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EMPIRE OF PASSION
Based on the originaI story by ITOKO NAKAMURA
1 895 -- A VILLAGE IN JAPAN
You must be tired.
Have some, Seki.
No.
Want more hot water?
No, I'm getting out now.
- Was Toyoji here? - Yes.
He comes around a Iot these days.
Yeah, ever since he got out of the army.
Doesn't seem to do much aII day.
Toyoji's not sweet on you, is he?
I'm oId enough to be his mother!
You Iook much younger.
PeopIe stiII caII you ''LittIe Seki.'' You bareIy Iook 30.
- Are they good? - They sure are.
The whoIesaIer brought them fresh this morning.
I'II give you four sen for three.
That's a Iosing deaI,
but since you're a IoyaI customer...
It turned out to be a beautifuI day!
Care for a treat?
I feeI bad with you constantIy spoiIing me Iike this.
It's nothing.
Where did you buy them?
The store in the viIIage.
They Iooked too good to resist.
DeIicious!
I'II have some then. You're aIways spoiIing me.
ShaII I make some tea?
Later. Let's eat first.
Toyoji's not sweet on you, is he?
PIease, Toyoji,
don't Iook at me Iike that.
Here, have one.
How is it you've started coming around so often?
There's one Ieft.
- You have it. - No, you.
No, you have it.
Then how about sharing it?
You're a funny one.
Ah, here comes more sake!
- Here you go. - CongratuIations!
LittIe Seki, pour us some sake.
She'd rather Iook after her husband.
Seki just never seems to grow oId!
See? You're as popuIar as ever.
I'd be worried if I were you, Gisaburo.
Madam...
AIIow me to say how happy I am for you today.
Drunk aIready? You aIways seem happy about something.
But even drunk, I stiII know if it's my wife in bed or not!
Mr. Toyoji, you're weIcome to come in.
You shouId be thinking about marriage yourseIf.
- How oId are you anyway? - Same age as the groom.
I'II bet you Iooked beautifuI on your wedding day.
Thank you.
RICKSHAW FOR HIRE
Must be some kids causing troubIe.
Ma'am.
Seems fast asIeep.
Hey, IittIe boy...
don't hog it aII.
Let your big brother have a sip.
Watching over baby seems easy but oh, how hard it can be
Ma'am.
Toyoji...
You'II catch coId sIeeping Iike that.
I was so tired, and my shouIders were aching.
Let me give you a back rub.
FeeI good?
Mother scolds me
And l cry
Don't do that, Toyoji!
Why not? I'm just trying to make you feeI better.
No!
You're hurting me!
Then stop struggling.
Just relax.
You Iike it, don't you?
Don't Iike it, you say? Look how wet you are.
Toyoji, you took me by surprise.
lt's cold in here.
No doubt the master wiII be Iate today too.
Seki, you shouIdn't do this to me. Look.
At what?
Look. You see that?
That isn't nice, Toyoji.
Stop that now.
Come on.
Have a good Iook at it.
This isn't fair to Gisaburo.
PIease stop.
Listen, Seki...
we've done it once. We might as weII do it again.
You know you Ioved it.
I just remembered...
a story a viIIage officiaI toId me a Iong time ago.
What kind of story?
About a woman who was raped by a robber
and couId never forget it as Iong as she Iived.
Seki, you've changed since the first time.
I've forgotten that you're 26 years younger than me.
And I've forgotten...
that you're 26 years oIder than me.
But...
But what?
The thought of you and Gisaburo together
is enough to drive me crazy!
Daddy!
You feII asIeep.
Yeah, it feIt so good.
Here, eat as much as you want.
I'm exercising to digest what I've aIready eaten.
Do they feed you enough where you are?
Yeah, but I'm stiII aIways hungry.
Is the work hard?
No, but I'd rather be in schooI.
Your mother worked as a nanny, and you have to too.
SchooI's a waste of money.
AII they teach you is how to taIk back.
I just want a good Iife.
That's what your mother said when she was young.
''I just want a good Iife...''
Her Iife didn't turn out good at aII.
What are your mummy and daddy doing?
Not making Iove in the middIe of the day, are they?
Go see what mummy's doing
and come back and teII me.
Who's there?
HeIIo there!
It's reaIIy coming down!
Toyoji, what brings you out in the rain?
Seen anyone pass by?
Who wouId be out there now?
I'II bet even the rickshaw driver is staying in today.
CuddIing up with LittIe Seki!
Haven't seen them for a whiIe.
I haven't seen a souI in three days.
What a miserabIe New Year's.
Won't you have tea with us? Come inside.
None for me, thanks.
- Toyoji! - Seki!
No, not here!
No one can see.
Where have you been?
I had to go see my sick aunt.
- I thought you -- - Where are you going in this rain?
I've missed you. I haven't seen you since the end of the year.
- Come with me. - Where?
My house.
- Isn't your brother there? - I don't care.
It'II be dark soon, and he's waiting for me at home.
Who?
Shave it.
We have to do him in.
What?
We have to kiII him.
You're shaved now.
What if he sees it tonight?
I'II make up some excuse.
He won't Iet you get off that easy.
I can't... I can't kiII him.
Like it or not, you have to.
- No matter what? - No matter what.
Seki, I can't Iive without you.
If we don't kiII him, I'II be kiIIed myseIf.
What am I supposed to do?
What do I have to do?
Toyoji...
We'II kiII him and throw him down an oId weII.
No one wiII ever know.
Are you sure?
I'II make sure of it.
He'II rot down there untiI there's nothing Ieft.
What if something goes wrong?
It won't.
We won't be found out?
This is for us, you fooI.
Serve him sake untiI he's piss-drunk,
and then we'II kiII him.
How much wiII it take?
Two bottIes shouId be pIenty.
But he aIways drinks shochu.
The hard stuff, huh?
It's the onIy thing strong enough for him.
He's a tough oId bastard.
CoId, isn't it, Seki?
FeeIs Iike something bad's going to happen.
Seki!
SnowfIakes are fIying!
CouId turn into a reaI snowstorm.
Finish eating, Ishichi. It's time for bed.
I'm chiIIed to the bone!
I aImost got caught in the storm.
It's good I quit work earIy.
Dear...
I'II warm some shochu for you.
You'II rust the scissors Iike that.
Don't I aIways keep them sharp?
I never did Iike saIted squid.
SaIted bonito is much better,
especiaIIy when you cut the Iong strips Iike this.
Seki...
you're reaIIy something, you know that?
Is aII this for your husband?
You're a great wife.
Nothing at aII Iike mine.
We have tons of sake, but she bareIy Iets me have a cup.
She ought to Iearn from you.
Having guests tonight?
You have any strong cord?
Not that, you fooI. We're not strangIing a baby.
Don't you have any rope?
Now Iisten.
PuII on this with aII your might.
Don't Iose your head, no matter what.
Understand?
Don't Iet go!
He's dead!
Listen to me.
Don't breathe a word of this to anyone.
Stop crying! Stop it!
He's dead now. It's aII over.
If we keep our mouths shut, no one wiII ever know.
If anyone finds out, we'II be hanged.
What do I say if peopIe ask questions?
Say he's gone to work in Tokyo.
That shouId be enough.
What do we do with the body?
We have to do something quick.
What?
What do we do with the body?
I toId you.
AII we can do is throw him down an oId weII.
How do we get him there?
The two of us wiII carry him.
What if someone sees us?
No one's out at this hour. Don't worry.
Let's hurry. It'II be dawn soon.
I can't beIieve we did this!
Keep going. We can't stop now.
The wind blows through the trees,
sending withered red leaves to the ground,
and soon the forest floor is covered.
Peasants rake up the dead leaves
to use as fuel for their fires.
Such is the wisdom of the poor.
But of course, this property has an owner,
and taking the leaves is theft.
Yet the owner tolerates it,
and the poor, who own no land, continue to gather the leaves.
After that day,
Toyoji acquired a peculiar habit.
He doesn't take his leaves home.
He takes two or three baskets
to an old well and drops them in by the handful.
He himself doesn't know
why he does this.
Something makes him do it.
No one ever saw him,
until one day...
Toyoji.
Why are you gathering my Ieaves just to throw them down a weII?
I raked them up,
but these are no good for the fire,
so I'm throwing them away.
This weII is very deep. Be carefuI.
If you faII in, you'II never get out.
The young master didn't give it a second thought,
and Toyoji forgot about the encounter as well.
Gathering Ieaves again?
Three years passed.
As the Bon festival approached in the summer of the third year,
the villagers finally began to wonder aloud
why Gisaburo the rickshaw driver never came home for the festival.
Shin! Back home for the festivaI?
Look how you've grown! Your mother must be happy to see you.
Thanks for aII your work.
Thank you.
Sorry to Ieave earIy, but my kids are waiting.
Sure they're the onIy ones waiting?
Gisaburo must be doing weII in Tokyo to stay so Iong.
He must be sending you a Iot of money.
I haven't heard from him, much Iess got any money.
As Iong as he's okay.
Bad news traveIs fast, so I'm sure he's fine.
Seki...
Kurazo says he had a dream about Gisaburo.
- Didn't you, Kurazo? - Yes.
It was about 1 0 days ago.
I didn't want to worry you.
Just remember: it was onIy a dream.
He said he was uncomfortabIe,
wearing the same work cIothes for so Iong.
He asked me to bring him a fresh undershirt and IoincIoth.
But Kurazo didn't know where to take them,
so it's been bothering him ever since.
Kurazo...
you're tired from working so hard. That's what triggered that dream.
The young master is right.
If he wanted an undershirt and IoincIoth,
he shouId have asked his wife.
But Seki doesn't dream. She has no time to even sIeep!
Ishichi, did you start that fire?
No, I did.
Shin!
You startIed me. I didn't know you were back.
I toId you not to pIay with fire.
I wonder where your brother picked up that bad habit.
I keep dreaming that father is dead.
You said he'd be back that New Year's with Iots of money.
You said not to worry.
He didn't come back for that New Year's, or the Bon festivaI,
or the next New Year's, or the next Bon.
What's that man thinking?
He just won't come home.
What if he reaIIy is dead?
In my dreams he's aIways dead.
Seki...
Gisaburo, forgive me!
I beg you to rest in peace!
Wait! I'II go get some!
Oh, it's you. Why are you out at this hour?
Has Gisaburo finaIIy come home?
Seki!
What are you doing here?
I must have thought I'd made it home.
It'II be troubIe if anyone sees you.
Come on.
You've got to spend the night at our house.
I'm afraid to be there aIone.
That's impossibIe.
Didn't you say Shin was back?
What does it matter if she's there?
If anyone found out,
they'd soon be saying we kiIIed Gisaburo to get him out of the way.
I can't be seen there.
You're not just tired of me?
WouId I be worried if I didn't Iove you?
That's why we have to hide it.
For how Iong?
Why now, after three years,
are aII these rumours and ghosts popping out of nowhere?
Rumours quickIy die out.
Just be patient.
I can't go on Iike this.
Seki, why don't you ask the young master's mother
to stay over at your pIace?
It'II heIp you get through the night.
I come over to ease her IoneIiness,
but her snoring is Ioud enough to scare off a ghost.
She's such a sound sIeeper.
How couId any man sIeep through that?
I hope the ghost doesn't appear in the toiIet.
Not that I'm afraid of ghosts...
Anyway, I never did anything to hurt Gisaburo.
Ghosts are nothing more than iIIusions.
Madam...
I am...
Gisaburo the rickshaw driver.
I beg your favour...
Gisaburo!
Seki, it was a ghost!
And I was dreaming about father!
It was a dream so I don't remember too cIearIy,
but father had been kiIIed and thrown down a weII.
''Get me out!'' he cried.
Shin!
Toyoji.
Oh, it's you.
Since you won't come stay with me, I want to spend the night here.
But Denzo's here.
We don't have to make Iove. I'm just afraid of the ghost.
What makes you think he won't appear here?
I don't know.
I just feeI he wouIdn't dare.
You hear that?
What?
Denzo!
Good day.
I'm Officer Hotta. Didn't you hear me?
You scared me!
Are you hard of hearing?
What was that?
I can't hear a thing.
Listen, I want to ask you a question.
Do you know where the rickshaw driver went?
One thing I do know for a fact:
we couId use some rain.
What about the rickshaw driver?
Say that again, Officer.
I say...
PeopIe cIaim to have seen a ghost.
A-B-C-D-E-F-G!
How are you, Seki?
Is everyone okay?
As far as I know.
- What was your husband's name? - Gisaburo.
Is he here?
No, he's away working.
And where is he working?
Tokyo.
- Where in Tokyo? - I don't reaIIy know.
You shouId've asked him.
What sort of work does he do?
He's a rickshaw driver.
When wiII he be back?
Does he write now and then?
Then what do you say...
you show me those Ietters?
ActuaIIy, he doesn't send Ietters. He can't read or write.
Then how do you know he's in Tokyo?
Someone who went with him toId me so.
And just who is this someone?
Is that your daughter?
Yes. She came for the Bon festivaI and now won't Ieave.
I might have to kick her out today.
- What's her name? - Shin.
Shin, have you heard anything about your father?
PeopIe say his ghost is haunting the viIIage.
Whether you've heard from him or not...
if something odd happens, Iet me know.
Understand?
He hasn't been home in three years.
Doesn't that worry you?
No, I'm too afraid to sIeep at home!
Seki, you have more to fear from that cop than from the ghost.
Be reasonabIe.
The ghost isn't threatening your Iife, is he?
But if that cop ever finds out, we're both dead.
You don't know what the ghost is Iike.
It feeIs Iike he's sucking the Iife right out of me.
Gisaburo's ghost never appears to me.
I wonder why.
If he teIIs anyone he's in the oId weII, we're finished.
Seki, you have to be strong.
If we faIter even a IittIe,
we're dead.
We can't see each other as Iong as that cop is around.
We have to be discreet.
Now you taIk about discretion?
You didn't taIk Iike that before.
Not when you toId me I had to shave!
Don't cry.
Come on, stop crying.
PIease don't Ieave me.
Don't abandon me.
I won't.
I'm teIIing you to be patient so we can be together forever.
But I can't!
Maybe you can take it, but I can't!
Denzo... charge!
Where'd you get the trumpet?
From the poIice officer?
Seki, go home and stay there.
We can't be seen together.
Don't be afraid of the ghost.
If he shows up again, give him some shochu.
Everyone's taIking about it, Seki.
They say you have a boyfriend.
Is this for him?
AII this taIk of a ghost must bother you, huh?
I wonder if he's jeaIous.
If that ghost shows up here, I'II give him a piece of my mind:
''Rest in peace, for Seki's sake.''
You Iook paIe.
Forgive me if I upset you.
Thank you.
Damn ghosts.
Going home now, Seki?
Get in. I'm going that way too.
That's aII right. I'II waIk.
Seki...
won't you get in?
Poor IittIe Seki.
AII right. I'II get in.
Isn't this the wrong road?
This isn't the right road!
I've forgotten the way home.
Seki, you'II have to guide me.
Go back where we started!
No, this isn't the road!
Stop!
I have no idea where we are.
Where are we?
Where have we ended up?
Wait!
There's no point if you don't know the way.
Gisaburo, have you reaIIy forgotten the way?
Gisaburo!
Gisaburo, heIp me!
HeIp me!
I'm afraid!
HeIp me!
Are you reaIIy Gisaburo?
Gisaburo, Iet me see your face.
Mother, what happened?
Shin...
Mother!
Mother, I'm Ieaving now.
Don't Ieave me.
You toId me to go.
Because aII you taIk about is your father.
I'm reminded of him whenever I'm here.
Mother, you know where he is, don't you?
Shin!
I won't teII anyone about my dream,
but I'II never come back here.
What are you saying?
Mother, take care.
Don't go out at night. It's not good to Ieave Ishichi aIone.
Good-bye.
- Seki, heIping with the harvest? - Yes.
Toyoji has nothing to do aII day.
You'd think he couId heIp you out a IittIe.
It's disgracefuI.
She takes a Iover, then kiIIs her husband.
Don't say such things.
It's reckIess to start rumours. What if you're wrong?
Don't teII me there isn't something fishy around here.
Don't jump to concIusions.
I'm not.
That bastard's been acting strange. Anyone can see that.
WeII, I don't know.
He's constantIy going off into the woods.
Yeah, I heard about that.
He rakes up Iots of Ieaves
and then throws them into an oId weII.
I wonder why.
Have you seen him?
Have you ever seen him in the woods yourseIf?
Have you ever seen him at my house?
There's nothing between us, so enough of your gossip!
Thank you for your hard work.
Good day!
I didn't think he'd come here.
The young master saw me throwing Ieaves in the weII.
What do we do?
I'II Iisten in. Wait for me at home.
What do we teII the poIice if they arrest us?
Just go. We can't be seen together.
Seki, are you in bed already?
l boiled some sweet potatoes for you.
That was kind of you. I'II open the door.
Don't bother. l'll leave them here.
Get that man to give you as much Ioving as possibIe.
Seki.
Gisaburo, pIease forgive me.
I'm compIeteIy exhausted.
I can't go out to get you some shochu.
You want a sweet potato?
Gisaburo...
why haven't you toId everyone about me yet?
SureIy...
you saw the faces of those who strangIed you.
SureIy you saw my face.
Why don't you teII anyone?
Gisaburo.
Gisaburo, where are you going?
Take me with you.
PIease take me with you!
Gisaburo!
Seki, it's me!
Seki!
Toyoji, is that you?
What's going on? Open the door.
Toyoji, go away.
I never want to see you again.
What are you talking about? The officer is still over there.
lf they tell him about the well --
I don't care anymore.
I hope they arrest me and put me to death.
That wouId be much better
than this endIess poverty and hard work
and fear.
You never come to see me. I can't take it anymore.
Open the door!
Toyoji, get out of here,
or I'II teII the officer that I kiIIed Gisaburo!
Why won't you open the door? What's going on in there?
What's gotten into you? Have you gone crazy?
Toyoji, go away!
If I die, our probIems wiII be over.
If I'm dead, the poIice can't do anything,
and you can carry on with your Iife.
You can get out of here, go find work in Tokyo.
I want you to be happy.
Open this door!
Open up!
There's no point in us dying together.
No, I want us to Iive together!
We have to Iive together! Seki!
We can't, so I want to die.
Toyoji, go!
You can't be seen here!
No, I can't Ieave you!
Go!
If you Iove me, then go!
No, I won't go!
I can't Ieave you!
I can't go, Seki!
I'm not afraid of you.
Go away!
Gisaburo.
Seki!
Seki, forgive me!
PIease forgive me, Seki!
Three days.
I wanted just three days together...
to Iive Iike we were husband and wife.
Hurry! We have to save them!
Are you aII right?
Be carefuI in there!
- Is everyone okay? - Yes.
WeII, if it isn't the young master.
What are you doing here? Why have you come to this weII?
I'm out for a waIk.
These are our woods. What brings you here?
Was it you who said they saw me throwing Ieaves into a weII?
I never said such a thing.
But you were the onIy one who saw me.
These woods are pretty Iarge,
and there are quite a few weIIs.
You probabIy don't even remember which weII it was.
Did you teII the officer which weII?
I did.
I don't beIieve you.
If you knew which weII it was,
you wouIdn't be out here now Iooking for it.
You'II be executed, you know.
Perhaps... but you'II die first!
Good evening.
Hurry up, Toyoji.
It's been five days.
I'm sure you're dying to have her again.
Thanks for everything.
Don't mention it.
Good evening, ma'am.
Is the boy asIeep?
He finaIIy feII asIeep a IittIe whiIe ago.
Ma'am...
care for a treat?
Why are you caIIing me ''ma'am'' aII of a sudden?
Seki...
you said you wanted to be Iike husband and wife for three days.
I wasn't sure what to do.
Then I remembered how much fun we had
when I used to caII you ''ma'am'' and bring over bean-jam buns.
We didn't care if anyone saw us.
Why don't we Iive Iike that for the next three days?
The officer has no right to stop us.
Ma'am, care for a treat?
I feeI bad
with you constantIy spoiIing me Iike this.
It's nothing.
Where did you buy them, Toyoji?
The store in the viIIage.
They Iooked too good to resist.
DeIicious!
I'II have some then.
You're aIways spoiIing me.
ShaII I make some tea?
Later. Let's eat first.
Toyoji's not sweet on you, is he?
Don't cry.
One mistake now and we Iose everything.
That's just what I want: to see you Iose everything.
PIease, Toyoji, don't Iook at me Iike that.
What are you Iaughing about?
Just thinking about the past.
Toyoji, have the Iast one.
No, ma'am, you take it.
No, you take it.
I insist.
Seki, don't!
Who's there?
- Who's there? - What is it?
I heard something.
I didn't. Sure you're not imagining things?
No, I have good ears.
It can't be, unIess there are dogs out there.
They're in heat this time of year.
It's the two of you who are in heat.
It's just unbeIievabIe.
There's no way the young master couId have kiIIed Gisaburo,
then hung himseIf out of shame.
You think maybe Gisaburo's stiII aIive?
How shouId I know?
But didn't someone dream that he was thrown down a weII
and was begging to be Iet out?
But who knows if that story's true?
We don't even know if he's dead or aIive.
But why did the young master have to die?
Officer!
Why haven't you arrested Gisaburo's murderer yet?
PeopIe are saying my son took his own Iife because he was the kiIIer.
I can't make an arrest without proof.
Everyone is taIking about somebody throwing Ieaves down an oId weII.
But we don't know which weII.
You shouId arrest him and force a confession out of him.
Madam, my condoIences.
Madam, this is an age of civiIization and enIightenment.
If I torture an innocent man, I'II Iose my job.
- What are you impIying? - ''What,'' you ask?
Officer...
you've got some nasty mosquito bites there.
You been prowIing around girIs' rooms at night?
Toyoji, I thought you'd Iike some cakes.
Those are funeraI cakes.
Think the officer wiII come tonight?
Seki, I've decided
to confess to kiIIing Gisaburo aIone.
You knew nothing about it. As soon as I'm arrested,
I'II confess to everything.
So you have to insist you're innocent to the end.
Toyoji, what are you saying?
I guess I'm just not afraid of anything anymore.
Toyoji, I don't know if I shouId be asking this...
but did you kiII the young master?
You kiIIed him so he couIdn't give us away.
Don't teII me now that you're going to confess.
I kiIIed him so we'd be safe,
but now I don't care if I Iive or not.
WeII, I do.
Seki, I want you to go on Iiving.
What if they arrest us? WiII they torture us?
A hundred strokes with the cane.
I saw that once in the next viIIage.
They stripped a man naked, made him kneeI on a straw mat,
then whipped him 1 00 times with a bamboo cane.
CompIeteIy naked?
They don't just hit you. They rip your fIesh off.
It's not just any kind of pain.
It's so bad you pass out.
Forget it. Don't think about it.
You had nothing to do with Gisaburo's death.
You didn't do anything.
Act as if nothing happened.
But his body
is stiII down in that weII.
Gisaburo's gone.
His body's gone. You had nothing to do with it.
No, his body's stiII there!
What must it Iook Iike now?
It's rotting away!
Why don't we get the body out...
and bury it somewhere?
We can't do that.
We have to.
Do we?
Gisaburo may be a ghost,
but he stiII Ioves you.
He doesn't want you to get caught.
I can't see!
Seki, what's wrong?
Toyoji, I'm bIind!
- Can you see this? - No!
Can't you see my face?
I can't see!
Toyoji, hoId me!
Seki...
are you reaIIy bIind?
I'm not young anymore.
We promised never to taIk about your age.
Toyoji, you have to get away
before the officer comes for you.
I toId you I'm not afraid of anything.
Neither am I.
I kiIIed Gisaburo aII aIone.
You had nothing to do with it. You have to escape.
Then Iet's escape together.
- No, I can't. - Why not?
I'd onIy be a burden.
That's aII I've been aII aIong.
Seki, wouIdn't you be IoneIy without me?
Do you have to ask?
Of course I wouId.
We'II aIways be together, as Iong as we Iive.
That's what I've wanted from the beginning.
You don't have to die with me.
- Live a Iong Iife without me. - No!
Let's stop wasting time.
KiII me now.
I can't do that.
You said you weren't afraid of anything anymore.
Later...
after I faII asIeep...
kiII me in my sIeep.
Toyoji, Iook at me.
I may no Ionger be beautifuI,
but Iook at me and remember.
Toyoji, are you Iooking?
Seki...
even if you can't see, open your eyes.
You're so beautifuI.
Toyoji, touch me.
KiII me, pIease!
KiII me in my sIeep.
PIease kiII me!
You stiII say you didn't kiII him?
I didn't!
I didn't kiII him!
Kamiyatsuda, on Mount Shibano --
that's where they were tortured.
They were hung from a branch
of the tallest oak tree.
Officer Hotta's own life
was riding on the outcome of the interrogation.
The bamboo rods whistled through the air,
landing with a crack on the swinging bodies.
Seki passed out countless times
and was revived with a bucket of cold water each time.
Her tangled hair clung to her face,
which was twisted into a frightful expression.
At last, crazed with pain,
the two confessed their crime.
I did it! I murdered him aIone!
No, I kiIIed him!
A chilly wind,
reminiscent of late autumn,
blew through the trees on Mount Hatcho.
Before the assembled villagers,
a corpse that was unmistakably Gisaburo's
was slowly pulled up from a well.
The people looked on
as Gisaburo the rickshaw driver,
whom they hadn't seen in three years,
appeared with what looked like hemp rope
still wrapped around his neck.
At that moment Toyoji looked down in silence,
but Seki screamed with all her might and began wailing.
Had her sightless eyes somehow seen Gisaburo?
A few years later,
as the leaves on Mount Hatcho began to fall
and winter came to the small village,
the villagers heard a rumour, from nobody in particular,
that the man and woman they'd already begun to forget
had been sentenced to death and executed.