The Vancouver Asahi (バンクーバーの朝日)

A great many Japanese people,

including my parents,

sailed to Vancouver in Canada.

"If you work overseas for 3 years, you can spend the rest of your life in comfort back in Japan."

Believing in such stories of opportunity, they left their homes behind.

Keep moving.

They worked very hard.

They would do manual labor for more than 10 hours every day

for half the pay their Canadian counterparts got.

Their willingness to work whatever the circumstances

made Canadians see them as opponents here to steal their jobs.

Even faced with persecution and discrimination, the Japanese would still work.

Eventually, for their young born in Canada,

they created a baseball team.

The team was only meant to be a modest attempt at giving us some fun,

but it eventually got into the Canadian Baseball League.

The Vancouver Asahi

Good morning.

Oh, Reggie. Can you make it?

Yeah.

Get running!

Sorry.

Here we are.

Let's put it down!

We're sending them up!

Another!

Another!

Hey, Joe! Quickly!

Hey, how long are you going to slack off?

We're getting behind.

Hey, boys... chop, chop, chop, eh?

Cheap Jap bastards.

And... up!

We're not done with deliveries yet.

Sorry. After I get back.

Baseball this, baseball that...

You should say something to him, too, Dad.

All done?

May I leave?

You're pretty lucky to have time to spend playing.

Good afternoon, ma'am.

Time to go?

Yeah.

Hey, Reggie!

Got it!

Reggie, raise your voice more!

Okay, okay!

Send one here!

Here you go, Kaye!

Good one!

Here comes another.

You're late!

Work wouldn't let me go!

You're late!

I am late indeed!

Okay, Frank's up!

Frank!

To third base!

Good, Jack! Okay, shortstop!

Reggie!

Again!

Here it comes, Kaye.

Kaye, take care of it.

Here.

Frank!

That scared me!

Whoa, Frank!

Reggie.

Good catch.

Man, it's all wet.

See you tomorrow, Tom.

Yeah. Later.

Baseball, is it?

You're pretty carefree, aren't you?

It's not going to go well this year, either.

I'm home.

- Welcome back. - Welcome back.

If you didn't like it, you should have said so from the start

without all the sutoton!

But I have no idea what's going to happen.

And you call yourself Japanese?

Japan will come out on top!

If we hold fast, we can't lose!

We can't be getting cold feet!

We work and work and work right here!

But, Seiji-san, there is less and less work here for us!

Pipe down. How many times do you need to say that?

Can I have a minute?

What is it?

Your Dad is a little...

Has Seiji-san been out for quite a long time?

Yeah.

Hey.

Have him sleep at home tonight, okay?

He drank himself silly.

He said he was celebrating.

Did something happen?

That, you know... the China Incident.

The Japanese army has been winning battle after battle.

For that...?

It seems to be threatening to turn into a huge conflict.

Hey.

Seiji-san.

Seiji-san.

Seiji-san's getting pretty old...

He can't work the railways anymore.

It's pretty rough.

20 people died in an avalanche recently, right?

Hey. Seiji-san.

Hey, Seiji-san, wake up!

Come on!

Sorry for his troubling you.

Hey.

He's sending it off again?

He sends off so much he has nothing saved.

He's got nothing on his mind except Japan.

His family over there is more important to him than you or us.

He's desperate for them to think he's succeeding here.

Have to wonder what's going to happen in the future.

With him like this now...

will he just get worse?

Where are you going?

Out for a bit.

He plays baseball when he's feeling troubled or down.

It's not like anything will change, though.

Men are foolish, huh?

Make sure you eat.

So, we'll see you again tomorrow.

Do you need me to go buy anything?

We're fine. Thanks, Emmy.

How is baseball going?

It's been going better.

That's good to hear.

I can get home on my own, you know.

Mom worries about you.

She doesn't spend any time with Canadians, so she doesn't get it.

They're not all bad or scary people.

Here.

Thanks.

That's some service for you.

Oh, something new came up.

Here. On the house.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

That's too much!

I'll take one, too.

Of these?

No, no.

Here.

What are you... just one.

I heard the shipyard was shut down.

Again?

It's unfortunate for our youth.

Even if they go through a Canadian school, they won't get decent jobs.

How's Asahi looking this year?

How about it? Can you beat the whites?

We can, yeah?

They're just going to come last again.

Don't worry. They'll pull through.

I wonder...

I'm sorry.

We can't get by here anymore.

We've decided to go to Ocean Falls together to find work.

You've done well for us all this time.

Why aren't you trying to stop them, coach?

Hey, now.

Think this over.

If we lose you two, how can we possibly compete?

I'm sorry.

Apologizing...

Think before you speak.

These guys don't have work.

Are you saying to shut up and let them go because it's the only way?

They can play if they travel here--

You think so?

How long do you think their commute would be?

About your next captain...

Reggie.

Right?

Fine by me.

Me, too.

Yeah, that's good.

It's Reggie.

Hold on... why me?

You're the oldest, aren't you?

No... Tom is a year older than me.

I can't... I have Kami-san.

Watching over Kami-san and our child, and baseball?

You wouldn't see how hard that is.

Thanks, for everything.

No, uh, I need to worry about my sister's tuition and--

Everyone has their troubles.

But we're counting on you.

That's the way it is, I guess.

Asahi is in your hands now, Reggie!

The whole neighborhood is looking forward to this!

Well... let's all have one last practice together.

- Good idea! - Yeah, good idea!

Let's do it.

Let's go!