After watching this Japanese road movie, I cried for a long time in front of the screen 😢. It tells the story of 42-year-old Yoko (Rinko Kikuchi), a "Freeter" who has given up on her dreams and is almost disconnected from society, embarking on a 658-kilometer journey home after learning of the death of her father, with whom she had no relationship for 20 years.🚗 A Journey of Reconciliation with Oneself Because she was accidentally left behind by her family at a highway rest stop, penniless, Yoko had to hitchhike to her father's funeral. Along the way, she encountered all sorts of strangers, and also seemed to encounter her past self trapped in the past. The most wonderful part of the film is that she even encountered the ghost of her deceased father on the road. These 658 kilometers represent not only a geographical distance, but also her emotional journey of stepping out of her closed-off inner world and reconciling with her father and the past.
#Yoko'sJourney658km #JapaneseFilm #RoadMovie #HealingFilm #RinkoKikuchi #ReconcilingWithYourself #MovieRecommendation #WeekendMovieWatching #MovieNotes #JapaneseHealingFilm
#Yoko'sJourney658km #JapaneseFilm #RoadMovie #HealingFilm #RinkoKikuchi #ReconcilingWithYourself #MovieRecommendation #WeekendMovieWatching #MovieNotes #JapaneseHealingFilm
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Short filmTranscript
00:00She was 42 years old and still unmarried, with little social life and few contacts with family.
00:06She lived a secluded and quiet life alone in a bustling city, her only pleasure being watching
00:11TV dramas in bed. She bought all her necessities online, and even booked repairs online for
00:18her broken phone. Despite numerous restaurants near her apartment, she ordered takeout
00:24365 days a year. Her job was as an online customer service representative, coldly
00:31responding to customers with indifferent text messages, even receiving insults and negative
00:37reviews left her unmoved. The curtains in her home had never been opened since they were
00:44installed, as if this would completely isolate her from the outside world.
00:48This life had. Continued for 24 years, until one day, brother Tian knocked on her door,
00:55bringing with him a. Sudden and devastating piece of news. The funeral was set for tomorrow at noon.
01:03Her. Cousin told her to pack her things and return to her hometown in Aomori now,
01:07but Yang Zi felt. Lost. He had been away from home for 24 years and hadn't returned.
01:14He still harbored. Resentment towards his father, and he didn't know how to face his family.
01:21His cousin. However, thought he was just overwhelmed with grief. In a daze, he basked in the long-lost
01:28sunlight and suddenly realized that his father, with whom he hadn't reconciled, was gone.
01:34Decades of monotonous life had distorted his perception of the world, he couldn't even
01:38distinguish whether he was living in the present or trapped in a vortex of memories that felt
01:43like yesterday. His cousin's two children were bickering, and his heart felt empty.
01:50In a daze. He saw his father as he remembered him, still frozen in time 24 years ago.
01:56When they. Stopped at a service area to rest, the adopted son walked alone into the nearby grove.
02:03When. He was a child, his family had passed through this area before. Back then, his father was.
02:10Always grumbling and complaining about the traffic, about how noisy he and his sister were.
02:16In short, in the adopted son's memory, his father's face was never pleasant.
02:21When he. Emerged from the grove, his cousin's car was gone.
02:26Because his phone had been sent for. Repairs the day before, he had lost contact with his cousin.
02:31Picking up a public phone, he. Suddenly realized he had no phone numbers saved.
02:38He frantically searched his wallet, but. The cash he had wasn't even enough for a bus fare.
02:44After hesitating for a long time, he finally. Mustered the courage to ask a passerby for help.
02:51However, due to long-term social isolation. He had even forgotten how to communicate.
02:56He stammered, his expression strange, and his. Voice was so soft that even he himself couldn't hear it.
03:04After several unsuccessful attempts. To ask for help, he hid in a toilet stall,
03:10practicing what he wanted to say over and over again.
03:13When a female driver finally agreed, he froze, as if it were unbelievable.
03:18The woman made. Room for him in the passenger seat, but he went to the back,
03:22habitually keeping a great. Distance from others, without even saying thank you.
03:28Coincidentally, just as they left the rest. Area, his cousin's car returned.
03:34It turned out that the child had accidentally fallen and injured.
03:38Himself while playing, and since they couldn't find Yangzi, they had to go to the hospital first.
03:43Resulting in the loss of contact. This incident also triggered a shift in Yangzi's rusty fate.
03:49He. He. And the female driver remained silent the entire way, if it weren't for the sounds coming
03:55from. The radio, the atmosphere would have been suffocatingly awkward. At the next service area.
04:03The woman went into a restaurant alone to eat, while Yangzi, having learned his lesson.
04:08Stayed by the car, not daring to leave for a moment. When he was feeling agitated, his.
04:13Father's image flashed before his eyes again. Yangzi complained angrily,
04:18it doesn't matter. Whether I go back or not, I can't help anyway. Besides, I haven't forgiven you
04:25yet. His father. Had once called Yangzi a hopeless case, and now he was living up to his father's.
04:33Expectations. Going back like this felt like a loss of face. The woman invited Yangzi to sit in.
04:39The front row and warmly offered him some food, then poured out her grievances.
04:45Although. These were trivial matters that everyone experiences in life,
04:50Yangzi's life was as calm as still. Water, so he couldn't respond or empathize.
04:56The woman said she had a despicable thought, seeing those who lived happy lives,
04:59he wished they would perish on the spot. The woman's.
05:03Words became increasingly outrageous, but her smile grew wider.
05:07At the next stop, the. Woman thanked Yangzi, releasing her pent-up resentment and feeling
05:13much better. Yangzi. However, the one who had actually been helped, ultimately didn't say thank
05:20you. The service. Area was desolate, without a single person in sight. He had waited from day to
05:27night, not. Getting a ride, but instead encountering a competitor who was also trying to hitch a ride.
05:33Perhaps out of caution, the two maintained a distance, their already solitary weight now
05:39tinged. With a subtle tension and anxiety. But soon, the unfamiliar environment forced them
05:45together. The girl needed to use the restroom, but the emptiness made her uneasy, so Yangzi stood.
05:52With her. To express her gratitude, the girl bought Yangzi a hot drink.
05:57The two sat on a. Bench, tapping the bottom of the can in unison, savoring the warmth of
06:03each drop. A couple. Passed by, and the girl eagerly asked what was wrong, but the sudden
06:09ringing of her phone. Startled them away. Yangzi was puzzled, the girl's phone had been
06:15ringing incessantly since. Earlier, but he hadn't answered it. Perhaps the girl, like himself
06:22years ago, had run away from. Home against her parents' wishes. The night grew colder,
06:28and the two sat shivering by the. Roadside. The girl got up and started exercising in the
06:33empty parking lot, they ran freely on. The field. After a few laps, it warmed up considerably,
06:40and she wanted Yangzi to try too. But. Yangzi preferred to stay put and continue moving rather
06:47than make any attempt to change. The situation. I haven't seen anyone before. Well then, I'll
06:54go find someone. Let's warm. Up. The girl used her body and enthusiasm to warm Yangzi, but
07:02Yangzi, who hadn't been. Close to anyone for a long time, felt uncomfortable, even offended.
07:09No. The awkward. Atmosphere made the already cold air even more chilling. The girl didn't
07:16know what she had. Done wrong, but she still apologized to Yangzi. I'm sorry. However,
07:23I think what I said is. Impossible. Soon after, a few young people drove by. Although they agreed
07:31to give her a. Ride, there was only one seat left. Forgiving Yangzi's lack of kindness, she
07:38still gave this. Hard won opportunity to the girl. When they parted, the girl gave Yangzi her
07:44scarf, finally. Passing on this unfamiliar warmth to him. Looking at himself in the mirror, Yoko
07:51suddenly felt. A sense of unfamiliarity. The boy who once possessed the passion of a girl
07:57had been swept. Away by the torrent of time, unrecognizable. Just as he was preparing to
08:04spend the night in a. Phone booth, a beam of car headlights gave him renewed hope. The man,
08:10claiming to be a. Journalist, spoke eloquently about his insights into life, while Yoko, exhausted,
08:17drifted off to. Sleep, completely unaware of the malicious intent beside him. When he awoke
08:24again, the. Man had parked his car in front of the hotel and began to grope him. Going
08:29back now would. Not only mean enduring hunger and cold but would also inevitably delay the
08:35funeral the next. Day at noon. Desperate, he chose to compromise, but the man didn't keep
08:41his promise and. Left without a word. At this moment, Yoko felt more alone and desperate
08:47than ever before. As dawn broke, the rising tide woke him, but he didn't get up, letting
08:53the. Cold water wash over his body, as if that could wash away all the humiliation.
08:58The tide. Surged and receded again and again, the rising tide crashing in with overwhelming
09:04force, like. A cruel fate forcing him into a corner. The dampness and desolation left behind
09:11by the. Receding tide mirrored his now broken heart, empty and desolate. For a moment, he
09:17wanted. To go with the tide and drown in the sea, to end it all. But after a fierce internal
09:24struggle, Yoko. Embarked on his journey home again. This time, he met a kind elderly couple.
09:31They noticed. Yangzi's plight but didn't pry into his experiences. Instead, they thought
09:38of their son who had. Been away from home for many years. The couple, both over 70, were
09:44plagued by. Various age-related illnesses, yet they still ran a vegetable shop, delivering
09:50vegetables to. Customers every morning, rain or shine. Their self-sufficient lifestyle
09:56greatly reduced the. Burden on their children. Even though Yangzi had a huge conflict with
10:02his father, he suddenly. Felt a pang of guilt. Because the couple needed to continue delivering
10:08vegetables, they found. Yangzi another ride. When they parted, the old woman gave him a pair
10:15of cotton shoes and. Leggings, along with the breakfast they hadn't had time to eat. Can
10:21I shake your hand? Of. Course. Your hands are so cold. How cute. Then, Yoko grasped the old
10:30man's hand. Again. Besides expressing his gratitude verbally, he rediscovered a sense of family in
10:37the. Two elderly people, making up for the missing warmth between him and his father.
10:43It also. Rekindled his belief that even someone as flawed as him deserved to be treated kindly.
10:49The. Scene of the elderly couple waving goodbye presented the most heartwarming moment of.
10:55The film. The girl saw Yoko to the highway exit. After eating the rice ball the old man had.
11:02Given him, Yoko used his remaining money to buy paper and a pen, writing down the words.
11:08I need a ride. He ran around the service area, asking everyone he met, his previous.
11:14Restraint gone, his speech no longer harsh, but he still couldn't find a vehicle to Aomori.
11:20With. Only an hour left before his father's funeral, if he couldn't return in time, he wouldn't be able.
11:27To see his father one last time. In desperation, he stood in the center of the square holding a.
11:33Sign, pleading for help. Hello?
11:37The person who made the invitation was a young boy. He. And his father were on their way back to their hometown in Aomori.
11:45Although it was a direct. Route, they had been delayed for too long, and at noon they were still on the road.
11:51Yoko, who. Was clearly going to miss their appointment, felt much more relaxed and, unusually, took the.
12:00Initiative to strike up a conversation.
12:02Could you tell me something personal?
12:05It's a boring.
12:06Topic, though.
12:08Sure.
12:09For the rest of the journey, the father and son remained silent.
12:14Listening to Yoko pour out the pent-up emotions that had been weighing on his heart for over.
12:19Twenty years.
12:20He had defied his family's objections, dropping out of school to try his luck in.
12:25Tokyo, but harsh reality had taught him a harsh lesson.
12:29Because he had achieved nothing.
12:31He hadn't returned home for twenty-four years, and his life had gradually succumbed to a.
12:36State of half-hearted despair.
12:39Every time his family called to express their concern, he would.
12:43Either argue or say nothing was wrong, this was an insurmountable obstacle in Yoko's.
12:48Heart.
12:49But this journey made him suddenly realize that everyone endures different kinds of.
12:54Suffering, yet they all strive to live, experiencing all sorts of things and building all sorts of.
13:00Bonds.
13:01Yoko finally admitted that he had been running away all along, so many things were.
13:06Beyond repair.
13:08In the end, he had nothing, even his ability to speak normally had.
13:13Deteriorated.
13:14This was Yoko's awakening and regret.
13:17He was eighteen when he left home, his.
13:20Father was forty-two, and now he was the same age his father had been then, twenty-four years.
13:25Had passed in the blink of an eye.
13:28So when he heard the news of his father's death, he felt.
13:32Nothing at all, until he suddenly realized he would never hold his father's hand again, and.
13:37Then grief and guilt surged into his heart like a tide.
13:41Even though the outside world has.
13:43Changed dramatically, home remains the same.
13:47He originally thought his father would be.
13:49Buried at midnight sharp, but his cousin told him that his father's body hadn't been taken.
13:55Away yet, and the family was waiting for him.
13:58You have a dog.
13:59We can't truly understand.
14:02Yang Zi's feelings at this moment, but we can be sure that he, the weight has finally been.
14:07Lifted.
14:08The arduous 658-kilometer journey was not merely a geographical crossing, but also a.
14:15Spiritual journey for Yang Zi to reconnect with himself and the world.
14:19He returned to where he.
14:21Started and rediscovered the courage to begin anew.
14:24Perhaps you are currently.
14:27Experiencing Yang Zi's story, constantly looking back at the past, using past vows as.
14:33Shackles to bind yourself, bearing the despair brought by setbacks alone, slowly losing the.
14:38Ability to perceive life in the daily grind, and ultimately wandering in a fog of wanting to.
14:44Change but daring not to take action.
14:47Taking that step may be difficult, and you may.
14:50Encounter bad things like Yang Zi, but life is like that.
14:54There are the cold cleansing storms.
14:56And the warm gifts of rainbows.
14:58When the fog dissipates, the wind will bring a new direction.
15:03Those ravines that you once thought were dead ends will eventually become the most.
15:07Unique patterns under your feet when you look back.
15:10Every grain of sand you clutched when.
15:12You fell, every scab that formed after each injury, is quietly carving a more resilient outline.
15:18Unique patterns Dieses trap.
15:32Unique patterns under your feet when you would.
15:34Unique patterns under your feet when you saw your heartbeat.
15:35Unique patterns under your foot, and the sun as aค arena.
15:38Unique ones under your feet when you are out of護-to- ذ иск into aわか Indian pattern.
15:42Uniqueарыока stories are alwaysРЕth.
15:44And the wood-y speed.
15:45It 실�owe Life app redundant can't stop.
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