Original subtitles

Based on novel by MATSUMOTO Seicho

Crossing Mt. Amagi

Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture

December 1953

The handbills are done.

Thanks.

Amagi...

Amagi is a mountain on the Izu Peninsula.

Yasunari Kawabata's novel, The Izu Dancer is set there.

That novel was written in 1926.

I recall climbing Amagi that very year.

I was 15 at the time.

I remember meeting a woman along the way.

It's been nearly 30 years...

I can't help feeling fate has played a trick on me.

Crossing Mt. Amagi

June 28, 1926

Mt. Amagi, Shizuoka Pref.

I was thrilled to be climbing this mountain

that I had seen every day from afar, in Shimoda.

Surely, beyond it was a land where I could be free.

I'd never come this far before.

What are you doing?

You gotta put your back into it.

Do a good job or it won't sell!

Takichi!

I could only get three days' worth.

Thanks!

Some candy...

Why're you late? One delivery shouldna taken so long.

Where were you?

Gimme sake!

With Pa like he is, I'm depending on you.

But you keep slacking out.

Give the bottle a rest, Pa. We ain't got no money!

Git some work done...

...'stead of waiting for handouts from your brother.

Ma...

Can we subscribe to the paper?

I want to learn more about the world.

I want to read some books, too.

Don't make me laugh!

Can I go to middle school, then?

You think we can afford that?

You wanna drink so bad, we gotta sell Yoshie off.

I tell you, there's no sake!

Come on, Hisae...!

Why don't you read when it's light?

What is it?

You're always looking at me like that lately.

Why?

Why?

Tell me!

Yugashima 8km Shuzenji 16km

Hey, Sonny! Where you headed?

Shizuoka City.

On foot?

Is it far?

Sure!

Did you think it was just over the hill?

You could take a train from Mishima,

but even that's far — a good 40 kilometers.

How far are you going?

Shuzenji.

Can I go with you?

Sure, why not?

I gotta air these out for a while.

You're selling them?

I could sell you some.

Bean cake!

5 sen for two.

Why Shizuoka?

My brother's learning to be a printer there.

You're going all alone?

Or... did you run away from home?

I guess all boys go through that stage.

Water?

Won't your visit be a problem

if your brother's still in graining?

Even if you are his brother...

I just remembered... I gotta go this way.

What about Shuzenji?

Sorry... See ya.

I was alone again.

And soon beginning to feel sorry I had left home.

Where are you going?

Shuzenji.

Me, too.

You're from Shimoda?

You have a thirst for knowledge?

If they had the money,

your folks would send you to school, I'd bet.

You don't like the work of a smithy?

It's boring.

Life's not easy, you know.

I've learned that from my peddling.

Strangers are scary.

That means the world is scary.

Know anything about the world?

It's scary. Just like a woman.

You been with a woman?

How old are you?

Fifteen.

You'll learn how scary they are.

Remember that tunnel?

Weren't you scared before you entered it?

It's a woman, that's why it's scary.

Women and the world... they're like endless tunnels.

Can't see an inch in front of your nose.

Can't tell if there's an exit beyond the darkness.

You may get out, but what awaits you?

It may be Heaven... then again, it may be Hell.

That's why it's so complicated.

Want to take a break?

Just allow us to rest awhile.

How much for rice cake?

5 sen.

Can I go with you to Shuzenji?

Two rice cakes, please.

There's a navvy.

Guys like him drift from place to place

looking for construction jobs.

They're troublemakers. Be wary of them.

For me, too?

Thanks, kid.

How about this? I'll make it cheap for you.

Kimono peddlers deal mainly with women.

"How about a pretty kimono for your daughter?"

"How about a kimono for New Year's Day?"

"Add a kimono to your dowry."

I go from door to door and visit the same homes,

so I learn a lot about the families.

That gives me an advantage.

Actually, I'm pretty popular with women.

When I tell them stories of places like Tokyo or Kyoto,

they practically swoon.

You've been to Tokyo?

I just make believe I've been.

Saki's back? Did she leave her husband?

I'm gonna make a stop here. See you around.

She's an old friend...

Where are you going?

Back to Shimoda.

Shimoda...?

Perfect. I'll join you.

I wonder how far it is to Shimoda.

About 40 kilometers.

Guess we can't get there by tonight.

Try taking off your sandals. It's easier walking barefoot.

Just wear them over rocky ground.

Well?

Feels good!

Nice and cool.

Come over there!

I'll do it.

It smells nice.

I'm sorry. It's my powder.

In the glow of evening, red dragonflies

How long since I saw them from my mother's back?

The mulberries in the mountain fields

Did really pick them on so long ago?

You learned that in school?

Yes.

They even teach you songs there!?

What about you?

Never went to school.

And you... Why are you alone?

You live in Shimoda?

What does your father do?

He's a blacksmith.

You're taking over?

No.

Any brothers and sisters?

Two older brothers and two younger sisters.

Then, your brother will take over the business.

They've both left home.

I just visited my brother in Shizuoka City.

That leaves only you.

I hate being a smithy.

I want to continue my education.

And become some great person?

I don't want to be great.

I just want to see the world.

I want to work.

To do that, I need to study.

And one day you'll be king of your own castle.

A man's gotta dream big. I wish you success.

You can do it!

My pa won't let me.

What about your mother?

Our home is Hell!

I want to leave it as soon as I can.

Hell...?

Your only choice is to escape from Hell.

Of course, there may be another Hell awaiting you.

But, it's better than just waiting.

Where are you from?

Me...?

I've been moving from place to place...

...from one dangerous rock to another.

Who knows when I might fall?

This might be the end of the road for me.

The branch got you.

Can't let germs get in.

Is this edible?

Not till autumn.

You sure are smart.

Where are you spending the night?

Maybe in Yugano.

Oh? How nice.

What about you?

Under the stars, I guess.

Then I'll join you.

Who's that, I wonder.

A drifting navvy.

I was warned to be wary of drifters like him.

Why?

Guys like him cause trouble.

What sort of trouble, I wonder.

If he dares, I'll protect you.

How sweet!

Listen...

I want you to go on ahead.

I have to talk to that guy.

What about Shimoda?

I might be a little delayed.

I'll wait here.

No. Go on!

I have to talk to that guy. Go on ahead.

I'll catch up to you when I'm done.

Then, the next day, I returned to my home in Shimoda.

And now, it's nearly 30 years later.

What a shock!

Among these pages, I discovered references

to the drifter and the beautiful woman I met

when I crossed Mt. Amagi almost 30 years ago.

Even my name was mentioned.

Sir! A visitor.

I'm Tajima. I ordered a print job.

I was about to send it to you for proofing.

I was in the neighborhood.

I'm sure there were larger printers in Shizuoka.

They were busy, it being the end of the year.

A friend of mine recommended you.

You're with the police?

I retired last year, but I help out part-time now.

Since I have time in my hands,

I decided to write up some of my old cases.

I suppose you read this.

I glanced through it.

Did anything catch your interest?

All of them...

I thought the Amagi case especially interesting.

That murder on Mt. Amagi has weighed heavily on my mind.

Whys that?

The case began with a report from the Yugashima police.

It was June 29, 1926.

The site was on the Yugashima side of the Amagi tunnel,

near the Shirahashi bridge.

We discovered some personal belongings,

but here was no one in sight.

There was a struggle here.

The plants are crushed.

It looked like the owner of these belongings

had gotten into trouble.

We searched the area the next day.

Nice and cool in this ice shed.

The owner...

These footprints... They yours?

They ain't mine.

You're sure?

Covered the ice with a nice layer of sawdust

day before yesterday, the 28th.

Ain't been in since.

Get someone to check the footprints.

Shimoda Police

From the type of clothing and other belongings,

the victim was probably a navvy.

Check it out.

Now, this vest...

A coin purse with money and tobacco were in the pocket.

All but the bottom button are missing,

and these shorts were inside-out when found.

They were probably removed forcibly by someone else.

Judging from this slit, the victim is probably injured.

Why would a robber leave the coin purse?

June 28, about 8:00 AM,

a man who looked like a navvy was seen headed toward Amagi.

He was seen near Yugashima about 3:00 PM the same day.

Witnesses describe him as...

5'7", short-cropped hair, about 45 years old.

He was headed toward Amagi.

The body was discovered on July 10.

It was located at Namesawa, downstream of Wasabizawa.

Do that somewhere else, will you?

What did you find?

It's summer and the body was in the water so long

it was badly decomposed.

He been dead about 10 days.

I'd say he was 35-50 years old.

Cause of death?

There is a knife wound in his back, here.

The wounds about 2-1/2 inches deep.

He probably bled to death.

I have a feeling it was murder.

He couldn't have stabbed himself!

Thank you very much.

Sir...

The wound in his back and the slash in the vest match.

So, that victim was the navvy.

On June 27 and 28,

the victim progressed toward Amagi on the Shimoda Road.

On the 29th, we found his belongings here.

On July 10, his body was found here.

From all this, we can surmise

that he was killed here and thrown into the river.

It rained heavily In the hills on the night of June 28.

The raging river probably carried his body downstream

where it was discovered on July 10.

Thus, the time of the crime has been narrowed

to the night of June 28.

We concentrated on discovering was on Mt. Amagi

around the time the victim was there.

Two people came to light.

A priest in Yugashima saw a barefoot woman of 26-27,

wearing a flashy kimono walking toward Amagi.

Three hours later, at a tea shop on the mountain,

the owner and a customer

saw a woman who looked like a prostitute

and a boy of about 15 heading toward Amagi tunnel.

The two were seen descending toward Shimoda the next day.

About 7 AM on the 29th,

a woman who looked like a prostitute

was seen walking toward Shimoda.

A little later, a young boy was seen headed for Shimoda.

We later discovered that the only people

on Mt. Amagi after dark on the night of the crime

were that woman and the young boy.

It took the two of them the whole night

to get to the other side.

We searched for the two people.

We soon found out who the boy was.

Takichi, the cops wanna see you.

What happened?

Did he do something?

We just want to hear about Mt. Amagi.

You crossed Mt. Amagi on June 28, didn't you?

He left early in the morning.

I was real worried, but he came home the next day.

Did you meet anyone on the mountain on the 28th?

A cake dealer and kimono peddler.

Anyone else?

When I turned back at Yugashima,

I came across a woman.

How far did you accompany her?

Till the entrance to the Amagi tunnel.

The woman was alone?

No one will be upset with you for telling the truth.

She told me she wanted to talk to a laborer there.

Nothing to worry about.

We've got to find that woman.

Get an ID on her.

Judging from the fact that she was on foot,

and she looked like a prostitute,

I'd say she works at one of the spas in the area.

She's probably somewhere near Shimoda.

She may have headed for Kawazu or Ito.

Shimoda Precinct.

Shimoda!

Er... yes, sir.

Shuzenji teahouse... a prostitute?

Come visit again, honey.

Welcome, sirs.

You're here about Hana?

Behave yourselves in front of the detectives?

Get to the back.

Clear outa here!

She ran away on the 28th of last month?

That's right.

Hear you had men looking for her. Any luck?

Not a trace.

That woman's a pain! She still owes me 300 yen!

What's she like?

Well...

She's a mean one.

Wouldn't surprise me if she killed somebody.

She tried to get me with iron tongs once.

She almost killed me!

Shimoda Precinct...

We've ID'd the woman we put the APB out on.

Date of birth: June 1899 Place: Kuji, Ibaraki Pref.

Name: Hana Otsuka (27)

July 15 Oshima Island

Welcome...

What will it be?

You're Hana Otsuka?

You were once at Teahouse Ikoma in Shuzenji?

Who're you?

The police.

Let me go! Let me go!

We took Hana to Shimoda the next day.

Takichi! That woman's been caught.

They're bringing her from Oshima by ship.

Murderer!

But Hana didn't admit to the crime.

No way! I never killed nobody!

Why are you doing this to me?

Hana Otsuka!

Your permanent address...?

Tell me!

4218 Oriashi Kuji, Ibaraki Pref.

Right?

Why would I kill a navvy?

For his money!

You met the laborer on Mt. Amagi on June 28.

The boy who was with you told us you sent him ahead

because you wanted to talk to the navvy.

You had run away from your brothel

without any money that day.

And yet, the night of the 28th, you stayed at inn in Yugano

and paid them 60 sen the next morning.

What's more, you signed in as Mitsu Moriyama.

You did it cause you killed the man!

He gave me that money. Two 50-sen coins.

He agreed to pay it.

Who'd give you money just to talk on the roadside?

What's the laugh for?

You know what it's about.

I sold him my body.

For 1 yen!

There was a nice grassy spot near the tunnel entrance.

I lay down like this.

I could see the sky.

I saw the evening sky beyond the man's face.

Let me out!

What did I do? Let me out!

Hot, isn't it?

You bribing me?

Nothing like that.

What's so funny?

I'm laughing?

My folks told me to always smile,

'cause I look like a criminal if I don't.

You look worse when you smile.

Drink up.

You're from Ibaraki?

Why'd you come to Shuzenji?

I didn't come straight there.

You've been through a lot?

I was sent to work at an inn when I was 14.

There were too many kids at home.

Guess my folks sold me off.

I see.

My contract ended when turned 20.

I went on to Atami.

Your folks...?

I never wanted to see them again.

Atami was better.

Why?

I heard it was warm there.

It's by the sea, there're lots of hot sprigs

and it's warm in winter.

You like it warm?

It was always cold when I was little.

I wanted to go somewhere warm.

What did you do in Atami?

Worked at an inn.

Hooked up with a cook.

Found out he had another woman.

I didn't mind, but I guess she did.

That cook got stabbed by her.

He died?

No, but I didn't want to stay there any longer.

I spent only one year in Atami.

I moved to Mishima, then Numazu...

...to Ito, then Shuzenji.

And this is Shimoda. You've circled the peninsula!

Everywhere I went... it was hell.

Why'd you run away from that teahouse in Shuzenji?

Teahouse...? It's just brothel.

That's why...

I wanted to find myself a different life.

I was losing myself!

Damn you!

What is it?

You stole my john!

Who?

Shin!

He was yours?

Damn you!

You sneaky bitch!

You shoulda put a leash on him!

You gonna kill me?

Don't think I won't.

Hana, must you always cause trouble?

I don't mean to.

Then don't go stealing customers.

She's too old to get her own johns.

If you didn't owe me money,

I'd toss an old bag like you out!

You get no customers, so you drink all day.

You're just getting older and deeper in debt.

More wrinkled, too!

What're you gonna do?

Nobody'd wanna marry you. What you gonna do?

Maybe there's some old geezer out there who'll take her.

That might be your only choice.

Go sweet talk some bugger out of his savings.

Pay off your debt to me and get lost.

That would make me very happy.

Make up your mind!

You better eat!

How long are you keeping me here?

Let me out! What did I do?

Why'd you head for Mt. Amagi?

How many times do I have to tell you?

I figured they'd be looking for me in Ohito or Nagaoka.

I see.

It wouldn't occur to them that I'd cross Mt. Amagi.

That's what I told you!

Where did you meet up with the laborer?

I told you that already!

Where did you meet him?

Shall I repeat that?

The tunnel entrance.

Weren't you with a boy?

I sent him ahead.

We agreed on a price so I led him into the bushes.

And you had sex.

Listen... you wanna hear all the details?

I want to hear what happened after.

He gave me the money and I split!

Didn't you kill him? Then you went to the ice shed.

Ice shed?

You planned to sleep there

but there was ice, so it was too cold.

Instead, you walked to Yugano and stayed at an inn. Right?

What's an ice shed?

Where ice made in winter is stored.

We found some footprints in the sawdust covering the ice.

Size 6 barefoot prints.

Barefoot...

We know you walked the roads barefoot.

And your feet are size 6!

You left the man behind

as soon as your business was done?

Yes...

When'd he pay you?

Just before I left.

He didn't hold back?

We'd agreed on 50 sen,

but I begged him for another 50.

He agreed?

He complained at first.

I don't know what happened after!

He was clumsily packing his things, so I left.

Then, he was killed.

It wasn't me!

You were the only people on the mountain that night!

It was about 9 PM when you arrived at the inn in Yugano.

If you had sex,

then killed the guy and stripped off his clothes,

you would have reached the inn just about 9:00.

Bet you fought over the money.

As you were arguing, your violent nature took over.

No telling what you'll do when you lose your head.

You attacked that whore at the teahouse with iron tongs!

Isn't that what happened on Amagi?

You got mad and stabbed him with a knife or something.

It wasn't me!

Then who?

I don't know!

You sent that boy ahead

so you were the only one on the mountain that night.

You were seen leaving the Yugano inn

on the morning of the 29th.

A little later, the boy headed for Shimoda.

Where'd he spend the night?

He spent the night outside a temple near Yugano.

Why don't you confess?

This is the end of the line for you.

You'll either end up back at the same brothel,

or dead by some roadside.

If he causes any trouble, I'll protect you.

How sweet!

I...

...I killed him.

Good girl!

In the glow of evening red dragonflies

How long since saw them from my mother's back?

The mulberries in the mountain fields

Did I really pick them oh so long ago?

You're not cold?

I've got to let air in from time to time.

But, Hana Otsuka was found innocent.

After she confessed,

she seemed to not care what happened to her.

She said she threw the weapon into the river,

but it was never found.

Her story was ambiguous and there was no conclusive proof,

in December of that year,

the charges were dropped and she was set free.

It's been nearly 30 years...

The statute of limitations ran out 15 years ago.

Looking back, there were many things we did wrong.

We couldn't get any footprints at the scene

during our initial investigation.

Unfortunately, a downpour that night obliterated any prints.

We never uncovered what the weapon was, exactly.

To this day?

Yes.

Then... there are the footprints we found in the ice shed.

I think we were wrong to decide

the footprints were those of a woman.

But I feel that someone spent the night

in that ice shed that night.

But...

Wouldn't it be too cold to sleep on the ice?

The sawdust must have been damp, too.

I talked to a man who harvests natural ice for a living.

He says he naps in the shed during the summer.

There's a ladder in the shed.

If you lay the ladder down over the ice

and place a plank over it, you get a simple bed.

You don't get any sawdust on you, and it isn't cold.

I've a feeling there was a ladder in the shed that night.

A young boy accompanied Hana partway over the mountain.

He told us that he descended the mountain ahead of Hana,

after parting with her.

But, it wasn't till the afternoon of the 29th

that he reached his home.

Where did he spend the night of the 28th?

A size 6 footprint need not belong to a woman.

It could belong to young boy. Don't you agree?

Mr. Tajima...

You don't think Hana killed him?

Not anymore.

We should've probed more deeply into the actions of the boy.

He was a child of 15, so we never suspected him.

I wonder why Hana said she killed the man?

I've been puzzling over that.

I wondered about the song...

Why did she sing that song?

As she murmured the song, she seemed like a little girl.

Like she was trying to protect something pure and innocent.

While working on this book, I took a trip to Shimoda.

The boys home is now a garage for tour buses.

The boy left Shimoda over 20 years ago.

It wasn't long after that Japan went to war.

Who knows what became of him?

Sorry to take so much of your time.

When will this be ready?

I'd like to have it by the end of the month.

I'll rush it.

Hana Otsuka

How about another 50 sen?

You said 50.

Listen, I made it real cheap for you!

You were watching?

I was in such a panic,

I don't remember how I stripped his clothes off.

I couldn't find any money on him.

But, I wasn't really after his money.

I've never told anyone about what happened.

After awhile, the incident faded from my memory.

There was a long war, and so much confusion afterwards,

the incident became hidden in the recesses of my mind.

Until I heard the detective's story today.

I can no longer be tried for what I did that night,

but the shock running through me now will never fade away.

Your records room...?

3rd floor.

Come in.

I've brought your books.

I had to come this way, anyway.

Thank you for coming.

So, you've come....

I thought I should.

It must have been a heavy burden.

No...

...Yes.

Thanks for your trouble.

I still can't figure out why he was killed.

It wasn't written there.

It probably had to do with feelings for the woman.

I guess only those involved would know.

Yes?

...What become of Hana Otsuka?

She moved from town to town. Seems she's in Noto now.

She's alive?

She sells seafoods at the morning market there.

Where's the morning market?

You're leaving, Hana?

You want something?

Won't you sell me some fish?

I only carry seaweed.

I'd like some.

Your home...?

It's not far.

You live with someone?

No. But no use sweet-talking me!

You're not from here, are you?

I'm a traveler.

From where?

The Tokyo area.

I'm originally from Ibaraki.

How'd you end up here?

In the old days...

I preferred a warmer climate. The south.

I lived down there awhile, but too many things went wrong.

Many things...

there was the war, and so many other things.

And I liked it better in a new place.

This isn't Paradise, but it's a good place.

What did you want?

Seaweed.

40 yen.

Never mind... they're just leftovers.

Your fingers...

I'm a printer.

The president?

You're king of your own castle.

Thanks.

Hope you make a fortune!