Original subtitles

On June 8, 2008, a 25-year-old man drove a rented truck into a crowd

in Akihabara, a district in Tokyo known for its electronics stores.

He ran over several pedestrians, then proceeded to indiscriminately

stab many others with a knife. He killed 7 and injured 10 more.

Hello, ma'am. Our maid café is family friendly.

Sure, sure.

It's on the third floor.

We'll check it out later.

Please donate to the relief fund for victims of the quake and tsunami.

Hi there.

You're here alone?

Yes.

I'm not some shady person, I'm a photographer.

Here, you can see some of my work.

Mind if I photograph you?

You just have to act normal.

I take pictures of ordinary people here.

I won't publish it without notice.

Here, this is my card.

Where're you from?

Saitama.

Rode the Express in?

Right.

You came alone?

You come often?

Do you work?

Here for a date, maybe?

How do the people here look to you?

Cheerful.

Full of energy, like they love this place.

I see.

What's your name?

Hikari.

Hikari. Well, Hikari, do you like Akihabara?

Do you?

It's empty.

Empty?

- Yeah. - What else?

There's also...

the river.

The Kanda River?

That's all.

That's all, huh?

Why me?

You looked so uncomfortable, yet more at home than anyone else.

I was intrigued.

Got a boyfriend?

What's he like?

An electronics geek.

Yeah? What kind?

Likes to build from scratch.

Likes to take apart anything that's electronic.

He broke a bunch of my iPods and cell phones.

What else?

He also...

loved Akihabara.

And here in Akihabara,

he was killed.

Candytufts

Hikari, Hikari!

What did you do today?

Planted some pansies.

And studied a bit.

I see.

I told Daddy.

That if you want to go to recording school, you should.

What did he say?

Nothing.

What should I do?

No need to rush.

Sure, I'm glad you finally feel like going outside.

But it's nice having you home to help.

Candies.

Thanks.

I'm sorry, Mom.

You still go to Akihabara?

Yeah.

I see.

I need to end it, though.

I need to end it.

Kenji is gone.

I'm fine.

Right.

A helicopter.

Where's it heading?

Hey.

Oh my god, how long's it been?

Three years.

Since high school, right?

Heard about what happened with you.

- Do I look different? - Yeah.

Seriously? How so?

You look slutty.

Well, it's for my new man.

This is him. Isn't he hot?

It's like I finally met someone I like.

This time it's for real.

Anyway, are you doing okay?

I wasn't.

Seriously? That's intense.

And now?

A bit better.

What've you been doing?

Holed up at home.

That stuff really stays with you.

I guess.

So much happens when you live long enough.

Wanna know why I look different?

What?

I'm actually filming today.

Filming?

Yeah, porn.

Don't look so shocked! A lot of girls do it, you know.

The thing is, I really want to be an actress.

Porn is a stepping stone for me.

I get to study acting and make connections and stuff.

It's him, can you take it?

My boyfriend.

I'm answering?

You sure?

It's fine. I'm putting makeup on.

Hello?

No, I'm a friend of Maria's. My name's Hikari.

She's putting makeup on.

Sorry, here's the 30,000 yen I borrowed.

Yes, I'm with her right now.

Yes.

Okay, can you hold?

Maid Café Pinafore.

Please come by later!

Weren't you here last week?

When I came last week, I saw a girl looking down.

Wanna commit suicide together?

You like it here?

Not even locals know this place.

I was brought here by someone who loved this place.

What?

Why now?

What do you want?

I only told him where to rent the car, that's all!

I had no idea what he was about to do.

He seemed nice enough.

What're you saying?

It wasn't my fault!

Are you okay?

Same with you?

What?

He told me...

to come here to see something cool.

You, too?

It was someone else.

What do you...

always see from here?

I can't even look.

Then don't come.

But this is where I feel most peaceful.

Look.

No one down there even cares about that incident.

Who are you?

You want to kill yourself?

No.

Good.

Hi, I'm "Quinka, with a Yawn". Hope you enjoy this song.

I chase you, call to you Draw you closer to me

Our love's tied up, tangled in the gray yarn

Never again will I pretend to smile

Wiping away the memories of those days like foam

I want to be clean always

Bare my naked heart and cry

Always near me is the Harunire tree at dawn

Reaching its arms high up into the sky

I can't look into your eyes so I ask my heart

The heart is always like a small boat

Almost a special love, yet we never get there

I'm the only string keeping us tied together

All my loves are on the other side of stars

If they're not by my side it means nothing

I want to be beautiful always

The same smile on my face

Always near me is the large Harunire tree

Always thinking only of you

What's the title of that song?

It's called "Harunire."

What is it?

Well, it's the word for the Japanese Elm tree.

Let's see, I was in a bookstore,

just browsing aimlessly,

and I found this book on Japanese Elms.

In Hokkaido or something...

Well... uh...

There's this one large tree,

standing in the middle of a field, and it was a Japanese Elm.

It was a photo book showing this one tree through the seasons.

So they're pretty big?

I imagine... they're quite large.

So, I was looking at those photos that spanned a year, and...

I just thought they were fantastic photos,

and ended up naming my song after it.

So what's...

Well, let's see... I, uh...

Well, I'm someone who's had a lot of romances.

I've fallen in love with many people in my life thus far.

So all these people were on my mind,

and, well...

Against that backdrop,

I was singing about the person I was seeing at the time.

Something like that.

Listening to it,

my heart started to ache.

Really?

What do you do?

Until recently, I've been shutting myself up at home.

And...

I couldn't bring myself to leave the house,

but I finally managed.

Now I'm hoping to attend a recording school.

I think sound...

allows you to recall things.

Even when you're somewhere else, just by hearing that sound,

you can remember something that had happened.

I think it's really important.

Thank you so much.

- I had a great time. - Me, too.

- Thanks for hearing my song. - Thank you.

Okay, then.

Take care.

Do you work?

Are you a student?

Wanna try dressing up as a maid? It'll look great on you.

You could be the top maid in Akihabara.

You get to enjoy being someone else.

Changed your mind?

Great, let's go.

It's right over there.

It's perfectly safe, so don't worry.

Role-playing is fun.

Look, over there.

You see her?

Hey, working hard.

New recruit.

It's up there.

When I say Shaka-Shaka, you say nyan-nyan, master.

Here we go! Shaka-Shaka...

Nyan-nyan.

Shaka-Shaka.

Nyan-nyan.

Shaka-Shaka.

Nyan-nyan.

And it's done!

How pretty!

Enjoy.

First time in a maid café?

Yes.

Here you go, nyan.

Thanks.

Thank you, nyan.

Nyan.

No need to work every day.

But we'd want you here for the weekend shifts.

Ever done service work?

No.

There's nothing to it.

You just have to be cute. You're cute, so you're okay.

Momo.

Yes?

Show her the ropes.

Yes, sir.

Ask her anything.

- Okay. - Don't worry.

Well, let's get you started. Change in the room over there.

Yes, sir.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Ready?

Come see us at Pinafore!

We're from Pinafore. Thank you, come by!

Come see us.

Come see us.

Come to Pinafore! Hope to see you!

Come see us

Come see us!

Come to Pinafore! Hope to see you!

Come see us.

Come to Pinafore!

Thank you!

It's a good gig, you know.

It's a piece of cake.

Just treat male customers as your masters,

and females as princesses.

And if the cops come, just casually walk away.

Oh, yeah...

Wait 'til a guy pays for the "Stroll with a Maid" option.

Earn 5,000 yen just for chatting for 30 minutes.

Oh, look at that creep. Hang on a sec.

Master, please come see me at Pinafore!

Really, please come, nyan.

Goodbye, hope to see you!

He's not taking the bait.

You really transform.

Really?

I can't even tell anymore.

You enjoy the job?

Not really, but I need the money.

Haven't been home in a week.

Here.

Where do you sleep?

Like manga cafes, sometimes.

Or I'll come here to get picked up by a guy

who'll take me to a hotel.

Aren't you scared?

I have a good eye for picking safe guys.

I'm careful, though.

I'd hate to get murdered.

I'm on top of that stuff.

Gotta look out for myself. No one's gonna protect me.

I figure I'll find something I want to do soon enough.

Akihabara sure turned boring, though. All these regulations now.

The geeks all flock to Nakano now.

All thanks to a few idiots, right?

I don't know.

You've been coming around here a lot, haven't you?

You stick out, like you're not one of us.

I wondered where you were going.

Every week, like some zombie.

Take this.

A bit pathetic.

Where will you go?

Hey.

The guy recruited you and you just tagged along.

He sleeps with all the girls at the café, so watch out.

Cute, very nice.

A bit too stiff.

Relax, loosen up.

That's right, good. Here we go.

"Pinafore."

Good.

Sir...

I can't.

Yeah?

That's too bad, but I understand.

I'm sorry.

No worries, normal girls shouldn't be doing this anyway.

Well, you can keep this photo, then.

A souvenir.

Thank you.

Anyway,

all these people, I wonder where they all spring up from.

Where are they all going?

Are you a student?

No.

You know,

the hardest thing for people is not having a mission.

We just need to set some destination.

You could always just figure it out as you go.

And when you get there?

Just come up with a new destination.

We walk every day in order to figure out our mission.

What am I rambling about? Sorry.

Wanna go to a hotel?

Got a boyfriend?

I'm sure you do.

You should leave now.

Ow.

I'm sorry.

You okay?

Looking for something?

Thought you might know.

Know what?

Kenji.

Who's that?

He used to buy parts here.

Well, that could be just about anyone.

I know guys who might know.

What is this place?

A haven from the outside.

So Hikari, do you still visit your parents?

- I actually live with them. - You do?

That's great.

You really think so?

Where do they live? Tokyo?

Saitama.

Not that far from Tokyo, then.

You get along?

Yeah, we get along.

But isn't it difficult when you have a boyfriend?

Like, isn't it tricky when you want to go home with him?

Go home?

When you want to go home with your boyfriend.

He's asking if it feels awkward bringing him home to the parents.

What about in America?

I don't really think it's a big deal.

No problem with her meeting the parents?

Sure, or else my mom will complain about it.

Mom will want to meet her.

My parents with my girlfriend? No way, man.

It'd be such a drag.

If your parents like her, that would make things easier.

But if not, it's a pain.

The mother-wife tension.

It can get sticky.

I have a question.

If your parents don't approve of her, would you break up?

No, not at all.

What about you?

I wouldn't break up.

My Japanese friend broke up after the parents disapproved.

Once I save up some money here,

I want to start a business.

- Electronics store? - No.

Hopefully a restaurant.

I'm not even that good with electronics.

Not like some other guys.

They used to build rockets, bombs.

I saw that and freaked out.

I can't beat those guys.

But even those guys get hungry.

They have sex, too.

So I'll be in charge of feeding them.

So, anything?

What?

Did anyone know... who you were looking for?

No.

Is he your boyfriend?

He died here.

When?

Three years ago.

June.

Was that...

Yeah.

Seriously?

We made a promise.

We promised we'd ride a boat together.

That's why you've been coming.

I wanted to see only what he saw.

But I'm putting an end to it.

An end?

The end is...

the end.

But...

He's gone now, right?

For me,

his world is what's real.

Gotta face reality.

What is reality?

He used to say...

that this world is all fake.

That sometimes it feels like...

his real self is elsewhere.

I didn't know what he meant.

But being here, I understand now.

Everyone's looking for a different self.

I know that guy.

You do?

He was tall, skinny,

curly hair.

He looked really smart.

How should I say...

He looked gentle.

He's one of...

the guys I mentioned I couldn't beat.

He used to come here.

Bought from me a few times.

You hid this?

Why should I tell everything to some weird, random girl?

What'd you talk about?

I think we talked mainly about electronics.

But he just knew everything.

So I remembered.

Sorry.

It's okay.

Thanks.

For remembering Kenji.

Are you still riding a boat?

You promised, right?

Wait, hang on.

...along the coastal areas within a 30km radius from the Fukushima plant,

and within 20km off the coast.

Search efforts in the convoluted coasts

and in the flooded areas

have proved difficult.

That's reality.

My parents...

are there.

There have been 11,578 deaths confirmed to date,

and over 16,000 remain missing.

Searching for the missing remains the priority.

Did you call them?

You're not going there?

I abandoned them.

My pathetic dad,

my useless mom,

and myself, always living in fear of my dad...

I left them all.

Thought I could do anything.

That I could be on my own.

That I didn't need help.

Know what the last thing I said to dad was...

before I left?

"Hurry up and die."

"Hurry up and die," I told him,

and slammed the door behind me.

I can still feel it.

It's not too late.

I can't! It's too late.

It's hopeless.

Look.

Is that reflection fake?

Am I real, talking here?

This is reality.

Even if the other side is the real world,

and we're the fake ones...

Me, you,

Kenji,

Akihabara, the mirror, TV...

This is all real.

It's not too late.

For a while,

I was holed up.

I lost track of the days, the months.

I gradually started to feel ill.

I couldn't feel anything.

My skin went numb.

Then...

I saw pansies blooming.

I planted them last year.

I barely cared for them,

but they were reaching for the sun on their own strength.

When I saw that, I thought, "How beautiful."

Even though Kenji's gone,

how beautiful, I thought.

I...

So...

it's not too late, I'm sure.

I understand now what Kenji was saying.

You like that photo?

I do.

You can have it.

Really?

You've changed somehow.

Will I see you again?

Maybe.

Well, take care.

You, too.

Our family's all safe. Please don't worry.

Our relatives in Gamou are fine and living with us, too.

Thanks.

Kenji.

I'm going to go on.

Misako Renbutsu

Toshie Negishi

Tomorowo Taguchi

Yukichi Kobayashi

In order of appearance

Executive Producer Tadayoshi Kubo

Producers Naoya Narita Mikihiko Hirata

Screenplay Nami Yoshikawa Ryuichi Hiroki

Cinematography Noriyuki Mizuguchi

Music Quinka, with a Yawn

English translation by Taro Goto

Subtitle timing, editing and additions for this version by famitsu1

Special thanks to ikeda69

Directed by Ryuichi Hiroki

This is a fictional film based on a true event that occurred in Akihabara.

However, the footage of the disaster areas are real.

The cast and crew send their sincerest condolences

to those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.