The Scythian Lamb (羊の木)

"The seed will come to sprout..."

"and produce the lamb of the Tatar."

"This sheep will be raised into a tree...

"with its blood as sweet as honey..."

"and its flesh as tender as fish."

"But only the wolf will devour it."

from the "Eastern Diary"

Ministry of Justice Rehabilitation Program

Tsukisue. -Yes

We have six candidates coming.

Could you take care of them?

Candidates?

Find them a job and a home.

And please, pick them up.

Yes.

Six of them?

Welcome to Uobuka Mr. Fukumoto.

These two gentlemen are your friends?

Where did you come from today?

I came with the Shinkansen.

From where?

Very far.

Is it your first time here?

It's a good place.

Nice people, excellent fish.

Fish?

I can't eat fish.

Sorry.

You want a drink?

I have to drive but you can drink.

Here you are.

Miso ramen and bean noodles.

Fried rice and fried dumplings.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

It's a good place.

Nice people, excellent fish.

My clothes smell musty, they were in a locker for so long.

You can buy something here, I'm sure.

Thanks for waiting.

Let's go then.

Alright.

Uobuka station. (A bright, beautiful and lively city)

Welcome to Uobuka, Miss Kurimoto.

Shutting.

I'm storing the vacuum cleaner there.

Goodbye.

Is it there?

It's a good place.

Nice people and excellent fish.

Who are you?

I am from Uobuka City Office...

Mr. Ohno, it's been a while.

The boss is waiting for you.

I don't have anything to do with you.

Don't be disrespectful, I could get mad.

Wait.

At your age, you think you can take me?

You refuse our help...

don't come crying later.

These guys just came out of jail.

Right.

You're so casual, you could have told me.

I wanted you to offer you an unprejudiced first impression.

The eyes of the government are on Uobuka.

What do you mean?

You've heard of rehabilitation.

Sure.

Jails are expensive for the tax payers.

So they idea is to get quiet criminals back into society.

It saves money.

But there is a problem.

If they don't have any close one to help them back...

they can't benefit from this program.

So this time the government has decided...

to provide housing and employment in the local communities.

This also shortens considerably their sentence.

And so, we took up that task.

Until now criminals were released with a quite short probation period.

But this new program compels them to settle here for ten years.

So, they will have to become citizens in Uobuka for 10 years.

It is a new parole system.

And for us it is a means to repopulate.

This innovative program is a win-win.

Do we disclose that to their employer and their landlord?

You can guess.

As ex-criminals they have a right of record confidentiality.

You mean, only you and me will know?

Yes, we are directly assigned by the mayor.

What crimes did they commit?

Any murderers among them?

I understand your curiosity.

Don't you think we should think positively and look to the future?

It's a nice place.

Nice people and excellent fish.

Ten years, I don't know if I can bear it.

Buy me a pack of smokes, Seven-Stars.

Seven-Stars.

Please, buy them yourself.

If I had to go, I'd buy it for you...

but I just went.

I don't need to go.

You don't need to go?

I told you I don't.

My bad.

It's a nice place.

I bet the fish is excellent.

It's a nice place.

Nice people and excellent fish.

What is this?

It's filefish I think.

Filefish.

Delicious.

Mr. Miyakoshi?

I missed soda.

Sure.

You enjoyed the sashimi, right?

As good as you said it would be.

You bet.

And the kindness.

Yes, people are easygoing.

No, I mean you.

Me?

You've been kind to me knowing who I am.

You don't fear me?

Well, that is…

You and me are humans.

Do you know what I was sentenced for?

I don't.

I killed someone in the street.

We quarreled I tried to run, but he was relentless.

We had a fight.

Well, I hit him just once.

But he died as a result.

I gave him a lethal blow.

I was found guilty involuntary manslaughter.

Sorry to bother you with that.

Why did you want to tell me?

Why…

I do not know myself.

Where have you been?

What?

You're not often at your desk lately.

Really?

You're preparing for the festival?

We don't have enough participants.

The population is aging.

We can't just let it happen...

we have to do something.

You think so?

We should send out notice everywhere.

Everywhere?

You did well.

What's next?

None of them have been told about the other five.

Keep them away from each other.

But how? This is such a small town.

Who will take responsibility if they commit a crime?

That contradicts what you said before.

Anyway, if they associate...

it defeats the purpose...

it's not good for them and for Uobuka.

Did you notify the police?

No.

For everybody they have to be regular citizens.

Hey, Aya.

You're visiting us.

Not exactly, I moved back.

You're registering your residence with your new husband?

Who told you about that?

I wasn't married.

Really?

You were working in a hospital in Chiba, right?

I left.

What happened?

I saw you the other day.

Where?

At the airport with a very sexy woman

Your girlfriend?

What? You got it all wrong.

See you.

You're registering your residence? -Yes

I need to see an ID, please.

Are you still playing the guitar?

The guitar?

I am a parent representative at my daughter's kindergarten.

But my wife says I don't have time for a rock band.

Aya is divorced?

Apparently, they were not married.

She told me.

You're still into her?

What a waste...

You had a good salary there.

Not really.

You didn't have to quit, you could take a long leave.

How's your daughter? How old is she?

She's six.

If you had to come back you should have brought us a young doctor.

Young doctors are really young, nowadays.

Then you should have taken that rich geezer.