The Shadow Within (影の車)

A SHOCHIKU FILM

Excuse me...

but aren't you Mr. Hamajima?

I am.

I'm Yoshida, do you remember me? I used to live in Chikura, Chiba.

Oh, yes.

I've been looking at your face, thinking it must be you.

But I wasn't sure, since it's been so long.

I see. Well, nice to see you.

I'm getting off at the next stop. Please, take my seat.

I get off at the stop after that.

Oh, then we live rather close.

Excuse me.

I take this bus on my daily commute.

I do, too.

- Is that right? - Next stop is Kitaharamichi.

That's my stop.

Excuse me.

- Goodbye. - Goodbye.

We're ready to go.

Our next stop will be Sasaoyama.

YUKIO & KEIKO HAMAJIMA

"Off to a meeting about opposing the price increase of milk.

"There's sashimi for you in the fridge."

Oh, you're home. Sorry I was out.

It's okay.

Here, let me. I had seven pupils in my class till 5:00.

I wanted to finish up early to go to the meeting,

but Mrs. Yamauchi and Mrs. Takei just couldn't get the hang of things.

And the klutzier people are, the more they complain.

Do you know how complex the milk distribution system is?

It's amazingly complex and simply maddening.

I ran into someone unexpected today.

Oh, really?

Someone from my hometown.

Well, she only lived there for about three years.

Yasuko Yoshida.

Well, she must be married, so her last name may have changed.

THE SHADOW WITHIN

Produced by YOSHIHARU MISHIMA SHIGEMI SUGISAKI

Based on a Story by SEICHO MATSUMOTO

Screenplay by SHINOBU HASHIMOTO

Cinematography by TAKASHI KAWAMATA

Production Design by SHIGEMORI SHIGETA

Music by YASUSHI AKUTAGAWA

Sound by SHUJURO KURITA

Lighting by REI MIURA Edited by YOSHIYASU HAMAMURA

Starring:

SHIMA IWASHITA.

GO KATO

MAYUMI OGAWA, YUSUKE TAKITA KANEKO IWASAKI

YOSHIO INABA, YOSUKE KONDO

AKIKO NOMURA ATSUKO KAWAGUCHI

HISATO OKAMOTO, AZUSA KOYAMA

SHINSUKE ASHIDA

Directed by YOSHITARO NOMURA

Hello, this is Nippon Travel Agency.

Yes?

Tickets for the bullet train on the 21st,

departing at 9:00 a.m.?

How many do you need?

Four, okay.

Your phone number, please.

Yes.

56... all right.

I'll check if the tickets are available and then give you a call back.

Everything is booked up in Rendaiji.

Are you sure Hotel Minami-Izu is available on October 10th?

I am.

But call the hotel to double-check.

All right.

Thank you for waiting.

Welcome.

I'd like an excursion ticket for Kyushu. Will it be crowded there in October?

Well, it shouldn't be too bad, so long as you have hotel reservations.

- Do you want to make a reservation? - Yes.

Here are some pamphlets on different parts of Kyushu.

- We'd like to take a car trip. - A car trip?

Yes, a one-day car trip.

Is there someplace nice near Tokyo that's still relatively unknown?

So, a one-day car trip to a relatively unknown place?

Well, let's see...

Hey!

Return tickets on Japan Airlines to Fukuoka, right?

Yeah.

I envy you for traveling so grandly.

Not really; I'm tagging along with my boss.

- Is a check okay? - Yeah.

Welcome.

- One coffee. - All right.

How's your work?

Nothing much to speak of, but just really busy.

How's your wife?

Well, the same as usual.

You're a lucky man.

Your wife works like a bee. You must have a lot saved up.

Well, yeah.

But I feel like there's no spark left in our marriage.

Hey, cheer up.

You sound like a middle-aged man.

You've been married for 10 years?

Yeah.

Have some kids, already.

Kids, huh?

Oh! We've run into each other again.

Right.

How strange that we suddenly keep bumping into each other.

It really is.

I've been taking this bus for four years,

ever since I moved to Sasaoyama.

Then we must have missed each other, because my hours are a little irregular.

- Do you work? - Yes.

Is your father well?

No, he passed away.

He died after we moved to Maebashi, before reaching retirement,

so it was in the winter of 1954.

Is that right?

I have many fond memories of Maebashi,

but my memories of Chikura are even fonder.

I spent my most sensitive years in middle school there.

Old houses lined the streets.

There was a faint smell of the sea in every part of town.

There was a creek that ran between Sakashita Street and Nakazato Street.

And beyond that was - what was it called?

What?

I remember. There was a bus stop called Shioiri.

CHIKURA FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION Your father's government quarters were a Western-style building rare in Chikura.

Your father's government quarters were a Western-style building rare in Chikura.

At the Fishermen's Association nearby, a lot of fish were spread out to dry.

There was a creek flowing in front of it.

There was a sake shop at the end of the street,

and your family's shop was near the corner.

Your mother worked busily by herself, every day.

Listen...

Won't you stop by my house, since we live close together?

- Well... - Next stop is Kitaharamichi.

Please do.

I really have fond memories of Chikura.

Excuse me. Wait a moment here.

Welcome.

- I'd like half a pound of this. - All right.

TSUKUSHINO LOTS FOR SALE. VISIT INFORMATION OFFICE.

I'm sorry; it's about a 15-minute walk from the bus stop to my house.

Are you sure I'm not inconveniencing you?

Not at all. You don't have to worry about that.

This is a very lonely road. After dark, you must feel uneasy.

I've gotten used to it.

But lately, this area has become unsafe.

Does your husband come down to walk you home?

My husband passed away four years ago.

So now I live with my child.

You have a child?

Yes, a six-year-old son.

I see. Then he's a first-grader.

Yes.

I'm home, Ken.

Welcome home.

Did you watch the house like a good little boy?

Please come in.

Hi.

Say hello, Ken.

Hello.

Please come in.

You're a smart boy.

How old are you?

Six.

I'm sorry it's messy, but please have a seat.

What did you draw?

Mom.

What did you study at school today?

Arithmetic, science and Japanese.

I see. Did you finish reading 'Ten Little Pigs'?

I did.

Recite it to me.

"Ten little pigs crossed a river.

"They counted themselves, to make sure no one was missing.

"One pig, two pigs,

"three pigs, four pigs, five pigs, six pigs,

"seven pigs, eight pigs, nine pigs, nine years old -"

Ken, stop playing with that.

"One pig was missing."

Shoo!

Is that right?

I assumed your mother was living with you.

Well, she has aged, but she's still hale and hearty.

You're sweating. Do take off your jacket.

Anyway, she'd feel cramped living in my tiny apartment.

- In the future, I plan to live with her. - I'll take the jacket.

Oh, thanks.

But she prefers to stay in Chikura for the present.

I see.

Ah, this reminds me of...

Right.

Delicious daikon radishes used to grow in Kawado, remember?

Since I was motherless, our maid used to make pickles with them.

I see. I haven't had them for years.

These are really good.

My mother gives me pickled daikon every time I go see her.

But they soon start tasting different in Tokyo, for some reason.

Because of the pickling paste?