Original subtitles

production by kindai eiga kyokai

produced by watanabe shoji & plandas

postcard

etsushi toyokawa, shinobu otake

naomasa musaka, akira emoto, ren osugi

mitsuko baisho, maiko kawakami yasuhito ochi, masahiko tsugawa

a kaneto shindo film

temple shinto sect tenrikyo, summer, 1944

all 100 of you were transferred from kure naval depot,

to serve as cleaners at this facility.

these barracks will serve as lodgings for the naval air corps.

navy air corps trainee pilots from mie and

from nara will soon arrive.

that is why your cleaning brigade was sent here.

understand?

after one month of extremely hard work on your part,

this fleapit has turned into an immaculate palace.

therefore, your duty has ended.

you will now all be assigned to your next posting.

your postings will be decided by drawing lots.

but you'll not draw lots yourselves.

your superior officers will do that duty.

be thankful.

sixty will be sent to manila, to join naval operations.

thirty of the remaining 40 will join submarine crews.

the remaining 10 will go to the takarazuka revue theater

to prepare that facility for trainee pilot accommodation.

that's all. understood?

Iouder.

i wish you good luck in the war.

his imperial majesty offers dried cuttlefish and sake.

enjoy your emperor's largesse and vanquish the hated enemy.

delicious.

hey.

you over there.

ordinary seaman sadazo morikawa, sir!

good. now entertain us.

certainly, sir!

how i yearn for her shadow

the mental anguish suffered, whatever the weather

Iooking up to the moon with a heavy heart

though i suppress my love, its flame always flares

setting me ablaze with love, while silent tears i shed

to sadazo morikawa from tomoko morikawa

from your wife?

that's right.

have you replied?

well, the thing is...

she'll be eagerly waiting for it.

can i come down?

sure.

i can't put anything meaningful in a postcard.

anything personal will get censored out.

there's so much i want to say to her,

but i can't even say i leave everything to her.

take a look.

"today is the festival,

but the air feels empty without your presence."

her name's tomoko. we've been married 16 years.

she is missing me.

"today is the festival,

but the air feels empty without your presence."

be quiet.

Iisten.

witness my last thoughts.

i'm being sent to the front, to manila.

i doubt i'll survive.

tomoko's family are dirt poor.

her father became too old to work the fields.

he wanted to sell her off to a city restaurant.

not really a restaurant, more like a whorehouse.

we'd gone to school together.

i couldn't allow that.

i sold off the only land we had,

so we could get married.

now i have to do my duty.

a lottery decided where i'm to serve.

our destinies are all determined by luck.

you and the other 9 get to clean the takarazuka theater.

you may end up dead, too.

but if you do survive,

please visit my tomoko with this postcard.

tell her that i read it.

tell her that even if i die,

my spirit will be with her.

i beg you.

maybe i'll end up dead, too.

well, that's the chance we take.

felicitations to sadazo morikawa going to war

to commemorate sadazo morikawa going off to battle,

we shall offer three hearty cheers.

i'm honored to go. my family is proud.

i offer my life to the nation.

depart!

i embark on the greatjourney with an oath on my lips

i shall not die without leaving my mark

every time i hear the bugle on the battlefield

i recall the sea of flags that bade me farewell

sadazo morikawa honorably sacrificed all in the war.

Ioyalty and patriotism!

our deepest condolences to his spirit.

we offer silent prayers to all our war dead.

the soul of a departed hero

evil spirits begone!

begone from our home and hearth!

Iisten, tomoko.

we need to talk to you.

you've lost sadazo and we know how sad you are.

we know very well how you feel.

we must all make sacrifices for the empire.

please be strong.

your mother-in-law and i are getting old.

we can't work the fields any more.

it's shameful.

worse than that, i have heart problems.

we need a favor from you.

please don't go away and leave us.

we won't survive without your help.

please tomoko. save us.

father-in-law.

i married into this family, so i'm not going anywhere.

both of you, please set your hearts at ease.

my family are all dead now.

i have nowhere to go.

i wish to stay here.

thank you.

we did own some land.

but we sold it when you married our boy.

all we have now is one field that we share-crop.

we need someone to work it, to keep us going.

you're our only hope.

father-in-law.

please don't say another word.

it saddens me.

if only sadazo hadn't been lost in the war.

tomoko.

there's one more thing.

you're still a young woman.

it's not right that you stay single.

we can't ask that of you.

Iocal custom says, if the first son dies,

the second son succeeds to the house.

as you know,

sadazo's little brother sampei works at the sawmill in town.

he will return and take over as head of this household.

please tomoko.

would you consider marrying sampei to ensure the succession?

we beg you.

to save us.

we fully understand any qualms you may have.

please help these old folks out.

father-in-law.

please don't do that.

i'll do whatever it is you want me to.

my darling!

why did you die and leave me behind?

that's far enough.

i'll follow you forever.

i know. but duty calls me.

please don't cry. it only makes me sad.

sister-in-law.

thank you for this.

i fully understood everything.

tomoko, thank you.

Iet's hold the wedding now.

sampei, let's go to the barn.

it's your wedding night.

use our room tonight.

how can we sleep inside while you're in the barn?

dear, let's do as she says.

father, please do as tomoko says.

good. thank you, tomoko.

Iet's go.

my apologies.

did you and sadazo sleep here?

don't say his name.

never, ever say it.

tomoko is a good, filial child, isn't she?

we'd starve to death if she hadn't agreed to our proposal.

sister-in-law, many thanks.

good day.

good day, sir.

congratulations.

it's an official notice.

sampei has been drafted.

tomoko, i'll survive and come back to you.

i'll be waiting.

i'll wait for you.

felicitations to sampei morikawa going to war.

the hated americans are now threatening okinawa.

our great empire is in danger.

the entire nation must stand fast against the enemy.

congratulations, sampei morikawa!

depart!

i embark on the greatjourney with an oath on my lips

i shall not die without leaving my mark

every time i hear the bugle on the battlefield

i recall the sea of flags that bade me farewell

tomoko!

at 2 am this morning...

we'll depart hiroshima for okinawa.

those who could get back in time were given final leave.

i borrowed a bike to ride home. it took me 2 hours.

father, dear mother,

tomoko. i needed to see you again.

will you go on a battleship?

no more battleships left.

we're taking a local ferry.

i'll run away to the hills.

they'll never find me out in the backwoods.

the military police will get you.

and pounce like a cat on a mouse.

no matter where you run to in japan,

they will catch you.

your entire family will be punished as disloyal subjects.

don't die.

be well, mother.

darling.

take care of yourself.

i'll be waiting.

go now or you'll be late.

darling tomoko...

destroy the enemy!

sampei morikawa is now a pillar of the japanese empire.

my deepest sympathies.

sampei.

endure your dreaded fate.

father?

father!

husband!

Iet's get a doctor.

no need.

he's dead.

but still...

we have no money for doctors.

you lost two sons and are considered a "house of honor."

this exempts you from paying funeral fees.

you refused to hold a funeral.

can't you at least ask a monk chant the sutras?

no need.

how heartless of you.

we have no money to offer the monk.

the village will cover that.

if some monk chants a sutra, will my husband return to life?

it's time. shall we go?

yes.

excuse us.

we're leaving.

thank you for everything.

Iet's go.

tomoko.

i need to talk to you.

i've managed to put something away for emergencies.

i've got 60 yen here.

we asked you to stay and we caused you great suffering.

i couldn't ease your pain.

please forgive me.

you have no reason to feel sorry for anything.

trials and tribulations only ever get worse.

this is our fate.

it can't be helped.

i lost both of my sons in the war.

god is too cruel to me.

mother, let's agree to never say that again.

i shouldn't have complained.

i just wanted you to know there's 60 yen here for you.

Iet's have dinner now.

that was really good.

sorry we can't afford rice.

not at all.

i enjoyed the potatoes.

tomoko, thank you for everything.

mother?

why?

why did you do this?

why did you die and leave me all alone?

i go to join my husband.

dearest tomoko,

better you leave this ill-fated house.

get out while you can.

mother.

i bought a coffin with the money you left.

and a priest is here to recite a sutra.

sorry, it's only a pittance.

- my offering. - my thanks.

atomic bomb

hiroshima august 6, 1945

emperor hirohito declares an end to the war.

hello keita.

i see you made it back alive.

yes, uncle. all in one piece.

it's all closed up. where is everyone?

i've been holding your key.

really? thank you.

the thing is...

it's not easy to say this.

but your father ran off with your wife.

what do you mean?

it was just after the emperor made his broadcast.

that was when they ran off.

they knew you'd come back.

they were sleeping together while you were away fighting.

i hear they went to osaka.

apparently, she works at a cabaret there.

a fisherman said he saw her at a strip-joint called "king."

rumor had it that you'd died in the war.

you're welcome to come eat with us.

forgive me father

please have a drink.

i'm not here to drink beer.

i was seriously ill in bed for two whole days.

your father sat up with me the entire time.

when i recovered and came back to life,

i held onto him.

he didn't make a move on me, i did it.

please say something.

you never wrote to me.

we heard you were dead.

then i got your postcard after the war ended.

i was so scared you'd come back.

i convinced your father to leave the island with me.

can you understand?

please try to understand.

please, darling.

it's all my fault.

will you see your father?

he's not far from here.

he goes out fishing every day.

my darling.

i'm so happy you're back.

stop blathering, woman.

please hit me. say something.

are you angry at me?

kiss me.

i won't see my father.

but if you ever leave him, i'll be back to kill you!

i wish you had died in the war!

what an unlucky fish.

don't get caught again.

what a silly-billy man you are!

someone up and stole your wife away!

run!

it's been 4 years since you became a fool.

what's with you?

get a job.

i'll go to brazil.

what? brazil?

i've filled out all the paperwork.

has a war-buddy put you up to this?

no, it's my idea.

what a surprise.

i can't stay here.

all the villagers laugh at me.

i need to get away.

i'll sell you my house and boat for 200,000 yen.

sell everything to me?

or, i could auction them off.

wait a minute.

i'm your uncle, after all.

i should stand by you.

but... 200,000 yen, eh?

it's a done deal.

far too expensive.

they're not even worth 50,000.

you must be crazy. you're becoming senile.

i'm his uncle.

he's the son of my little brother.

enough nagging.

now's the time to act like a man.

don't defy your husband.

or i'll divorce you. go!

you'll what! divorce me?

japan's a democracy now.

i can easily get over 500,000 for them.

prices are sky-rocketing, we'll double his price.

i thought you were stupid, but i'm impressed.

changing your tune, are you?

today is the festival, but the air feels empty without your presence.

i doubt i'll survive.

honorable sadazo morikawa.

i am so sorry.

to kumaishi

why not switch on the light?

a lamp is too dark.

we didn't use electricity even when father was alive.

why not?

we couldn't pay, so they cut us off.

i've fixed it.

but they all need replacing.

Ieave them be.

these american lucky strikes are good.

want to try one?

i don't smoke.

girls these days all smoke.

Iook, i can't pay you for fixing the window.

i have no money.

i didn't do it for the money. don't worry.

you'd better not let people see you here.

don't worry about that.

i'm a responsible official for this area.

it's natural to look after someone in need.

i don't need charity.

you have no water.

i'll get it put on for you.

i get water from the river and boil it first.

i don't need tap water.

you lost two husbands and both of your in-laws.

you're all alone. what can you do?

i'll get by. don't you worry about me.

i'll live on to curse the war.

that's a frightening thing to say.

i lost my family because of the war.

now i'll die a beggar.

i love you.

Iet me take care of you.

you want to help me because i'm dying?

there's no changing your mind.

but i truly love you with all my heart.

you're already married, you have three children.

my wife won't dare complain.

so you want me to be your mistress?

don't put it like that.

this is from the bottom of my heart.

don't insult me.

excuse me.

is this the morikawa residence?

who are you?

is this sadazo morikawa's home?

he died in the war. who are you?

we were friends.

what kind of friends?

a fellow serviceman.

really?

please excuse the mess. come in.

a lot of old soldiers will say anything to swindle a widow.

i'm keita matsuyama, from an island off hiroshima.

i was in the same squadron as your sadazo.

i'm tomoko, sadazo's wife.

sorry to turn up so suddenly.

sorry, i have only water to offer.

but it's clean.

i should have come by earlier.

after sadazo died, i remarried his younger brother, sampei.

then he got drafted and sent off to okinawa.

a month later, he too lost his life in battle.

soon after that, both their parents passed away.

now i'm all alone.

our squadron of 100 men were first sent to nara

to prepare some barracks for trainee pilots.

it took us a full month.

then we received our orders.

our supervisors drew lots.

sixty men were sent to manila as naval reinforcements.

sadazo was one of them.

so that's where he ended up.

sadazo and i were bunk mates.

he had the top bunk.

one day your husband showed me a postcard.

i remember what was written on it.

"today is the festival,

but the air feels empty without your presence."

the postcard was from you.

did he say anything?

just that he'd received it.

any reply he sent would be heavily censored.

but if i ever made it back to japan,

i was to tell you that he got it.

"her name is tomoko." he said.

my poor darling.

you went to the philippines to die.

it wasn't the philippines.

an american sub torpedoed his ship on the way there.

now i understand why the urn was empty.

he got sunk by a submarine.

his bones are at the bottom of the sea.

my poor darling.

how cold it must be.

not even his ashes to comfort me.

i am all alone.

damn war!

how did you survive?

why didn't you die in the war?

they drew lots for the remaining 40 of us.

thirty were chosen to man submarines.

the other 10 were sent to the takarazuka revue theater,

to prepare it for an intake of trainee pilots.

after that, they drew lots for the ten of us.

four went to the coastguard as machine-gunners.

those sent to submarines and coastal defense craft,

are all dead now, i suppose.

six of us stayed behind at takarazuka, we all survived.

you were lucky in the draws.

i sure was. i was very lucky.

forgive my rudeness.

i'm so sorry.

no need.

i should have brought the postcard sooner.

i had my own problems.

forgive my tardiness.

what a pity i have nothing to offer you.

i shall take my leave.

i have nothing worthy of offering to you.

but if you'll stay for dinner, i'll prepare something.

white rice is a luxury these days.

i have no money,

so i pawned my wedding trousseau

for rice, miso and a bottle of rice brandy.

please have another.

sadazo may have served in the cleaning brigade,

but he never lifted a finger here at home.

same as me.

i'd never done anything, i hadn't a clue.

not eating?

i will, later.

there was a lodging hall at one of the grand temples.

they had us clean the place out.

we dried all the tatami mats in the sun,

then spread caustic lime on the bare boards.

those places only get used once a year.

the entire place was full of fleas.

when we took up the mats, it was like a shower of them.

we all got bitten on the butt.

bright red, they were.

sadazo was a big man, he was easy prey for the fleas.

he was a bad correspondent. he rarely wrote.

we couldn't write much because of the censorship.

anything remotely private was forbidden.

what are you doing here?

are you trying to sneak into tomoko's bed?

i'm on my rounds. i'm a watchman.

what are you doing here?

keeping an eye out. some stranger is visiting.

she's all alone. we must protect her.

you know, i've always liked you.

so keep your mouth shut about this.

i will. thank you.

keep up the good work.

sadazo loved sweets.

we had a candy store in front of our barracks.

he'd buy all these bean-jam buns from there

and eat them in bed after lights out.

is that right?

he hid them?

if they found out, he'd be punished severely.

he had fat fingers, but he was very dexterous.

he used to mend his own tabi socks.

a good singer, too.

he enjoyed singing at the local festivals.

we had a little party the night before he shipped out.

he sang for us.

how i yearn for her shadow

the mental anguish suffered whatever the weather

Iooking up to the moon with a heavy heart

though i suppress my love, its flame always flares

setting me ablaze with love...

those sixty men bound for the philippines...

...did they go at night, or during the day?

they left at night.

they snuck them out without telling anyone.

snuck out?

yes, they just stole away.

the funeral urn the navy sent us was empty.

he lies at the bottom of the ocean.

by lottery...

count!

right about!

depart!

his conscription notice came.

the next morning, before he left home,

he hauled water from the river.

we boil up the river water for drinking.

he did that to lessen my load.

at the very last, he went to draw water.

mrs morikawa.

sorry to suddenly turn up like this.

thank you for dinner.

so soon? but it's pitch-dark outside.

i'm used to walking in the dark.

it's only a squalid hovel, but you're welcome.

i couldn't impose on you.

i want to hear more stories about sadazo.

you're my honored guest, you brought the postcard.

the backroom has the shrine with all their remains.

please sleep out here.

it'll stay warm all night with the open hearth.

if you insist, i will.

do you sleep here?

i always sleep in the barn.

the barn?

sadazo and i slept there.

today is the festival, but the air feels empty without your presence.

when i come back from the war,

Iet's have ourselves a baby.

i'm so happy.

mrs morikawa.

what's up?

whose yukata is this i'm wearing?

that was sadazo's.

i survived the war, but he died.

i can't stand to wear his clothes.

a lottery decided your fate.

i'm resigned to that.

i thought sadazo would be happy if you wore his yukata.

he only had one yukata, anyway.

if you don't like it, take it off.

the war has not ended!

are you alright?

i've been doing this forever. i'm fine.

Iet me take them.

give it a go?

there's a trick.

i'm impressed.

it's what i do every day.

you came all this way to visit.

but i can do nothing to entertain you.

i'd like you to at least take a bath before you go.

how's the temperature?

perfect.

this old fashioned bath takes me back.

it's left-over gruel from last night.

a farewell meal, so let me eat with you.

certainly, thank you.

well, look at this.

having breakfast together?

how rude. don't enter my house without permission!

i don't know who you are, but you've slipped right in.

mr matsuyama is about to leave.

had a good time last night, did you?

tomoko has had it tough.

may i ask who you are?

kichigoro izumiya, a local official for the area.

i enforce discipline.

i don't know your pedigree,

but this is mrs morikawa's house.

you do not enter without her permission!

smart bastard! don't give me cheek.

get outside.

sure.

Iet's do it.

i have a black belt in judo!

are you alright, sir?

he beat me up.

hang in there, sir.

don't you call me a bastard!

i'm an ordinary seaman serving the japanese empire.

well, well, mr. ordinary seaman.

i'm impressed.

in kichigoro 5th dan in judo. no local has ever beaten him.

i had a buildup of resentment.

i did something stupid.

any pain?

no, i'm fine now.

i'm a fisherman. it's nothing for me.

i didn't write any postcards to my family while i was at war.

i thought i'd end up dead, anyway.

so just a first and a last postcard was plenty.

if you ever leave my father, i'll be back to kill you!

my wife was a good-hearted girl from a nearby island.

i wanted to raise a family with her and work hard.

after the war, i sent a postcard to her from takarazuka.

i wrote that i was coming home.

but there was no one there waiting for me.

my wife and my father had fallen in love.

i lost my mother when i was still in grade school.

he didn't remarry, he raised me to be a fully-fledged fisherman.

both my father and my wife were lonely, i guess.

i just hope they can stay together and find happiness.

i'm japanese and i love japan.

but after the hell of war, i decided to leave japan.

i'm planning to go to brazil.

i sold my house and boat for 200,000 yen.

i'll give you half, 100,000 yen.

why?

because i'm alive, and your sadazo is dead.

because of a lottery...

it's not your fault.

you suffered, too.

i can't accept life by lottery.

ninety four out of 100 died, and i'm still alive.

why wasn't i one of those who ended up dead?

a coward and a nobody like me survived the war.

but the good and manly sadazo morikawa died.

you have suffered much.

your husband killed in war, you remarried his brother.

only to lose him, too.

your in-laws both died, probably of grief and shock.

god almighty!

you drink river water.

an idiot is trying to force you to be his mistress.

at least accept my 100,000 yen.

you think 100,000 can cancel out the lots you had to draw?

if that were true, i'd demand 10 billion, or 100 billion!

money can't solve this problem.

and you're running away to brazil?

that's right. as fast as i can.

you coward!

the souls of your 94 dead comrades will never forgive you.

right, i'll give you all I have, 200,000 yen.

idiot!

it's not a matter of money.

but you won't have to be his mistress if you have it.

kichigoro is not such a bad man.

he's just in love with me.

but i don't like him.

he always dangles money.

so i'll keep living in this shoddy shack.

and i'll die a dog's death.

and all because of your damn naval lotteries.

take your 200,000 yen to brazil with you.

don't die a dog's death, do something.

war wiped out my entire family.

tomorrow morning...

i'll leave at dawn.

what will you do in brazil?

be free under a big blue sky.

how will you make a living over there?

i'll go into the jungle and reclaim some land.

but nothing is firm, yet. i just want to go.

there are huge snakes out there.

i'll cut 'em in two and broil them like an eel.

there are man-eating catfish in the amazon.

i'll catch 'em by the whiskers and make catfish stew.

please take me with you.

i thought you wanted to die here as a beggar.

i want to go to that vast, unknown place.

i'm not up for marrying.

i've done that twice, already. i don't want a third.

good decision. i'm glad to hear that.

want another fight?

no, i yield to you.

you'll break my back next time.

that's the first fight i've ever lost.

i found a worthy opponent for the first time.

i heard everything.

i'm good at eavesdropping, you know.

will you have the wedding now?

what? what wedding?

you just decided on it, didn't you?

you're off to brazil together, aren't you?

i'll go because i won't have to see you there.

i'm happy you've found your third husband.

we're not getting married.

you've long chased after me.

you must be disappointed.

i just about had you hooked and you get away.

i'm mortified.

tomoko, are you sure about going to brazil?

i believe it would make sadazo happy.

please take me.

i most certainly will.

tomoko, the war is over. a new era has begun.

you're so tough, so strong. why didn't you go to war?

i was lucky. they never called my number.

probably used your official position to dodge the draft.

no, you can't say that.

i never used such a dirty trick.

you cheered sadazo mightily when he went off to war.

but back then, everyone believed japan would win.

well now it's time to celebrate our leaving.

certainly, leave that to me.

we'll celebrate in style.

you got me.

please listen, tomoko.

i truly loved you.

thank you, kichigoro.

how i loved you.

you look so different.

sadazo bought this for me at the night festival.

i took the ashes of my in-law's to the local temple.

Iet's make it over the pass before sunrise.

in memoriam: ordinary seaman sadazo morikawa

sadazo...

sadazo.

what happened here?

i'm going to die. i'll die.

what are you doing?

Iet me kill myself.

that wouldn't make sadazo happy.

sadazo is dead.

sampei, too.

i want to die as well.

sadazo!

i want to die.

Iet me die.

you can't.

you have to live.

Iook, tomoko.

your house is burning.

the house haunted by war is burning down.

Iook.

sadazo!

farewell!

Iisten, tomoko.

Iet's forget about brazil.

Iet's get married.

Iet me be your third husband.

i'm a useless woman. Iike an old rag.

you're too good for me.

this is my last lottery.

Iet me draw it.

Iet's turn this into a field.

we'll sow the field with wheat.

the end

written & directed by kaneto shindo

subtitles by kofka aka denpryan