Original subtitles

Those sweet memories

stay with me day and night.

So never, ever I forget.

240745-2347

Lumpfish caviar...

duck salad, carpaccio, cauliflower.

On dry land, the fish

pretends not to speak a word

of Japanese language.

Takahashi. Taka...

...hashi.

Icelanders have been urged to return from abroad.

Many countries are closing their borders, forcing people into quarantine.

Icelandic tourists are worried, not knowing how to return back home.

Forgive me.

Icelandair flight 450 to London is ready for boarding.

Passengers, please proceed to gate 6.

Hello.

Kristofer. Hi. Have you closed down your restaurant?

Yes, I'm going to London.

London! Are you alright?

I'm fine. I tried to reach you last night.

A pandemic is breaking out. You shouldn't be travelling now.

I'm looking for a friend who disappeared.

What are you talking about?

Who disappeared?

Are you sure you're not making this up?

I'm late for my flight.

Already at the airport?

Boarding card, please.

Excuse me, it's my daughter. - No problem. Your boarding card?

Thanks. - Are you there, Kristofer?

I'm buying chocolate.

Have you heard from your doctor?

No, not yet.

So you haven't gotten the MRI results?

Don't worry about me.

Shouldn't you wait until you get the results?

I'll be in touch, dear.

Speak soon.

Thank you.

In the afternoon

Arai snores and the stove

rests before dinner.

In the afternoon

Arai snores and the stove

rests before dinner.

What is that?

Looks like a haiku.

You read.

Go on.

I'll help you.

Fine, I'll try.

In the afternoon

Arai-san snores and the stove

rests...

rests before dinner.

Very good, Kristofer.

Thank you very much.

Kristofer. Aren't you coming?

We have class.

With that idiot Engstrom.

No, I have to finish this.

The Remaking of Socialist Politics.

- "The whole of..." - Shh.

Can't it wait? - No.

Engstrom out, out, out, out!

Hear us, LSE!

- No gates! No police! - Leave!

- Just leave! - Engstrom out, Engstrom out!

Out, out, out!

This is not going to help your cause!

No gates! No police!

Their suspensions will not be lifted if this continues.

- Is that a threat? - Leave! Just leave!

Engstrom out! Engstrom out!

Out, out, out!

Engstrom out! Engstrom out!

Out, out, out! No gates! No police!

Markus. - Thanks.

Excuse me. Hi.

Here comes our labour leader.

Comrade Kristofer!

We made it inside.

What do you mean?

English, please.

The old building... some of us got in.

They locked me and Markús out,

but, uh, there's enough people inside.

To do what?

To get the school to lift the suspensions.

For God's sake.

The Old Theater was off limits. They knew it.

Still those idiots decided to protest there.

The school can't tell us where we can meet.

Exactly.

They can't treat us like children. - You behave like ones.

What? What?

There were plenty of other places to meet,

but they chose the Old Theater...

- Don't listen to him. -...just because they were told not to.

So you're with the administration on this one?

- "With the administration." - Come on.

He's just pulling your leg.

Cheers, mate. You're way too serious.

Cheers. - Cheers.

- Afternoon, sir. - Good afternoon, sir.

My name is Kristofer Hannesson.

Yes.

I should warn you that there is talk of a lockdown

as early as tomorrow,

which would require us to close down the hotel.

That's too bad.

I plan to stay.

Well, on the plus side,

you're staying for half the price, aren't you?

Of course. Thank you.

Hello.

I'm calling from Dr. Stefansson's office.

Is this Kristofer? - Yes.

You have an appointment today. - Today?

We have the results from the MRI scan.

I'm afraid I forgot about it. I apologize.

I'm currently travelling.

It's important that you come in as soon as possible.

Talking on the phone is not allowed in the dining room.

I'm afraid I have to hang up.

Goodbye.

I struggle remembering certain things.

Vague memories?

I often have a hard time trusting my memory.

Often?

Or most of the time.

What about your motor skills?

I'm stiff in the morning

and throughout the day.

It feels like being hit by a truck.

In the morning? - Yes.

I'm losing my fine motor skills.

Tying shoelaces, buttoning up. Sending texts.

You're doing your exercises? - Of course.

I recite my bank and ID number, the menu from the restaurant.

And sometimes a haiku. - Haiku?

Do you know what it is? Japanese poetry.

I've heard of it.

The test you took doesn't tell us much

but it gives us an indication.

We need to do an MRI.

Of your brain.

Revealing my secrets.

Anything to hide?

Not really.

Kristofer.

In situations like yours, people often use the opportunity

to take care of unfinished business.

While they still can.

It's just an advice, in case you may have unresolved issues.

Dropping out because of the suspensions?

I'm quitting because the school is ruled by

oppressive conservatives.

I'm wondering if we're dealing with

the remaking of socialist politics

or the remaking of Kristofer Hannesson.

Jónas, do you think supply and demand curves

are gonna help us make a difference?

Mm, yes. So why don't you quit? - I just said I would.

- Is he really gonna quit? - I don't know, man.

He's been talking about it for a while. - Look, you could join the proletariat.

"Staff wanted." They're hiring.

Hey, Kristofer wants to join the proletariat.

Go on. Get a job with the Japs.

Okay.

Hey, Kristofer.

What an idiot.

Hello?

Come on, Kristofer!

- What an idiot. - Hi.

We open at 6:00.

Oh, no. Uh, I was just actually here for the job vacancy.

Huh?

The j... There's a sign outside your door.

You want to wash dishes?

Yeah. I mean, if that's what it is.

You come tomorrow morning at 10:00 for interview.

Thank you.

Sorry.

Oh.

Um...

- Uh, sorry. Yeah. - Excuse me.

So, how did it go? Did you get the job?

Come on. You're not serious about this, are you?

Yes, I am.

Saving the world by becoming a waiter?

No, as a dishwasher.

That's going to make a difference.

Hi.

- I'm sorry. I thought, um... - Uh, we don't open

till lunchtime.

No, I'm-I'm actually here for the job interview.

- Interview? - Yeah.

Oh. Uh, o-okay.

- Uh, you wait there, please. - Okay. Thank you.

Takahashi-san.

Yes?

A foreigner is here for an interview.

- Please. - Thank you.

So, where do you work? What restaurant?

Uh, I've never worked in a restaurant before.

So, what do you do?

I am, uh, currently a student,

uh, at London School of Economics.

This is not part-time job.

I'm not looking for a part-time job.

You want to quit studying? Why?

It's just, um, I lost interest.

Great school. Very respected.

You know how to cook?

Even dishwasher need to know something.

Uh, yeah. Well, I know how to boil cod and potatoes.

I used to work on, uh, fishing boats in the summer.

- Fishing boats? - Yeah.

You worked on fishing boats?

Yeah, back home, uh, in Iceland.

Huh. Iceland?

- Yeah. - Iceland.

- Volcanoes like Japan? - Yeah. Exactly.

Oh.

- Come with me. - Yeah.

This used to be a bakery.

Really?

Big space, cheap rent.

Goto-san, this is the foreigner who came for the interview.

Hi.

What do you fish in Iceland?

- Um, mostly flatfish. - Huh?

- Like, uh, halibut. - Ah.

And sometimes we also got monkfish.

- Monkfish? - Yeah, monkfish.

- Oh. - But, uh, no one wants it.

- Oh, pity. - Huh?

Good fish, monkfish.

- But so ugly. - Oh, but tasty.

Iceland. Iceland.

- Uh, here. That's it. - Oh.

Oh.

I used to live here in, uh, Snaefellsnes.

- Huh? - Snaefellsnes.

Snaefellsnes.

- Oh, you from there. - Yeah.

How long were you out for fishing?

- Uh, overnight. - Uh-huh.

But sometimes a little bit longer

if we went, uh, up here to Látrabjarg.

- Ooh. What did you say? - Látrabjarg.

- Látrabjarg. Látrabjarg. - Látrabjarg.

- Sit down. - Thank you.

Uh...

Any other type of fish in Lotor... Lotor...

- L... In Látrabjarg? - Látrabjarg.

Uh, yeah, we... Sometimes, we got cod

and, uh, haddock, as well.

Ah, good for fish and chips.

Exactly.

- I grew up by the sea, too. - Really?

- Mm. - Hmm.

May I see your hands?

Yeah.

The scars.

From fishing?

Yeah.

When can you start?

Tonkatsu?

Uh, tonkatsu is breaded pork.

Yes.

Uh, soba?

- Buckwheat noodles. - Right.

Yakitori?

Uh... chicken.

- Cured chicken. - Mm.

Right, Goto-san? - Yes.

Let me help you.

Saba no shioyaki?

- Saba no... - Saba is a mackerel.

- Saba no shioyaki. - Yeah. Saba no shioyaki.

Uh, you're-you're too tall for me.

I'm so sorry.

Thank you for waiting. - One beer, please.

Here, noodles are ready. - Welcome!

Welcome!

Thank you. Let's eat.

Meat balls ready for table 1. - Yes!

Here are your meat balls. Please enjoy.

For you.

It's much better than London School of Economics.

Good morning.

So far, so good. Smart boy don't break anything yet.

It's only his first day.

Goto-san, hurry up. - Coming.

We're going out for our break. - Alright.

When you're finished cleaning up,

you have a break until 6:00.

I take nap.

You leave if you want. Fresh air.

But first, finish.

Thank you, Takahashi.

Uh, san.

Hello, mate. You all right there?

Yeah.

I was wondering if...

Yeah, yeah. Come and have a look. Come.

Yeah.

An accident waiting to happen,

at the back there. What you quite often have

is teams want to play like Man City,

but, uh... but asking National South players to do that,

the young goalkeeper there struggling...

What do you reckon?

Do you know what this stands for?

I'm not that good at Chinese.

It's actually kanji.

Hi.

So you're the gaijin

my father has been talking about.

Uh... nice to see you again.

Hi.

Arai-san, this is our new employee.

Krist...

- Kristofer. - Kristofer-san.

- Nice to meet you. - Ah. Nice to meet you.

Uh, Goto-san usually has weekends off.

Arai-san, very experienced.

And an opera singer.

Really?

But not working in London.

And you met my daughter, Miko.

Uh, yes.

Behind you.

- Oh. - She work weekends.

She also student at UCL.

Psychology.

- Not so practical. - Sorry.

Dad, stop talking about me.

Let's get dressed.

Hey.

Tamagoyaki, deep fried shrimp, and ginger pork for table 3.

Good to see you again, Yamomoto-san. Here you are.

One sake, please. - Got it, one sake.

Thank you.

Why did you quit?

Excuse me?

Studying at LSE.

Uh...

Just lost interest.

...Most people complete their studies anyway.

Not me.

Were you ever interested?

Mm.

Yeah.

You remind me of him.

I'm sorry, I remind you of who?

Lennon.

M-Must be the glasses.

Or the beard.

No.

It's something else.

Now they're married.

Did you see the pictures of them in bed?

Uh, in the hotel?

What do you think?

I mean, I respect what they're trying to say.

There was something off about a...

revolution started in a five-star hotel.

You sing?

No.

I-I was in a choir back home, but...

- A choir? - Yeah.

You sing good like him?

No.

Not even close.

- Can I take this? - Yeah, go on.

Hello, dear. - I've been waiting to hear from you.

What's that noise? - Sorry.

I'm at a tattoo parlour.

Why? Doing what?

Getting a tattoo.

Have you gone insane? - No, why?

Your fiancé is all inked.

His name is Axel. - Axel, right.

He's tattooed from head to toe.

What has he got to do with it? - I'm just teasing.

Come home while there are still flights.

It's a Japanese symbol.

The borders are closing and you're in London getting a tattoo!

Courage. It means courage.

Call me when you're out of this noise.

Sonja!

Sonja.

No, it's so happy.

Well, it's a classic.

It's the only thing I care about.

- Oh, typical women. - Aw!

- What-What's got into you? - It's gonna be gorgeous.

They won't leave. - What's the rush?

My friends from school are already waiting outside.

I was hoping you would help me close up.

Hitomi. Can you cover for me?

Again? No way. I can't.

Miko, you should help out. - What's going on?

Sh-She wants me to close up so she can go out again.

Uh, Takahashi-san, I can close up.

Kristofer is up for it.

Uh... is it okay?

- Yeah. Of course. - Okay, okay.

Okay then, Miko, you can go.

But don't stay out late. We have work tomorrow.

I promise.

Be careful. - Yes.

Maybe I made a mistake.

A mistake? Why?

When I came to this country.

Uh, how long have you lived here?

Since '57.

Do you have, uh, family here?

Is that why you came?

- No, no family. - No?

So why England?

Cheapest flight from Tokyo.

Was that where you lived?

Yes.

We came from Tokyo.

Look at you!

Yes, it's a Mary Quant.

The dress is very short. - You think so?

Oh, well.

Hitomi, we're not in Japan. Maybe you should buy yourself one.

Me? No!

You look amazing.

Mwah!

Home many times did you listen to that song?

What song?

Hi.

Are you learning Japanese?

Uh... I don't understand.

I mean, I said,

"Are you learning Japanese, Kristofer?"

Uh, yeah.

Look what I found.

Oh, um, this is Naruki, my boyfriend.

Hi, Naruki.

Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.

My name's Kristofer.

Are you, uh, working tonight?

Yes, I think so.

Okay, I'll, uh, see you then.

Okay. Maybe.

Ah.

Uh, I'll take this one.

"Nakamura"? M-U-R-A?

- Yeah. "H-Hitomi," by the way. - Mm.

Oh. Sorry. Could you keep your distance?

- Two meters. Thank you. - Yeah.

- Thank you. - Uh-huh.

Where did you say she lived?

The last time I knew was in Croydon, South London.

Uh, Addiscombe Grove.

But that's some time ago. 50 years.

50 years?

To be more exact, 51.

Mr. Hannesson...

If I may be so bold,

you are the last guest left.

We have to close the hotel as soon as possible.

You may want to go back

while there are still flights to Iceland.

I'm not going back.

Well, there is no Hitomi Nakamura

living in Croydon that I can see.

- There-there... - Let me be more exact.

Last time I checked it 20 years ago, she had moved.

So you-you looked for her 20 years ago,

- Yeah. - but you-you couldn't find her then?

Let me explain.

Okay.

Please do.

- Mmm. - Mmm.

- You try. - Mmm.

It's better with a pinch of salt. - I agree.

- Mmm. Really good. - Need more time in jar.

Mm.

This is basic.

Many type of pickles.

Misozuke. This is with red soybean paste.

Only red miso.

- Misozuke. Misozuke. - Misozuke.

- shoyuzuke. - Pickle with soy sauce.

What did you say it was called?

- Shoyuzuke. - Shoyuzuke.

- Shoyuzuke. - Shoyuzuke.

And a pickle with sake yeast. - Kasuzuke. Kasuzuke.

Pickle with, uh, uh, sake yeast.

Mm.

Shibao dislikes

salt.

I am sweet.

Mr. Amari is a sweet person.

Do you have a girlfriend?

"Garfrendo"?

Do you have a girlfriend?

No.

Did you ever have a girlfriend?

Yes.

Did you talk a lot with her father?

Miko, stop that.

I... didn't know her father.

So you never talked about your relationship with his daughter?

No.

It, uh, wasn't serious.

We didn't have any expectations.

So that's what makes a relationship serious?

Not whether you have the permission from the father.

I'm sorry, Kristofer-san.

Could you give us privacy?

Damn it.

"A calm sea but waves

"high as a mountain,

breaking inside my head."

Hello?

You found her?

That's...

that's great to hear.

I'll be right with you.

Thank you so much.

Mm.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

The electoral register. That's where we found her.

Oh, my God.

I have a friend at the British Library.

Thank you so much.

Now, I have to ask you to check out

no later than this afternoon,

as we are closing down the hotel.

No problem.

Of course.

Kristofer-san...

...you like cherry blossom?

Um, yeah.

Very fragrant. You smell.

They are plastic!

Oh, very funny, Hitomi.

Thank you, sir.

There she is.

Hitomi, you have a guest.

A guest?

Who is it?

Good morning. - Good morning.

Hitomi, can't you remember me?

I am Kristofer.

Kristofer-san?

Please. Please keep your distance.

No touching.

- You old now. - You haven't changed at all.

You now older than me.

Are you still a communist?

I was always more of an anarchist.

Now I'm just old.

You still very funny, Kristofer-san.

Come. This way.

Goto-san, Takahashi-san in the kitchen.

Such a strange kitchen. You remember?

Yeah, I remember.

An old bakery.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, and here just Takahashi-san.

Where is this taken?

Mm.

Oh, in Japan, after they moved back.

So they moved back home?

Yes. Takahashi-san contact me many years later.

But what about Miko?

Miko, she only contact me

when, uh, Takahashi-san die in 2004.

Where in Japan was she living?

I don't know.

But I think I might have a letter.

Let me have a look.

It should be in here.

Yeah.

Here.

Huh.

- And it has a return address. - Yeah, yeah.

So they moved back where they came from.

Yes.

That was the only time I hear from Miko.

Yeah.

It's like we never left.

He's still stuck there.

In Tokyo?

No.

Hiroshima.

Hey, Barry. Did you find anything in Japanese?

- Yeah. - Great.

This is the only thing I found,

but it should give you an insight into the aftermath

from their perspective.

- Okay. Perfect. Thank you. - It's good to see you again.

You, too, Barry. Have a good day.

The sky was filled with smoke and dust. Then black rain started to fall.

First they were quarantined, considered victims of a mysterious disease.

The disease was radiation sickness.

Such a big monkfish.

What's your name?

"Uh, I don't understand.

Don't you speak English?"

You're so funny, Takahashi.

Hello.

Oh, Kristofer-san.

- I'm a so beautiful monkfish. - Fish.

Don't you think?

You are really cute, Mr. Monkfish.

Oh!

- Oh. Kristofer-san. - Uh-huh?

You know haiku?

Yeah, I've heard of it.

- Uh, Japanese poem. - Mm-hmm.

- Only three lines. - Mm-hmm.

Very, very simple.

Very, very difficult.

- I wrote a haiku about a fish. - Uh-huh.

This one in Japanese.

You read.

Oh...

No, I can't. I...

I just started learning, Takahashi-san.

Try. I'll help.

I'll help.

Try.

Uh...

- This is... - Mm.

On dry land, the fish

pretends not to speak a word

"Iwana." Iwana is a fish. - of Japanese language.

On dry land, the fish pretends not to speak a word of Japanese language.

Thank you.

This is a haiku.

Hai. Uh, sometimes,

uh, there is a personal confession in haiku.

- Interesting. Mm? - Really?

So...

Listen everyone.

Once I worked in a restaurant where they had a haiku bowl.

Everyone wrote a haiku and put it in the bowl.

Takahashi-san wants us to write haiku

and put it in the bowl.

No. No, no. - I'm going to put it here.

All of you write one. You too.

No, no, no. No, no, no, no.

Thank you for coming, Naruki-San.

I'm Takahashi.

Nice to meet you. - Excuse the short notice.

Please have a seat.

Calm sea.

The waves are calm.

- Kristofer. - Yeah?

There's two guests asking for you.

- For me? - Mm-hmm.

Hello.

I didn't know you like Japanese food.

How are you?

I'm fine. How are you? - Fine, fine.

I thought you had gone home for the summer.

We got a job at school. - Really? Doing what?

Research.

I work for Morgan. Jonas for Engstrom.

Engstrom?

You always said he was an idiot.

What changed? - That's not true.

For God's sake, don't start with that communist nonsense.

We just came to say hello.

How do you like it here? - Just great.

Aren't they all Japanese?

It's a Japanese restaurant.

You know what it's called.

Kamikaze.

Kamikaze. - When are you coming back?

To school? I'm not coming back.

You're not? - No, of course not.

Maybe we should all become dishwashers.

Then we'd reach perfect equality.

Sure.

Well, I have to get back to do your dishes.

Cheers. - Good luck.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

On dry land, the fish

Thank you for waiting, sir.

Would you please put down the table? - Yes.

Thank you. - Here is your meal.

Would you like something to drink?

Red wine. - Red wine it is. I'll bring it to you.

Thank you. - Thank you very much.

Hai.

525...

525-2665

229.

On dry land

the fish

On dry land

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, dear Kobayashi.

Happy birthday to you.

Doctor Kobayashi is very happy.

Fifty years old and still so handsome.

Did you give him a birthday kiss?

Miko!

Happy birthday, dear Kobayashi.

Happy birthday to you.

Thank you very much.

Congratulations.

Kristofer, you don't know the birthday song?

Uh, no. I've never heard it before.

You know,

Kristofer sings in a choir in Iceland.

Oh, you sing in a choir?

And you don't tell me?

Why don't you sing a song for Dr. Kobayashi?

No.

Please sing. No, no, no, no.

I'm not that good. It's not a good idea.

Just one song.

One Icelandic song.

You can do it.

Do it for me.

Okay.

Um...

Okay.

Looking back on days gone by.

Precious to my heart.

Those sweet memories

stay with me day and night.

So never, ever I forget.

Hai.

It was very good.

A beautiful voice.

I didn't know you could sing.

It was very good.

Jesus Christ.

Morning. You are up early, Kristofer.

- Good morning. - You want some breakfast?

- Uh... - Bacon? Sausage?

Uh, no, Mrs. Ellis. Thank you. I'm late for work.

Too early to be late.

Bit of fried bread? Grease your lungs.

Bye-bye.

Funny boy.

Arai-san is not so good today.

Too much drinking last night.

Yeah, he was having a lot of fun.

You make torikatsu.

- Me? - Yes, you.

- Um, Takahashi-san. - Hmm?

Uh, I've been wondering.

Would it be okay if I came here in the morning

to practice cooking?

I'd-I'd clean up after myself and pay for whatever I used.

No.

- You don't pay. - Mm.

What do you want to cook?

I'd just like to see if I can make the, you know,

the traditional breakfast myself.

I-If that's okay.

Of course, Kristofer-san.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Here's your appetizer. - Thank you.

A beer for Mr. Yamamoto. - Okay.

Takahashi-san.

Hitomi. It's not a dead fly.

Oh. Kristofer-san.

What is it?

"A calm sea,

"but waves, high as a mountain,

breaking inside my head."

Waves only in the head.

Very emotional.

You're a good poet.

Arai-san, have you seen Kristofer?

He is out in the backyard.

Dad says you want to be a cook.

- He told you that? - Mm-hmm.

Uh, no, no.

Well, I-I just want to see if I can make the...

you know, the traditional breakfast properly.

And who's going to be the judge of that?

Me, I guess.

Do you want me to come?

Yes.

But you can't be too tough on me, though.

Are you afraid of that?

Yes.

Miko, I'm terrified of you.

Dear passengers, we'll be landing in 10 minutes.

Please fasten your seat belts.

Keep your electric devices turned off until landing.

We've yet to talk about Sonja, your daughter.

How old was she when you started dating?

Wasn't she... - She was turning seven.

Seven.

How did she respond to you?

Just fine. - Really well.

Does she call you 'Dad'?

Usually she does.

But 'Kristofer' if I upset her.

That rarely happens. He overindulges her.

How so?

Well, I'm the one who ends up setting her boundaries.

Did you ever discuss having children of your own?

Inga thought it might be too much for Sonja at first.

Then time passed and...

Mm-hmm. So you chose to postpone having more children?

Yes.

Was that the reason?

No.

Hello, mate.

- What can I get you? - Hey. Good morning.

- Um... - Clams.

We've got some quahogs from Dorset. Slightly sweet.

Razors from Shetland. The Scots call them "spoots."

Cherrystones from Essex.

Here you are. Try this.

Thank you so much.

Sweet and salty.

"TO KRISTOFER-SAN."

"A GENTLE SOUL."

Welcome.

Good morning. - Good morning.

You look good in that jacket.

Thank you very much.

It's from my father, right? - That's correct.

Delicious.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So, what do you do when you're not working here?

I read, listen to music,

try to study Japanese.

Well, sounds like you're doing really well.

Thank you.

Do you miss home?

Mm.

- Uh, Iceland. - Mm-hmm.

Sometimes.

What about you? - This is my home now.

Oh, no, I mean, um, Hiroshima. Do you miss Hiroshima?

Hiroshima...

There's nothing left.

We left a long time ago, and we're not going back.

- I'm sorry. - It's okay.

I put, um, clams in the soup.

Cherrystones from, uh, Essex.

I'm sorry. I can't sit like this.

My knees aren't Japanese.

What was your girlfriend's name?

Uh, Hildur.

- Does she live in Iceland? - Mm-hmm.

Did you sleep with her?

Yes.

How was it?

Excuse me?

Was it good?

Yes.

But it wasn't serious?

No.

So you didn't love her?

I was fond of her.

So, um...

...why did you come here to work?

Because of you.

Um...

When we met?

When you were leaving...

Mm-hmm.

...and I was coming in.

I told Dad not to hire you.

You told him not to hire me?

Mm-hmm.

Why?

So that he would.

Welcome to our hotel. - Good day.

Good day.

I need to take your temperature. - Thank you.

You're fine. The reception is there.

Good day. - Good day.

Welcome to the Candeo hotel.

Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here.

You speak Japanese.

Just a little.

I must ask you to read our new guidelines.

It's written in English as well.

You also have to wear this mask. - Yes. I understand.

The moonlight,

it's cold.

I feel it.

I don't feel anything.

Really?

- Nothing? - Mm-mm.

Close your eyes.

- Still nothing? Nothing? - No.

Have a seat.

Ready to order? - Today's special.

One today's special, please!

Here you are. Fish broth dipping noodles.

Thank you.

Kutaragi-san, welcome!

This is very good.

I'll have dipping noodles and dumplings.

Dipping noodles and dumplings!

Your usual dish.

Thank you.

Isn't it tasty?

I'm Kutaragi.

- Kristofer. - Eh?

I'm Kristofer.

- Kristofer. - Yeah.

- Kristofer. - Okay.

English?

Icelandic.

But I lived in England.

Oh, really? So did I.

- Yeah? - London?

Yeah. 51 year ago.

- A long time ago. - Oh.

1973, I arrived.

Salaryman.

First job in London,

selling oil to European shipping company.

Next job, import steel for transformer.

Very successful,

Kristofer-san. - Excuse me.

Uh-huh.

My daughter.

Kristofer. It's March 20th.

- Everything all right? - Oh, yes.

Do you have children, Kutaragi-san?

My son, he's salaryman like me.

Very busy.

Too busy for old father.

I thought I had put it on silent.

Sorry.

- Your daughter again? - Yeah.

It's about her birthday.

Oh, you forget her birthday?

Oh, yes. And what's even worse,

I forget to tell her about me going to Japan.

Oh.

Not good, eh?

- I know. I know. - Kristofer-san...

not good.

He's everywhere.

Who?

Jesus.

Mrs. Ellis is really religious.

She screwed and stuck it to the wall.

Is he supposed to keep an eye on you?

Well, I hope not.

I'm gonna be in big trouble.

I can't stand it.

I felt like he looked at me differently when I left.

Takahashi-san.

That's just your imagination.

Why can't he know about us?

I mean, why does he have to know about us?

So we can stop sneaking around.

I don't get it.

Thought you said he liked me.

He does like you.

I just don't understand.

What is it that you don't understand?

- Kristofer. - Morning.

Your friend, the young lady, where is she from?

She's from here.

And before that?

Japan.

Mm. Be careful.

'Futsu-shu.'

Uh, basic sake.

And, uh...

'Junmai Daiginjo, Hakkaisan.'

Very premium.

- Strong. - Strong.

We'll have some Hakkaisan, please. - Yes.

It's very tasty.

Why did you come here?

I always dreamt of visiting Japan.

Mm-hmm.

Ooh. Here.

Cheers to our friendship. - Cheers to our friendship.

Oh, sounds good. Cheers.

Cheers.

- Very good. - Good.

I marry in 1970.

When my wife died,

I feel very lonely.

40 years married.

40 years.

You ever hear the Japanese word "kodokushi"?

No.

My Japanese is not that good.

It means "fear of dying alone."

You even have a special word for that.

Kristofer-san.

You are not here just to visit Japan.

Why did you come all this way?

Don't worry.

Dad won't be home until after midnight.

He never is.

And what about the neighbors? They might see us.

Well, they don't care for us, and we don't talk to them.

Dad likes it that way.

My mother.

And this is Miko, right?

That's me.

Come.

My mum painted them.

Dad and Mum lived in Hiroshima.

And... Grandma and Grandpa were visiting that day.

It was the summer holidays,

so Dad and a few others were repairing a school roof...

just outside Hiroshima when the bomb fell.

Mum was six months pregnant.

I don't know how Dad managed to find the ruins of the house.

He says he has no memory of it.

Only of the burned earth

and the black rain...

...and the river

filled with floating corpses.

When Dad found Mum,

she herself was badly burned.

She gave birth to me a month prematurely.

And she died a year later.

So I'm still a hibakusha.

- Hitomi. - Yes?

Can I ask you something?

Of course.

This word, "hibakusha," uh, what does it mean?

Where did you hear that word?

I just saw it somewhere.

You should learn different Japanese words.

Uh, can't you just tell me what it means?

It means "atomic bomb survivor."

And what if you can't find her?

It's been a long time.

Yeah. You know something?

Lots of Japanese people,

they travel all the way to Iceland

in hope of seeing the northern lights.

But knowing that they might not, they still go.

- Eh. - I understand...

- Yeah. -...Kristofer-san.

Life very short.

Always good to sing.

Until we meet again,

the day we can meet again.

Where will you be?

What will you be doing?

I don't want to know.

I don't want to ask.

For we would hurt each other like we used to.

Everybody!

When we close the door together.

When we erase the name together

Our hearts will speak to us.

I love you, Miko.

What?

I love you.

I love you, Kristofer.

Sonja dear,

I forgot to tell you that I'm in Japan.

I'm on the Tokyo Express to Hiroshima.

I'm sorry I missed your birthday. Again, I know.

I hope you had a good day.

Speak soon. Bye.

Good day. - Good day.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.

Good bye.

Slice it very thin. Gently.

Very good.

Well done.

We haven't seen you since your birthday party.

Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.

Thank you for taking the time to come, doctor. - No problem.

Good evening.

Welcome.

Roses? - You want to buy roses?

Big, small or medium? - Medium.

Red or pink? - Pink.

"TAKAHASHI, MIKO"

What are you going to do for the holiday?

Yamamoto-san complains that we close for the holiday.

I said, "One week, Yamamoto-san. Only one week.

You eat somewhere else for one week."

He said, "No, eight days.

You close for eight days."

So, what are you going to do?

Uh... don't know.

- No? - No.

Uh, don't have anything planned.

Oh. Oh...

What about you, Takahashi? Are you going somewhere?

We go somewhere, yes.

Really?

Takahashi never goes anywhere.

Takahashi-san never go anywhere.

Make sure to lock up.

Yeah. Of course.

- Hi. - Hi.

I didn't expect to see you tonight.

Is everything okay?

Um, I have something for you.

For me?

It's fragile.

Thank you.

It was my mum's cup.

She made it.

Fujisan.

Fujisan. It's beautiful.

Are there Japanese people in Iceland?

Um, not that I know of.

Any Asian people?

Probably at the embassies or...

That's it?

Yeah.

Wh-What's going on, Miko?

Can you tell me what you're thinking?

Miko?

Hi Dad.

Have you found your friend?

Won't you just come home?

I'm worried about you.

Did they fire you?

Uh, no, we're closed for vacation.

Oh.

Until tomorrow.

I go back to work tomorrow.

Someone brought this in yesterday.

Said it was for you.

Who?

A Oriental gentleman.

"KRISTOFER-SAN"

Kristofer-san.

What's going on? What happened?

Takahashi-san closed down Nippon.

He closed it down? When?

Tuesday. I-It happened very fast.

He asked me to take care of the fish.

Where's Miko?

I don't see Miko, but I think she leave with Takahashi-san.

Leave? Leave where?

Takahashi-san don't say.

- Okay. - Can you take that side?

- Is that too heavy? - No, it's fine.

Take it carefully.

Uh, excuse me. What's going on?

Where's the family that lives here?

They've gone. We're moving in.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Excuse me. Excuse me.

I'm sorry if I startled you.

Do you speak English?

Do you speak English?

I don't.

Takahashi-san. Miko-san.

Do you know her?

Who are you?

My name is Kristofer Hannesson.

Kristofer.

Should I write it down? - No need.

Do you know Miko?

I do.

Wait a second.

Oh, take off your mask.

Ah. Uh...

The elevator is out of order

so we'll take the stairs.

Miko has been ill.

She got the virus.

She just came home from the hospital yesterday.

How is she?

She was very sick.

She is still weak.

This is my stop. You go ahead. - Thank you.

You need to go on to the seventh floor.

There is a chair in front of Miko's door.

You talk to her there. - Off you go.

Thank you very much.

Is that really you?

Yes.

I hope you had a good life.

Nothing to complain about.

Miko, shouldn't you be resting?

I can come some other day if you like.

No. The doctors say

I'm no longer contagious, but...

I don't know.

I...

I brought you some flowers.

They...

they might need water.

Miko?

Yes.

Kristofer.

Miko.

Forgive me.

You don't need to...

Oh. Forgive me.

Mm.

Forgive me.

Mm.

Oh. You're still here.

I'm not going anywhere.

What time is it? - Midday.

Already?

Mm. But you needed the rest.

You want some tea? - Thank you.

Green tea?

Mm.

I looked you up later.

Much later.

You did?

I found you.

You were married.

You must have hated me.

Never.

But I was angry for a long, long time.

I'm sorry.

Ah.

It's nice to get some fresh air.

You still smoke?

Is that a problem?

Reminds me on our first talk.

Oh.

In the backyard at Nippon.

Exactly.

I've pictured us there so many times,

but more in my room.

We're alone,

and you start asking about my father.

I was so scared of him, that he might come home.

Hashimoto-san told me

that you worked with children.

Children.

They became my passion, you know?

I never married.

Do you remember the word...

"hibakusha"?

Yes, of course.

Atomic bomb survivor.

Yes.

Well, I was 11

when Dad first told me what happened to Mum.

About the bombing of Hiroshima.

Until then, I only knew that we had lived here in Hiroshima

before we moved to Tokyo.

But now...

he felt he had no choice but to tell me.

That was the first time I heard the word "hibakusha."

There was a lot of discrimination.

There still is, in some way.

People thought it was hereditary.

Some people thought it was contagious.

Dad wanted to get away from it all,

so we moved to London.

You know, at first, his rules and prohibitions

- didn't affect me. - Hmm.

But then I hit puberty.

There are imperfections inside you.

Inside,

you're damaged.

This child,

is severely disabled.

The child was in the womb when the mother was exposed to radiation.

Like you,

she is a hibakusha.

But Dad.

There's no evidence I can't have healthy children.

You promised me.

If you bear a child like this,

you won't be able to take care of it.

Do you remember when Naruki

came to the restaurant?

That's when Dad told him I was a hibakusha.

That was enough.

But I didn't care.

I had met you.

And then something changed, didn't it?

Yes.

I thought I found the answer.

Persuading Dad wasn't easy,

but he agreed.

Of two evils,

sterilization was better

than having to trust me to keep my promise.

Sterilization?

I thought that was the only way.

Excuse me.

I have an appointment with Dr. Kobayashi.

Takahashi-san.

I've been expecting you.

Please, this way.

I'll examine you by hand.

Your uterus is a bit enlarged.

When was the last time you had your period?

Dad didn't ask who the father was.

The father?

I told him.

He was so fond of you.

I thought it would help, but it didn't.

I was gonna tell you about my pregnancy,

but I lost my courage.

To Dad, I had committed the crime he most feared.

He was convinced the baby was disabled.

I started believing it, too.

He ordered me to stay at home.

He closed Nippon,

paid the staff, booked our flights,

all in a matter of days.

Said goodbye to no one.

We moved to Takehara, village east of here.

This was where his roots were.

Where he had buried my mother.

After everything,

after more than 20 years away...

...after he had escaped,

he came back.

Is my baby okay?

It looks fine.

Congratulations. - Thank you very much.

Sign.

Important papers. Just sign.

The doctor says,

the defects will appear later.

His name is Akira.

Your son's name is Akira.

He looks like you.

We were very lucky.

He was adopted by good people.

The husband is Australian,

the wife Japanese.

Mm. Akira.

- You said the name was Akira. - Yes.

I love the sound of it.

Guess what he does.

He's a chef.

- No. - Yes.

He runs a restaurant in Kure.

It-It's an oyster boat on the river Sakai.

He cooks everything himself.

Oh, he's a very good chef.

And I go see him every week for lunch.

Does he know about you?

No, he'll never know.

I... I'm a regular. I-I sit at the bar.

Oh, we talk of this and that,

of, uh, food, the weather.

And...

he has two daughters.

- No. - Yes.

The older is an engineer.

The younger studies history at university.

- Okay. - Yeah.

Come.

Welcome to the restaurant, this way please.

Thank you very much.

Miko-san, good to see you again. - Thank you very much.

How are your daughters doing? - They are fine, thank you.

This is my friend from Iceland.

Iceland?

We met in London.

This is Akira-san.

This is Kristofer Hannesson-san.

Kristofer-san... Welcome to my restaurant "Kakibune."

Mm.

Are you alright, sir? - I'm fine.

I'm fine. I'm fine.

Good.

He can speak a little Japanese. - Yes, he can.

Enjoy your meal. - Thank you.

See how he looks like you.

Do you still sing?

Less and less.

There's little left of my voice.

Hmm.

Well, what was the song you sang

at the birthday party at Nippon?

You mean...

You talking about that one?

That was when I fell in love with you.

Think that would work again?

You can try.

Oh.

You're still shy.

- Oh, yeah. Can't help it. - After all these years.

Can't help it.

Mmm.

Yeah.

Looking back at days gone by.

Precious to my heart.

Those sweet memories

stay with me day and night.

So never, ever I forget.