Letter from the Mountain (Amida-do dayori) (阿弥陀堂だより)

LETTER FROM THE MOUNTAIN

You're panting...

I'd forgotten what the place looked like.

And now we're going to live here...

We've been living too fast. It's time to slow down a bit.

There's only so much you can do by sheer force of will.

And who might you be?

How are you? I'm Takao, Ueda Sei's grandson.

I've moved back to the village.

Well, isn't that nice!

Please...

...step inside for a bit.

This is my wife, Michiko.

Please, please, step in.

The water's from yesterday...

...so the tea might not be very hot.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

At least cold tea won't burn you.

It's not very hot.

How long has it been...

...since Sei died?

Grandma died five years ago. She was 81.

It stopped raining for her funeral...

Sei was ten years younger than me.

So you're 96, Miss Ume?

Me?

Well, once I passed 90 I decided...

...that whatever age everybody said I was...

...was the age I'd be.

Sei had a very hard life...

...but she was a lovely person, very accomplished.

Miss Ume... we brought this to say hello.

Well, well, well!

Aren't you a dear!

That's very nice of you.

Thank you.

Sei...

Look what Takao brought!

I'll give you some later.

Mrs Ueda, I understand you're going to be working...

...at the clinic in the village.

Yes.

I've been ill myself...

...so I'll just be there three mornings a week, though.

Well, even that much...

...is something to be grateful for.

Welcome Dr Ueda Michiko

Sei didn't want you moving to Tokyo.

She didn't?

She said you were like your dead mother, always reading.

She was afraid you'd turn out a 'cherry-blossom farmer'.

If he'd stayed here, he'd never have found a wife.

But why would a famous doctor marry Takao?

I liked the idea of a farmer who'd stop to look at cherry blossoms.

You know what that means, then?

A dreamer so absorbed in cherry blossoms...

...that he doesn't get his work done.

The kind of man we always tell our girls not to marry.

I'm not very brave, and I'm not very talented...

...so I chose something practical, like medicine.

That's why I chose farming!

That's not even practical!

As our guests are looking a little tired...

...perhaps they'd like to wash off that city dust in our hot spring.

Yes, Mr Mayor. Let's close this meeting.

This village finally has itself a doctor again.

This doctor's also being a noted researcher...

...makes her someone far beyond anything we could have wished for.

May she never leave her cherry-blossom farmer behind...

...and depart from this village.

I also ask that everyone in the village gives her...

...their complete cooperation.

That's all.

Thank you!

Well?

It's wonderful. The water feels so soft...

I'd forgotten how far you can see here.

Good night.

Doesn't this bedding still have your grandmother's smell to it?

Yeah, I feel like I'm a little boy again.

Good morning.

Let's eat.

Bon appétit.

How is it?

Good.

'Unbowed by the rain, Unbowed by the wind...'

That's Miyazawa Kenji.

My mother copied that out years ago.

'Unbowed by the rain, Unbowed by the wind...

'Unbowed by snow or summer heat, Sound of body...

'Coveting nothing, never angry...

'Always quietly smiling...

'Eating four cups of brown rice, miso and a few greens each day...

'Leaving himself out of the account...

'Watching, listening, understanding and not forgetting...

'Living in the shade of a pine grove, in a field, in a small thatched hut...

'To the sick child in the east he tends...

'To the tired mother in the west he bears sheaves of rice...

'To one dying in the south he says, “Do not fear"...

'To quarrels or lawsuits in the north he says, “Be not petty"...

'In drought he weeps...

'In a cold summer he paces...

'Called a fool...

'Not praised, not criticized:

'I want to be that kind of man.'

Good morning.

Lovely day, isn't it.

Here's the doctor.

Good morning.

It's nice to see you here.

Hello, Doctor!

Good morning, Sensei.

Well! If it isn't Takao!

Yes.

Should you be doing that?

'If the sun shines, though tomorrow the world end...

'...do not omit to dry your bedding.'

So how are you feeling?

Is that why you're here'!

No!

I won't go into hospital.

The doctors call it 'stomach cancer'...

...but in 'cancer' is the word 'can'. Certain things become possible.

Come in.

It's inconvenient now, but once I'm dead I can do what I want.

Sensei...

...where are all your books?

I gave them to the school.

Welcome back!

It makes the place look a bit empty...

I want everything all cleared away for once in my life.

We have no children.

I'm leaving nothing behind, and I don't want to.

It's a load off my mind.

I still have your letter from when I won my 'Best New Writer' prize.

'Becoming famous is by no means a good thing.

'It does not elevate you.

'The purpose of creativity is not reputation or success.

'Think of being the subject of people's idle gossip...

'...as embarrassing.'

That was rude.

In the ten years since I haven't accomplished anything.

You've only just started!

I'm over 40 and I haven't made any money.

I've started to wonder whether I'm worth anything.

It's an important time for you.

Patience, patience...

Like him.

Even at my age you're not sure if you're really worth anything.

But who cares?

Just walk your own path and regret nothing.

I will.

For all my children care, I might as well not be here.

No?

And after all the trouble you went to!

Yes! You put them through school, they move away...

...and never even come home to visit!

You're lucky. At least yours come at New Year's and in August.

Yes! Twice a year is more than most.

Mine only come once!

If there's any problem, call me.

I will, thank you.

Isn't it nice to have a good doctor here!

We'll keep you on the same medicine.

As old as I am, Doctor...

...it hardly matters if I take medicine or not.

There you go.

Takao!

Yes?

The village newsletter.

I could pass that around if you wanted.

Could you? We'll be busy in the fields pretty soon.

It's all yours.

'Bye.

Thank you.

'Letter from the Mountain:

'People tell us not to dwell...

'...on what is before our eyes...

'...but in spring I plant eggplant, beans and cucumbers...

'...in my garden and water them.

'Thinking this way of only what is before me...

'...I suddenly find myself 96 years of age.

'Is it a good thing...

'I... that looked at nothing else and did not add to my worries?

'That may be the secret to a long life.'

isn't that great!

Miss Ume was in hospital with high blood pressure last winter.

They asked me to go see her.

Let's go after we eat.

I always fall asleep at this time of day.

I'm sorry to worry you.

Not at all.

I thought I might come and check your blood pressure.

My blood pressure, eh?

All right.

Right here?

Here we go.

I should lie here?

All right?