~ KYOTO, JAPAN ~
What a view!
I'm here!
It's Spring, 2004. I always lived in Seoul
but I just joined my potter father in Japan.
I can't speak Japanese
but it's a good excuse not to study.
God...
Oh, I'm Kim Min.
~ Kiyomizu-dera : Clear Water Temple ~
You're bleeding.
I fell off my bike.
Are you Korean?
Um, what's that?
That.
Omikuji.
Omikoji?
Fortune teller.
Fortune teller?
Fortune telling!
You can buy one there.
It's Japanese. What's it mean?
It's Daikichi.
Daikichi?
Lucky. Very lucky.
Very lucky.
I think so too.
Only tie bad luck omikuji here.
This...bad only.
Your omikuji is good. Please keep.
Oh, keep?
Nanae, come here!
Okay.
Please keep. Is lucky.
Lee Jun-Ki ~ Miyazaki Aoi
~ VIRGIN SNOW ~
Min, have breakfast.
Help yourself.
No kimchi?
In Rome, do as Romans do.
Why's the soup bowl tiny?
And don't we need a spoon?
No spoon in Japan.
You're here for a year, so take an interest in Japan.
Not bad.
What's this?
[ Conquer Japan with 365 Words ]
For dating?
Thank you.
'Otosu'
'To tempt and succeed'
I love this word.
Yes!
What a great day.
Aren't you...?
Huh?
Monks buy groceries too?
Move! Move!
Move! Move! Move!
Class, this is Kim Min.
He's here with his dad, an exchange-professor.
He knows little Japanese, so please help him.
Yes!
Well, Min can sit...
Teacher, here.
Hello.
Oh, you spoke Korean.
[ Quality Guaranteed ]
Quality guaranteed?
My name is Assa Kaori.
Nice to meet you.
Assa Kaori. (= 'Yesss! Cute')
Yeah, Assa Kaori.
Her name wasn't the only thing funny.
Let's go and eat.
- Okay, let's go. - Okay.
What's he doing?
What are you up to?
Hey! You can't hear us?
- Huh? - Yeah, you.
I mean you. Where are you from?
You're stealing this bike? Give it back.
Sometimes feet are faster than words!
[ Black Belt in Taekwondo, Kim Min ]
Who's this girl?
Damn friend broke the mood.
You already got a girl?
First say 'hi' at least?
Japan must be tough without language.
You shoulda done music too.
How's the drumming?
Still playing. Don't forget to eat.
Okay. Take care.
Where are they?
Min! Why are you late? First class is gym.
Huh?
Don't you have a gym suit?
Gym suit.
G-gym suit?
Here we are.
Guys go there.
Hurry, good luck.
Ippon (score)!
Coach.
He's a Korean Kendo champion.
Really?
I wanna fight him.
Hey!
So you're a Kendo champion.
Why don't you show us?
What's he saying?
A welcome ceremony!
Now you notice me! Good to see you!
Do I look great?
Huh?
- Fight! - Wait!
I said wait!
Give me that.
Damn it.
Come here!
This sucks.
Fine, you're going down.
Here I go!
Min! Min!
Bring him water.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
It was my fault yesterday.
I thought you were stealing the bike.
What's he saying? Is he apologizing?
Where are you going?
Min!
What's wrong?
Forget it!
Wait!
Min!
- What's up? - Wait, Min!
Nanae!
Oh no! Nanae treasures that.
What're you gonna do?
Oh, no!
The stream's too shallow!
Mom, you're drinking again?
Whatever...
You'll kill yourself.
Shut up!
Wanna say something? Say it now.
Hi, Yuri.
What's with you?
You wanna say it too, Yuri?
Here.
- Thanks. - Thanks.
See you again!
Kojima!
What is it?
You...
help me...
What?
I need a lotta money...
So...
I need a job...
Help me!
Please come!
Nanae?
Nanae.
Thank you.
~ Meiji Aqueduct - Nanzenji Temple ~
Good morning.
Here you are.
For me?
'Me' dropped it like this, so...
I can't accept.
I mean...
'Me' dropped yours like this!
So I bought this for you.
I can use mine.
They're still usable.
Rain.
Hey...
You did a show to buy me that.
What?
Ching Ching Dong Dong
What?
Ching Ching Dong Dong
You saw me?
How embarrassing.
Rain.
Rain?
Rain!
Thank you.
[ Past. Sorry. This. Take. Please ]
Min.
For me?
For the paints.
Thank you.
[ To Min, with all my thanks. From Nanae ]
Want to learn pottery?
No, I won't touch that crap.
Crap? You talk crap.
What's this writing say?
It says she likes me?
Who'd like you?
It says, cut your hair.
Forget it.
Better to say nothing.
'With all my thanks'.
Whoever she is thanks you with all her heart.
Yeah?
Then what's 'ookini' mean?
It's 'thank you' in Kyoto dialect.
Thank you.
Dad!
Ookini.
Let's hurry.
- See you. - See you.
What the hell...?
Let go of me!
Let go, man.
Are all Koreans like you?
Push, push.
Push?
Yeah. Wrong way.
Japanese girls, Kyoto girls...
are 'okuyukashii'.
- 'Okuyukashii'? - Get it?
Hazukashi gariya, hazukashi.
- Oh, shy? - Yeah, yeah.
Don't rush.
Don't hurry; slow, please.
Slow...
- Slow... - Slow...
Sonofabitch.
So, this is a good weapon.
[ Brand new phone. 0 yen ]
Okay!
[ Look out the window ]
The heads of 5 Southern Asia countries are...
Now it's the capital city of Sri Lanka.
And after the prime ministers of China and India have a meeting...
The five principles of peace...
Teacher.
Yesterday...
Present...
Thank you.
So...I...
will show you around Kyoto.
I think...
I should guide you.
No.
I will...guide you.
Good?
Okay.
Pottery shop.
My father make pottery.
He's a 'potter'.
Your dad is a potter?
Kiyomizu yaki.
'Kiyomiz' what?
Kiyomizu porcelain has a different potter and painter.
The potter makes it;
the painter paints it... separately.
So there's a porcelain maker
and then painting.
- Separately. - Separately.
Separately.
Okay, I got it.
How about this?
Future, 'me' make...
Nanae does its painting. Okay?
Promise?
- Promise? - Mm, 'yakusoku'.
Japanese say 'yakusoku'.
'Yakusoku'.
Dad. Teach me to make porcelain.
You didn't want to touch 'crap'.
Just teach me.
You must knead it hard to make it more pliable.
I know that bit. Teach me porcelain making,
not beating mud.
I need to make a big dish.
That's what I'm teaching.
Want to impress that girl?
It's not that...
Try it.
- Like this? - Yeah.
Give it to me.
The clay has too much air.
If you don't press out the air, the clay cracks when you fire it.
The beginning of anything is vital.
Yes.
Let's do it.
(learning Korean)
'Hello'.
Konnichiwa.
'Hello'.
I'm Yamada Keiko.
'I'm Nanae'.
Nice to meet you.
'Nice to meet you'.
Nice to meet you.
'Nice to meet you'.
(learning Japanese)
'It's a great day'.
A Pinky Promise seems stronger than one made with words.
I didn't want to study for myself, but I study for Nanae.
I study Japanese and pottery. Nanae studies Korean and painting.
Our beautiful summer began.
'Tsuyu' is over.
'Tsuyu?'
What is 'tsuyu?'
'Tsuyu' is
rain much much.
- Rain much much. - Rain much much.
Rain much much is 'jangma'.
Pronounce it?
Pronounce?
- Say 'Jang'. - 'Jang'.
- 'Ma'. - 'Ma'.
- 'Jang'. - 'Jang'.
- 'Ma'. - 'Jangma'.
Okay.
Excuse me.
- Hello? - Sis.
Yuri, what's up?
Come home fast.
What happened?
I'm scared. That man is beating Mom.
Okay. I'll be there soon.
Min, sorry... I home...kaeru.
- 'Kaeru?' - I must go. Sorry.
Nanae!
Sis.
Come on!
Stop it! Please stop!
Stop it!
What are you doing?
Stop it.
I'll kill you!
Why didn't you listen to me!
Stop it, please!
Get off me!
Yuri.
Stop it.
You bitches!
I'll call the police!
Stop it.
I'm sorry. It's my fault.
Let's go outside?
Come on.
Nothing compares to Nanae's smile
but I sensed the sadness behind her smile.
I should've asked her the reason then.
Can we go on that?
That rowboat.
They break up.
It's a myth.
A couple who go in a boat break up.
A couple in a boat break up?
Seoul has something similar.
Doldam Road by Deoksu Palace.
'Dorudam' Road.
A couple walking along it split up.
A couple on a first snowfall date will be happy.
First snowfall date?
First snow, date... happiness.
'Shiawase'?
'Haengbok'.
'Haengboku'.
Boat is minus.
Doldam Road is minus.
Minus and minus is plus.
So let's date on Doldam Road at first snow.
Promise.
In Korea, stamp...
Sign like this, copy.
Copy.
Let's go.
This is my favourite place in Kyoto.
Your favourite?
Memory Note.
Write your wish.
I wish...
that time would stop now.
Yuri!
No! No!
Let go of me!
What are you doing?
Please get out.
I beg you, get out!
You didn't press the air out of the clay.
Still don't get it?
I haven't enough time!
Start kneading again.
[ 100th day celebration ]
Hello?
Where were you? I called many times.
What's wrong?
I'm at Incheon Airport. (Korea)
Incheon Airport? Why?
Your grandma collapsed.
What? Grandma? Why? Is she okay?
Her condition is stable now.
She really wants to see you.
Okay. Hey, Dad.
Tell her I'll come soon.
Okay, hurry.
Alright.
~ Nanzenji Temple - Sanmon Gate ~
Hello. (Korean)
So pretty.
Kimono?
Yukata.
100th day celebration!
100 days celebration?
It's my first pottery work.
You made this?
Lucky charm.
Don't open it yet.
Not now.
Hey! Min.
~ Gion Matsuri ~ Festival of Yasaka Shrine
What's wrong?
Nanae!
Min!
Nanae!
Min.
You gave me courage
and laughter too.
I want to be with you forever
but I can't see you again.
What?
My promise to paint your porcelain...
I want to keep it.
I can't hear you!
As well as...
the promise to walk on Doldam Road together.
But...
(Nanae!)
Good-bye.
Don't open it now.
- Here you are. - Thank you.
You're welcome.
Thank you.
- Grandma. - Oh, my.
Are you okay?
You came so far from Japan?
Sure; to see you.
You needn't have.
Oh, Mom, you were dying to see him.
Was I?
- But what's that? - Eh?
Ah, you got this for me in Japan?
Oh, yeah.
Thanks so much.
- Pretty, eh? - Yes, so lovely.
One, two, three, four.
- Hey. - What's up?
Been a long time.
Practising hard.
- Here you are. - Thanks.
Well, how's your grandma?
She's much better.
Wait for me till I finish practice?
We gotta catch up.
Of course. Go and finish.
- Okay, wait. - Sure.
The number you dialed is not in service.
Please check the number and try again.
Hello?
Min?
Kojima.
Where's Nanae?
Even Kaori knows nothing.
Nothing? Even Kaori?
She moved out of her home.
What?
Move the house...
- Move? - She's gone.
So she's gone.
She suddenly moved.
Her friends can't reach her.
You're bleeding.
I fell off my bike.
She's gone.
2 YEARS LATER - KOBE, JAPAN
Nanae!
Nanae, it's really you?
Yes.
- You... - You go to Kobe Uni?
Forget that. Discuss it later.
Why'd you suddenly vanish?
I'm sorry.
My parents loved each other.
But after Dad died in an accident,
Mom turned strange.
Hurry up.
She drank in depression.
Then she met a violent man
and got bashed by him.
She'd changed.
Please get out.
Someone could've died.
That's why.
Is it okay now?
He's in jail for another crime.
Then...your mom?
She's under treatment and much better.
Did you hear about Min?
He went back to Korea at start of second semester.
He said he'd no reason to stay.
Thank you.
Good-bye.
Nanae!
Here you are.
Why didn't you finish the porcelain?
When will you glaze it?
Still in bed?
Oh, your show's today. Where is it?
The City Gallery. Yeah, Deoksu Palace.
I'll be waiting.
Nanae, this way, please.
- Hello. - Hello.
Congratulations on your acceptance.
Thank you.
Nanae, can you speak Korean?
- No. - She said 'no'.
Where are the places in your paintings?
It's Kyoto,
my favourite place.
Min!
(Nanae is speaking Korean)
It's been a long time.
How have you been?
Why are you here?
To see me?
No.
My paintings...
Paintings?
Just as I expected.
What am I doing here?
Min, Korean's too hard for me.
Can you speak Japanese for me?
Japanese? I know none.
Ever since you left me without a word,
I don't care to know it.
Rain.
Doldam-gil, Deoksu-gung (Stone-Wall Road, Virtuous-Longevity Palace)
Very lucky?
I don't believe it.
[ With all my thanks. From Nanae ]
Who taped this?
Me.
I did.
This seems to be yours.
(Nanae writes in Korean)
Min.
I can't see you for a while
but during all the times
we were together,
I was very happy.
I wish I could be with you forever
but today I must leave Kyoto.
Please take care until the day we meet again.
~ Nanzenji Temple, Kyoto ~
This is a camellia.
This flower means...
'constant love'.
31 December 2004
On this year's first snowfall,
I waited for Min on Doldam Road
but Min didn't come.
Today's the second snowfall.
I'm waiting for Min here.
Will he come next year?
11 December 2005
Seoul's first snow was 3rd December.
Today is Kyoto's first snow.
Nanae.
Incheon Airport, Seoul
Oh, it's snowing. Isn't it the first fall?
It's beautiful.
Will he come next year?
Taxi!
A couple dating on first snowfall will be happy.
First snowfall date?
First snowfall, date, happiness.
'Shiawase'?
Mister...
- Let me off. - It's still far off.
It's okay.
[ First snowfall, date, promise, I believe ]
You dummy!
Why are you here in this cold?
How long were you waiting for me, huh?
Min...
I waited as much as you did.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
~ I mean...~
~ if I don't believe in ~
~ the sorrow of heaven ~
~ can you smile for me? ~
~ I find myself sighing deeply ~
~ because of my poor love ~
~ I look at horoscopes ~
~ and predict what our poor love will be~
~ I am really wishing that I ~
~ meet you in the next life ~
~ Oh, the wind blows ~
~ and it's like your smile ~
~ I am sending you the language of flowers ~
~ Oh, I feel so anxious ~
~ I wrote poetry for you ~
~ on a windy afternoon ~
~ I mean... ~
~ if I couldn't meet you ~
~ in that place, at that time ~
~ what would our future be? ~
~ I read you the never ending story ~
~ you pretend to be strong but you're a crybaby ~
~ Poseidon runs on the wide sea ~
~ with his cobalt colour memory ~
~ I am really wishing that I ~
~ meet you in the next life ~
~ Oh, the wind blows... ~