''Anata e'' (, ''To You'') is a 2012 Japanese film directed by

Yasuo Furuhata was a Japanese film director. He was a director of Toei film company and he often worked with Ken Takakura in such films as '' Eki'' and ''Shin Abashiri Bangaichi''. He won the 2000 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year and 31st Internati ...

Plot

The story follows the journey of a man travelling some 1000 kilometres from

Toyama City Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

, Japan to his wife's hometown in

Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,314,078 (1 June 2020) and has a geographic area of 4,130 Square kilometre, km2 (1,594 sq mi). Nagasaki Prefecture borders ...

, in order to scatter her ashes into the sea. Along the way he travels through many famous locations (

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, the ruins of

Takeda Castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle located in the Wadayama neighborhood of the city of Asago, in the northern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It is located north of Himeji, and north-west of Kyoto, and is situated some 353 metres above sea ...

, Shimonoseki City, the

Kanmon Bridge The (Asian Highway Network ) is a suspension bridge crossing the Kanmon Straits, a stretch of water separating two of Japan's four main islands. On the Honshū side of the bridge is Shimonoseki (, which contributed ''Kan'' to the name of the s ...

Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū is a Japanese ward of the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture. It is the former city of Moji which was one of five merged to create Kitakyūshū in 1963. It faces the city of Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Straits between Honshū and Kyūsh� ...

, and

Sasebo, Nagasaki is a Core cities of Japan, core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population de ...

), recalling experiences with his wife along the way. He also befriends and is assisted by numerous strangers. 最親愛的/Dearest/Anata e 人生無路盡飄萍 - life is like floating weeds with no harbour to call home Dearest is a beautifully made “philosophical” 2012 film, starring Ken Takakura, 高倉健. Takakura, who died on November 10, 2014, made his last film, his 205th, at age of 80. The storyline is about a prison carpentry instructor, Kurashima who drove a long way to fulfill his wife wish to have her ashes scattered in the sea near her hometown. Along the way, Kurashima met many strangers, mostly three main interesting characters. Teruo, a widower and wandering traveler, was driving throughout Japan with no home to go back to. Teruo ended up being arrested for vandalizing places and properties. Teruo befriended Kurashima and gave him a famous poetry book 種田山頭火, from which came the film’s headline: 人生無路盡飄萍. After being arrested, Teruo told the Guard that he had lost his way in life and resorted to vandalizing. Yuji, a seafood salesperson, was traveling/wandering through Japan. Yuji later confessed that he could not go back home to his daughter and wife as his wife was having an affair and he did not have the courage to confront her. So he traveled and traveled and traveled, from city to city, from hotel to hotel. Nanbara, an assistant to Yuji, was a fisherman from the village of the Guard’s wife. Nanbara had incurred a large amount of debt, unable to pay the debt, he faked his death while he was out at sea fishing and caught in a torrential storm. Under a new name, Nanbara traveled along with Yuji, so he had no home to go back to. Having fulfilled wife wish, Kurashima mailed his resignation letter and embarked on his own wandering. First stop, Kurashima handed Nanbara his daughter’s pre-wedding photo which Nanbara's wife had asked Kurashima to drop into the sea while scattering his wife's ashes at sea, so Nanbara could "see" his daughter's picture. The film ended with Kurashima walking to his unknown journey with Nanbara standing with daughter's picture and Yuji busying serving customer not far away. The film is about life, the helpless of life. It asks “where is the home?”

Cast

Ken Takakura , born , was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films. Affectionately referred to as "Ken-san" by audiences, he was best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brought to his roles. He won the Japan Academy Prize ...

as Eiji Kurashima *

Yūko Tanaka is a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She has won several acting awards during a long career working in both film and television, after she graduated from Meiji University. Life and career Early career At the beginning of her ...

as Yoko, his wife *

Kitano Takeshi is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...

as Sugino Teruo, van-driving Japanese literature teacher *

Tadanobu Asano , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in ''Electric Dragon 80.000 V'', Kakihara in ''Ichi the Killer'', Mamoru Arita in '' Bright Future'', Hattori Genosuke in ''Zatoichi'', Kenj ...

as cop *

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi is a Japanese actor, singer, television host, and a former member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia. Early life Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan. Career Music In 1987, at age 13, Kusanagi auditioned to enter John ...

as Tamiya Yuji, food-stall cook * Kōichi Satō as "Nanbara", food-stall cook and former fisherman *

Haruka Ayase is a Japanese actress, model and singer who started her career as a gravure idol in 2000. She has since become a leading actress in television and film. Life and career Early life and education Haruka Ayase was born as Aya Tademaru on March ...

as Naoko Hamazaki, young waitress and Nambara's daughter *

Kimiko Yo is a Japanese actress. She was given Best Supporting Actress awards at the 2004 and the 2009 Yokohama Film Festival ceremonies. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 32nd and at the 33rd Japan Academy Prize (film), Japan Academy ...

as Tamiko Hamazaki, her mother, eatery owner, and Nambara's widow/wife *

Hideji Ōtaki was a Japanese actor. He has served as President of the Mingei Theatre Company. Career After serving in World War II, he became interested in the theater and helped found the Gekidan Mingei troupe in 1950. He gained fame for his television work ...

as Ohura Goro, elderly boat owner, and estranged father of Nambara

Production

Around the time of filming, Takakura was 80 years of age – much older than the probable working age of the prison carpentry instructor he was portraying (given that the common

retirement age This article lists the statutory retirement age in different countries. Background In some contexts, the retirement age is the age at which a person is expected or required to cease work. It is usually the age at which such a person may be enti ...

in Japan is usually 60).

, who played the cranky old skipper, died a few months after the film's release.

References

External links

* 2012 films Films about grieving Japanese drama films Japanese film stubs Films directed by Yasuo Furuhata 2010s Japanese films 2010s Japanese-language films {{2010s-Japan-film-stub