Original subtitles

I was looking at the insurance company that you started

and with the poor economy, you haven't written any new policies, have you?

No... After the war ended, because we paid out

insurance claims, people in Japan finally appreciated

the idea of life insurance... But the competition has

gotten fierce lately.

Don't tell me that you intend to not only

sell the coal mining business, but the life insurance, too?

No... I'm thinking of making it bigger.

Asa ga Kita

Week 25 "A Life To Be Proud Of" Episode 146

Original Story: Chieko FURUKAWA

Screenwriter: Mika OMORI

Music by: Yuuki HAYASHI

Theme Song: "365 Nichi no Kamihikouki" Sung by: AKB48

Narrator: Keiko SUGIURA

Asa Shirooka: HARU

Shinjiro Shirooka: Hiroshi TAMAKI

Tomoatsu Godai: Dean FUJIOKA

Kisuke: Hiroki MIYAKE

Ume: TOMOCHIKA

Eizaburo Shirooka: Akito KIRIYAMA

Chiyo Shirooka: Fuuka KOSHIBA

Izumi Narusawa: Koji SETO

Heijuro Yamazaki: Shigeo TSUJIMOTO

Nobuo Furuta: Seiji MIYANE

Iwao Tominaga: Sadatomo MATSUDAIRA

Just like our company, there are a lot of

other insurance companies that are in distress...

So I was thinking of finding two of them

and working together with them to merge with

our company to make an even bigger company.

A merger?

But right now, insurance continues to show a

deficit, and on top of that, we're in the midst of a financial panic!

That's right. We can't get into something as complex as a merger.

That's right.

Let's try to bringing the company back to

profitability ourselves.

When things are unstable, people usually look

toward something big to rely on.

But if a small company tries to protect itself,

eventually, it'll be swallowed up by a bigger company,

and that's the end of it.

So we should make our company bigger and

take the lead in the insurance industry.

Don't tell me that you sold the coal mines

with this in mind from the beginning?

You're right.

Just as you said, this country has finally

realized the virtues of having life insurance.

Among Kano-ya's businesses, life insurance is a business

that has the best potential for Japan's future.

So we need to make it bigger.

This is a list of insurance companies that are

rumored to be on the verge of closing down.

There are companies from north to south, aren't there?

If we reach out to companies who are in trouble, it will give

us the advantage in negotiating a merger with them.

This is a golden opportunity.

These are the people the bank president wants to invite to the reception.

It's a list of Osaka's leading businessmen.

This many people?

Of course... At a time like this, we have to introduce Keisuke

all over Osaka, and show them that Kano-ya will be in good

hands in the future.

I'll leave the rest to you.

Do your best, Chiyo...

This will be your first big job as Keisuke's wife.

I know.

Dad... Mom...

Keisuke and I talked about where we're going to live...

We're thinking that there's no need to rush into

building a house for us.

We don't think it's right for us to be extravagant

when the bank is having such a hard time.

And I've heard that the trading business is also

having a hard time now.

That's true...

With the new commercial law, we finally have a structure

that's the same as other countries.

This is just the beginning.

In that case, we thought we'd just rent a place close by.

I want to get to know Osaka better before I build a house.

So that's what we decided...

You've thought that far ahead.

Also from the next time, whenever I come over,

will you let me participate in your meetings?

Of course, I'll just stay in the background...

I just want to learn more about the business.

You certainly are enthusiastic.

I'm really grateful that you'd ask to do that.

What a surprise.

Thank you, Keisuke.

Wait a minute...

Mistress!

That sounds like Hei-san!

Mistress! I have good news.

What happened?

Coming here dressed like that.

He was taking a bath and just ran over here.

A newspaper reporter who's a good friend of mine

came over to the house.

He said that the Bank of Japan has decided to give relief

funding for Osaka's financial panic.

Really?

That's great.

It's good news, isn't it?

With this, the banks and Osaka will be secure...

I'm so glad.

I heard that lately, there are brides who wear a dress for the wedding.

I never really cared for women in western-style dresses.

You prefer kimono?

So do I.

But your mother's western- style dresses aren't bad.

I'm happy that you get along with my mother...

But if you say anything more, I'll get jealous.

No... It's nothing.

Keisuke is someone we can depend on, isn't he?

If he's like that, then I have nothing to worry about

and can leave Chiyo in his hands.

That's true... I feel as though a new wind will blow through Kano-ya.

I think so, too.

Lately, I often remember things from the past.

For example...

Who was it that created this Meiji society...

Damn you!

Of all the things to remember!

To think that 30 years have gone by since then.

That's true... The kind of country that Mr. Godai

and Mr. Okubo had hoped for is finally starting to come about.

Do you think Mr. Godai will praise me and say that

I've accomplished some good in this country?

I wonder about that.

it's unusual for you to talk about the past, isn't it?

Is it?

It is.

The new morning, just as Heijuro had said, there

were reports in the newspapers saying that the Bank of Japan

had decided on relief funding for Osaka's financial panic.

Thank you!

Who would have thought that all that money that

was taken out of our bank would just turn around

and come back to us.

It's just cash, after all.

The economy is still unstable...

I want to get your approval for this life insurance

division while the insurance industry is still weak.

If you approve this life insurance division,

we can increase the amount of long-term savings.

The movement to merge with other life insurance

companies proceeded at once.

HINODE WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY

Meanwhile, Asa...

...went to Tokyo with Shinjiro, and attended the university

classes that she had dreamed of taking.

This is what Juliet said...

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

So you're putting it all together...

Yes... Mr. Narusawa asked me to devise a self-governing

organization for the students.

Mrs. Shirooka... Hello!

Hello...

The next time you come, you should sit in on

Mr. Narusawa's lecture on practical ethics.

His impassioned speech is like a pillar of fire

spewing from a volcano. It's something else.

I'd like to hear it.

How's the dormitory?

Although I'm the resident advisor, I'm cursed with

an ignorance of the world and I'm already at a loss

as to what kind of kitchen utensils we'll need to buy.

Chiyo must be hard at work getting

ready for her wedding...

Yes, she is.

I see... So Chiyo will eventually be a lady

wearing a dress in her western-style house.

Chiyo wearing a dress?

That's right. Ever since she was a child, she

loved dresses, but it seems that someone she didn't

like wore one first...

That's why out of stubborn pride, she's pretended all

this time not to be interested in wearing dresses.

Someone she doesn't like?

What do you think?

Does it look good on me?

Not at all.

I didn't even realize it.

Mrs. Shirooka!

Mr. Narusawa.

Come in.

Are you sleeping here?

Yes, I am.

Where's your husband?

He went with Kisuke to take a walk around the university.

You even have patches on your coat...

I just want to stay close to the students as much as possible.

Just as we suffered to establish this university, they're fighting

against the prejudiced view of why women need to

go to college and yet they've decided to attend our school.

I love all of them.

I'll do anything to see them grow.

I want to talk to them more.

One of these day, please give a lecture here.

Me?

But I don't know what to talk to them about.

Your life experience in itself is a guidepost for them.

Just talk about anything.

If you insist, then I'd really love to do it someday.

Have some tea.

It's delicious.

I'll have another.

After returning to Osaka...

I went to see this Furukawa Life

insurance in Tokyo, and it wasn't a bad company.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce recommended

this one and this one here.

The area they do business and the type of clients

they have are different from ours, so if we merge

it might be advantageous to both of us.

Will you start negotiations with the ones you put circles on, Hei-san?

Leave it to me.

It won't do any of us any good to roll ourselves

into a ball with this golden opportunity in the insurance industry.

If we compare and adjust the contents of our

contracts, and revolutionize it all into something good,

there's no mistake that we'll see a sudden rise over what

we could do individually.

How are we going to elect the directors?

To begin with, our clientele is completely different.

And at the beginning of the new year...

They're here!

Furukawa Life Insurance that had been doing business

in the Kyobashi ward of Tokyo...

And Fukuho Life Insurance that had been founded by

a wealthy man in Kyushu were chosen for the Kano-ya Life Insurance merger.

Mr. Furuta... Mr. Tominaga...

Welcome to Osaka.

It's the final turning point in the birth of Kano-ya's

largest business undertaking.