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Hagetaka: Episode 1 Recap
As you may recall, I was obsessing about the Hagetaka J-drama awhile back. Well, I'm still obsessed and still have Hagetaka plot bunnies eating my brain, so I thought I'd post some detailed episode recaps (along with some notes and commentary I made) here partially so I can use them as references, and partly so that people who haven't seen the drama can at least have a summary of the canon story if I ever do get around to writing fanfic.
(I should be posting recaps for Episodes 2 and 3 soon, but still need to re-watch Episodes 4-6. That breaks up nicely, though since there's a timeskip of several years between episodes 3 and 4, and 4-6 cover a separate story arc.)
Hagetaka Recap: Episode 1 ("Buy Out Japan!")
(jdorama.com lists it as "Bulk Sale," but the Japanese title says "Nihon o Kaitataku," literally "Beating Down the Price of Japan!" However, "Buy Out Japan" sounds more natural in English and matches what Claris tells Washizu in the scene below.)
The scene opens with children hunting for insects in the woods. They find money--many paper bills--floating in a swimming pool. They hastily scoop them up, using both their hands and their nets.
Voice-over narration begins (it's Washizu, although we won't learn that until later): "Someone said there are only two kinds of tragedies in life. One is the tragedy of having no money. The other is the tragedy of having money."
The body of a man floating face-down in the pool becomes visible, blood staining the front of his white shirt. (Again, it's Washizu, although we haven't been introduced to his character yet.)
The narration continues as the kids run into a toy store, grab toys off the shelf and pay for them with wads of wet bills: "The world revolves around money. Money invites tragedies."
(It's a really disturbing scene, which was probably the intention: the greed of the gleeful kids spending the money, which doesn't belong to them, apparently not caring about the injured man in the pool. And the store clerks don't seem to question why these kids have all this money or why it's wet. The question of where the money came from is puzzling, too--did it belong to Washizu, and was it scattered when he was shot? We don't get the answer until Episode 5.)
The narration continues as Washizu is placed in an ambulance, and rushed to the hospital and into surgery: "The tragedy started nine years ago..."
***
Caption reads: June 1998
Washizu, alive and healthy, knocks on the door of his boss, Albert Claris, the head honcho at the main office of Horizon Investments in New York. Claris greets him by his given name, Masahiko, and tells him to come in. (They are speaking in English, of course, since they are in America.) He praises the work Washizu has done during the five years that he's worked at Horizon: bringing in sales of over $2 billion in investments, having an annual rate of return of 28 percent, and having a great track record with buyouts. Washizu thanks him.
Claris says, "Since the initiatives of the US government have paid off, the Japanese financial market is finally emerging from its period of isolation. Japan is now a gold mine, and the time is ripe. Our investors want to inject their ample funds into the Japanese market."
"So..." Washizu says.
"So make us proud," Claris replies. "We'll give you five years--buy Japan out!"
***
Caption reads: August 1998
Washizu and his subordinate, Alan Ward, are riding a helicopter (presumably over Tokyo). Washizu stares out the window, his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, at a Mitsuba Bank board meeting, an unnamed executive is saying that the Superintendent is increasing the number of auditors to assess bad debts in September. So they absolutely must meet their quota and eliminate bad debts or they will be the next to fold.
Managing Director Iijima assures the exec that he has already taken precautionary measures and put "our best ace" on it. The ace is Shibano Takeo, who joined the bank in 1978.
The scene shifts briefly to Shibano, who is gathering together files. He orders one of his underlings, Asano, to "hand me the Nishino-ya files."
(Nishino-ya will play a very significant role later in this episode. And I'm rather amused that Asano has the same name as the scheming actor in Haru wo Daiteita. This one seems like a decent guy, but he only has a very minor role in show.)
A news report plays in the background. It's Mishima Yuka speaking, although we won't meet her till a little later: "Despite an injection of $18,150,000,000 from public funds, the banks show no sign of reduction in bad debts. As of March, the financial institutions' bad debts had risen to $67,300,000,00. How quickly can they eliminate this enormous bad debt? In this critical situation, the banks' very survival is determinate on that."
(The translator for the version I watched chose to convert the yen amounts into dollar equivalents, I assume to make it easier for US viewers to grasp the value. So for the sake of convenience, I'm keeping that as is, rather than trying to convert it back into yen. Although if you really want the yen amounts, just multiply the number by 100.)
The helicopter arrives at a (private?) airfield, where Washizu and Alan are greeted by two representatives from Horizon's Japanese branch: a balding, middle-aged man named Nakanobe, and a younger woman with long dark hair and glasses who is never addressed by name, although she appears frequently in the series and has a few lines.
(For convenience's sake, I'm going to dub her "Aya," because I need to call her something and for some reason she looks like an "Aya" to me. Although she doesn't have a big role, I was quite taken with her: Aya's very attractive and yet serious and business-like looks really appeal to me. You can see her in the final picture in this review. I agree with the reviewer that I wish she had more lines! Washizu's team has a number of attractive and/or interesting-looking individuals, and it makes me want to flesh out the bit characters. But I digress...)
Nakanobe introduces himself and they get into a limo. During the ride, Nakanobe explains that Mitsuba has formed a project team to deal with the bad situation. "The leader is this man," he says, handing Washizu some photos of Shibano. "He's the one that we'll be dealing with." Washizu looks at the photos, but says nothing.
(During the re-watch while writing this summary, I realized that I had mis-remembered a few things, the first being that I thought the helicopter had taken them directly to the Horizon office building. And second, that I thought Washizu's entire US team was on the copter, but it seems to be only Alan. I think I may have gotten it mixed up with the scene where they arrive at Mitsuba Bank. As I mentioned in one of my blog posts, traveling by copter seems to be a rather ostentatious gesture, and I wondered why they just didn't drive straight from the airport. Sparing no expense for speed and efficiency, perhaps, and/or Horizon is in the habit of making grand gestures to show off how important they are. The shipper in me does like that it's Alan, Washizu's right-hand man, who gets to accompany the boss over the others, who presumably are either arriving later or traveling by more mundane means.)
***
At the Nishino-ya inn, Shibano and Asano are meeting with the owner and his family (wife and adult son). They say they are not here for collections today, and give Nishino a restructuring plan drawn up by Shibano. Asano says that the bank is in a difficult position as well, and that Nishino needs to consider selling the golf course, as they have previously proposed.
Nishino brushes them off, asking them to wait and saying that the economy will recover. He then tries to butter up Shibano, saying that Shibano has been dealing with the inn since his father's time, and that "it must be fate that you're here again. Will you please help us through this?"
Instead of replying directly, Shibano asks how his father (Taizo-san) is. Nishino replies, "Lately, he's been..." His voice trails off as the scene shifts to the elderly Taizo, lying in bed, mouth open and eyes staring vacantly at nothing. The son, Osamu, stands outside the room, looking in on his grandfather. (Osamu, incidentally, is played by the very popular and handsome actor Matsuda Ryuhei.)
***
At the Toyo TV office, a young female reporter (Mishima Yuka) is being told by her boss that the next press conference will be at 3:00. She replies, "Yes, sir," then goes to talk to a man named Nonaka, asking if he's checked into what she asked about previously. He replies that it's true that Mitsuba is having a bulk sale.
***
At Mitsuba, Shibano is making a presentation to a roomful of bank executives. He lists the bank's top bad debts, each represented by a thick binder. The binders are packed into boxes as he reads each name off the list:
Hotel Blue Shadow: $3,220,222
Marumura Shoji: $10,002,000
Toyo Resort: $23,010,000
Ringa Group: $8,010,000
Wadakura Shoji: $4,010,000
Tokyo Up: $23,400,000
Axe Bombay: $124,000,000
Shibano's colleague Numata explains that they have listed a total of 47 bad debts totaling $723,645,800, and that "bulk sale" means to sell these boxes of bad debts all together. An exec named Sakota says, "I see, so we're going to lump them together and sell them off."
Shibano asks Iijima to give them the "go" sign since they have less than 2 months before the September closing, and need to act quickly.
Sakota asks, "Who will buy them?"
***
Back at Toyo TV, Yuka is explaining to Nonaka that Mitsuba is seeking foreign investors.
Nonaka says, "True, they have the money. They will probably buy them for high."
"No way," Yuka replies. "Do you know what their business is called in the US?"
She hands him a magazine called "FIVE" that is obviously modeled after "TIME" with a similar logo and red-bordered cover. The cover shows a bald eagle and an American flag with a stylized mountain and rising sun in the background. The headline reads, "Vulture Target".
Nonaka asks, "Vulture Fund?"
Yuka says, "They scent out their dying prey and eat them up. They are called 'hagetaka'."
(The term "hagetaka" is doubly appropriate here. It's the Japanese word for vulture, but it literally translates to "bald hawk," which also seems to allude to the bald eagle on the magazine cover representing the US, and it is an American company that is preying on the dying Japanese businesses.)
***
At the Horizon Japan office, Washizu has gathered together with his team. Some are Japanese, and several are clearly Americans that came with him from New York, but the meeting is conducted in Japanese. He is sitting at the head of a long table, with Alan sitting on his left and Aya on the right.
Alan starts off with, "Let us begin our kickoff meeting. The launch of the First Fund is moving smoothly. Our target yield is 30 percent. Investment inquiries are pouring in."
Washizu stands, saying, "Our dealings with Mitsuba Bank will finally be starting. Our goal is to buy cheap and sell high. We will beat down the price of this dying country."
(The whole scene plays out in this video clip. The clip and the TV show both repeat the term "kaitataku" or "beat down the price" three times for emphasis, but the repetition doesn't translate well into English.)
***
Shibano and Iijima are meeting to discuss the bulk sale. Iijima has added Nishino-ya to the list (I think, both to make the deal more attractive to potential buyers and to get rid of Nishino-ya's debt). Shibano protests, but Iijima asks (rhetorically) whether he thinks Nishino-ya can actually pay back its debt, and of course Shibano is unable to honestly answer "yes". Iijima tells him, "You have to be an oni, Shibano!" (An oni meaning a devil or an ogre; in other words, he has to be ruthless, which makes an interesting comparison to Washizu, who is ruthless in his own business dealings.)
***
A limo pulls up in front of Mitsuba, and Washizu and his team get out. They walk through the front doors, Washizu in the lead with his entourage following behind. A couple of bank employees near the door hastily scramble out of the way as the team strides past them without pausing.
They are brought to a meeting room where the Mitsuba representatives are waiting. Washizu says that he is the one representing Horizon, and the Mitsuba people look startled. Sakota asks if he is Japanese.
"I moved to the US five years ago, but rest assured, I am a true Japanese," Washizu replies.
An exec named Sakamaki says, "I wondered who would show up at the table."
"It's somewhat of a relief," Sakota says. Washizu replies politely that he's honored to hear that.
Alan steps forward, smiling and bowing as he says, "This is for all of you." He holds out a small rectangular box that probably contains a cake or some other kind of sweet. (The Horizon people are being very polite and following proper Japanese etiquette. Most of the Mitsuba people seem pleasantly surprised, but this won't last for very long.)
Numata accepts the box, saying, "Why, thank you. I'd like to introduce you to the person in charge." Shibano steps forward and introduces himself.
Washizu says, "It's been a long time, Shibano-san." Everyone is surprised by his words, including Shibano. "Have you forgotten me?" Washizu asks. "We worked together at the Marunouchi branch for about half a year. It's me, Washizu. I'm a Mitsuba alumni."
"Marunouchi?" Shibano asks, looking like he's trying to remember.
Washizu shakes his head slightly and says, "Let's get down to business, then." (It might be my imagination, but he seems to give Shibano a cold stare for a moment. Although it's hard to tell, since Washizu rarely shows much emotion on his face.)
Everyone moves to a conference room, where the Horizon and Mitsuba reps are seated on opposite sides of a long table. Horizon has received the list of bad debts and are looking through them.
"This is the list of clients that will be included in the bulk sale," Numata explains.
Washizu observes that the total face value is $1,023,000,000. He is told that Mitsuba has done its calculations and come up with a minimum sale price. Washizu asks what it is, and Iijima replies that it is $410,000,000 and asks if that is acceptable.
"We will naturally do our best," Washizu replies politely. "However, it is too early to say what is appropriate. In any case, we'll make a fair assessment after a thorough review."
Iijima smiles a bit condescendingly, seeming to think that he has the upper hand. "You can conduct an exhaustive review, but please know that depending on your offer, we might not accept, too. Please understand that it could affect your company's image in Japan."
"We are well aware of that," Washizu replies.
Numata takes the Horizon team to a room where all the bulk sale binders have been laid out on tables. He asks if three days will be sufficient for them to go through all the material.
"Actually, two hours will do," Washizu replies, to Numata's shock. He glances at his watch, setting the timer as he says, "Please start at once. Alan!"
Alan immediately contacts Nakanobe via walkie-talkie and tells him to bring in the copy machines. Many machines are unloaded off a large truck parked outside, and wheeled into the room. They're quickly filled with fresh reams of paper, and the team begins copying all of the papers in the binders.
"You came well prepared," Numata says, still looking a little stunned.
Polite facade dropped, Alan gives him a contemptuous look, saying, "Your copiers are inefficient. We believe that 'time is money'."
(The "time is money" line is spoken in English. As a side note, Alan speaks very fluently in Japanese, but his pronunciation is perhaps a little too precise and carefully enunciated to sound like a native speaker, although it may also be due to the formality of the situation. I find it interesting that the Horizon Japan team speaks mostly in Japanese, even in the privacy of their own office, as seen in the kickoff meeting scene above. This is probably a practical consideration for the target TV audience of Japanese viewers, but if I'm going to come up with a fanon reason, I would like to think that it's partly out of respect for Washizu, but mostly because Washizu has taught his American team to have a "you must understand how your target thinks in order to outsmart them" mindset.)
***
In the Mitsuba record rooms, Shibano is looking up Washizu's old personnel file.
Caption reads: FIVE YEARS AGO
Shibano walks into the Marunouchi branch office, asking, "What's going on?"
Another employee says, "It's what I told you about. Per the branch manager's order, he rejected the financing."
(We can see the younger Washizu through the glass wall of the room next door, seated hunched over in a chair, looking utterly miserable and staring down at the floor.)
***
Back in the present, Shibano is reading off Washizu's file to the Mitsuba execs. "Washizu Masahiko, born in 1969, graduate of Tosho University. Joined the bank in 1990. Worked at the Marunouchi branch. In 1992, he resigned for personal reasons."
Iijima asks, "You worked with him at the branch for half a year?"
Shibano replies, "Yes, I was the assistant manager, and he was handling corporate transactions."
"In other words, he was the solider," Iijima says, and Shibano replies that Washizu was doing outside sales.
Another of the execs says, "He quit our bank in two years, and went to the US."
Sakamaki scoffs, "In any event, if he couldn't make a go of it here, he couldn't have accomplished much outside." Someone else asks why Washizu quit, but we don't get to here Shibano's reply.
***
The scene shifts to Shibano and Washizu having coffee at a table in the bank's cafeteria. Shibano says that he should be addressing Washizu as "Washizu-san" now, and Washizu says, "Just 'Washizu' is fine. I'm honored that you remember me."
Shibano asks why it should be an honor, and Washizu mentions how Shibano used to do the speeches for the opening ceremonies, and talks about Shibano's background in overseas and international training. "You have an unblemished career," he tells Shibano.
"Yeah, right," Shibano replies, making light of the praise and seeming a little embarrassed by it. "You represent Horizon Japan now. My achievements are nothing compared to yours." Washizu asks how Mitsuba is doing, and Shibano replies, "Dying. We have to do something." Washizu asks if that's why they're doing the bulk sale, and Shibano replies, "Yes. It's a painful situation in many ways."
Washizu says, "Let's not talk about business. I finally have the chance to talk to the man I respect one on one. Please tell me anything." He smiles in a friendly manner, not yet giving any sign of the complicated past between them.
(I was a little surprised by how frankly Shibano is speaking about Mitsuba's bad situation to an outsider. Perhaps he thinks that Washizu will be sympathetic, as a former Mitsuba worker, or perhaps he remembers Washizu as the earnest and idealistic young man he used to be?)
"Please give us a fair price," Shibano says. "We must assess the worth of Japan's bad debts by the world's standards, otherwise we can't move forward in a real sense."
"As always, what a model answer," Washizu replies. (His tone of voice is polite, but given their past history that is revealed later, there's probably some hidden sarcasm there.)
"I mean it," Shibano insists. "Even if it causes us pain, unless we completely extract the pus from the bubble economy days, we will not be able to survive what comes ahead."
"The cancer cells must be treated," Washizu says.
"Exactly," Shibano replies.
"Are we surgeons?" Washizu asks. Shibano replies that perhaps they are, and Washizu says, "However, surgery can sometimes take a person's life." He pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment, then excuses himself, saying that he has an appointment to go to and he looks forward to seeing Shibano again in two weeks. He leaves money for his coffee on the table, lining the coins up in a neat row. (Not sure what the significance of this is, and Shibano seems a little puzzled as well, or possibly he's still a little disturbed by Washizu's comment about the surgery sometimes being fatal.)
"I'll be counting on you," Shibano says. Washizu starts to leave, but then turns around.
"Oh, that's right," he says. "Do you remember what you told me back then?"
"What I told you?" Shibano asks, clearly not knowing what he's talking about.
Washizu lets out a little laugh and says, "Oh, forget it. It was a pleasure to meet you. Excuse me."
(He makes like it's no big deal, but later on we will see that what Shibano told him affected him deeply, but more on that later.)
***
There's brief flashback to the past, of a man walking in the rain carrying an umbrella. We only see him from behind and cannot see his face; the umbrella is blocking our view of most of his upper body. This scene won't really make sense until we learn what happened five years ago that caused Washizu to leave Mitsuba.
***
At the Toyo TV station, a male reporter is saying, "Good grief, this isn't her home."
Nonaka wonders, "Where does she get all her energy from?"
"I'd like to know that, too," replies the first man. "But her last report was really good. Maybe her calling is a newscaster. It really grabbed my heart."
The camera pans over to Yuka, who is lying on a couch. However, she's not really asleep, though the men obviously think she is, and her eyes are open as she listens to their conversation.
***
There is another flashback, to the Mishima Factory. We can hear the sound of two women (gossiping neighbors) talking.
"Suicide?"
"That's right."
"The poor man. Was it financial problems?"
"Yes, the bank wouldn't give him a loan, so he was left with no other options."
A teenaged Yuka dressed in a school uniform is kneeling on the ground, weeping.
***
Back in the present, Yuka lies awake on the couch.
***
At the Horizon Japan office, Washizu and his team are discussing the Mitsuba bulk sale, and are less than pleased with what they've discovered.
"They're taking us lightly," Washizu says.
"Debts not included on the list are being thrown in, too," Alan says. "What is going on?"
"They probably have political or seedy connections," Nakanobe replies. "It'll be hopeless to collect from them."
Alan says disgustedly, "They have some nerve, to think that they're worth more than 40 percent."
"Anything worthy?" Washizu asks.
A Japanese team member named Murata replies, "This inn is interesting." He lays photos of the Nishino-ya inn out on the table.
"Nishino-ya, huh?" Alan says.
"Let's find out more about them," Murata suggests.
"Let's do that," Washizu says to Alan, who nods. "Another thing, Murata-san..."
"Yes, I know," Murata replies. "Iijima Ryosuke."
"The additional bad debts must have been thrown in by him," Washizu says. "I'm sure he has some skeletons in his closet."
(See, this is what I like about Washizu and his team, the way they automatically pick up on his cues.)
***
The scene changes to a private room at a traditional Japanese restaurant, where Washizu is waiting. Iijima arrives, and Washizu rises to his feet and bows deeply. Seating himself, Iijima says, "Former Mitsuba employee, huh? Our bank has many brilliant employees from good families. But not too many who can pull a trick like this..." He lays a thick envelope down on the table.
"With the exception of you?" Washizu asks as he sits down.
"So you did your homework," Iijima says.
"I find you to be a distinguished man who did all the dirty work for Mitsuba," Washizu says, and pours some sake for Iijima.
"So?" Iijima asks.
"You know better than anyone the merits of a bulk sale," Washizu replies. "Bulk sale begins with a non-disclosure agreement between the parties involved. That is why the details of the bulk sale will never be known to outside parties."
He takes out what appear to be contracts from the envelope and lays them out on the table. "In other words," he continues, "all the dangerous loans involving politicians and organized crime will never become public knowledge." (And thus the reason why Iijima slipped the extra debts into the bulk sale package is revealed.)
"Are you blackmailing me?" Iijima asks.
"Of course not," Washizu replies. "I just want to do business with you."
Iijima, pouring sake for Washizu, demands, "You...who do you think you are?"
"I'm here to help the dying Mitsuba," Washizu replies. When Iijima reacts with confusion, Washizu adds, "Or should I reword that to the dying Japan?"
***
The two weeks since their first meeting have passed, and Horizon is meeting with the Mitsuba officials again. Washizu presents the results of their review of the bulk sale. Shibano and the others are shocked when they leaf through the report provided by Horizon. Numata asks Washizu to explain.
"Based on the materials you provided, we reviewed the 53 cases thoroughly," Washizu replies. "We not only checked the real estate collateral, but also their payment history. As a result, that is the number we came up with."
The camera angle shifts to the report, revealing that most of the debts are listed at a value of 1 yen/cent.
Alan says, "Of the 53 cases, only 13 received price tags. Those without value are listed at a penny. That is customary."
"Customary?" Numata asks incredulously.
Shibano says, "The face value is $1,023,128,000. The suggested purchase price is $93,104,700."
"$93 million is ridiculously low!" Numata protests. "That is..." He's obviously trying to do some mental calculations.
"9.1 percent of the face value," Washizu says.
"What is with that amount?" Shibano demands. "Please explain."
"Very well," Washizu says. "Starting with the first case of $2 million to Hotel Blue Shadow in Akabane..."
***
Caption reads: "CASE #1: HOTEL BLUE SHADOW"
Nakanobe and a young American woman from Washizu's team link arms as if they're a couple and walk into the hotel.
(Judging from this and the interior of the hotel room, I'm guessing it's a love hotel, though they don't explicitly say so. The woman has no actual dialogue and her name is never given, so I'm dubbing her "Caroline" so that I don't have to keep calling her "the woman," and because I might want to include her as a character if I ever get around to writing Hagetaka fic. She and Nakanobe are very funny in this scene, which is probably the only bit of levity we get in the series. They kind of seem to be hamming it up a little, and I get the impression that maybe they enjoy going undercover. In the same review linked above for Aya's picture, you can see Nakanobe and Caroline checking out the hotel room in the fourth picture down. Murata, btw, is visible in the third picture, seated between the two American men.)
Washizu's voice-over narration can be heard as Nakanobe and Caroline thoroughly examine the room: they tap and listen at the walls; Nakanobe bounces on the bed and flips through the karaoke book; Caroline examines the beddings.
Washizu: "The guest rooms' walls are thin, allowing noise to filter through from one room to another. The bed cushionings are poor, and the number of karaoke songs hasn't been changed in three years. The rooms' interior designs are outdated."
***
Back at Mitsuba, Washizu explains, "Even if we bought it at $2 million, we'd have to spend a lot on renovations. There's no principal amortization. Thus, the assessment value of a penny."
Numata argues, "What about case number 3 with Akasaka Building? That should be worth at least $50 million."
***
Caption reads: "CASE #3: NEO AKASAKA BUILDING"
Washizu (voice-over): "Such bars and cabarets are usually the front businesses for organized crime, with illegal casinos being held in the private rooms on the top floor. Which is why we gave it the assessment value of a penny."
During the narration, Alan and Murata are being entertained at a hostess club in the building. Alan's eyes widen and he grimaces slightly as he sips from his glass, as if it tastes bad or it's stronger than he expected. Murata looks serious, as if he's working (which he is) rather than having a good time drinking with pretty hostesses.
***
Back at Mitsuba, Washizu says, "As for case numbers 24 through 42...they are unable to make payments and have borrowed from non-bank financial companies (NBFC) unaffiliated to Mitsuba. It's what we call 'tobashi' (hiding bad loans)."
Sakamaki echoes, "Tobashi?"
Iijima cuts in, "Haven't you said enough? There's nothing we can do. Isn't that right, Sakota-san?" Sakota looks uncertain, but Iijima tells Washizu that they will agree to the $93 million price. "Sakota-san, will you agree to it? I've already informed the President about it. I'll be handling this matter."
"But 9.1 percent is--" Shibano tries to protest.
"I said I'll handle it!" Iijima snaps.
Washizu leaves, accompanied by Alan and Aya. As they walk down the staircase, Washizu is talking on his cell phone, presumably to someone at Horizon: "It went quite smoothly. Sell off the debts we've acquired immediately. Our goal is to double our money and sell it for $200 million."
Shibano calls after him, "Wait." Washizu nods at his two subordinates, and they continue down the stairs without him. "That was impressive," Shibano says. Washizu thanks him politely, and Shibano asks sharply, "Is that what you consider a fair price?"
"Yes," Washizu replies.
"Did you bribe the board members?" Shibano accuses.
"Yes," Washizu replies calmly, without hesitation. (In the previous scene with Iijima, it sounded more like blackmail than bribery, but perhaps he also greased the wheels with a few bribes to smooth the way. Or maybe Washizu figures that blackmail is equivalent to bribery and sees no reason to correct Shibano. It's not really clear, since the show doesn't depict any money changing hands.)
"I told you that the cancer cells have to be treated and we are the surgeons," Washizu says. "The banks are no different from other companies. If you men won't do anything about it, we will head the operation before it's too late." He bows and says, "If you'll excuse me now," then walks away.
***
A car pulls up in front of the Nishino-ya inn, and two employees, a woman in a kimono and a man in a happi coat, bow in greeting. The man asks, "Are you Washizu-sama? We've been expecting you." Washizu and Alan get out of the car; they're both dressed more casually than usual, since they're posing as normal guests. As with the previous case examples, Washizu's voice narrates over the action.
Washizu (voice-over): "Case number 50, Nishino-ya Inn. Established in 1868. The current main structure dates back to 1897. It was designed and built by Japan's leading architect, Tamaki Koichi."
He and Alan look around, carefully examining their surroundings as they are shown to their room. Then scene then cuts to Washizu walking outside on the inn's grounds.
Washizu (voice-over): "The number of customers has been decreasing in the last few years..."
Alan is videotaping inside the inn with a camcorder.
Washizu (voice-over): "...giving them only one-third of their revenues from the bubble days."
Alan, now dressed in a yukata, appears to be flipping through the inn's records and videotaping them. (He must be doing this on the sly, since it's clear that they haven't introduced themselves as being from Horizon. Seems kind of risky, though I suppose as the debt-holders, they probably do have a legal right to see the inn's financial records. I guess it's meant to show both how thorough and sneaky Horizon can be.)
Washizu (voice-over): "The cause of the downturn is mismanagement by the current president, Nishino Shogo, who succeeded Nishino Taizo."
Alan and Washizu are relaxing in their room (in shirts and trousers, not yukata), still playing at being normal guests. Alan is munching on some sort of snack when President Nishino shows up in the doorway, bowing and thanking them for their patronage. While that is probably typical for this kind of inn, there's something rather desperate and obsequious about the fervor of his thanks, as if he's pathetically grateful that the inn finally has some new customers.
Washizu (voice-over): "With the excessive funding from the bank, he bought a golf course. As a result, he neglected the inn business badly and got burned. In order to rebuild the business, current president Nishino Shogo must be dismissed and a revitalization plan must be implemented under the new administration."
Washizu continues walking through the grounds and spots a young man dressed in the same happi coat with the inn's name that the first employee was wearing. He's smoking a cigarette and petting the inn's orange cat. It's Osamu, Nishino's son, although Washizu isn't aware of this yet. Washizu walks over and offers him a can of coffee.
(The cat can be seen in this review.)
"Who are you?" Osamu asks. "Are you a debt collector? You were asking around about the president." (Apparently he's a lot more observant than his dad.) Washizu says that he isn't a debt collector, and Osamu asks, "Then who are you?"
"I'm here to rescue the inn," Washizu replies.
Osamu laughs in disbelief. "Who the hell are you? What a joke, coming from that serious face. Don't bother to save them. What are you checking on? I'll tell you everything I know."
"Who are you?" Washizu asks, obviously realizing that Osamu isn't just another employee.
"I'm the son of that hopeless president," Osamu replies, and Washizu looks surprised. "He should lose everything." Osamu walks away, starts picking up things that aren't visible from the camera angle (but I think they're recyclables?) and putting them into buckets. "I was against it. I told him to forget about buying that stupid golf course. But by that time it was too late. The bank had egged him on, telling him not to fall behind the times. So he got obsessed with it."
"What kind of inn do you want it to be?" Washizu asks. "What kind of customers do you want to attract? An administrator must have a clear plan of action and leadership abilities."
"Yeah," Osamu agrees. "My father has no plan in mind. I told him many times that our customers are not golfers. We had prosperous times before. Then again, that credit is due to my grandpa's greatness. My dad must have wanted to leave a name for himself."
He walks away, carrying the buckets, and Washizu calls after him, "Do you have any intent to take over?"
"Take over?" Osamu asks. "Who?"
"You," Washizu replies. "Aren't you the heir to this inn?"
"Give me a break," Osamu scoffs.
"Why do you say that?" Washizu asks.
"I refuse to live like my father," Osamu replies. "I don't want my life to be controlled by money. Money should be used. It's over if money controls you."
(I think that, given the way Washizu was questioning Osamu, and from what he says later in the episode to Nishino about Osamu, that Washizu was considering letting him have some role in the inn's new management. However, since Osamu isn't interested, the point is moot.)
***
Caption reads: THREE DAYS LATER
President Nishino is sitting in the inn's office, holding the cat and looking depressed. His wife comes in and seems surprised that he's up. (It appears to be very early in the morning.) He replies that he could't sleep, then walks away, still holding the cat. The wife finds some papers that he was looking at, including a "notice of delinquency," and an accompanying letter from "Horizon Investment Works Japan".
Later, the same car from before drives up to the inn. Washizu and Alan get out, this time dressed in business attire. Alan smiles cheerily and waves, calling out, "Nishino-san!" Nishino, looking a little puzzled, waves back. (Which is probably a bit jerkish of Alan, kind of like he's rubbing it in, given that they're about to reveal that they're from Horizon.)
Inside the inn's office, Washizu, Alan, and Nishino sit down to talk business while Osamu listens silently in the background. Nishino tells them that he was surprised to receive a notice out of the blue from a foreign company. "You're terrible," he says. "Don't go spying around."
"It's not spying," Alan replies. "It's called due diligence."
"What?" Nishino asks in confusion.
"We have the assessment results," Alan continues.
"What?" Nishino asks again.
"You have two options," Alan tells him. "Either you make your monthly fixed payments in a timely manner or you immediately pay off your loan in full."
Nishino protests that there's no way he can pay off the loan in full right away.
"Nishino-san, this isn't a bad deal for you," Washizu says. "We're willing to cancel your debt in entirety."
"Cancel?" Nishino asks.
"We'll cancel your debt of $183 million with us," Washizu replies. "In return, we want Nishino Country Club, Nishino Tour Building, and this Nishino-ya Inn. This is for your own good. I'm sure you know that with your management skills, this inn..."
"You've got to be kidding," Nishino interrupts. "You 'banana' jerks employed by foreigners wouldn't know how it is. Nishino-ya is a distinguished traditional inn. The Japanese people won't stand for it if you try to close us down. Just keep that in mind."
("Banana" of course meaning "white on the inside, yellow outside".)
Washizu takes the insult calmly. "All right. Let's do this, then. You can forget the inn. We'll release the collateral on it, so please buy it out. We'll take the golf course and building. Under that scenario, please ready $2 million. Then all your debts will be cancelled."
"$2 million?" Nishino asks incredulously.
"How does that sound?" Washizu says. "By paying us $2 million, this inn will be secure. You have two weeks, until the 25th. We'll be expecting a call from you. Alan, let's go." The two of them leave without another word.
***
At Mitsuba, Shibano receives a call from Nishino, who demands to know what's going on and why his debts were sold to a foreign company. "Why didn't you give me any advance warning?" he shouts. "You betrayed me when I trusted you. I won't let those people take Nishino-ya. I won't allow it...ever."
"What did Horizon say?" Shibano asks.
***
Yuka is waiting for Washizu as he and Alan arrive at the Horizon office building and get out of their car. She rushes over to confront him.
"Are you Washizu-san? I'm Mishima from Toyo TV." Alan physically holds her back and tries to keep her away from Washizu as they walk into the building. "I'm Mishima Kenichi's daughter," Yuka says, following them as Alan continues to run interference. "The man you killed five years ago." Washizu stops to stare at her, and Yuka loosens her hair from its ponytail, letting it fall loose over her shoulders, probably to remind him of what she looked like when she was younger.
"How could someone who practically fled to the US return to Japan? What are you planning to do in Japan?"
"You've got the wrong person," Washizu replies and walks away. She chases after him while Alan tries to push her away.
"Will you tell me one thing?" she asks as they reach a doorway where two security guards are stationed. The guards hold her back and keep her from going any further while Washizu and Alan continue on their way. "Are the tears you shed at that time genuine?" she shouts. "Washizu-san!"
"Who was that?" Alan asks.
"Beats me," Washizu replies, though it's obviously a lie. He gets a call on his cell phone and answers it; it's Shibano, demanding to know what he did to Nishino-san.
"Nishino-san?" Washizu asks. "Oh, Nishino-ya. We didn't do anything. We merely exercised our rights as a creditor."
"Don't use that excuse," Shibano snaps. "I heard you demanded $2 million. How is he supposed to come up with that in two weeks?!" Washizu hangs up without bothering to reply.
***
At Nishino-ya, Nishino is shouting at his wife, whom he has apparently pushed and knocked down to the floor. "What are you thinking of?! What's this about a life insurance? You want to get a loan using Dad's life insurance as collateral. The hell with that!"
"That's the only option left," the wife sobs.
"This is my inn," Nishino insists. "I'll get it back on track."
"You're not capable," Osamu says. "That's why Mom is suggesting that."
"Osamu, stay out of this," his mother orders.
"Just sell this damn inn," Osamu says.
"Osamu!" his mother protests.
"You must know you can't manage it," Osamu says, ignoring her.
"Osamu," his mother says. "Some things should never be said." She tries to hold him back as he pushes forward to confront his father.
"He won't know unless you tell him! You're not cut out for this inn. You're not like Grandpa."
***
In an empty conference room at Horizon, Washizu is staring out the window.
There is a flashback to the same scene that Shibano flashed back to earlier, of a man walking in the rain. The scene cuts to Shibano offering incense at Yuka's father's funeral. Washizu appears in the doorway, looking devastated. As he approaches the altar, Yuka jumps up and shouts at him, "Leave, murderer! Get out!"
Washizu immediately drops to the floor and does a full-on dogeza (bowing down on hands and knees, touching the forehead down to the floor), clutching a string of Buddhist prayer beads in one hand. Weeping hysterically, he begs, "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
Back in the present, Washizu continues to stare out the window.
***
At Nishino-ya, the wife is putting two potted plants on the family altar. She bows her head in prayer for a moment, then looks up at the calendar. She hears a noise in another room, and goes over to see Nishino opening a safe and taking out money (mostly coins). He's filling his pockets with handfuls of change, some of which spills onto the floor. The wife calls out to him and tries to stop him, but he continues stuffing his pockets, picking the fallen coins off the floor.
***
At the Horizon office, Nishino sits in a waiting area, hunched over in a chair. Washizu comes down the stairs and says, "I apologize for keeping you waiting. So what did you want to tell me?" Nishino remains silent. "Nishino-san?"
Nishino bows down on the floor, on his hands and knees--much like Washizu did in the flashback scene, ironically. "Please give me more time!" he begs. "If we can ride this out, we'll be okay. I'm begging you." He pulls the coins and some crumpled bills out of his pockets and lays them out on the nearby coffee table. Washizu stares at him, looking stunned and a little horrified.
"Please!" Nishino begs.
Washizu visibly composes himself, then says almost gently, "Please get up, Nishino-san." Nishino remains bowed down on the floor, and Washizu sits down. "Didn't I tell you that the deadline was in two weeks?" Washizu asks, sounding more brisk and professional now. "Your loan is no longer with us." Nishino looks up. "When you didn't call us, we were placed in a predicament. We were forced to sell your loan to another. Suzukiya Tours was interested, so for $30 million..."
"Wait a minute," Nishino says in disbelief. "You didn't."
"Actually, we did," Washizu says calmly. "We sold it to them."
"Wait a minute," Nishino repeats. "What have you done?"
"We checked into their administrative plans," Washizu replies. "We concluded it would be far better off in their hands. Nishino-ya will be revitalized."
"Vulture," Nishino accuses.
"Vulture?" Washizu asks calmly.
"You people took Nishino-ya after we protected it for a century," Nishino says. "I won't forgive you for doing this!"
He grabs Washizu by the front of his shirt, but Washizu remains calm and says, "Nishino-san, isn't it yourself that you can't forgive? If you had stayed focused on your business, you would never have incurred such an enormous debt." Nishino lets him go, and Washizu continues, "Why don't you let things rest already? You've done enough. But managing that inn was too much of a burden for you."
Nishino collapses into a chair, looking utterly defeated. "My son told me the same thing," he says. "That no matter how hard I try, I can't beat Grandpa. I...couldn't leave anything for him. Nothing at all."
"But you raised him well," Washizu says in a kinder voice. "I'm talking about your son. He's still young. He has management abilities. Why not start anew with him?" He lays some cash down on the table in front of Nishino. "This is for your cab fare. Please accept it. I'm sorry you had to come all this way." He bows deeply and leaves.
(I think Washizu meant the gesture kindly, not in an insulting way, though I would think it's probably like rubbing salt in a wound to have your enemy pity you.)
Nishino leaves the building, stumbling along slowly like an old man. Washizu watches from an upstairs window. After awhile, he sighs and turns away.
Meanwhile, at Nishino-ya, Osamu is massaging his grandfather's legs. The phone rings, and Osamu lets the answering machine pick it up. "Should I have left it to you?" Nishino's voice says, and then he hangs up. Taizo smiles at Osamu with childlike unawareness of what's going on.
The scene cuts back to Nishino as he leaves a public phone booth. A pile of change sits on top the phone. He walks out into the street right in front of a truck, which screeches to a halt. Passers-by begin shouting that someone got hit and to call for an ambulance. In the distorted view of the truck's side view mirror, Nishino's body can be seen sprawled out on the road, with coins scattered around him. The camera cuts to a close-up of his hand, resting palm-up and fingers slightly curled, lying on the road amidst the coins.
Osamu is nearby, walking down the street and looking for his father. He's carrying his cell phone, and we can hear his mother's voice talking to him, but he doesn't answer as he seems too preoccupied with trying to find Nishino. He stops in shock--he seems to have spotted his father's body, although it's not visible on camera. His arm is hanging down at his side, his hand still holding the phone as his mother's voice calls out to him frantically. He stares in shock saying slowly, "I...killed...him. I...killed...my dad."
***
At Horizon, Washizu is leaving the building and is confronted by Shibano. He asks Shibano what's wrong.
"Have you heard?" Shibano asks. "Nishino-san passed away." Washizu's face remains expressionless as he stares straight ahead, not quite looking Shibano in the eye. "Couldn't you have waited a bit?" Shibano demands. "Washizu! Back then...you were very compassionate. When did you change?"
Still expressionless, Washizu replies, "It's you. You're the reason why I changed, Shibano-sempai."
He walks off, leaving Shibano standing there looking shaken.
***
That's the end of the first episode. The ending credits show money raining down over the city, as people--children and adults--look up, and then reach up to catch the falling bills. One person runs after the money, others just reach up and hold their hands open to catch it. However, as the money drops, it vanishes just as it reaches their outstretched hands. At the very end, one little girl catches a bill and closes her hand around it. When she opens her hand, she is holding a sunflower instead of the money.
The end credits play over this song (the music plays over a still image, not the actual video, but the link does have the lyrics posted in both English and Japanese).
Link to Episode 2 Recap
Link to Episode 3 Recap
Link to Episode 4 Recap
***
Final thoughts on this episode: I find it really hard to believe that Shibano does not remember Washizu, given the big scene Yuka made at the funeral combined with Washizu's tearful apologies and the way he left for America soon after. I can understand him not recognizing Washizu at first glance, since it's been five years and he looks different (although the change is more in attitude than physical appearance). However, once Washizu mentions his name and reminds him that they had worked together, Shibano still acts as if he doesn't remember. Even if it was five years ago, I have to think that scene at the funeral would be memorable enough to stick in his mind.
Still, I don't get the impression that he's consciously lying, and it seems to take him looking up Washizu's old personnel file to jog his memory. I wonder if his own guilt caused him to unconsciously repress the memory? After all, as Washizu's supervisor, doesn't he also bear a measure of guilt in denying the loan that caused Yuka's father to commit suicide?
I know that if I were Washizu, I'd be pretty angry that Shibano doesn't seem to remember the incident that traumatized me and completely changed the course of my life. And that last line from Washizu ("You're the reason why I changed") makes it pretty clear that he thinks Shibano is to blame for his transition from a compassionate young man into a vulture. We learn more about their past (and what exactly Shibano did to change him) in the next episode.
I have posted some pictures of Washizu and Alan in my Scrapbook (and I've been using those pics and a few others as icons on my cross-posted IJ entries, since I have more icon slots there). I also posted a link to a music fanvid of scenes from this episode, along with a list of the scenes used in the video.
(I should be posting recaps for Episodes 2 and 3 soon, but still need to re-watch Episodes 4-6. That breaks up nicely, though since there's a timeskip of several years between episodes 3 and 4, and 4-6 cover a separate story arc.)
Hagetaka Recap: Episode 1 ("Buy Out Japan!")
(jdorama.com lists it as "Bulk Sale," but the Japanese title says "Nihon o Kaitataku," literally "Beating Down the Price of Japan!" However, "Buy Out Japan" sounds more natural in English and matches what Claris tells Washizu in the scene below.)
The scene opens with children hunting for insects in the woods. They find money--many paper bills--floating in a swimming pool. They hastily scoop them up, using both their hands and their nets.
Voice-over narration begins (it's Washizu, although we won't learn that until later): "Someone said there are only two kinds of tragedies in life. One is the tragedy of having no money. The other is the tragedy of having money."
The body of a man floating face-down in the pool becomes visible, blood staining the front of his white shirt. (Again, it's Washizu, although we haven't been introduced to his character yet.)
The narration continues as the kids run into a toy store, grab toys off the shelf and pay for them with wads of wet bills: "The world revolves around money. Money invites tragedies."
(It's a really disturbing scene, which was probably the intention: the greed of the gleeful kids spending the money, which doesn't belong to them, apparently not caring about the injured man in the pool. And the store clerks don't seem to question why these kids have all this money or why it's wet. The question of where the money came from is puzzling, too--did it belong to Washizu, and was it scattered when he was shot? We don't get the answer until Episode 5.)
The narration continues as Washizu is placed in an ambulance, and rushed to the hospital and into surgery: "The tragedy started nine years ago..."
***
Caption reads: June 1998
Washizu, alive and healthy, knocks on the door of his boss, Albert Claris, the head honcho at the main office of Horizon Investments in New York. Claris greets him by his given name, Masahiko, and tells him to come in. (They are speaking in English, of course, since they are in America.) He praises the work Washizu has done during the five years that he's worked at Horizon: bringing in sales of over $2 billion in investments, having an annual rate of return of 28 percent, and having a great track record with buyouts. Washizu thanks him.
Claris says, "Since the initiatives of the US government have paid off, the Japanese financial market is finally emerging from its period of isolation. Japan is now a gold mine, and the time is ripe. Our investors want to inject their ample funds into the Japanese market."
"So..." Washizu says.
"So make us proud," Claris replies. "We'll give you five years--buy Japan out!"
***
Caption reads: August 1998
Washizu and his subordinate, Alan Ward, are riding a helicopter (presumably over Tokyo). Washizu stares out the window, his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, at a Mitsuba Bank board meeting, an unnamed executive is saying that the Superintendent is increasing the number of auditors to assess bad debts in September. So they absolutely must meet their quota and eliminate bad debts or they will be the next to fold.
Managing Director Iijima assures the exec that he has already taken precautionary measures and put "our best ace" on it. The ace is Shibano Takeo, who joined the bank in 1978.
The scene shifts briefly to Shibano, who is gathering together files. He orders one of his underlings, Asano, to "hand me the Nishino-ya files."
(Nishino-ya will play a very significant role later in this episode. And I'm rather amused that Asano has the same name as the scheming actor in Haru wo Daiteita. This one seems like a decent guy, but he only has a very minor role in show.)
A news report plays in the background. It's Mishima Yuka speaking, although we won't meet her till a little later: "Despite an injection of $18,150,000,000 from public funds, the banks show no sign of reduction in bad debts. As of March, the financial institutions' bad debts had risen to $67,300,000,00. How quickly can they eliminate this enormous bad debt? In this critical situation, the banks' very survival is determinate on that."
(The translator for the version I watched chose to convert the yen amounts into dollar equivalents, I assume to make it easier for US viewers to grasp the value. So for the sake of convenience, I'm keeping that as is, rather than trying to convert it back into yen. Although if you really want the yen amounts, just multiply the number by 100.)
The helicopter arrives at a (private?) airfield, where Washizu and Alan are greeted by two representatives from Horizon's Japanese branch: a balding, middle-aged man named Nakanobe, and a younger woman with long dark hair and glasses who is never addressed by name, although she appears frequently in the series and has a few lines.
(For convenience's sake, I'm going to dub her "Aya," because I need to call her something and for some reason she looks like an "Aya" to me. Although she doesn't have a big role, I was quite taken with her: Aya's very attractive and yet serious and business-like looks really appeal to me. You can see her in the final picture in this review. I agree with the reviewer that I wish she had more lines! Washizu's team has a number of attractive and/or interesting-looking individuals, and it makes me want to flesh out the bit characters. But I digress...)
Nakanobe introduces himself and they get into a limo. During the ride, Nakanobe explains that Mitsuba has formed a project team to deal with the bad situation. "The leader is this man," he says, handing Washizu some photos of Shibano. "He's the one that we'll be dealing with." Washizu looks at the photos, but says nothing.
(During the re-watch while writing this summary, I realized that I had mis-remembered a few things, the first being that I thought the helicopter had taken them directly to the Horizon office building. And second, that I thought Washizu's entire US team was on the copter, but it seems to be only Alan. I think I may have gotten it mixed up with the scene where they arrive at Mitsuba Bank. As I mentioned in one of my blog posts, traveling by copter seems to be a rather ostentatious gesture, and I wondered why they just didn't drive straight from the airport. Sparing no expense for speed and efficiency, perhaps, and/or Horizon is in the habit of making grand gestures to show off how important they are. The shipper in me does like that it's Alan, Washizu's right-hand man, who gets to accompany the boss over the others, who presumably are either arriving later or traveling by more mundane means.)
***
At the Nishino-ya inn, Shibano and Asano are meeting with the owner and his family (wife and adult son). They say they are not here for collections today, and give Nishino a restructuring plan drawn up by Shibano. Asano says that the bank is in a difficult position as well, and that Nishino needs to consider selling the golf course, as they have previously proposed.
Nishino brushes them off, asking them to wait and saying that the economy will recover. He then tries to butter up Shibano, saying that Shibano has been dealing with the inn since his father's time, and that "it must be fate that you're here again. Will you please help us through this?"
Instead of replying directly, Shibano asks how his father (Taizo-san) is. Nishino replies, "Lately, he's been..." His voice trails off as the scene shifts to the elderly Taizo, lying in bed, mouth open and eyes staring vacantly at nothing. The son, Osamu, stands outside the room, looking in on his grandfather. (Osamu, incidentally, is played by the very popular and handsome actor Matsuda Ryuhei.)
***
At the Toyo TV office, a young female reporter (Mishima Yuka) is being told by her boss that the next press conference will be at 3:00. She replies, "Yes, sir," then goes to talk to a man named Nonaka, asking if he's checked into what she asked about previously. He replies that it's true that Mitsuba is having a bulk sale.
***
At Mitsuba, Shibano is making a presentation to a roomful of bank executives. He lists the bank's top bad debts, each represented by a thick binder. The binders are packed into boxes as he reads each name off the list:
Hotel Blue Shadow: $3,220,222
Marumura Shoji: $10,002,000
Toyo Resort: $23,010,000
Ringa Group: $8,010,000
Wadakura Shoji: $4,010,000
Tokyo Up: $23,400,000
Axe Bombay: $124,000,000
Shibano's colleague Numata explains that they have listed a total of 47 bad debts totaling $723,645,800, and that "bulk sale" means to sell these boxes of bad debts all together. An exec named Sakota says, "I see, so we're going to lump them together and sell them off."
Shibano asks Iijima to give them the "go" sign since they have less than 2 months before the September closing, and need to act quickly.
Sakota asks, "Who will buy them?"
***
Back at Toyo TV, Yuka is explaining to Nonaka that Mitsuba is seeking foreign investors.
Nonaka says, "True, they have the money. They will probably buy them for high."
"No way," Yuka replies. "Do you know what their business is called in the US?"
She hands him a magazine called "FIVE" that is obviously modeled after "TIME" with a similar logo and red-bordered cover. The cover shows a bald eagle and an American flag with a stylized mountain and rising sun in the background. The headline reads, "Vulture Target".
Nonaka asks, "Vulture Fund?"
Yuka says, "They scent out their dying prey and eat them up. They are called 'hagetaka'."
(The term "hagetaka" is doubly appropriate here. It's the Japanese word for vulture, but it literally translates to "bald hawk," which also seems to allude to the bald eagle on the magazine cover representing the US, and it is an American company that is preying on the dying Japanese businesses.)
***
At the Horizon Japan office, Washizu has gathered together with his team. Some are Japanese, and several are clearly Americans that came with him from New York, but the meeting is conducted in Japanese. He is sitting at the head of a long table, with Alan sitting on his left and Aya on the right.
Alan starts off with, "Let us begin our kickoff meeting. The launch of the First Fund is moving smoothly. Our target yield is 30 percent. Investment inquiries are pouring in."
Washizu stands, saying, "Our dealings with Mitsuba Bank will finally be starting. Our goal is to buy cheap and sell high. We will beat down the price of this dying country."
(The whole scene plays out in this video clip. The clip and the TV show both repeat the term "kaitataku" or "beat down the price" three times for emphasis, but the repetition doesn't translate well into English.)
***
Shibano and Iijima are meeting to discuss the bulk sale. Iijima has added Nishino-ya to the list (I think, both to make the deal more attractive to potential buyers and to get rid of Nishino-ya's debt). Shibano protests, but Iijima asks (rhetorically) whether he thinks Nishino-ya can actually pay back its debt, and of course Shibano is unable to honestly answer "yes". Iijima tells him, "You have to be an oni, Shibano!" (An oni meaning a devil or an ogre; in other words, he has to be ruthless, which makes an interesting comparison to Washizu, who is ruthless in his own business dealings.)
***
A limo pulls up in front of Mitsuba, and Washizu and his team get out. They walk through the front doors, Washizu in the lead with his entourage following behind. A couple of bank employees near the door hastily scramble out of the way as the team strides past them without pausing.
They are brought to a meeting room where the Mitsuba representatives are waiting. Washizu says that he is the one representing Horizon, and the Mitsuba people look startled. Sakota asks if he is Japanese.
"I moved to the US five years ago, but rest assured, I am a true Japanese," Washizu replies.
An exec named Sakamaki says, "I wondered who would show up at the table."
"It's somewhat of a relief," Sakota says. Washizu replies politely that he's honored to hear that.
Alan steps forward, smiling and bowing as he says, "This is for all of you." He holds out a small rectangular box that probably contains a cake or some other kind of sweet. (The Horizon people are being very polite and following proper Japanese etiquette. Most of the Mitsuba people seem pleasantly surprised, but this won't last for very long.)
Numata accepts the box, saying, "Why, thank you. I'd like to introduce you to the person in charge." Shibano steps forward and introduces himself.
Washizu says, "It's been a long time, Shibano-san." Everyone is surprised by his words, including Shibano. "Have you forgotten me?" Washizu asks. "We worked together at the Marunouchi branch for about half a year. It's me, Washizu. I'm a Mitsuba alumni."
"Marunouchi?" Shibano asks, looking like he's trying to remember.
Washizu shakes his head slightly and says, "Let's get down to business, then." (It might be my imagination, but he seems to give Shibano a cold stare for a moment. Although it's hard to tell, since Washizu rarely shows much emotion on his face.)
Everyone moves to a conference room, where the Horizon and Mitsuba reps are seated on opposite sides of a long table. Horizon has received the list of bad debts and are looking through them.
"This is the list of clients that will be included in the bulk sale," Numata explains.
Washizu observes that the total face value is $1,023,000,000. He is told that Mitsuba has done its calculations and come up with a minimum sale price. Washizu asks what it is, and Iijima replies that it is $410,000,000 and asks if that is acceptable.
"We will naturally do our best," Washizu replies politely. "However, it is too early to say what is appropriate. In any case, we'll make a fair assessment after a thorough review."
Iijima smiles a bit condescendingly, seeming to think that he has the upper hand. "You can conduct an exhaustive review, but please know that depending on your offer, we might not accept, too. Please understand that it could affect your company's image in Japan."
"We are well aware of that," Washizu replies.
Numata takes the Horizon team to a room where all the bulk sale binders have been laid out on tables. He asks if three days will be sufficient for them to go through all the material.
"Actually, two hours will do," Washizu replies, to Numata's shock. He glances at his watch, setting the timer as he says, "Please start at once. Alan!"
Alan immediately contacts Nakanobe via walkie-talkie and tells him to bring in the copy machines. Many machines are unloaded off a large truck parked outside, and wheeled into the room. They're quickly filled with fresh reams of paper, and the team begins copying all of the papers in the binders.
"You came well prepared," Numata says, still looking a little stunned.
Polite facade dropped, Alan gives him a contemptuous look, saying, "Your copiers are inefficient. We believe that 'time is money'."
(The "time is money" line is spoken in English. As a side note, Alan speaks very fluently in Japanese, but his pronunciation is perhaps a little too precise and carefully enunciated to sound like a native speaker, although it may also be due to the formality of the situation. I find it interesting that the Horizon Japan team speaks mostly in Japanese, even in the privacy of their own office, as seen in the kickoff meeting scene above. This is probably a practical consideration for the target TV audience of Japanese viewers, but if I'm going to come up with a fanon reason, I would like to think that it's partly out of respect for Washizu, but mostly because Washizu has taught his American team to have a "you must understand how your target thinks in order to outsmart them" mindset.)
***
In the Mitsuba record rooms, Shibano is looking up Washizu's old personnel file.
Caption reads: FIVE YEARS AGO
Shibano walks into the Marunouchi branch office, asking, "What's going on?"
Another employee says, "It's what I told you about. Per the branch manager's order, he rejected the financing."
(We can see the younger Washizu through the glass wall of the room next door, seated hunched over in a chair, looking utterly miserable and staring down at the floor.)
***
Back in the present, Shibano is reading off Washizu's file to the Mitsuba execs. "Washizu Masahiko, born in 1969, graduate of Tosho University. Joined the bank in 1990. Worked at the Marunouchi branch. In 1992, he resigned for personal reasons."
Iijima asks, "You worked with him at the branch for half a year?"
Shibano replies, "Yes, I was the assistant manager, and he was handling corporate transactions."
"In other words, he was the solider," Iijima says, and Shibano replies that Washizu was doing outside sales.
Another of the execs says, "He quit our bank in two years, and went to the US."
Sakamaki scoffs, "In any event, if he couldn't make a go of it here, he couldn't have accomplished much outside." Someone else asks why Washizu quit, but we don't get to here Shibano's reply.
***
The scene shifts to Shibano and Washizu having coffee at a table in the bank's cafeteria. Shibano says that he should be addressing Washizu as "Washizu-san" now, and Washizu says, "Just 'Washizu' is fine. I'm honored that you remember me."
Shibano asks why it should be an honor, and Washizu mentions how Shibano used to do the speeches for the opening ceremonies, and talks about Shibano's background in overseas and international training. "You have an unblemished career," he tells Shibano.
"Yeah, right," Shibano replies, making light of the praise and seeming a little embarrassed by it. "You represent Horizon Japan now. My achievements are nothing compared to yours." Washizu asks how Mitsuba is doing, and Shibano replies, "Dying. We have to do something." Washizu asks if that's why they're doing the bulk sale, and Shibano replies, "Yes. It's a painful situation in many ways."
Washizu says, "Let's not talk about business. I finally have the chance to talk to the man I respect one on one. Please tell me anything." He smiles in a friendly manner, not yet giving any sign of the complicated past between them.
(I was a little surprised by how frankly Shibano is speaking about Mitsuba's bad situation to an outsider. Perhaps he thinks that Washizu will be sympathetic, as a former Mitsuba worker, or perhaps he remembers Washizu as the earnest and idealistic young man he used to be?)
"Please give us a fair price," Shibano says. "We must assess the worth of Japan's bad debts by the world's standards, otherwise we can't move forward in a real sense."
"As always, what a model answer," Washizu replies. (His tone of voice is polite, but given their past history that is revealed later, there's probably some hidden sarcasm there.)
"I mean it," Shibano insists. "Even if it causes us pain, unless we completely extract the pus from the bubble economy days, we will not be able to survive what comes ahead."
"The cancer cells must be treated," Washizu says.
"Exactly," Shibano replies.
"Are we surgeons?" Washizu asks. Shibano replies that perhaps they are, and Washizu says, "However, surgery can sometimes take a person's life." He pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment, then excuses himself, saying that he has an appointment to go to and he looks forward to seeing Shibano again in two weeks. He leaves money for his coffee on the table, lining the coins up in a neat row. (Not sure what the significance of this is, and Shibano seems a little puzzled as well, or possibly he's still a little disturbed by Washizu's comment about the surgery sometimes being fatal.)
"I'll be counting on you," Shibano says. Washizu starts to leave, but then turns around.
"Oh, that's right," he says. "Do you remember what you told me back then?"
"What I told you?" Shibano asks, clearly not knowing what he's talking about.
Washizu lets out a little laugh and says, "Oh, forget it. It was a pleasure to meet you. Excuse me."
(He makes like it's no big deal, but later on we will see that what Shibano told him affected him deeply, but more on that later.)
***
There's brief flashback to the past, of a man walking in the rain carrying an umbrella. We only see him from behind and cannot see his face; the umbrella is blocking our view of most of his upper body. This scene won't really make sense until we learn what happened five years ago that caused Washizu to leave Mitsuba.
***
At the Toyo TV station, a male reporter is saying, "Good grief, this isn't her home."
Nonaka wonders, "Where does she get all her energy from?"
"I'd like to know that, too," replies the first man. "But her last report was really good. Maybe her calling is a newscaster. It really grabbed my heart."
The camera pans over to Yuka, who is lying on a couch. However, she's not really asleep, though the men obviously think she is, and her eyes are open as she listens to their conversation.
***
There is another flashback, to the Mishima Factory. We can hear the sound of two women (gossiping neighbors) talking.
"Suicide?"
"That's right."
"The poor man. Was it financial problems?"
"Yes, the bank wouldn't give him a loan, so he was left with no other options."
A teenaged Yuka dressed in a school uniform is kneeling on the ground, weeping.
***
Back in the present, Yuka lies awake on the couch.
***
At the Horizon Japan office, Washizu and his team are discussing the Mitsuba bulk sale, and are less than pleased with what they've discovered.
"They're taking us lightly," Washizu says.
"Debts not included on the list are being thrown in, too," Alan says. "What is going on?"
"They probably have political or seedy connections," Nakanobe replies. "It'll be hopeless to collect from them."
Alan says disgustedly, "They have some nerve, to think that they're worth more than 40 percent."
"Anything worthy?" Washizu asks.
A Japanese team member named Murata replies, "This inn is interesting." He lays photos of the Nishino-ya inn out on the table.
"Nishino-ya, huh?" Alan says.
"Let's find out more about them," Murata suggests.
"Let's do that," Washizu says to Alan, who nods. "Another thing, Murata-san..."
"Yes, I know," Murata replies. "Iijima Ryosuke."
"The additional bad debts must have been thrown in by him," Washizu says. "I'm sure he has some skeletons in his closet."
(See, this is what I like about Washizu and his team, the way they automatically pick up on his cues.)
***
The scene changes to a private room at a traditional Japanese restaurant, where Washizu is waiting. Iijima arrives, and Washizu rises to his feet and bows deeply. Seating himself, Iijima says, "Former Mitsuba employee, huh? Our bank has many brilliant employees from good families. But not too many who can pull a trick like this..." He lays a thick envelope down on the table.
"With the exception of you?" Washizu asks as he sits down.
"So you did your homework," Iijima says.
"I find you to be a distinguished man who did all the dirty work for Mitsuba," Washizu says, and pours some sake for Iijima.
"So?" Iijima asks.
"You know better than anyone the merits of a bulk sale," Washizu replies. "Bulk sale begins with a non-disclosure agreement between the parties involved. That is why the details of the bulk sale will never be known to outside parties."
He takes out what appear to be contracts from the envelope and lays them out on the table. "In other words," he continues, "all the dangerous loans involving politicians and organized crime will never become public knowledge." (And thus the reason why Iijima slipped the extra debts into the bulk sale package is revealed.)
"Are you blackmailing me?" Iijima asks.
"Of course not," Washizu replies. "I just want to do business with you."
Iijima, pouring sake for Washizu, demands, "You...who do you think you are?"
"I'm here to help the dying Mitsuba," Washizu replies. When Iijima reacts with confusion, Washizu adds, "Or should I reword that to the dying Japan?"
***
The two weeks since their first meeting have passed, and Horizon is meeting with the Mitsuba officials again. Washizu presents the results of their review of the bulk sale. Shibano and the others are shocked when they leaf through the report provided by Horizon. Numata asks Washizu to explain.
"Based on the materials you provided, we reviewed the 53 cases thoroughly," Washizu replies. "We not only checked the real estate collateral, but also their payment history. As a result, that is the number we came up with."
The camera angle shifts to the report, revealing that most of the debts are listed at a value of 1 yen/cent.
Alan says, "Of the 53 cases, only 13 received price tags. Those without value are listed at a penny. That is customary."
"Customary?" Numata asks incredulously.
Shibano says, "The face value is $1,023,128,000. The suggested purchase price is $93,104,700."
"$93 million is ridiculously low!" Numata protests. "That is..." He's obviously trying to do some mental calculations.
"9.1 percent of the face value," Washizu says.
"What is with that amount?" Shibano demands. "Please explain."
"Very well," Washizu says. "Starting with the first case of $2 million to Hotel Blue Shadow in Akabane..."
***
Caption reads: "CASE #1: HOTEL BLUE SHADOW"
Nakanobe and a young American woman from Washizu's team link arms as if they're a couple and walk into the hotel.
(Judging from this and the interior of the hotel room, I'm guessing it's a love hotel, though they don't explicitly say so. The woman has no actual dialogue and her name is never given, so I'm dubbing her "Caroline" so that I don't have to keep calling her "the woman," and because I might want to include her as a character if I ever get around to writing Hagetaka fic. She and Nakanobe are very funny in this scene, which is probably the only bit of levity we get in the series. They kind of seem to be hamming it up a little, and I get the impression that maybe they enjoy going undercover. In the same review linked above for Aya's picture, you can see Nakanobe and Caroline checking out the hotel room in the fourth picture down. Murata, btw, is visible in the third picture, seated between the two American men.)
Washizu's voice-over narration can be heard as Nakanobe and Caroline thoroughly examine the room: they tap and listen at the walls; Nakanobe bounces on the bed and flips through the karaoke book; Caroline examines the beddings.
Washizu: "The guest rooms' walls are thin, allowing noise to filter through from one room to another. The bed cushionings are poor, and the number of karaoke songs hasn't been changed in three years. The rooms' interior designs are outdated."
***
Back at Mitsuba, Washizu explains, "Even if we bought it at $2 million, we'd have to spend a lot on renovations. There's no principal amortization. Thus, the assessment value of a penny."
Numata argues, "What about case number 3 with Akasaka Building? That should be worth at least $50 million."
***
Caption reads: "CASE #3: NEO AKASAKA BUILDING"
Washizu (voice-over): "Such bars and cabarets are usually the front businesses for organized crime, with illegal casinos being held in the private rooms on the top floor. Which is why we gave it the assessment value of a penny."
During the narration, Alan and Murata are being entertained at a hostess club in the building. Alan's eyes widen and he grimaces slightly as he sips from his glass, as if it tastes bad or it's stronger than he expected. Murata looks serious, as if he's working (which he is) rather than having a good time drinking with pretty hostesses.
***
Back at Mitsuba, Washizu says, "As for case numbers 24 through 42...they are unable to make payments and have borrowed from non-bank financial companies (NBFC) unaffiliated to Mitsuba. It's what we call 'tobashi' (hiding bad loans)."
Sakamaki echoes, "Tobashi?"
Iijima cuts in, "Haven't you said enough? There's nothing we can do. Isn't that right, Sakota-san?" Sakota looks uncertain, but Iijima tells Washizu that they will agree to the $93 million price. "Sakota-san, will you agree to it? I've already informed the President about it. I'll be handling this matter."
"But 9.1 percent is--" Shibano tries to protest.
"I said I'll handle it!" Iijima snaps.
Washizu leaves, accompanied by Alan and Aya. As they walk down the staircase, Washizu is talking on his cell phone, presumably to someone at Horizon: "It went quite smoothly. Sell off the debts we've acquired immediately. Our goal is to double our money and sell it for $200 million."
Shibano calls after him, "Wait." Washizu nods at his two subordinates, and they continue down the stairs without him. "That was impressive," Shibano says. Washizu thanks him politely, and Shibano asks sharply, "Is that what you consider a fair price?"
"Yes," Washizu replies.
"Did you bribe the board members?" Shibano accuses.
"Yes," Washizu replies calmly, without hesitation. (In the previous scene with Iijima, it sounded more like blackmail than bribery, but perhaps he also greased the wheels with a few bribes to smooth the way. Or maybe Washizu figures that blackmail is equivalent to bribery and sees no reason to correct Shibano. It's not really clear, since the show doesn't depict any money changing hands.)
"I told you that the cancer cells have to be treated and we are the surgeons," Washizu says. "The banks are no different from other companies. If you men won't do anything about it, we will head the operation before it's too late." He bows and says, "If you'll excuse me now," then walks away.
***
A car pulls up in front of the Nishino-ya inn, and two employees, a woman in a kimono and a man in a happi coat, bow in greeting. The man asks, "Are you Washizu-sama? We've been expecting you." Washizu and Alan get out of the car; they're both dressed more casually than usual, since they're posing as normal guests. As with the previous case examples, Washizu's voice narrates over the action.
Washizu (voice-over): "Case number 50, Nishino-ya Inn. Established in 1868. The current main structure dates back to 1897. It was designed and built by Japan's leading architect, Tamaki Koichi."
He and Alan look around, carefully examining their surroundings as they are shown to their room. Then scene then cuts to Washizu walking outside on the inn's grounds.
Washizu (voice-over): "The number of customers has been decreasing in the last few years..."
Alan is videotaping inside the inn with a camcorder.
Washizu (voice-over): "...giving them only one-third of their revenues from the bubble days."
Alan, now dressed in a yukata, appears to be flipping through the inn's records and videotaping them. (He must be doing this on the sly, since it's clear that they haven't introduced themselves as being from Horizon. Seems kind of risky, though I suppose as the debt-holders, they probably do have a legal right to see the inn's financial records. I guess it's meant to show both how thorough and sneaky Horizon can be.)
Washizu (voice-over): "The cause of the downturn is mismanagement by the current president, Nishino Shogo, who succeeded Nishino Taizo."
Alan and Washizu are relaxing in their room (in shirts and trousers, not yukata), still playing at being normal guests. Alan is munching on some sort of snack when President Nishino shows up in the doorway, bowing and thanking them for their patronage. While that is probably typical for this kind of inn, there's something rather desperate and obsequious about the fervor of his thanks, as if he's pathetically grateful that the inn finally has some new customers.
Washizu (voice-over): "With the excessive funding from the bank, he bought a golf course. As a result, he neglected the inn business badly and got burned. In order to rebuild the business, current president Nishino Shogo must be dismissed and a revitalization plan must be implemented under the new administration."
Washizu continues walking through the grounds and spots a young man dressed in the same happi coat with the inn's name that the first employee was wearing. He's smoking a cigarette and petting the inn's orange cat. It's Osamu, Nishino's son, although Washizu isn't aware of this yet. Washizu walks over and offers him a can of coffee.
(The cat can be seen in this review.)
"Who are you?" Osamu asks. "Are you a debt collector? You were asking around about the president." (Apparently he's a lot more observant than his dad.) Washizu says that he isn't a debt collector, and Osamu asks, "Then who are you?"
"I'm here to rescue the inn," Washizu replies.
Osamu laughs in disbelief. "Who the hell are you? What a joke, coming from that serious face. Don't bother to save them. What are you checking on? I'll tell you everything I know."
"Who are you?" Washizu asks, obviously realizing that Osamu isn't just another employee.
"I'm the son of that hopeless president," Osamu replies, and Washizu looks surprised. "He should lose everything." Osamu walks away, starts picking up things that aren't visible from the camera angle (but I think they're recyclables?) and putting them into buckets. "I was against it. I told him to forget about buying that stupid golf course. But by that time it was too late. The bank had egged him on, telling him not to fall behind the times. So he got obsessed with it."
"What kind of inn do you want it to be?" Washizu asks. "What kind of customers do you want to attract? An administrator must have a clear plan of action and leadership abilities."
"Yeah," Osamu agrees. "My father has no plan in mind. I told him many times that our customers are not golfers. We had prosperous times before. Then again, that credit is due to my grandpa's greatness. My dad must have wanted to leave a name for himself."
He walks away, carrying the buckets, and Washizu calls after him, "Do you have any intent to take over?"
"Take over?" Osamu asks. "Who?"
"You," Washizu replies. "Aren't you the heir to this inn?"
"Give me a break," Osamu scoffs.
"Why do you say that?" Washizu asks.
"I refuse to live like my father," Osamu replies. "I don't want my life to be controlled by money. Money should be used. It's over if money controls you."
(I think that, given the way Washizu was questioning Osamu, and from what he says later in the episode to Nishino about Osamu, that Washizu was considering letting him have some role in the inn's new management. However, since Osamu isn't interested, the point is moot.)
***
Caption reads: THREE DAYS LATER
President Nishino is sitting in the inn's office, holding the cat and looking depressed. His wife comes in and seems surprised that he's up. (It appears to be very early in the morning.) He replies that he could't sleep, then walks away, still holding the cat. The wife finds some papers that he was looking at, including a "notice of delinquency," and an accompanying letter from "Horizon Investment Works Japan".
Later, the same car from before drives up to the inn. Washizu and Alan get out, this time dressed in business attire. Alan smiles cheerily and waves, calling out, "Nishino-san!" Nishino, looking a little puzzled, waves back. (Which is probably a bit jerkish of Alan, kind of like he's rubbing it in, given that they're about to reveal that they're from Horizon.)
Inside the inn's office, Washizu, Alan, and Nishino sit down to talk business while Osamu listens silently in the background. Nishino tells them that he was surprised to receive a notice out of the blue from a foreign company. "You're terrible," he says. "Don't go spying around."
"It's not spying," Alan replies. "It's called due diligence."
"What?" Nishino asks in confusion.
"We have the assessment results," Alan continues.
"What?" Nishino asks again.
"You have two options," Alan tells him. "Either you make your monthly fixed payments in a timely manner or you immediately pay off your loan in full."
Nishino protests that there's no way he can pay off the loan in full right away.
"Nishino-san, this isn't a bad deal for you," Washizu says. "We're willing to cancel your debt in entirety."
"Cancel?" Nishino asks.
"We'll cancel your debt of $183 million with us," Washizu replies. "In return, we want Nishino Country Club, Nishino Tour Building, and this Nishino-ya Inn. This is for your own good. I'm sure you know that with your management skills, this inn..."
"You've got to be kidding," Nishino interrupts. "You 'banana' jerks employed by foreigners wouldn't know how it is. Nishino-ya is a distinguished traditional inn. The Japanese people won't stand for it if you try to close us down. Just keep that in mind."
("Banana" of course meaning "white on the inside, yellow outside".)
Washizu takes the insult calmly. "All right. Let's do this, then. You can forget the inn. We'll release the collateral on it, so please buy it out. We'll take the golf course and building. Under that scenario, please ready $2 million. Then all your debts will be cancelled."
"$2 million?" Nishino asks incredulously.
"How does that sound?" Washizu says. "By paying us $2 million, this inn will be secure. You have two weeks, until the 25th. We'll be expecting a call from you. Alan, let's go." The two of them leave without another word.
***
At Mitsuba, Shibano receives a call from Nishino, who demands to know what's going on and why his debts were sold to a foreign company. "Why didn't you give me any advance warning?" he shouts. "You betrayed me when I trusted you. I won't let those people take Nishino-ya. I won't allow it...ever."
"What did Horizon say?" Shibano asks.
***
Yuka is waiting for Washizu as he and Alan arrive at the Horizon office building and get out of their car. She rushes over to confront him.
"Are you Washizu-san? I'm Mishima from Toyo TV." Alan physically holds her back and tries to keep her away from Washizu as they walk into the building. "I'm Mishima Kenichi's daughter," Yuka says, following them as Alan continues to run interference. "The man you killed five years ago." Washizu stops to stare at her, and Yuka loosens her hair from its ponytail, letting it fall loose over her shoulders, probably to remind him of what she looked like when she was younger.
"How could someone who practically fled to the US return to Japan? What are you planning to do in Japan?"
"You've got the wrong person," Washizu replies and walks away. She chases after him while Alan tries to push her away.
"Will you tell me one thing?" she asks as they reach a doorway where two security guards are stationed. The guards hold her back and keep her from going any further while Washizu and Alan continue on their way. "Are the tears you shed at that time genuine?" she shouts. "Washizu-san!"
"Who was that?" Alan asks.
"Beats me," Washizu replies, though it's obviously a lie. He gets a call on his cell phone and answers it; it's Shibano, demanding to know what he did to Nishino-san.
"Nishino-san?" Washizu asks. "Oh, Nishino-ya. We didn't do anything. We merely exercised our rights as a creditor."
"Don't use that excuse," Shibano snaps. "I heard you demanded $2 million. How is he supposed to come up with that in two weeks?!" Washizu hangs up without bothering to reply.
***
At Nishino-ya, Nishino is shouting at his wife, whom he has apparently pushed and knocked down to the floor. "What are you thinking of?! What's this about a life insurance? You want to get a loan using Dad's life insurance as collateral. The hell with that!"
"That's the only option left," the wife sobs.
"This is my inn," Nishino insists. "I'll get it back on track."
"You're not capable," Osamu says. "That's why Mom is suggesting that."
"Osamu, stay out of this," his mother orders.
"Just sell this damn inn," Osamu says.
"Osamu!" his mother protests.
"You must know you can't manage it," Osamu says, ignoring her.
"Osamu," his mother says. "Some things should never be said." She tries to hold him back as he pushes forward to confront his father.
"He won't know unless you tell him! You're not cut out for this inn. You're not like Grandpa."
***
In an empty conference room at Horizon, Washizu is staring out the window.
There is a flashback to the same scene that Shibano flashed back to earlier, of a man walking in the rain. The scene cuts to Shibano offering incense at Yuka's father's funeral. Washizu appears in the doorway, looking devastated. As he approaches the altar, Yuka jumps up and shouts at him, "Leave, murderer! Get out!"
Washizu immediately drops to the floor and does a full-on dogeza (bowing down on hands and knees, touching the forehead down to the floor), clutching a string of Buddhist prayer beads in one hand. Weeping hysterically, he begs, "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
Back in the present, Washizu continues to stare out the window.
***
At Nishino-ya, the wife is putting two potted plants on the family altar. She bows her head in prayer for a moment, then looks up at the calendar. She hears a noise in another room, and goes over to see Nishino opening a safe and taking out money (mostly coins). He's filling his pockets with handfuls of change, some of which spills onto the floor. The wife calls out to him and tries to stop him, but he continues stuffing his pockets, picking the fallen coins off the floor.
***
At the Horizon office, Nishino sits in a waiting area, hunched over in a chair. Washizu comes down the stairs and says, "I apologize for keeping you waiting. So what did you want to tell me?" Nishino remains silent. "Nishino-san?"
Nishino bows down on the floor, on his hands and knees--much like Washizu did in the flashback scene, ironically. "Please give me more time!" he begs. "If we can ride this out, we'll be okay. I'm begging you." He pulls the coins and some crumpled bills out of his pockets and lays them out on the nearby coffee table. Washizu stares at him, looking stunned and a little horrified.
"Please!" Nishino begs.
Washizu visibly composes himself, then says almost gently, "Please get up, Nishino-san." Nishino remains bowed down on the floor, and Washizu sits down. "Didn't I tell you that the deadline was in two weeks?" Washizu asks, sounding more brisk and professional now. "Your loan is no longer with us." Nishino looks up. "When you didn't call us, we were placed in a predicament. We were forced to sell your loan to another. Suzukiya Tours was interested, so for $30 million..."
"Wait a minute," Nishino says in disbelief. "You didn't."
"Actually, we did," Washizu says calmly. "We sold it to them."
"Wait a minute," Nishino repeats. "What have you done?"
"We checked into their administrative plans," Washizu replies. "We concluded it would be far better off in their hands. Nishino-ya will be revitalized."
"Vulture," Nishino accuses.
"Vulture?" Washizu asks calmly.
"You people took Nishino-ya after we protected it for a century," Nishino says. "I won't forgive you for doing this!"
He grabs Washizu by the front of his shirt, but Washizu remains calm and says, "Nishino-san, isn't it yourself that you can't forgive? If you had stayed focused on your business, you would never have incurred such an enormous debt." Nishino lets him go, and Washizu continues, "Why don't you let things rest already? You've done enough. But managing that inn was too much of a burden for you."
Nishino collapses into a chair, looking utterly defeated. "My son told me the same thing," he says. "That no matter how hard I try, I can't beat Grandpa. I...couldn't leave anything for him. Nothing at all."
"But you raised him well," Washizu says in a kinder voice. "I'm talking about your son. He's still young. He has management abilities. Why not start anew with him?" He lays some cash down on the table in front of Nishino. "This is for your cab fare. Please accept it. I'm sorry you had to come all this way." He bows deeply and leaves.
(I think Washizu meant the gesture kindly, not in an insulting way, though I would think it's probably like rubbing salt in a wound to have your enemy pity you.)
Nishino leaves the building, stumbling along slowly like an old man. Washizu watches from an upstairs window. After awhile, he sighs and turns away.
Meanwhile, at Nishino-ya, Osamu is massaging his grandfather's legs. The phone rings, and Osamu lets the answering machine pick it up. "Should I have left it to you?" Nishino's voice says, and then he hangs up. Taizo smiles at Osamu with childlike unawareness of what's going on.
The scene cuts back to Nishino as he leaves a public phone booth. A pile of change sits on top the phone. He walks out into the street right in front of a truck, which screeches to a halt. Passers-by begin shouting that someone got hit and to call for an ambulance. In the distorted view of the truck's side view mirror, Nishino's body can be seen sprawled out on the road, with coins scattered around him. The camera cuts to a close-up of his hand, resting palm-up and fingers slightly curled, lying on the road amidst the coins.
Osamu is nearby, walking down the street and looking for his father. He's carrying his cell phone, and we can hear his mother's voice talking to him, but he doesn't answer as he seems too preoccupied with trying to find Nishino. He stops in shock--he seems to have spotted his father's body, although it's not visible on camera. His arm is hanging down at his side, his hand still holding the phone as his mother's voice calls out to him frantically. He stares in shock saying slowly, "I...killed...him. I...killed...my dad."
***
At Horizon, Washizu is leaving the building and is confronted by Shibano. He asks Shibano what's wrong.
"Have you heard?" Shibano asks. "Nishino-san passed away." Washizu's face remains expressionless as he stares straight ahead, not quite looking Shibano in the eye. "Couldn't you have waited a bit?" Shibano demands. "Washizu! Back then...you were very compassionate. When did you change?"
Still expressionless, Washizu replies, "It's you. You're the reason why I changed, Shibano-sempai."
He walks off, leaving Shibano standing there looking shaken.
***
That's the end of the first episode. The ending credits show money raining down over the city, as people--children and adults--look up, and then reach up to catch the falling bills. One person runs after the money, others just reach up and hold their hands open to catch it. However, as the money drops, it vanishes just as it reaches their outstretched hands. At the very end, one little girl catches a bill and closes her hand around it. When she opens her hand, she is holding a sunflower instead of the money.
The end credits play over this song (the music plays over a still image, not the actual video, but the link does have the lyrics posted in both English and Japanese).
Link to Episode 2 Recap
Link to Episode 3 Recap
Link to Episode 4 Recap
***
Final thoughts on this episode: I find it really hard to believe that Shibano does not remember Washizu, given the big scene Yuka made at the funeral combined with Washizu's tearful apologies and the way he left for America soon after. I can understand him not recognizing Washizu at first glance, since it's been five years and he looks different (although the change is more in attitude than physical appearance). However, once Washizu mentions his name and reminds him that they had worked together, Shibano still acts as if he doesn't remember. Even if it was five years ago, I have to think that scene at the funeral would be memorable enough to stick in his mind.
Still, I don't get the impression that he's consciously lying, and it seems to take him looking up Washizu's old personnel file to jog his memory. I wonder if his own guilt caused him to unconsciously repress the memory? After all, as Washizu's supervisor, doesn't he also bear a measure of guilt in denying the loan that caused Yuka's father to commit suicide?
I know that if I were Washizu, I'd be pretty angry that Shibano doesn't seem to remember the incident that traumatized me and completely changed the course of my life. And that last line from Washizu ("You're the reason why I changed") makes it pretty clear that he thinks Shibano is to blame for his transition from a compassionate young man into a vulture. We learn more about their past (and what exactly Shibano did to change him) in the next episode.
I have posted some pictures of Washizu and Alan in my Scrapbook (and I've been using those pics and a few others as icons on my cross-posted IJ entries, since I have more icon slots there). I also posted a link to a music fanvid of scenes from this episode, along with a list of the scenes used in the video.