Original subtitles

Summer 1988

Sorry for all the letters.

This is also about your wife's adultery.

If you think about it carefully,

You'll know i'm not lying.

So I have decided to write this one last time.

This isn't a trick or a joke.

When you go on all-night fishing trips,

A man visits your wife at night

Hello.

You're home early today.

I can't go now.

I'm home.

I'm packing your lunch. You're going fishing tonight, right?

Yes.

What'll you be fishing for?

Sea bass and black sea bream.

Then it's sashimi tomorrow.

Recently the landlady has been ill.

It'll be cold tonight. Take an overcoat.

Okay.

...especially when you go fishing.

What time will you be home?

Same as always.

It's eel takeout

See you.

Take care.

Leaving already, Mr. Yamashita?

Yes.

I just come here and you're leaving.

This is for you. Porgy takeout.

Can I have it?

Sure

Say hello to everyone.

Ok.

Take care.

Good bye.

See you.

Going back already?

Shall I drive you?

No thanks.

Coming next week, too?

Yes.

Good bye. See you.

You killed her!

Murder! Help!

Help!

I live in Wakaba,Tama Ward.

My name is Takuro Yamashita.

I just killed my wife.

This is the weapon I used.

Come inside.

Call Homicide.

Ok.

This way.

Homicide? A man has just turned himself in.

Yes, please.

Eight years later

While you're on parole,

Make sure you don't break any rules

And don't make any trouble for Rev. Nakajima, your parole officer.

Even if you see trouble occurring around you,

don't let yourself be drawn into it.

The 2 years on parole,

I hope you'll spend it without any lapses.

My car's in the parking lot.

You forgot this.

I put some oxygen in. It should last all day.

What is it?

It's Yamashita's pet eel.

Pet eel?

He kept it in a pond inside the prison.

Actually, pets are forbidden

but we pretended it was ours.

But why an eel?

He listens to what I say.

He listens?

He doesn't say what I don't want to hear.

The prison term was shortened from 10 years to 8 years.

That was really a long term if wasn't shortened.

He's a murderer.

The Eel

So

Your brother should know you are leaving prison today.

He should come today.

No,he won't come here.

Why?

He is the only relative of yours,isn't he?

Two years ago,when mom died,

he didn't write to me.

My niece graduated from college

Now she's working in a company.

Where are the parents of your dead wife?

Where are they?

I don't know.

I see.

Let's go there.

Yamada Yamada Where's this train going...

Tastes good?

Yes.

This is my temple.

You'll have to come here and report to me occasionally.

We can just talk, that's all.

Will you come in?

My eel doesn't look so good.

I'll show you that shop you asked about.

Let's take a walk.

Can't you walk alongside me?

It's an 8 year habit.

1 2

1 2

Look forward.

1 2

Reverend Nakajima!

Another funeral?

Time to rake in more cash, huh?

No. We're just out walking.

He's an old student who's visiting me.

This is Mr. Takada.

This is Mr. Yamashita.

I'm showing him the sights of Sawara.

Sawara is as empty as the Sahara.

What's that?

It's an eel.

It's a whopper!

At least a kilo.

You going to gril lit?

He's much too fond of it.

Shall we continue?

Where are you going?

There's nothing out that way.

I'll show him the old barber shop.

He's thinking of starting up.

Not that old place?

I agree.

But he saw the photos

and liked the place.

Mr. Yamashita

Come back here.

Come back here.

It's changed.

Yes,a little.

It's so nice here.

Yamashita.

This is your bank book.

I got it from your brother.

He received 4 million yen when your mother died.

He spent a million on the funeral.

This is what's left.

Plus the 80,00 yen you earned while in prison.

It's 3.8 million yen in total. Take it.

It's a lot of money.

Prices have risen in the past eight years.

Use it wisely.

I know.

Bathroom and washroom are in there.

Bedrooms are upstairs.

What are you doing here?

I thought someone wanted to buy the shop.

It's not open yet.

Is it?

Please go back.

Mr. Yamashita

He's the son of peasants nearby.

He's dawdling here.

What a troublesome kid.

Is it?

I've one thing to show you.

It's the symbol of opening.

It's a good decoration.

Put it at the gate.

It's arrestive.

The condition of barber's is so tough here.

It's like deserted here.

No one comes.

Where is he?

What are you doing?

I like this place.

How about you?

Better than the prison pond.

What did you say?

I agree!

That's really weird.

Don't make clerical error.

I know.

I won't.

You should think this way.

It's your own business. No one knows about the disagreement?

Thank you for the bath.

Be careful!

Let me introduce you to my wife.

Put it down for a second.

I'm Misako. Nice to meet you.

I'll wash your things.

No, thank you. I can do it myself.

I just came here.

Please take care of me.

Sorry about this.

It seems that you are getting busier.

Ah...

Is it comfortable?

What's going on here?

You opening up shop?

What's he up to?

Apparently he's opening a barbershop.

You're kidding!

Barber's?

Your imagination is too bad.

Hello?

What are you fishing for?

Nothing in particular.

What if a customer comes?

I can see from here.

Don't I look like a customer?

Have you been in Barber's for long?

No.

I noticed you are well-skilled

I've been doing this for about 5 years.

5 years is not a short time.

I didn't do it at the beginning.

What did you do?

Before learning haircut.

Many jobs.

Like in publish company and food company

Oh, I see.

Talk to that eel, do you?

Make you laugh, does he?

I happened to catch it and I'm just keeping it.

We should go eel-hunting together.

That's strange.

That's downright unusual.

A woman here all by herself.

What's up?

Hi.

Don't stand out there.

Come on in.

I'm going to get some food for my eel.

Takada knows a good place.

Does he?

Come here.

The transaction needn't to be so clear.

Yes.

Have you caught anything?

What's this?

The bait for eel.

Ah....this...

Ah,I almost forgot.

My son's hair needs to be cut.

He will come to your shop later Please cut his hair shorter.

He's in the third grade of junior school,

dawdling at home everyday.

He got his ears pierced some days ago.

I really don't understand what he's thinking.

While you're on parole...

don't let yourself be drawn into any kind of trouble.

Is it an emergency

I don't know.

Where have you been?

Play the billiards?

Don't play that again.

Me, more clever.

That's me who give you the chance.

Do you like the star or horse race?

In my opinion.

Your baborshop should find a protector.

Are you coming for the protection money?

Shut up!

Have you got that?

That's the deal.

The some percent of the income.

Very cheap.

Pay monthly or seasonly?

Do you understand my words?

Introduce some guests here when you are free.

If there's some trouble call me.

This business will be nice.

Is that OK?

Did you get me?

How'd it go?

I'm first in line.

Find any good eel food?

What are you on about?

Anything wrong?

Will you come with me?

What for?

It's something I saw.

You are a high school student next year.

How can you not know this.

When you found this...

Why didn't you call the police?

I wonder who will be the one.

Was there anything in her purse?

Sleeping pills

and lipstick.

Did you open her purse?

I didn't touch it.

I didn't touch it.

Who gives a damn?

Nothing was stolen, right?

Come on, we reported it!

I have to cover all possibilities.

What for?

Is that so? Good.

She'll live.

It's good she was found quickly. They pumped her stomach.

She will be alright.

We'll be in touch if there's anything else.

I'll go to the hospital.

OK.

What a bummer.

It wasn't a murder.

Watch your mouth!

No pat on the back for the good citizens?

Watch your mouth!

No pat on the back for the good citizens?

Don't be a smart ass.

Come on, I'll show you how to use the spear.

What spear?

The eel spear I was telling you about.

That...

That...

Gone.

Damn.

These days...

hardly anyone spears eels anymore.

Only me in these parts.

Got 'in!

Pull it off.

Did you know that woman...

Who tried to kill herself?

No.

No, but she resembled someone...

Really? Who?

My wife. We're separated.

Right!

Game to try your luck?

What?

The spear.

I'll hold the light, you spear.

There's one. Right over there.

There's one. Right over there.

There you go.

What's wrong?

What was that for?

I don't feel comfortable doing it.

I am writing to tell you that your wife

I wanted to ask you a favor.

I was going to come tomorrow,

but the sooner the better.

A favor?

Yes. It's about that Miss Hattori.

Miss Hattori?

I'm sorry for all the trouble.

The policeman said you saved my life.

The policeman said you saved my life.

May we come in?

Please.

Please accept this, along with my apologies.

Actually, I should thank you, not apologize. You saved my life.

Thank you very much.

Is this the favor?

She's looking for work in town,

So I thought of your place.

Here?

She stayed a few weeks with us.

while she thought things over.

But she doesn't want to return to Tokyo.

Better she works than stays idle.

Naturally she'll be staying at the temple.

I'm sure it will work out.

You've no objection?

No objections.

But I don't...

You saved her.

So help her.

If she wants to commit suicide again...

You cannot watch this.

Yes.

You can pay her as much as you want.

OK?

Thanks.

She can do the cleaning and cooking.

Do you mind the things that happened in the jail?

Change the shoes at the door.

Sorry.

Good morning.

Catch anything?

The door's open.

Okay.

Shall I wash the towels?

Towels?

The used ones.

We're running low.

Towels are washed on Tuesdays.

But it's such a nice day.

It's out back, right?

I worked for a barber as a kid.

I even did shampoos.

Anything else to wash?

Don't wash anything.

But we have very few clean ones.

And few customers, too.

Are you sure?

I couldn't find a vase.

I don't like flowers.

No flowers in the shop?

I didn't say that.

What made you do it?

I shouldn't have asked.

I fell in love with the wrong person.

I started to think,

what's the point in living?

I probably deserved it. Punishment for what I'd done.

Good morning.

Hello there.

Not here for a haircut.

What do you make of this?

You don't like spears, right?

This won't hurt the eels.

We call this the hole.

Leave it out overnight and pull it up

when there's something init.

Just leave 'em out overnight.

This is special.

The length is proper.

Eels won't go in if it's too short.

Just leave 'em out overnight.

The difficuilty is to find a proper plcae.

Wana try?

Slowly and quietly.

You didn't divorce your wife. She died, didn't she?

I lost my wife, too. I can tell.

Tie it tightly or lose it.

Am I right?

I've had my fill of women.

One month later

You are certainly here.

How wide the sky is!

It's beautiful.

When I had the drug I thought...

Why is the sky here so blue?

If I was dead...

I would be part of this blue sky.

Today's gonna be sunny!

What are you up to?

Mr. Yamashita said I could borrow this when he's closed.

Think you can call up a UFO with that?

They did it in America, in Colorado.

Come on in.

It's an hour's wait.

Please.

Settled in, haven't you?

Yes.

Some over here, please.

Ok.

Have some potato.

Thank you.

More than just settled in.

He couldn't do without her.

Why?

Why?

Look at him.

You like kids, do you Yamashita?

It's my first time.

Can you give this to Emi?

It's a concert ticket.

She'll be by to pick it up.

Playing hooky again?

No,

I'm in the middle of a marathon.

Joji, take along some fried sweet potatoes.

You two seem to be getting along.

Cut it out.

Don't get so upset.

I don't want any rumors.

Please, I'll give you a shampoo.

Too late, word's already out.

Everyone's talking about you two.

Didn't you know?

I'll go make lunch.

I'm sorry for any trouble.

Trouble?

You know, the rumors.

lnvolved with a would-be suicide.

Get me the sauce.

I've been meaning to ask you.

Why do you keep that eel?

An eel suits me.

I'll do them.

That's Ok.

What'll you do if aliens come?

Make friends with them.

They're constantly watching us.

They only come to those who really want to meet them.

Aren't you really just afraid

of making friends with people?

You're afraid of dealing with people, right?

Just like you,

right?

You talk to your eel

because you don't like people, right?

No, no.

Like this.

Too fast.

It's too dangerous.

Really?

Here I am.

We're together since last night.

They're my fellows.

Hi you all.

Come out tonight?

You agreed.

Ms. Keiko would say if she heard that.

Please help yourself.

We'll be glad.

Honey.

Go there.

Don't disturb us.

Let me go.

Go back.

GO.

She's boring.

Then we go.

Here we go.

Think of it.

Is he chinese?

No, he's japanese.

Different from you, goat.

The goat you are!

He is the same with all others.

Like you?

I write to you again to inform...

Where's the garbage you wanted removed?

Excuse me?

I asked them to come.

That garbage out back.

It's an eyesore.

Back of the building?

Yes.

Do you know him?

What happened?

I cut myself earlier.

It's really nothing.

Come inside.

Hi there.

What happened?

Sorry, we're closed today.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

You should see a doctor.

A doctor?

Does it hurt?

No.

Hold on tight.

You're shaking a lot.

Hold on tighter!