Kita no kuni kara '98 Jidai Part 1 (北の国から'98時代 前編)

Hey!

What brought you here all of a sudden!?

I went to Nemuro for my job. I stopped by here on my way home.

What a surprise!

How are you?

I'm fine. How is everyone in Furano?

Same old.

You've heard that Sota's father, Seikichi died last year, haven't you?

Yes.

How is my dad?

He's recently into charcoal making?

Charcoal making?

Do you remember Kanji Nakatsu, the big brother of Chinta?

Oh, Kanji.

To help his organic farming,

your dad makes compost and charcoal.

Speaking of which, Kanji's going to be married.

In fact, the bride is Chinta's ex.

Chinta's ex!?

Yeah, he had his girl friend stolen again!

By his brother, of all people! It's the worst!

Is Jun still working as a garbage collector?

Yeah, he's now an expert.

How are things going between Jun and his girl friend?

You mean Shu? They are getting along.

She asked him to meet her parents, but he's so scared that he is avoiding it with all kinds of excuses.

I see.

How about you?

Me?

Yeah, are you still living with Jun?

Yeah.

Not yet?

What?

Marriage.

I have no one.

I'm always by myself.

Hotaru

Yeah?

Are you planning to remain here forever?

Will you not come back to Furano any more?

Jun!

Wow!

This is the wedding gift for you. The dressing table you wanted.

I'm so glad!

Thank you so much!

Please put it here for now.

OK.

Umph!

Huh?

I'm preparing tea for you.

Yeah.

What're you doing?

Oh, I fell asleep.

Are you off today?

I had the night shift, yesterday.

Hey,

How dare you stay overnight in the house of a newly-married couple, even though it's your brother?

Hold back a little more!

She was supposed to be married with me!

It's too late for you to say!

So unfortunate! I'm really unfortunate!

Jun

Yeah

Here is the tea.

Thank you.

I had my girlfriend stolen even by my bother.

My life is without any hope!

Sota gave us the clock.

So flashy...

His farm is great.

With the stock farm and the vegetable farm combined, his property is now 78 cho (1 cho is about 10000 m²)

What is he going to do with such a big farm?

Sota is quite able. He's buying more and more lands from those who quit farming.

He advised me to enlarge the farm as much as possible.

It seems like many quit farming last year.

12 families only in this neighborhood.

How large is your land now?

About 30 cho.

Actually, it's too much.

I borrowed money to acquire new pieces of land.

Are you increasing organic fields?

Yeah, it's thanks to your dad.

But Sota scolded me. He says organic farming is outdated.

Come here.

This is your dad's idea.

We are burning charcoal directly on the field. We are using the covering technique.

This changes the soil quit a lot.

After your dad did this for three consecutive years,

our field is now completely free of pesticides.

Recently, my dad seems to be appreciated much

among organic farmers.

Let me help you.

Thank you, Sota.

Combining horse dung from Sota's farm,

wood shavings from Nakahata Timber Cooporation

and kitchen garbage from the neighborhood,

my dad are making compost.

In addition, he's been enthusiastic

about making charcoal since last year.

It's not like he is making neat pieces of charcoal.

What he's trying to make is

a kind of charcoal used to improve the quality of soil.

and the wood vinegar produced during the process of charcoal making.

To do that, he tries various way of making charcoal,

and keep failing at it.

I failed again.

Oh my...

I made it the other day, though.

Kanji was really glad as well.

Jun, to make someone glad is

not something you can buy with money.

You can't but it with money.

I thought he was absolutely right.

I am recently starting to understand why Dad's doing what he's doing.

It's been three years since I started working as a garbage collector.

I often got sick of my job and doubted what I was doing.

I almost gave up the job.

Still, I could continue this job

because people coming to throw away trash

express their gratitude to me.

What kept my heart from breaking off

was the idea that I'm being appreciated by others.

Shokichi.

Yes?

I finally go there this Sunday.

Where?

Kami-sunagawa

Kami-sunagawa?

I told you! Shu's parents live in Kami-sunagawa.

To do what?

Do you need to ask?

To propose to her?

No way! It's too soon!

Then, to do what?

To do..., you know, how can I put it...

To get to know them.

Oh, to get to know..

Yeah, that's right.

In this case, what am I supposed to say?

Oh, to begin with...

"Nice to meet you."

Oh, "Nice to meet you."

Then,

"My name is Jun Kuroita."

"I'm not a shady person."

Wait, am I shady?

To them...

of course you are!

What are you going to wear?

Normal clothes. Don't they work?

What you consider normal doesn't work.

At least you should put a shirt and a tie.

A tie? I have no such thing.

I have one. You can use it.

It's a tie from the Self-Defense Forces, but I think no one cares.

I need a jacket as well?

Buy one jacket or two for this occasion!

How much is it?

Go to Asamitsu. There you can buy a suit for just over 2000 yen.

Asamitsu is originally a maker of work clothes.

So the price is exceptionally low here.

They have some suits, too.

How is it?

Yeah.

Isn't it a bad taste?

Don't worry!

Bad taste is not a crime.

On Sunday, I finally left.

I put a tie for the first time in my life. I was feeling as if someone was squeezing my neck.

Shu left for Kami-sunagawa the day before and was waiting for me there.

I looked up her house on a map

which I found on the outskirts of Kami-sunagawa.

Welcome

Hello

Come in.

Yeah

Sit down there.

Yes

Wait a minute, please.

Yes, this is just a little...

Thank you.

Run, run!

This is

Jun Kuroita.

Nice to meet you.

My name is Jun Kuroita.

That is my dad.

My name is Jun Kuroita.

I'm not a shady person.

Please have some tea.

Itadakimasu

I don't remember almost anything about what happened after that.

I think I was almost unconscious.

When I came to myself, A baseball game between Daiei and Nippon Ham was on the air.

Her family was absorbed in the game ignoring me.

What?

Oh, pardon me?

You are working as a garbage collector, aren't you?

Oh, yes.

Then, are you a local government official?