In retrospect, I used to eat UFO fried noodle as much as principle diet in adolescence...
Stopped by a convenience store late at night after so long.
Wow. Hot Road!
Double punch of youth.
I renewed my mind, wishing to be pure-minded like Haruyama and Kazuki...
It's like looking back the days when I was awkward but honest.
Seems someone sent me "Hot Road."
By the way, the UFO's noodles are different from those back then.

Tell you the truth, for this prerelease, I went to Tokyo with my husband.
So, it was his first time for Michuki spending a night alone at home!
Of course, my mother-in-law stayed with him...
We went home next day, and I found his diary note, written in mother-in-law's handwriting...

"I was worried yesterday because my parents were not at home, but I was just fine.
But before I fell asleep, I smelt my mother's scent thinking of her."

Said the diary.

I imagined my son rubbing his face on my bed.
It made me cry.

But this expression at the age of five...who's influence is this?
Made me worried about his future.
Hope he won't be a girl chaser...

June 11th became one of my historical days.
It's hard to describe, but on that day I got a lot of love, hope and courage from so many people.
"Hotaru," screened at the Cannes, was presented in Tokyo this day.
To tell the truth, this is a different version from the one at the Cannes!
So, it's a newborn film.

One of the audiences said,

"I cannot tell the re-edited part."

"When I watched the original version, I took it a story of one person living strongly, independently." "But, this re-edited version seems a story of living together, supporting each other."

These ten years have changed my ideas.

Before screening, I visited a cemetery for prayer.
We have lost a few members from that crew.
Mr. Kimura, sound recordist.
His wife and daughter escorted me.
Warm and kind family, Mr. Kimura lived with.
And the sound.

The light rain let up, and it cleared off when the film was screened.
At the balmy night in Gotanda, we went to Karaoke, till the morning.
It made me realize a decade passed...
My stamina...
We left at eight in the morning!
We are all energetic forty plus years old!

We welcomed the new morning.
We'll do fine here and there, and meet up again.
Surely.

I walk to a public bath with my son holding his hands these days.
So that mother can enjoy a drink later...

Look up in the sky to find the moon.
When we find it, it follows us walking.

Son: Why is it following us?
Mother: Perhaps it loves you, Michuki.

My son tried to communicate with the moon, running and walking with a happy look.

On the way back from the public bath.
We found a Jizo (guardian deity of children) enshrined by the Saho River.
My son ran to it and joined his hands in prayer.
Mother followed him and prayed the same manner.

Son: What wish came true? (I guess he meant "make a wish")
Mother: Nothing. I just said hello.
Son: ...
Mother: Did you make a wish?
Son: I wish mommy's red stuff will go away.

Mother got a rash on the thigh recently.
I almost got moved to tears by his words.
I went back home holding his hand tightly with wholehearted gratitude.


In the bedroom.
The bedtime story has been "Yaku Zaru," a story of monkeys on the island, these days.
I read out the story, and then we chatted...

Son: Tell me a story.
Mother: Hmm. Well, do you know what's your mommy doing?
Son: Film.
Mother: Right. Mommy has been filming in Nagoya these days.
Son: I know.

Silence for a moment... (as I remember)
Then my son burst into a laugh.

Son: Mommy said something funny.
Mother: ...huh! What did I say?
Son: Haha... "coming sake cocktails," you said.

Well, was I half asleep?
What dream was I watching?
But somehow I felt pretty happy...

We fell asleep after laughing loudly!

May 30th.
I've become 40 years old!
This year's birthday was really great...
I'll never forget it.

I realized that a lot of things and a variety of things are related to many other things.
And it gave me joy of my birth.

My life is supported by many.
My life relies on others.

Thank you.