Original subtitles

Did we make it?

- We made it. - We made salt!

- Manpei-san! - But it's brown.

We did it~! We did it~!

It's salty~!

Manpuku

♫Marumatteru senakani ni morai naki ♫I get infectious weeping looking at your stooped shoulders

♫Haji datte issho ni ♫We'll share the humiliation too

Week 6

Are You Going to Make Salt?!

♫Hikoukigumo bonyari nagamu ♫Gazing absentmindedly at contrails

♫Kokoro kokoni arazu ♫Here in body, but not in spirit

♬♫Nenkan totaru moshi shitara ♫If I was to calculate an annual total

♫Tsukiau watashi sugoi? ♫Aren't I amazing for keeping you company?

♫Toboketeru mayuge ni morai warai ♫ I get infectious laughter looking at your comical eyebrows

♫Tere datta nandatte ♫Be it embarrassment or whatever

♫Morai naki morai warai morai ikari ♫Infectious weeping, infectious laughter, infectious anger

♫Moraippaji don to koi! ♫Infectious embarrassment. Bring them on!

♫Seiten mo donten mo hekireki mo ♫Sunny days, cloudy days, thunderous days too

We're going to line up the 81 iron plates on a grid like this.

If we make salt using all these iron plates, we should end up with a considerable amount of salt.

Line up 81 plates?

- What are you going to do with that salt? - We're going to sell it.

Everyone's struggling because of salt shortage.

But is it okay to make and sell salt on our own?

Only manufacturers authorized by the Government could make salt in the past, but

the law changed during the war.

Now, anyone can make it as long as they report it.

- Really? - Yes. However, that's all you need for personal use, but

if you want to do it for business, you have to get a license from the Monopoly Bureau.

But if you meet the necessary criteria, they'll issue a license.

- Are we going to be a salt merchant? - What are the criteria?

The quality of salt and how well-equipped our facility is.

Are we going to be a salt merchant?

We can make good salt. We can arrange for a well-equipped facility too.

- You can, right? - I refuse to be a salt merchant!

I am the daughter of a samurai.

I have no intention of having you make salt, Mother.

In the first place, there's no way we can do such a large-scale work by ourselves.

- What! - That process

has to be repeated on 81 iron plates.

Are you saying that you need more manpower?

- We need male help. - Are you going to hire people?

There's a lot of guys like me who have returned from war and are looking for a job.

- I'll go to Osaka and look for them - Oh, can you?

You mean men are coming here?

- Who's going to cook the meals? - That would be us.

There's no way I'm going to be a salt merchant's kitchen maid. I am the daughter of...

- Head over to Osaka right away tomorrow. - Will do.

That's settled then. Okay, let's move it.

Fukuko!

It's hard enough just to feed ourselves.

How in the world are going to feed these live-in help?

There's no more kimono to sell, you know.

This room will do as the sleeping area.

- We'll have them take turns with the bath. - Are you listening to me?

I'm listening. Mom, I know we don't have money.

But if we let that stop us, Manpei-san won't be able to do anything.

Manpei-san isn't trying to make salt as a hobby or pastime.

He's saying he's making it his work.

If Manpei-san is serious,

it's my duty to support him.

I'll figure out what to do about money for the immediate future.

I won't trouble you.

You don't have to do anything you don't want to.

I'll do it all.

Because I'm Manpei-san's wife.

What are you going to do about the bedding!

I'll go borrow some from the neighbors!

I am well aware that I'm asking for an impudent favor.

Can you somehow find it in your heart to help us out?

Dear...

I will pay back the money in the future without fail.

In order to make a large amount of kansui...

it'll be more efficient if we joined several iron plates together.

Around that time, Kanbe-san was gathering people at Nanba in Osaka.

- I have work for you. With room and board. - What kind of work?

Salt making. By pouring salt water down iron plates.

Huh? That's stupid.

You think you're in a position to be picky?!

Your style of painting has changed, Tadahiko-san.

Doctor diagnosed me as partially color-blind.

Ironically, people like my current paintings better.

I think they're good too. You should exhibit them somewhere.

Actually, Katsuko and Taka told me the same thing.

I displayed one at an exhibit.

Oh, really!

You're admirable, Tadahiko-san.

Normally, if a painter gets his eyes hurt in war, he'll despair.

He's lucky he had you and Taka-chan to encourage him.

That's because my husband can't do anything but paint.

The fact that you can say that makes you great.

Are you doing all right making a living?

We're living frugally with the money from the seal-making business

and help from Tadahiko-san's family.

How's Fuku-chan doing?

I'm not sure...I haven't heard from her.

I imagine Fukuko's worrying about this and that as usual,

caught between Manpei-san and Mom.

Manpei-san.

You must be hungry.

Oh, thanks.

What are you thinking about now?

I want to get the sengou done efficiently.

- Oh, sengou is... - Yes, I know.

Uh...it's the last process in which

you boil down the kansui, spread the sea salt crystals on a cloth, and strain the remaining water.

I'm impressed. I want to do the straining process in here, so

we'll have to build the stove to boil down the kansui outside.

Since that will require use of fire too.

But everything will go to naught if it starts raining during the process, so we need a roof.

- It's the blueprint for that roof. - Yes.

Don't push yourself too hard.

Call me anytime if you need something.

Thanks.

Oh, Fukuko.

How are you doing for living expense?

We're doing fine. You don't need to worry about anything, Manpei-san.

Fukuko.

Did you borrow money from Hana-chan's husband?

I did. Hana-chan asked for me too.

What are you going to do once that money's gone?

There you go again...

No matter how nice Hana-chan's husband is,

you can't depend on him forever, you know.

I'll think of it when that time comes.

I had saved some money from the seal-making business.

Mom...

There's 300 yen.

300 yen?!

You don't have to thank me.

Why didn't you bring it out sooner!

If you had this much, we didn't have to go into debt.

This is for the time when there's nothing else...

Oh, we didn't have to sell that formal kimono!

That's why I'm telling you this money is the last resort...

I can't believe you had this kind of money tucked away!

If you're going to be that way, give it back to me!

This is really going to be helpful~!

If we have this much, we can manage for a while

even if we get live-in help. Thank you so much, Mom.

Thank you.

To be honest, I don't like it.

When the house gets livelier,

you guys will get farther from making babies.

Isn't that right?

I promise that I'll give you a grandchild, Mom.

When will that be?

This year would be impossible.

Next year then?

Maybe.

You're going to show me a grandchild next year, right? That's a promise.

Yes.

I have work for you. I have work fo ryou.

- I have work for you. Wanna give it a try? - What is it?

It's a live-in job making salt.

Who wants to do that kinda job?

The next day, Fuku-chan went to the Ministry of Finance Osaka District Monopoly Bureau in Nihonbashi, Osaka.

She came to confer about starting a salt manufacturing company.

- The person in charge is Tachibana Manpei? - Yes. He's my husband.

If you don't pass the inspection, we can't issue a license.

You have to ensure stable production and highly efficient salt production method.

Tachibana Manpei will make sure of that.

Manpei-san.

Oh.

Manpei-san.

Oh, I fell asleep.

I told you not to push yourself too hard.

Fukuko, I got it done.

The salt manufacturing process using 81 iron plates is complete.

- Then I'll take this to the town hall. - Yeah.

Manpei-san~! I gathered them!

- Oh, is that right? - You found people to help us?

You bet. Hey guys, come on over here.

This way, this way.

- It's true. - There's a lot of iron plates.

Three men?

There's more. Guys, come on this way. Hurry.

- Can we really make salt? - The ocean's right over there.

This way, everyone. Hurry on over.

This way, this way. Hurry.

- I'm starving~. - Me too.

Give us something to eat.

Kanbe-kun. So many?!

W-what is this?!

I worked hard to gather them!

Fukuko!