Father of the Milky Way Railroad (銀河鉄道の父)

(September of the 29th year of the Meiji era.)

Oh dear, are you awake?

Yes.

He's truly adorable.

Thank you.

Look at his expressive face.

A boy should be like this.

It's a girl.

I apologize.

We recently had a boy in our family.

"Giving birth to a boy..."

"Gave birth to a boy, radiant as jade."

Could it be the train collided with a wild boar?

No, my guess is a bear.

If it's a big bear,

Then we are struck for a while.

It's really nerve-wracking.

this…

May I ask what's going on?

We are investigating.

Um...

My child is born.

Please, start the train quickly.

It's a boy, radiant as jade.

Thank you.

Where is everyone?

Don't cry, please don't cry.

The head of the family...

What should we do?

So well-behaved...

The baby is the best...

Masajiro?

Dad.

I understand you're eager to see your son,

but what does it mean to enter the house without first coming to the shop and greeting me?

I'm sincerely sorry.

We've decided on the child's name.

What name did you choose?

Kenji.

Kenji?

Miyazawa Kenji.

It's a good name.

Hello.

It's really hot today.

Could you tell me how much this is worth?

Two yen.

Please, give a little more.

How about two yen and fifty sen?

At most, it's worth two yen.

By the way, Master Kenji,

he'll be starting elementary school next year, right?

Time flies.

Well, yes.

He'll surely be excellent.

We can’t say for sure what the future holds.

Don't be modest, Mr. Seijiro.

You are our Hanamaki's top scholar.

Like father, like son.

No, it's not that impressive.

Even if your young master becomes the top scholar in Morioka,

or even in Iwate, it wouldn't be surprising.

That's not true.

You just said the future is uncertain.

Indeed.

If it comes true, you will be very happy, right?

Probably.

Let's make it two yen and twenty sen.

Alright.

I appreciate it.

No…

I can only give you two yen at most.

Thank you in advance.

What's wrong?

Ken, I don't know what happened.

Not only did he have a high fever, but he also had bleeding.

Bleeding?

I saw there was blood when he went to the toilet.

I took him to the hospital, and the doctor said it's dysentery.

Bloody diarrhea?

Yes, decided to admit him immediately.

Head of the Family?

- Let me go. - what?

I'll take care of Kenji.

Don't talk nonsense.

How can the head of the Family go to the hospital to take care of a patient?

I will take good care of him.

You stay and manage the household.

What about the shop?

I will ask dad for help.

Please reconsider.

Let the head of the household go take care of the patient.

How can I face the neighbors in the future?

My son is sick.

What are you arguing about?

Um... the head of the household wants to go take care of Kenji.

Fool.

Taking care of a sick person is not something a man should do.

But if something happens to Kenji...

Don't worry, leave it to the doctor.

How can I leave it to the doctor?

Then who else can you leave it to?

Of course leave it to me.

Show some restraint.

The head of the Miyazawa family

shouldn't do something so embarrassing.

It's just a child being sick.

Dad, it's not just a child.

The one who's sick is our precious Kenji.

If Kenji dies, I won't be able to go on.

Kenji…

Next bed, the patient's name is Miyazawa Kenji.

I am his father, Masajiro.

Starting today, I'll be here temporarily.

Please take care of us.

Newly admitted patient, Miyazawa Kenji.

I am his father, Masajiro.

Starting today, I'll be here temporarily.

Please take care of us.

Newly admitted patient, Miyazawa Kenji.

I am his father, Masajiro.

Starting today, I'll be here temporarily.

Please take care of us.

Newly admitted patient, Miyazawa Kenji...

I heard a secret remedy from the nurse.

It's too hot?

How is it? Do you feel better?

Just say it.

It's lights-out time.

Go to sleep.

The doctor also said sleep is the most effective medicine.

Thank you,

Good night.

Good night.

What's wrong? Can't sleep?

Dad will sing a lullaby to help you sleep.

It sounds awful.

What a fool, I told you earlier.

Taking care of patients should be left to nurses.

This is dysentery,

not contagious.

It's all the same.

You got sick because you went to take care of a patient.

Dad, I plan to

send Kenji to junior high in Morioka soon.

What education one needs run a pawn shop?

If he accidentally gets into literature or art,

it'll be worse than indulging in alcohol and women.

Dad...

What?

I am different from you.

I am a father in the civilized and enlightened new era...

I am a father of the Meiji era.

You little...

Masajiro.

What's wrong?

You...

Too fixated on the role of a father.

Father of the Milky Way Railroad.

I'm Kenji, and I've returned from Morioka.

Ranked 60th out of 88 students.

Yes.

Now you understand that there are different levels of people and things beyond our understanding.

Yes, thanks to my father.

I've learned a lot about the vast world.

In any case, you've successfully graduated from Junior high school.

All thanks to my father.

Let’s celebrate first.

What would you like to eat?

Pears? Apples?

Or sushi?

I want to eat everything.

Alright.

Thank you.

Starting tomorrow, focus on studying the family business.

I don't want to.

What?

I don't want to run the pawnshop, Father.

After reading Emerson, Bergson, and Tolstoy,

I realized that the pawnshop is built on the exploitation of farmers.

In other words,

you are bullying the weak, aren't you?

It's not like that.

Listen, Kenji,

banks won't lend money to poor farmers.

Without pawnshops like ours,

more people would have to sell their daughters or resort to suicide for money.

We are not bullying the weak;

we are helping farmers.

That's just rhetoric, Father.

I've read Emerson, Bergson, Dostoevsky...

- Noisy, too verbose. - And Tolstoy's books...

Noisy, noisy.

You're just talking nonsense.

Anyway,

starting tomorrow, you'll work in the shop. Understand?

Okay.

Can I come in?

No, you'll catch a cold.

Take this.

Thank you.