The Street of Desire (彩り河)

A Shochiku and Kiri Productions Joint Production

A SHOCHIKU PRESENTATION

THE STREET OF DESIRE

Thank you very much!

Here you go.

Oh, here it is!

Look here!

This young man named Jo came up with and started a new business.

In the flood of cars crowding Ginza at night,

he can find the exact car a bar or hostess asks for and bring it over in less than two minutes.

It says here he's got an almost miraculous knack!

Have a good night.

- Thank you! - Thank you!

- Jo! - Oh, good evening!

- How are things? - They're fine, thanks to you.

- Don't catch a cold, okay? - Thanks as always.

- Any new girls around? - Not really...

- Jo! - Yes?

Can you take care of this?

Well then, if you'll excuse me.

Club Mu-an

- Thanks. - Have a good night.

- Oh my... - Oh my?

Have a safe trip!

- We'll say goodbye here. - All right, see you.

- Please take care. - Good night.

- Thank you for your work. - Thank you.

- This is the thing you wanted. - Oh...

Have a good night!

Based on a novel by: Seicho Matsumoto

Produced by: Yoshitaro Nomura, Yoshitoshi Masumoto

Written by: Yoshitaro Nomura Haruhiko Mimura, Tai Kato, Shigeo Nakakura

Cinematography: Mitsufumi Hanada Art Direction: Yutaka Yokoyama Music: Hajime Kaburagi

Hiroyuki Sanada

Yuko Natori

Mikijiro Hira

Isao Natsuyagi Masakane Yonekura

Kazuko Yoshiyuki Naomi Oki

Jun Negami, Makoto Sato Renji Ishibashi, Seiya Nakano

Tsunehiko Watase

Rentaro Mikuni

Directed by: Haruhiko Mimura

A nine-ride ticket...

- Did you see that? - See what?

What do you think this means?

Well, that's a surprise.

So, the guy at the tollgate just now really was Igawa.

You're joking.

But this is a code, isn't it?

The one only you and Igawa used to share, back then.

I don't know anything about that.

It's been, what, five years now? Since Igawa quit the company.

I'd heard he went to Osaka and was doing something there,

but I wonder when he came back.

Well, nobody wants to end up down on their luck.

So, that's where he ended up, huh?

"Love of Mankind"

Shomei Mutual Bank

Mr. Nakamura, the President has arrived.

Mr. Nakamura!

It's fine. He's elderly, after all.

I mean, can someone so forgetful really work as your secretary?

Sorry to keep you here so late.

- Thanks for your work. - Always at your disposal.

- Well, see you around noon tomorrow. - Yes, madam.

Mr. Nakamura!

Hey...

With your permission.

You saved me!

With this, somehow this crisis will...

Yeah...

- Mama... - No, no, tonight, I'll be going home.

Mama!

Sir, right away...

- Papa! - The President's coming home.

Huh? No way, Papa! What's wrong?

Oh, Papa...

No good... Wait a minute...

You look tired, Papa.

You ate way too much delicious food in Niigata, didn't you?

What? You idiot...

Hey, Takayanagi.

Next time, you cover for me.

Huh?

President...

You don't have to hesitate!

After all, she was your woman from the start.

You're both idiots!

Go home!

I won't accept this anymore...

Saying that now won't change things.

My company and your club Mu-an... They're all done for.

Shimoda is getting bored of my body. Can't you see that?

That's why I'm counting on you to fix that.

When will you keep your promise to put Mu-an in my name?

I know!

I know...

I'll promise...

Yes, it's me.

I'll be a little late tonight. Yeah...

Kazuko Yamaguchi

Good evening!

Excuse me, do you happen to know a club called Mu-an?

I'll show you the way. Come with me, please.

Members only

Excuse me, but were you referred here by someone?

No...

Our club only admits members. I'm afraid we cannot allow non-members.

I apologize.

I know the Mama here.

You know the Mama? Excuse me...

You'll see when I meet her.

My apologies. Please, come right this way.

Here you have.

Do you remember what I told you the other day when you came?

No, no! This isn't a cabaret.

See, that's why you're not popular.

- Come on, don't be so stiff. - Nope, not allowed!

Taka!

Welcome!

Ah, I'll pour you another beer. Here you go.

- Ouch! - So, what's your relationship with Mama?

Well, I need to ask her for a favor...

I see.

Wait a moment.

- Uh... - Yes?

Could you give this to Mama?

Uh... Okay!

Your reply from Mama.

I guess I'm intruding...

Mama, what's wrong?

Your body's stiff... You're different from usual.

Oh, already leaving?

Jo!

- Yes. - Please take this.

Yes, certainly.

- Impressive, isn't it? - Huh?

I mean, the idea behind his business is genius.

That man, Jo,

he's got a good personality, so everyone likes him.

He's become a real fixture in the Ginza nightlife.

The slip of paper inside,

and the writing on the cover of the highway ticket book,

that's a code for Mama, right?

You can't hide it from me.

I was observing you the whole time at Mu-an just now.

Who are you?

Let's just say I'm someone investigating Toyo Trading.

Toyo Trading?

That club, Mu-an, opened five years ago.

It's said that Kazuko Yamaguchi bought the place as-is.

Key money: 40 million yen. Remodeling: 20 million.

Recruiting hostesses: 15 million.

To attract top hostesses, she paid 3 million yen each upfront. 5 in total, totaling 15 million.

Add 30 million in working capital. Total, 105 million yen.

Then, there's that house in Jiyugaoka, an incredible mansion.

A 70-tsubo lot. At 1.3 million yen per tsubo, that's 91 million.

Two stories, 40 tsubo total floor area. 900.000 per tsubo, that's another 36 million.

Grand total: 127 million yen.

Add that to Mu-an's 105 million, and you get 230 million yen. 230 million!

Even if it's for a woman he's crazy about, Takayanagi doesn't have that kind of money.

Hold on a minute!

-Takayanagi's just a front. - A front?

Right, that's my theory.

The real patron is someone else. Someone much, much bigger.

Don't you think so?

You're the go-between for Mama and that patron, her secret messenger.

In other words, the report man. Isn't that right?

Don't be ridiculous!

Come on. Please, tell me the name of that patron.

Please, I'll pay. Fifty thousand yen!

President!

Oh, it's you.

What sort of greeting is that?

Hey, Wakisaka, come here for a moment.

All right.

Let's hear your report with the editor-in-chief.

Sure.

Here I am.

This is Yamakoshi's report.

Okay, go ahead.

We caught the report man for Kazuko Yamaguchi and her real patron.

But that bastard... He's tight-lipped.

I pushed him right to the edge,

but he demanded money, 700.000 yen.

Here's the expense.

This is the report itself.

Fool! What good is catching the report man?

I told you to investigate...

...the person this report goes to, the target!

Do you think doing a kid's errand like this is enough?

Toyo Trading has managed this far without a main bank.

That's hell of strange!

Something's going on...

There must be someone backing them besides the bank. Who could it be?

In other words, that's Kazuko Yamaguchi's hidden patron.

That's why Takayanagi is playing the fool to serve as camouflage.

Right?

Ah, I can smell it. It stinks of corruption, clearly.

I know.