Ornamental Hairpin (簪)

A SHOCHIKU FILM

ORNAMENTAL HAIRPIN

A Film by HIROSHI SHIMIZU

Based on a Story by MASUJI IBUSE

Director of Photography SUKETARO INOKAI

Music TAKAAKI ASAI Production Design ISAMU MOTOKI

Produced by YASUYUKI ARAI

Starring

KINUYO TANAKA HIROKO KAWASAKI

TATSUO SAITO CHISHU RYU

SHINICHI HIMORI HIDEKO MIMURA

KANJI KAWARA JUN YOKO YAMA, MASAYOSHI OTSUKA

TAKESHI SAKAMOTO KOJI MATSUMOTO

MUNENOBU YUI TSUNEO OSUGI, KAYOKO TERADA

It feels so nice walking in the bright sun.

Yes, it's nice...

but perhaps a little too hot for pale girls like us.

I'm really perspiring.

I like it. It's washing all the old powder out of my skin.

Along with the tobacco smoke and alcohol.

You know, I've been thinking about something.

What?

One of these days...

Pick up the pace, everyone!

WELCOME, NICHIREN PILGRIMS

Please listen, everyone!

You all asked for masseurs,

but there are only 18 in this whole town.

I was able to get 12 of those,

so come draw lots! Come on, everyone!

What a racket!

They're so noisy!

They really are loud!

Quite a merry bunch, eh?

Merry?

What do you mean?

Well, I...

Does that sound "merry" to you?

It sounds noisy to me. Just plain noisy.

Sounds like they're in high spirits.

High spirits?

You call that "high spirits," old man?

It's just noise. That's what it is.

Is he mad again?

Yes.

It's quite a big show tonight.

Big show?

What do you mean by that?

Does that sound like a "big show" to you?

They're just noisy!

Too noisy!

See? He's grouchy again.

Hello? Is this the front desk?

It's really noisy down there.

This is an outrage! That's no way to behave at an inn.

Tell them!

I can't work.

I need a massage before bed, so send a masseur.

What? They're all taken?

All of them?

We're ready.

Please do your best.

Who's the professor?

He's been here since early summer,

reading very difficult-Iooking books.

Maybe that's why he says rather difficult things.

What sort of things?

A man was reciting a Chinese poem in the water.

The professor heard it

and asked if the man had composed it himself.

The man said no, it was a famous poem by so-and-so.

The professor said it was ridiculous

to recite other people's poetry.

That means geisha shouldn't sing songs,

because they didn't write them.

That's right.

That man hasn't recited a poem since.

Poor man.

I feel more sorry for the couple across the hall from him.

Hello?

Where's that masseur?

What! That's ridiculous!

One group can't monopolize them all!

How can you allow something so absurd?

Get me the owner!

What?

Gone to bed?

How can the owner go to bed before his guests?

Wake him up!

I was so angry last night that I couldn't sleep a wink.

Was there something wrong?

You bet there was.

No masseur ever came.

They were all busy with that group.

These excursion groups have no manners

or consideration at all.

Well, they only travel once or twice a year.

So are you saying...

that means they can behave however they please?

No, I didn't mean -

I didn't mean they can do anything.

I'm sorry.

Ethically speaking,

monopolizing all the masseurs is absolutely inexcusable.

Don't you agree, old man?

Well...

Ouch!

What is it?

I stepped on something.

Did you cut yourself?

Are you all right?

Are you okay?

Call the innkeeper!

Your injury was due to our negligence.

We sincerely apologize.

The carelessness of the staff is my responsibility.

I beg your forgiveness.

How's your foot?

Frankly I'm embarrassed by all the attention.

It's a great dishonor to have a guest hurt.

We owe all of our guests a profound apology.

Tell me, sir,

do you mean you're apologizing to everyone?

Indeed.

Apologizing to all the guests means

you believe that the facilities are perfect.

Not at all.

Either that, or you're exploiting his misfortune for publicity.

Rationalize it how you will, that's how I see it.

Exploiting this tragedy is an outrage.

"Tragedy"? It's just a little wound.

Besides, there's something almost poetic

about finding a hairpin in the bath.

Poetic?

It's like the sole of my foot has been pierced by poetry.

Everything you just said smacks of decadence.

Why not add vulgarity to it

by hoping that the woman it belonged to is beautiful too?

There's no need to read so much into it.

Besides, I was careless too.

That may be so, but -

No, it was all our fault.

We'll see that it never happens again.

- But the problem remains - - It's all right.

He's already apologized.

It's really not that serious.

Is that so?

Then am I to presume I'm making a nuisance of myself here?

Then we'll discuss this in my room.

Innkeeper, come to my room.

The professor's bored from being here so long.

Talking relieves his boredom.

You're right.

We're bored too. His anger relieves our boredom.

I am not bored. I have a mountain of reading.

If my anger relieves your boredom -

Well, we'll discuss this later.

If you'll excuse us.

Dear...

you shouldn't have said the professor was bored.

What if he comes to us and complains?

That would be awful.

You're right.

What will we do if he comes? What will we do?

Don't worry. I'll take care of him.

Really?

Mr. Nanmura called it "poetic."

He said his foot was "pierced by poetry."

How do you interpret that?

It's got to mean something.

"Dear Sir,

I am one of the pilgrims who stayed at your inn.

I seem to have lost a hairpin with a red coral gem.

If you happen to find it,

please let me know.

If so, I will send money to have it returned to me

by registered mail.

Sincerely yours, Emi Ota"

Professor, a letter came from the hairpin owner.

Yes, so it seems.

But that person doesn't know

what her hairpin did to Mr. Nanmura's foot.

Of course not.

Not unless she's told.

She couldn't know that Mr. Nanmura felt it was poetic.

Professor, I think the owner of that hairpin

may in fact be an older woman,

but my wife thinks it's a young woman.

You're constantly going on about what your wife thinks,

but what does her opinion have to do with any of this?

No... I just meant...

I'm sorry.

Say, old man, what do you think?

Since it was an ornamental hairpin,

she's not the kind to wear Western clothes.

Right. You can't wear one of those with a perm.

So she must wear a kimono.

Whether she wears a kimono

or whether she's old or young is of no importance.

I just hope for Mr. Nanmura's sake that she's beautiful.