Solomon's Perjury 1: Suspicion (ソロモンの偽証 前篇・事件)

Shochiku Presents

Miss Fujino-- oh sorry, it's Mrs Nakahara now, isn't it?

Did you do teacher-training here?

I wanted to but my application wasn't accepted.

The legend you created as a student probably scared them off.

Thank you.

How long since you've been here?

Not since I graduated, so that's 23 years.

Let me be the first to welcome you home.

Thank you. I appreciate your support.

Please.

That legend became our mission statement.

Passed down through a long line of principals.

It's been through so many tellings, no one knows the real story.

Then where should I start?

Do you have time?

I do,

but surety you're busy?

I have the time

and I'm eager to hear everything.

Yes, of course.

Back in the heady days when the Bubble Economy was about to burst.

Japan became a crazy circus of financial excess.

How did that look to a 2nd year junior high school girl?

Insane. As if all adults were rotten fruit about to fall.

Yes, I can relate to that.

December 15, 1990 After a steady, all-night snowfall, the town was blanketed in snow.

I was 14 and it was my first white Christmas.

I'd been assigned to care for the rabbits.

So I left for school earlier than usual.

Rattling nuts, rattling nuts

I feel a fart coming on

Through my bum

It will come

Aren't you supposed to leave early today?

I'll go now.

I'm home!

Hello Daddy!

Welcome home.

Hello kids.

Let's go make a snowman!

Okay, after nursery school.

- Hi Dad. - Did Santa come?

- Yes! - Great.

- I'll take that. - Thanks.

The snowman will have to wait.

Daddy worked night-shift. He's tired.

Let me just catch my breath.

Daddy is a detective!

You're under arrest!

Off you go.

Bye.

Have a good day.

It's Tokyo's 6th heaviest Xmas snowfall.

Where did you hear that?

That chick on TV who does the weather.

She's a qualified weather forecaster.

Yeah, that's her!

Do you have pets at home?

We did keep a crow.

A crow? Seriously?

Actually, it was injured and mom was nursing it.

So your mom likes animals?

But I don't.

So why take this job?

He's such a pig.

Let's go.

Let's go get help.

SOLOMON'S PERJURY

Part I SUSPICION

Here.

So Kashiwagi was in charge?

He looked after the pets?

My school never kept pets.

Some kids cleaned, others did school broadcasts.

We keep rabbits here.

And Kashiwagi was their keeper?

Correct.

As I explained to you earlier.

He'd been absent since November 14th.

These two were filling in.

That's rather unfortunate.

Are you alright?

Shall I have your parents come get you?

I'm okay.

We'll both go back to class.

You don't have to.

I know.

Ueshima.

Ueda.

What happened, Miss? Are you alright?

The Principal will soon make an official announcement

that your classmate Kashiwagi has passed away.

We still don't know all the details.

What did you just say, Miss?

Your classmate...

Takuya Kashiwagi, I'm afraid he's dead.

I failed in my duty as homeroom teacher.

I wasn't able to be there for him.

He should have come to me and asked for my help.

I had no idea

But I did notice something fearful in his eyes.

Such a sweet, child-like face, framed by those haunted eyes.

I failed him.

I should have tried harder to find out what troubled him.

The funeral was held on the 3rd day of the winter break.

Despite finding no note the police concluded it was suicide.

That boy's not from our school, is he?

He hasn't moved from there. They were probably good friends.

I am Kashiwagi's junior high school principal.

On behalf of the entire staff, I express our profound sympathies.

We regret not recognizing the problems and taking measures to help Kashiwagi.

Excuses, I'm afraid, are all we have to offer.

And I fully understand how inadequate

that must sound to his grieving parents.

Miss Moriuchi?

Are you alright?

I'm so sorry.

Next stop is the Mitsukoshi Department Store.

For all your shopping needs.

Stay seated until the bus comes to a complete stop.

The letters started arriving on the last day of the winter break.

Letter of Accusation

Takuya Kashiwagi's death was not suicide.

He was murdered.

I was there on Christmas Eve, when they kilted him.

I saw him on the roof begging for mercy.

Classmate Shunji Oide was the ring-header.

Students Hashida and Iguchi helped him do it.

They laughed as they threw him to his death.

I beg you to re-investigate Kashiwagi's death.

It's not fair to poor, dead Kashiwagi.

Please pass this on to the police.

So your daughter received the exact same letter as I did?

That's correct.

If these accusations are true, this is a very serious matter.

We have no evidence the boys named were anywhere near the school.

No reports of a fight or cries for help.

Therefore, we police still regard it as suicide.

So that means these are false accusations?

Yes, sent to my daughter because I'm a policeman.

I suspect someone in her class wrote them.

Only myself and Ms Takagi know of these accusations.

We see no need to tell anyone else.

Are you serious?

We must consult the other teachers!

Isn't that right?

I see no need to further hurt our students.

I fully agree with that, sir.

Juvenile Crimes will attempt to track down whoever wrote them.

If needs be, we will take the appropriate steps.

How can we help you with that?

The author is probably waiting on tenterhooks.

We need that person to know that the police are involved.

You'll just ignore the letter?

You promised me you'd investigate.

Of course we will take action.

The school will offer counseling to Kashiwagi's classmates.

Counseling?

Yes, but it's a trap to find out who sent the letters.

But the letter writer saw him killed.

Ryoko.

It's natural for you to be upset.

You found that poor boy and you received the letter.

But now it's time to trust the police and the school.

They're working hard to protect all students.

C'mon, give me a hand.

Sure.

Sorry I was late home.

You must be starving.

I met Hiroto from the Blue Hearts Band.

He's so thin. Like a stick-figure.

I asked him if he actually eats.

I said no more fried tofu.

Soybeans are an excellent brain food.

No meat, no oil. Just vegetables, I told you.

After Paul McCartney went vegetarian his music went downhill.

Who cares?

At least let me see a dermatologist.

Juri, you're over-reacting.

Acne is not a disease, it's part of growing up.

A part I don't want!

Don't get upset. Stress only makes it worse.

Just relax and let it heal naturally.

Your father will be holding a new exhibition.

There's no end to it for an amateur artist.

Here's some advice.

Never marry an office worker with a secret passion for art.

He'll never make you happy.

I'll have that chicken skin if you won't.

Juri's folks are opposite to mine.

Her dad's artistic, her mom's a music journalist.

Juri's really unique. Plus she's super-smart.

It sounds like you admire Juri.

You're a police officer, right?

Juri said when you start asking questions, you're investigating.

You're asking if this is an investigation?

No.

Why don't you believe Kashiwagi committed suicide?

No real reason.