Kaerimichi #1 - Script A somewhat sad 'ghost story' about the changes that have taken place in the lives of young children in the Japanese society. Appeared in Young Sunday, but story might hit a note with older Japanese readers who still remember how it was 'last time'. p1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NARRATION A long time ago, nights were really dark. // That's why, I believe that at that time, ghosts and demons did exist. But, just as how deforestation has deprived animals of their natural habitat, science and civilisation have exorcised these ghosts. // Were they more tangible, some conservationist societies or something might've been formed. // But we've never had any of such societies for ghosts. p2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- GEN Oi! Wet-pants! // Shouta was playing behind the hills when he lost track of time...By the time he was going home, it was already dark. SHOUTA Gen-chan! You promised not to tell...! // He was so frightened, he hid behind the Ichibonsugi* by the Jizou**, not daring to move even a bit. // His parents came looking for him with a torchlight later on. When he saw these two glowing lights in the dark, he thought they were the eyes of ghosts, and wet his pants! // Oi! Wet-pants! // MASAO Shouta's still young. What's wrong with him wetting his pants? You promised him you won't tell, and now you're telling us. That's even more disgraceful! p3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's run all the way to Sanmonike! KIDS Yes! // MASAO Wait, wait! Let's wait for Shouta! // TET Let's hide, Masao! p4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MASAO Okay, but don't make him cry! TET (?) We know. KID 1 We'll count the number of steps. When his clogs sound for the twelve time, we'll all rush out! // GEN He's coming! // KIDS 1...2 3 // KIDS 4...5 6 7 8 // 9 10 // 11 // 12 // (THUNDER) p5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eh // 13...? (ONE OF SHOTA'S WOODEN CLOGS ON THE GROUND JUST IN FRONT OF THE GATE, BUT NO SIGN OF THE CHILD) p6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (ONE AFTERNOON, ON THE BUSY STREETS OF JAPAN TODAY) p7 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (THRONGS OF PEOPLE MOVING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS. SHOUTA, LOOKING AS HE DID IN THE PREVIOUS PAGES -- BUT WITH ONE MISSING CLOG) -- STANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. A TRUCK HONKS AT HIM, SENDING THE CHILD SCUTTLING FOR SAFETY) p8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (SHOUTA WANDERS AROUND, AND ENDS UP IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THERE, HE FINDS AN ABANDONED TOY TRAIN ON A RUBBISH HEAP, AND PICKS IT UP) p9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOUTA Tet-chan! // Tet-chan! Tet-chan! BOY Mom!! // MOTHER What's wrong? // BOY This weird kid keeps following me! SHOUTA Let's go to Sanmonike to play, Tet-chan! p10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOTHER Now hold on, which family are you from? My son's name is Ryutarou. You've got the wrong person! // Now, go off! Go off! // SHOUTA Tet-chan...... // FATHER (TET-CHAN) What happened? MOTHER Weird kid! All dirty and barefoot... // And he kept calling Ryutarou 'Tet-chan'. FATHER Oi, oi! He couldn't have mistaken my son for me? // MOTHER Ah, that's right. You're Tet-chan as well. // FATHER Hmm. What did the boy say? p11 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOTHER Huh? He kept saying he wanted to go to Sanmonike. FATHER Sanmonike? // They've levelled that place long ago. It's now a parking lot for an apartment block. // MOTHER Ryutarou, time for your tuition! RYUTAROU Hai! (yes) p12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIGN No vehicles allowed through. // CONSTRUCTION WORKER 1 (MASAO) Hey you! What's so special about construction work?! p13 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that's unusual... // CONSTRUCTION WORKER 2 (GEN) What's it, Masao? // MASAO A kid who's actually afraid of adults... // CONSTRUCTION WORKER 3 (TOSHI) Yes. We were all afraid of adults when we're young -- especially our fathers. GEN Marukou and Takinoya's fathers were really scarry. // MASAO Yes...always beaten up then. p14 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOUTA Masao-chan. Toshi-chan. // Gen-chan. Tet-chan. // *sniff* p15 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (SHOUTA STANDS UNDER A HUGE TREE IN THE EVENING) // Ichiponsugi! p16 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (IT'S NIGHT. MATERIAL GOODS AND NIGHT SCHOOL OCCUPIES MUCH OF CHILDREN'S LIVES TODAY) p17 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (SHOUTA SITS ALONE UNDER THE TREE. SUDDENLY LIGHTS APPEAR FROM THE DARKNESS, MOVING TOWARDS HIM) p18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Papa! Mama! p19 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (THE TRUCK VIERS TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO AVOID SHOUTA) // TOSHI/MASAO That hurts...! // What the hell were you doing, Gen!! // What's up? // GEN ? // Ah...no...nothing... p20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NARRATION Long ago, nights were really dark. // That's why, certainly..... -- END -- * Ichiponsugi: A solitary cryptomeria tree. ** Jizou: god of children; a statue of Jizou in this story