Original subtitles

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

ANNOUNCER: Where Western history comes alive.

Stories of the Old West,

stories of hardships and adventure,

of dreams and of courage...

stories of the American Pioneer...

are all apart of our past, of our heritage.

Pioneers came to the American West from far away places.

But none as far away

or with a heritage as far as a group,

which arrived in Gold Hill, California in 1869.

Where they came from the city of Aizuwakamatsu, Japan.

They hoped to establish a tea and silk industry,

but drought doomed the colony to failure.

Their leader, a German named Edward Snell

returned to Japan for money,

leaving in charge, a young man and a 19-year-old girl who met...

♪♪ [ somber ]

Matsu?

You said you could keep up with me okay.

We have to get to the post office and I--

Do you think there will be a letter from Mr. Snell today?

There has to be.

And if there is not?

I am responsible for 25 men

and you.

To get you all back to Japan somehow.

But it has been over two months,

and there has not been one letter.

So perhaps there will not be one today.

We will see.

Is it far now, Matsu?

About two miles.

Why was it not this far when we had the wagon?

It was always farther on the way back

because I will have to carry the rice.

I'’ll help you.

What would you do without me to cook the rice,

wash the clothes, and recite poetry to the men?

They like that.

Because it reminds them of home.

Old stories, old poems.

I would like to learn something new.

New poems.

American.

When I have friends, they'’ll teach me.

What friends?

In all the time

we have been in Gold Hill,

not one person has tried to help us!

It will change!

When the time comes, you'’ll see.

♪♪ [ dreamy ]

You will see.

♪♪

Look, Jimmy.

It'’s the Japs.

Must be going into town.

Oh, good.

Now you will see, Matsu.

We will have a ride into town.

[ hooves pounding ]I told you when the time came,

they would be...

our friends.

Jimmy Allen, you didn'’t stop.

So?

The least we can do is offer them a ride.

Now, you stop right this minute.

Whoa!

But we don'’t speak Japanese.

Thought you might want a ride into town.

You, uh, you want ride?

Permit me.

I am Matsunosuke Sakurai.

You speak English.

Yes. That is why I am here.

As emissary.

I'’m glad.

I mean, I'’m glad to meet you.

I'’m Amy Allen and this is my husband, Jim.

How do there, Mr...

uh...Please, call me Matsu.

I am honored.

You bought the, uh, the Grainer place, didn'’t you?

Yes. For all of us.

From Japan.

We live, work together.

Is she your wife?

Wife?

[ chuckles ] Oh, no.

She is Okei Ito.

Okei was nurse to the children,

but they have returned to Japan.

Until she also returns to Japan,

I am her--

I am responsible.

You'’re leaving?

Oh, no!

We stay!

We would like to stay very much, but--

But it is impossible.

You see, the plants are ruined

from the heat.

Yeah, it'’s been a long dry spell, all right.

What was it you was growing?

Tea.

Tea and mulberry trees.

Kind of unusual crops, ain'’t it?

For us, no.

But they are gone.

And no money.

We even sold our wagon.

So now, we walk.

Well, hop in.

Won'’t get to town standing here.

Morning, Daniel.

You know where I can find Doc Blake?

His office, I guess.

No, it'’s locked up tight.

There'’s nothing wrong, I hope.

Everything'’s wrong.

[ horses approaching ]

[ giggling ]Whoa, there.

It'’s the ricers.

Yeah, they come into the Post Office every week.

He does. Ain'’t seein' her.

[ Jim sighs ]

Here we go.

[ laughs ]

You will come soon.

Yes. First chance I get.

And you will not forget, please.

The poems?

I'’ll try and think of some.

You have been most kind.

We are grateful.Oh, don'’t mention it.

Any time.

Bye.

Imagine that. He has such elegant manners.

You like them now, don'’t you?

Yeah, they'’re all right.

I think we'’re going to be real good friends.

Well, I don'’t know, it's not a good idea to get too friendly.

They aren'’t our kind.

Hee-yah!

Carrying on like a Sunday School picnic.

They don'’t mean no harm.

They'’re the cause of it all.

Now, Daniel, look. Ain'’t nobody responsible for the weather.

Down here, anyway.

You see, Matsu?

Now we have friends.

Do you think they'’ll like us?

How would I look in a dress?

Like one of Amy?

Fat.

Well, I'’m wiped out, Joe.

Three hundred acres.

Yeah, worse I can remember.

About no sense gettin'’ all riled up

over something you can'’t change.

How many heads you lose?

Fourteen.Hmm.

So far.

Well, I lost 26, and Gabe there lost eight.

See, of course, you'’re way over on the other side of the Valley.

Gabe and I will are way down at the other end.

I know who you are.

What'’s that got to do with it?

We'’re a lot closer to the Japs, Joe.

Oh, Daniel! The Japs are hit just as hard as the rest of us.

It ain'’t their fault.Well, I say it is.

Ever since they came here, things have gone from bad to worse.

Now, how long are we going to put up with it, huh?

Until the good Lord sends down some rain.

Well, He'’s not going to do it.

He'’s not going to do it until we do what we gotta do.

It will be all right.

We have rice.

And then we will not be hungry.

DANIEL: Hey, you.

You going somewhere?

Yes.

We'’re going home.

[ chuckles ] That'’s right.

That'’s exactly right. All the way back home.

We figured you need a little help.

[ groans ][ yelps ]

[ yells out ]

SHERIFF: That'’s enough!

That'’s just enough.

What'’s going on here?

Just giving the ricer a little friendly advice.

I don'’t want any trouble, Turner.

Nobody wants any trouble, Sheriff.

But if trouble'’s already here,

there'’s only one thing to do and that'’s wipe it out.

I mean it.

So do I.

Are you alright Mr. Sakurai?I have done nothing!

I do not even know him.

Well, his name'’s Turner.

He has a ranch south of you.

Mr. Turner wishes us to leave.

We wish also.

But until the money comes,

there is no way.

Well, I'’ll tell you what.

I think it'’s best you stay out of town for a while.

Drought'’s a funny thing.

Gets people edgy.

No need to set them off.

I do not understand.

It'’s best.

I'’ll stop by and see how you'’re making out.

You'’re most kind.

I'’m sorry, Okei.

I did not expect--Do not be ashamed.

But I'’m here to care for you.

Okei-san, what if--I'’m not hurt.

But you?

Oh, it'’s nothing.

Mr. Snell promised.

A man cannot always do what he has promised.

I do not know what we will do.

We will go home and cook the rice.

It will only be half as far.

Because sack now is only half-full.

I want you to leave those people alone.

Yeah, well, all they gotta do is get out of here.

They'’re foreigners!

They'’re foreigners and they got no right

taking the land away from the rest of us.

I thought we'’d get around to that.

To what?

Everyone knows you wanted the Grainer place.

Tried to buy it for back taxes,

but you waited too long.

Look, this has got nothin'’ to do with that.

Somebody has got to protect the rights of the Americans.

Somebody is.

Look, Sheriff, I lost 300 acres,

26 heads of cattle, and I got a wife at home

taking sick, and they'’re contaminating the land!

Talk sense, Dan!

Well, you remember, Sheriff. I'’m telling you,

you let them in, and they'’re going to spread throughout this entire county!

The Japanese obey the law.

They don'’t bother anyone. They leave everybody alone.

It would suit you best to do the same.

Say, Tom.

Have trouble, Doc?[ grunts ]

Yeah. It'’s Sonora.

It'’s a fever.

It'’s not an epidemic yet.

But it'’s plenty serious.

Two men have died.

Well, I'’m sorry.

Anybody take sick around here the last couple days?

Well, no. Well, Dan Turner, his wife.

He just now mentioned it.

I better get out there.

Anything I can do?

Just keep it quiet.

We don'’t want a panic.

The way this town'’s been going,

it'’s town could explode just...

[ snaps fingers ] like that.

♪♪

♪♪

[ horses approaching ]

AMY: Ho.

I told you I'’d come.

I'’m so happy, my friend.

It is an honor that you visit.

I can'’t stay but I brought you something.

For me? Oh, Amy.

I nursed them along.

Not many folks had flowers this year.

I planted dozens but that'’s all that came up.

Well, sometimes one flower is more beautiful than one hundred.

Is it not?

I guess so, when you say it like that.

What are you doing?

Origami.

I make.

This is crane.

Bird of peace. I give it to you.

It'’s lovely, thank you.

I'’d like to see how you do it, sometime.

I will teach you.

I can'’t stay.

The Ladies Aide meeting went on forever.

It gave me kind of a headache.

You are all right?

Yes.

I'’ll be fine as soon as I get home.

Bye, now.

[ spurs horses ]

Hey, Doc, can you go over to Morty'’s?

Little Ed is kind of sick.

You don'’t look too good yourself.

[ chuckles ] I'’m all right.

Well, let me take a look at you.

I'’m fine.Yeah, sure you are.

Well, how are things?

Still pretty quiet?

Yeah, just like before a twister.

Well, Mike Fardem died this morning.

So it started. How many cases you got?

Twelve, thirteen.

Serious ones, that is.

How'’s Mrs. Turner?

Eh, she'’s doing pretty well.

I checked her over again this morning.

Doc.

Hey, Doc.

Doc, it'’s Amy.

You gotta come.

What seems to be the problem?

I-I don'’t know. She'’s out of her head.

I found her on the floor.

She was holding this.

Hmm. Origami.

What?Origami.

Japanese art of paper-folding.

Now do you believe me?

Are you ready to listen?

Turner, I'’m warning you.No, I warned you!

And it'’s come.

Now it'’s come-- the drought and the pestilence.

And you know who brought it?

The Japs.

The heathens.

Oh, yes, they came.

They came with their tea plants

and their silk worms

and their craven images.

Their false gods!

I am the law enfor--No, no, there is only one law.

And that is the Law of God!

The First Commandments have told us

that we should have no false gods!

And He, He has given us a sign.

How many acres have to burn?

How many cattle are we going to lose?

And how many people have to die?

[ All agreeing ]Are we going to do His Will?

Come on![ agreeing continues ]

Destroy the pagans!

Dan, just a minute.

Wait!

[ sighs ] It will not be enough.

Look how it has grown.

It will die.

Like the mulberry trees.

Perhaps tomorrow it will rain.

Bad things pass.

Good things take their place.

Dead leaves fall.

Spring flowers bloom.

We must be practical.

You know it is true, Matsu.

Remember how it looked before?

How green it was?

The streams ran,

the earth was rich.

It will again be so.

It will be too late.

Tomorrow I go to San Francisco

to borrow money for our return.

The men are lonesome for Japan.

For them, it is best.

For us?

Is there no way for us to stay?

[ sighs ] I have made a promise to bring you home.

The promise.

It is one of the old ways.

And do you so quickly put aside the old ways?

They change!

Japan changes.

It will never be the way we once knew it.

That is why we must stay.

We have failed.

We failed only if we go back.

If we do, then it may be hundreds of years

before our people again leave their island.

Maybe never.

But if we stay, others will come.

There is land here.

So much land.

We must be patient.

We must find a way.

You know nothing of such things!

I must decide.

We are not wanted here.

Remember, Matsu,

the Legend of the Magic Kingdom?

The streets were marble.

The buildings of pearl.

Even the peasants wore clothes of silk.

Everywhere was gold.

And food from the trees.

But the people, they were afraid.

They stayed in their houses and were hungry

because of the dragon.

He roamed the streets breathing fire

until one day,

a warrior entered the gates of the city,

faced the dragon and killed him.

then the people of the magic kingdom rejoiced.

It is a childish story.

We must face reality.

Our money is gone.

There isn'’t even any rice.

The men will starve.

[ scoffs ]

Certainly this is no magic kingdom.

People are not even civilized.

Don'’t you understand, Matsu?

Always, there is a dragon.

♪♪

♪♪

[ cowboys yelling in a distance ]

[ yelling continues ]

Stop!

Stop!

Stop!

Hey, stop!

Hey, stop!Jap, move over!

Stop!

Stop!

Let'’s get a move on!

Move on!

No!

No, please!

[ growls ][ screams ]

[ groans ]Turner!

[ yelps ]

This is most terrible thing.

If our people want to leave,

they will go.

But...

we will not be run out!

If we must fight, let it be so.

Well, I really don'’t want to take advantage of you, little man.

Provided you just leave,

take the whole she-bang with you.

[ growls ][ yells out ]

I'’m sorry.

It was the God of Love.

I-I don'’t know why.

It was Amy, she'’s sick with the fever, and...

I was scared.

I hope she is well soon.

We must now go back to Japan.

But I will not forget my friend.

Look, I-I don'’t believe you brought the fever,

and I don'’t blame you if you go ahead and leave,

but, well, if you stay,

I'’ll do all I can to help and I--

I think the boys will give you a hand.

Now we know.

We are not so different.

When forced, we fight.

When the fever comes, we also die.

Perhaps it is good that it happened.

I will ask Matsu.

Matsu?

You killed the dragon.

You'’ve decided to stay?

Then the people of the magic kingdom rejoiced.

A short time later,

Okei Ito died of fever.

And on her grave, Matsu placed a headstone,

which stands today in Gold Hill,

where each year the Okei festival is held

in her honor.

Though a few Japanese returned to their homeland,

Matsu and the rest remained here,

the forerunners of thousands of new citizens.

In Aizuwakamatsu, Japan,

a replica of Okei'’s monument

reminds the people of the girl who found a new way of life

in our American West.

♪♪