It's my father's favorite.
I think...
your mom loved your dad the whole time.
No way.
Otherwise she would've thrown out all the records.
She wouldn't have sorted them.
Yes?
I want you to go right away.
What? Now?
Yes, someone hung himself in the Star Hotel by the station.
What about the boss?
He just left for another client.
Please go by yourself today. Okay?
Okay.
Have a good day.
Thanks.
Good morning.
Morning. Thanks for last night.
The police officer was impressed. Because of your young age.
I gave it everything I've got.
I see.
It's really cold today.
Yeah.
Here.
Thank you.
Bloodshot eyes! Didn't get any sleep?
This job is mentally draining.
How did you end up in this job, Ms. Uemura?
Thanks for the tea.
A lot happened when I was young.
I couldn't stay over there...
Where?
Hokkaido.
None of my past jobs lasted.
I just happened to end up in a cafe in this town.
But the owner had a cerebral hemorrhage...
and died all of a sudden!
Then, our boss came...
That was when I witnessed encoffining for the first time.
Made me think...
when I die, I want this person to do it for me.
He's completely different from others.
That's how I ended up here.
Fate plays funny tricks on people.
Never know what'll happen.
You're right.
Tastes great.
Hey, Yamashita.
Is he a friend of yours?
Good afternoon!
You don't have to greet him.
Honey...
Go on. I'll catch up.
There's a rumor going around.
About what?
It's none of my business, but find a proper job!
Let's go! Come!
I'm home.
Mika?
Mika...
What's wrong?
...make sure the relatives cannot see the cotton stuffing taking place...
At times, we may need to stuff the anus as well.
Roll up the cotton like this, and...
push in all the way inside the anus to prevent an outflow of body fluid.
What's this?
You looked through my desk without my permission?
That's not the issue.
I just happened to be a model for this...
I found out about your job too.
So... what?
Why didn't you tell me?
You would've been against it...
Of course! Doing this kind of job...
aren't you ashamed of it?
Why should I be?
Because I touch dead people every day?
I just want you to have a normal job.
What's normal?
Everyone dies.
I'll eventually die, and so will you.
Death itself is normal.
I don't care about the philosophy of it! Just quit the job now.
Please.
I've never complained until now.
When you wanted to quit the cello...
and when you said you wanted to come back to the countryside...
I followed you with a smile.
Of course, I was actually sad.
But...
because I love you...
So please...
just this once,
do what I ask.
And if I said no?
Can you work in this job for rest of your life?
I'm going back to my parent's home.
Come and get me after you quit your job.
Mika...
Don't touch me!
Filthy!
It's wrong.
Huh?
My daughter didn't look like this.
Her hair color is wrong...
it's all wrong!
That's what she looks like!
What are you doing?!
It's all wrong.
Redo it.
Yes.
Why are you saying this now?
This only happened...
because you didn't raise her properly!
You don't have to say it like that.
What did you say?
You also never paid any attention to her.
Who the hell do you think you are?
You got her on the damn bike,
and you ended up surviving! Aren't you ashamed?
Stop.
Stop, stop.
It's you!
Leave.
It doesn't change the fact that it's your fault Miyuki died.
Can you make up for it?
Huh?
Can you take that guy's job for the rest of your life and make up for it?
Huh?
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry!
The boss will be sad to hear that.
What?
He really liked you.
He did?
Yeah! You're our first ever employee!
The interview was very simple despite that.
He always acts on his instincts!
He said he felt something in you.
But still...
Sorry, but please talk to him in person if you want to quit.
He's upstairs.
Excuse me.
Come on in.
Okay.
What have you been eating?
What?
Your wife hasn't come back yet, right?
Yes...
Eat here.
It's probably better than your wife's cooking.
Let's eat.
What's this?
Blowfish milt.
It's best grilled, with salt.
That's my wife.
Passed away 9 years ago.
All married couples are eventually separated by a death,
but it's tough being the one left behind.
I dressed her up, and sent her away.
My very first client.
I've been working in this business ever since.
This too...
This is a corpse too.
The living eat the living to live. Right?
These plants are an exception.
You have to eat if you don't want to die.
If you're going to eat, might as well taste good.
Tasty, isn't it?
It sure is.
Yeah it is... sadly.
It's almost two weeks since I returned to Yamagata from Tokyo.
Now that I think of it, I've lead such an unremarkable life.
Will I really be able to make a living with this job?
Do you want to try?
Yes.
Slowly, lower from the head.
Tomeo...
Good bye.
Thank you.
We've been doing nothing but argue since Tomeo started dressing up like that...
I haven't looked straight into his face for a long time.
But... seeing him smile made me think...
ah... he really is my child.
Even if he looks like a girl...
he really is my child!
Thank you so much!
Tastes great!
Is it tasty?
...Sadly.
Did you bring the cello?
Really? I want to hear!
I'll play a little bit.
It's my first time listening to a cello live.
You were in an orchestra too, right?
Yes, but it went out of business right away.
How long have you been playing?
Ever since I was in kindergarten.
Wow, for that long?
This is also a children's cello...
my father forced me to learn to play this.
Your father had a fine taste.
He's the worst father ever.
He ran a small cafe,
but he ran away with a waitress, never came back.
He really was the worst father ever.
I wonder what he's doing now.
Who knows, probably already dead.
Well, what should I play?
Let's see...
something Christmassy.
Yeah.
Uh... will different religions bother you?
Don't worry.
Buddhism, Christian, Islam, Hindu...
we handle all religions here.
Then,
for the Holy Night...
Yes, this is NK Agent.
Thank you always for your business.
Yes, tomorrow.
The name of the deceased is...
I will now prepare her for her last journey.
Gently cover her toes...
Um...
My grandma said she wanted to wear loose socks.
Okay.
Grandma,
bye-bye.
Thank you for everything, grandma.
...in the name of Jesus Christ...
Amen.
Boss has aged a lot!
Thank you, honey.
Mika!
You haven't been cleaning this place?
Occasionally.
You're lying, you haven't even cleaned once.
I cleaned twice.
That's not "occasionally".
You're a mess without me, as I thought.
I have something to report too.
What is it?
I'm pregnant.
Wow...
I'm going to be a father?
So please start getting your life together.
Can you proudly tell your child about your job?
I'm sure it'll lead to bullying.
I don't care about money. Let's just live happily together.
Yes, hello?
What? Now?
What?!
Okay. I'll be there right away.
You're going to work at a time like this?
Lady at the bath house...
passed away.
She's my wife, Mika.
She collapsed while carrying firewood...
and passed away.
She was working 'til the very end.
It'll be lonely around here,
without this bath house.
Please wipe her face one by one,
and bid her farewell one last time.
Mom...
Mother...
Shiori.
This is good-bye to your grandma.
Mother...
Thank you for everything.
This is where you work?
Everyone, please see her off with a prayer.
Please allow me to close the 'window'.
Thank you...
see you again.
Can I witness the last moment of my mother?
Thank you.
I guess people get a hunch about these things.
Last winter, the two of us had a little Christmas party.
I didn't expect her to celebrate it at this age.
But...
she said she wanted to have one no matter what.
We bought a small cake, lit up the candles...
and celebrated together.
Then, out of the blue...
she asked me to help her with the firewood.
This must have been what she meant.
I'm good at burning things.
Working here for a long time makes me think...
that death... is a gateway.
Death doesn't mean the end,
but leaving the present, heading for the next stage.
Truly a gateway.
As a gatekeeper,
I've seen off many people.
"Have a nice trip,
see you again", I would say...
Mom...
I'm sorry, mom...
I'm sorry, mom.
I'm sorry.
Mom...
I'm sorry, mom.
What are you doing?
This is it!
Here.
What?
Stone-letter.
"Stone-letter"?
In the ancient times,
before humans invented writing...
they searched for the stone that resembled their feelings,
and gave it to another person.
The person who received the stone,
read the other person's feelings by the weight and texture.
For example, smooth texture symbolizing a peaceful mind,
and rough texture symbolizing a concern for others.
Thank you!
What did you feel?
It's a secret.
That's a wonderful story.
Who did you hear it from?
My old man.
Does that mean... that big stone too?
Yes, I got it from my father.
I never knew.
"Let's give each other stone-letters every year", he said...
yet that was the only time.
Such a lousy father!
Can you play every day for the unborn baby?
Sure.
What nice weather.
Good afternoon.
Is this the Kobayashi residence?
Yes.
A telegram for Ms. Kazuko.
What...?
Is she no longer here?
No, uh... my mother-in-law passed away two years ago.
Really? Oh...
Excuse me, can I see it?
You're not supposed to...
[ Kobayashi Hideki. ] [ Time of death: 7:30 of the 18th, ]
[ Please come and collect his body... ]
I'm back, sorry for taking so long.
Daigo, you forgot to take your cell phone.
What? Oh... it's back home. Sorry.
Father passed away.
Whose?
Yours.
What do you mean?
... is what they told me when I called the Yurahama Fishing Association.
Our address was in his belongings.
But I don't even know him...
I haven't seen him in more than 30 years!
And the person he ran away with can take care of him.
It seems he was alone the whole time.
He'll be cremated tomorrow morning.
It seems his body is in their assembly hall.
Anyway, we're no longer legally related...
tell them I can't sign the documents.
Thanks.
Dai...
Please go for him.
Don't worry about it.
Please, I'm begging you.
I...
abandoned my son in Hokkaido.
He was 6 years old.
I fell in love with someone...
"Mommy, mommy"...
he cried, but...
I shook off his small arm, and left home.
Your son...
Of course I want to see him, but... I can't.
Why not?
Just go see him if you want to.
Do all parents who've abandoned their child act like that?
Then you're all too irresponsible!
Please, go for him.
Go and see his last appearance.
Dai...
Boss...
Hey...
Take one you like.
Go ahead.
He was already dead when I showed up this morning.
I was surprised.
I don't know where he came from,
but he came to this town by himself.
He worked very hard at the port.
So I let him live in this shack.
I see...
He was a quiet man...
I'm glad someone from his family showed up.
People from the funeral home will be here soon.
Okay.
He's your father.
I'm ashamed to admit...
I don't recognize...
his face.
That he looked like this...
It doesn't even ring a bell.
What was this man's life?
He lived for 70-odd years...
Only to leave a cardboard box behind.
He's here.
Thanks.
Excuse us.
Can I take him now?
Let's just toss him in.
Yeah.
Um...
Yes?
May I?
No, we can do it.
Just give him a drink after we place him into the coffin.
Ready...
What are you doing?
My husband is...
an encoffiner.
Father...
He's my father.
Father...
Motoki Masahiro as Kobayashi Daigo
Hirosue Ryouko as Kobayashi Mika
Yamazaki Tsutomu as Sasaki Ikuhei
Yo Kimiko as Kamimura Yuriko
Yoshiyuki Kazuko as Yamashita Tsuyako
Sasano Takashi as Hirata Shoukichi
Scriptwriter: Koyama Kundou
Music: Joe Hisaishi
Beauty Director: Tsugei Sao
Cello performer, director: Kashiwagi Hiroki
Director: Takita Youjirou