

She loved cherry blossoms so much.

You know, boss...

We were born into this world

to see it and to listen to it.

I think, whatever we become...

...we have, each one of us has,

meaning in our lives.

Dorayaki!

Come and get them!

Dorayaki!

Come and get them!

Kirin Kiki as Tokue

Masatoshi Nagase as Sentaro

Kyara Uchida as Wakana

Miyoko Asada as the Dorayaki Shop Owner

Etsuko Ichihara as Yoshiko

Adapted from the novel "AN" by Durian Sukegawa

A film by Naomi Kawase