Sometimes I think about problems that can't be solved by thinking.
Yakushima UNESCO World Heritage Site Sometimes I think about problems that can't be solved by thinking.
Ylkullliml UNESCO Wnrlfl Heritage Site Yakllsilima UNESCO World Heritage Site
Yalulehinla UNESCO “Bfid Heritage Site Yakushilna UIIIESGD lflnrlcl Heritage Site If I get stuck thinking about something that has no solution,
Yakushilna LIIIESGCI “IIIPIII Heritage Site Yalulehinla UNESCO “Bfid Heritage Site Yakushilna UIIIESGD lflnrlcl Heritage Site If I get stuck thinking about something that has no solution,
If I get stuck thinking about something that has no solution,
then my brain starts feeling like a washcloth that's being wrung out.
I give up!
Hiroko Matsukata!
In order to totally reset herself...
is leaving on a journey!
Don't raise your voice.
I don't need to make it a real vacation.
Just a short trip to a place where I can truly relax.
A place where I'm massaged by magic hands.
Viva massages!
Shigoto dekiru otoko sore ga kanojo no konomi
Kai 'wake tsukumeka m Gaga
lsogashii wa tsuman nai wa
lrna no kaisha kanari level takai hou dashi
Oyaji garami no kone mo aru Kara
Yameru wakya nai shi
“sumo buku wa hikufl kifl
Furo ni haitte neru dake
Nagameru koto sae dekinai
Kimi no kami cl aruku sugata cl
Nerukoto shika dekinai
Semete yume no naka de demo
Kimi ni aitai
Meticulous Man
"Meticulous Man."
Meticulous Man
Huh?
Shirakawa-san isn't here today?
I'm very sorry about that.
Ah, it's okay. What do I do now...'?
Would you be all right with a different staff member?
Shirakawa-san hasn't taken a day off since this work year started.
That's why last month they decided to give her two days off a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Girl... you're letting that towel cool down way too much.
Today you'd like the back and neck course, is that right?
Lukewarm.
Good grief... I knew it.
If Shirakawa-san was here, she'd set and fold the towel when it was just hot enough not to hurt.
Everything she does is so considerate, it makes the perfect relaxing experience.
Even just a little change can ruin it...
And this girl is terrible.
At the very least, I'll use this time to meditate.
Wow, your back is so stiff!
It's like a rock!
With a back this stiff, doesn't it cause you a lot of problems?
Well, that's exactly the reason why I come here...
Ah, that would make sense!
My short trip is a failure...
Now I have to go back to work with things even worse than they were before.
Matsukata, you haven't finished that collaborative project yet'?
Hurry up and get it done. We need enough time to check it.
Yessir...
Now then... back to work.
It's no good.
I can't get motivated at all.
Journey to Yakushirna
Journey to Yakushirna A full spread collaborative article, sponsored by a travel agency...
A full spread collaborative article, sponsored by a travel agency...
"Journey to Yakushima."
"A holiday for adults."
"Experience the island's mysteries."
"The perfect short trip for any weekend, with access directly from the airport"...'?!
Don't cheapen the value of a World Heritage Site!
So tell me exactly, what aspect of the project makes it feel cheap to you?
The frivolous marketing terms they want you to use?
Or maybe the fact that it will be used to attract tourists who will trample all over its natural beauty?
Both.
It's already set to be published in this issue, so I have no choice.
But you know...
When it came to writing this article, I didn't want to just accept it without a fight.
But all I could come up with were things that are ultimately out of my hands.
You're making such a big deal out of this... It's just a sponsored travel article.
Yakushima is a major tourist destination, but people don't come unless somebody advertises. Right?
Sometimes in order to finish a job, I just have to stop thinking entirely.
When I do, it's surprising how easily I can get things done...
...almost as if there was never even a problem in the first place.
Hello?
Matsukata-san? I'm sorry about last week.
If you've got some time this evening, there's still room for a reservation.
Yay! Put me down!
MidOfikO Shirakawa (29) Massage Therapist
Mid orilco Shiralcawa (29) Massage Therapist It's been 5 years since I quit my office job and started this career.
MidOfikO Shirakawa (29) Massage Therapist
I enjoy providing relaxation to people who suffer from stiffness.
Neck muscles strained from stress...
Arms sore from overuse...
I'm happy to be able to return people to a normal state of being.
However...
Days off?
One a week is the best I can do.
You're the main masseuse here.
But, in reality I've only been taking off one day every two weeks.
That's because you go out of your way to call and make reservations for clients.
And as a result, you've even been getting paid more.
The job that I enjoy and have never gotten tired of...
Lately I find... it's been...
Th-that hurts...!
I'm sorry about that.
Huh?
About what?
I'm feeling refreshed after that!
Oh, really? Then that's a relief-
It's because you spend too much energy on each individual customer.
I might not have been able to relieve all your stiffness today.
Matsukata-san, you're always the most tense customer that I have.
Because I do a job that induces it...
Ah, it's gotten late.
I went 10 minutes over again...
She always has such a calm demeanor that I end up taking my time without realizing it.
But... somehow she seems different today...
I'll be waiting for you outside.
Ah, okay.
Maybe I'm just imagining it.
You have to focus harder on being more efficient.
Right...
You've kept the next customer waiting, you know.
I'm sorry.
The extended time... Shirakawa-san got in trouble for it.
Thank you for coming today.
We always appreciate your business.
Doing an earnest job and being sincere in your work is not always what people want from you...
...or so it seems.
But that's not...
I'm exhausted.
Okay, that's all. Thank you for your patience.
Oh, that pose...
Matsukata-san made it earlier, too...
How do you feel?
I wonder if it's just because I fell asleep, but... I feel sluggish.
She doesn't feel refreshed...
I'm not satisfied.
I thought I had made up my mind when I sat down to write this.
But seeing it printed in the magazine like this...
I question the reason I even did it in the first place...
Senpai!
The response to this issue has been really amazing, apparently!
In Yakushima!
The travel agency said the amount of people calling their office is at least 2, if not 3, times more!
They just called to extend their gratitude to-
What's wrong?
Why would you throw your own article on the floor?
Senpa- Ah! She ran away!
Do you remember the article I wrote two years ago,
"The Decaying World Heritage Site: Yakushima's Future"?
I don't recall.
Back then... although I knew it was the primary industry for local business,
I still made complaints against the tourism board and travel agencies for their lack of accountability.
Now all of a sudden, I find myself writing an article that says,
"Yakushima is a great place, hurry and come on down."
You take everything too seriously.
There's nothing you can change by lingering on it.
On top of that, I can't find the right answer. No matter how much thought I put into it.
Obviously. Because there is no right answer.
I wonder if that's true...
You know...
If you put energy into reflecting on every single article you've ever written, then... you'll burn out!
Ah, Hiro'?
Sorry, they sprung a work dinner on us last minute. So, today...
Okay, I understand.
I'll cancel our reservation.
I'm really sorry!
Oh, look who's back!
I see you've made yourself quite stiff again.
Matsukata-san...?
Somehow...
I didn't find an answer to my problem, despite striving to find one.
Now I only have regret... about what I created as a result.
That's why I'm so stiff.
Ow! Ow, ow!
This acupuncture point is linked to your head.
It hurts quite a bit, yes?
Beyond pain... I'd say anguish!
So, you feel regret?
Huh?
About the end result you created?
No...
About the fact you didn't find an answer?
No...
Then what exactly are you regretful about?
Urn...
It's not a regret like, "I wish I would've gone in that direction instead"...
It's just that, I think I'm regretting the fact that I gave up in the end.
I can't shake the idea that there was something more I could have done before I gave up.
Regardless of how things turned out, if I had just done that, I think I would be satisfied with myself.
At least, that's how I'm explaining it to myself.
Oh, I forgot.
I'm sorry I stayed too long last time.
Huh?
I kept track of the time today.
It's fine, don't worry about it.
Please take your time to change.
I can't keep going like this.
I don't like working at a place that makes tired people fuss and worry.
And I don't want to cut their time short just to maximize efficiency.
What exactly it is... that I want?
I want to raise the spirits of my customers.
I want them to return home with a soothed body and clear mind.
Giving that up... will only lead to regrets later!
Owner... I need to speak with you.
What?
I'm thinking about quitting this job.
Wait, are you serious?
I'm sorry this is so sudden.
If you quit now, what do you think will happen to this store?
What are you unsatisfied with?
|t's difficult right now, but if this is about your salary, then-
It's not a problem with my salary.
Then are you telling me you want to go independent?
That's not it, either.
By shortening the courses to fit more customers into our schedules,
everyone also lost the time necessary to regain their composure.
Everything here now feels rushed and stressful...
I don't believe I can truly refresh my customers in a place like this!
Huh?
What was this, again?
Damn it, I'm forgetting all sorts of things.
Dear Malsukala-sama. lwnder il go still remember me. I'm Oki Irm lhe Yulh Asseialin. We mel when go eame I Yilkushimil. lo research a slary.
Dear Malsukala-sama. lwnder il go still remember me. I'm Oki Irm lhe Yulh Asseialin. We mel when go eame I Yilkushimil. lo research a slary. Dear Matsu kata-sam a,
Dear Malsukala-sama. lwnder il go still remember me. I'm Oki Irm lhe Yulh Asseialin. We mel when go eame I Yilkushimil. lo research a slary.
Dear Malsukala-sama. lwnder il go still remember me. I'm Oki Irm lhe Yulh Asseialin. We mel when go eame I Yilkushimil. la researeh a slary. I wonder if you still remember me.
I wonder if you still remember me. Only for this moment
I'm Oki from the Youth Association. Only for this moment
We met 2 years ago when you came to Yakushima to research a story. Only for this moment
We met 2 years ago when you came to Yakushima to research a story.
We laugh together softly
I read your new article the other day. We laugh together softly
Thank you for introducing our island to your audience. We laugh together softly
We laugh together softly
Thanks to you, the Tourism Association is in high spirits.
Thanks to you, the Tourism Association is in high spirits. And that's just fine
And that's just tine
|-| looked so young... And that's just tine
|-| looked so young...
I was able to print some pictures from back then. I'm sending them along with a few recent ones.
I was able to print some pictures from back then. I'm sending them along with a few recent ones. We bathe in a head of light that envelups us
We bathe in a head of light that envelups us
Matsukata!
As we fall asleep
The meeting is about to start. As we fall asleep
Coming. As we fall asleep
Coming.
Once again someone is singing tonight
I thought about it so hard, and still couldn't come up with an answer. Once again someone is singing tonight
I thought about it so hard, and still couldn't come up with an answer.
But while I was struggling, I never realized... nature was flourishing stronger than I could ever imagine.
But while I was struggling, I never realized... nature was flourishing stronger than I could ever imagine. Conveying the past into the night sky
But while I was struggling, I never realized... nature was flourishing stronger than I could ever imagine.
And the tomorrow I'll spend
I was touched by that letter, and by nature's resilience. And the tomorrow I'll spend
And the tomorrow I'll spend
Deep down, it should've made me happy. And the tomorrow I'll spend
Deep down, it should've made me happy.
I really wanted it to... but something's missing. Juking with you
Jo king with you
Matsukata. Jo king with you
Matsukata. Baby, the gentle night has come
I noticed you didn't have any pitches ready for the meeting, but... Baby, the gentle night has come
Baby, the gentle night has come
I won't accept excuses like, "I couldn't think of anything good Baby, the gentle night has come
I won't accept excuses like, "I couldn't think of anything good
I won't accept excuses like, "I couldn't think of anything good Baby, now all that's left is tomorrow
because something was on my mind." Baby, now all that's left is tomorrow
I want to see 10 of them next week. Baby, now all that's left is tomorrow
I want to see 10 of them next week.
Baby, this wasn't how it was supposed to he, right'!
If you stop even just briefly, it takes time to get moving again! Baby, this wasn't how it was supposed to he, right'!
Baby, this wasn't how it was supposed to he, right'!
Right. Baby, this wasn't how it was supposed to he, right'!
I'm at a standstill right now.
Oh, yes it is
Oh. yes it is
Did something get stuck and bring all my gears to a halt? Oh, yes it is
Did something get stuck and bring all my gears to a halt?
Did something get stuck and bring all my gears to a halt? Baby hahy
Bah! haw
No... perhaps I'm just not working to get those gears moving. Baby hahy
No... perhaps I'm just not working to get those gears moving.
Maybe I'll go get another massage...
Better not. For some reason, they don't leave me as relaxed as they used to.
Matsukata-san?
Shirakawa-san!
What? You're going to quit?
I got lucky, a person at a health center reached out to me
looking for someone to run their massage clinic.
I agreed to it right away.
Wow, that's really fortunate!
I was surprised because this all happened the day after I told the owner that I was going to quit.
I've been struggling because I felt that continuing to work there wasn't aligning with my personal goals.
And that was starting to affect my hands.
Hands?
Yes. Our hands reflect ourselves.
The way we live our lives... and the emotions we feel at any particular moment.
This all started because of what you said the last time I saw you, Matsukata-san.
What exactly did I say?
You said you regretted giving up.
After hearing that, I made up my mind.
I was unsure about what to do for a long time.
So, thank you very much.
Ah, no, not at all. I didn't do anything...
Goodbye then.
See you again.
She... actually thanked me.
Shirakawa-san was able to properly think it over before she gave up and found her answer.
What am I doing?
Giving up and dragging along...
all of my regrets.
One more time.
I'll think it over... without giving up.
Have you already left your previous position?
Not yet.
Right now, my final shift is at the end of this week.
Okay, then you can start from next month as we discussed.
Sure.
Urn... is it always this busy on weekdays?
Yes, I'd say so.
The weekends are even more busy.
Most people tend to want the 30 or 45 minute course, so it's always very packed.
But... with so many people, it would be impossible for me to handle alone.
Then how about we make plans to hire one more person to join you?
If we consider putting you on a rotation, then having two beds would be best.
Well, even by yourself you could leave the automated massage device
hooked into the other bed and...
Excuse me, I have to leave right at the 30 minute mark, so hurry it up.
Ah, okay. I understand.
But... this knot in her back will come undone really soon.
Just one more minute...
Hey... I'm seriously in a hurry here.
Right!
Jeez, I'm already beyond late.
What I said to the owner before was arrogant.
"People can't feel refreshed in a store that rushes them."
Will I really be able to accomplish anything different at my next job?
A soothed body and clear mind... can I actually offer that to everyone?
Shirakawa-san, the next customer is waiting for you.
Coming.
These are...
Don't go rummaging around on other people's desks.
Did you go... to Yakushima?
Yeah.
The sky there is... always so blue.
Huh?
Regardless of what happens beneath it...
Whether people trample on or destroy the environment there... the sky doesn't change.
Always vast and blue...
Our hands reflect ourselves.
The way we live our lives... and the emotions we feel at any particular moment.
I'm finished. 10 new pitches.
Just leave them there.
Well, most of them aren't too bad, but...
What's up with this?
"Don't Cheapen the Value of a World Heritage Site"...?
Unless I submit that... I can't move forward.
Well it gets filed... here.
I want to believe that I made the right decision.
I want a job that I can do without any regrets.
Even if that's only an ideal... or just a silly fantasy...
Thanks for your patience.
Right on time.
My body... feels light.
I feel so refreshed!
Matsukata-san... your chest is showing.
Thank you very much for your patronage all this time.
My pleasure. Please do your best at your next job.
Of course.
I'll definitely come visit you there sometime.
I'll be waiting there for you.
Midoriko Shirakawa (29) Massage Therapist
Midoriko Shirakawa (29) Massage Therapist "That felt wonderful."
Midoriko Shirakawa (29) Massage Therapist
Mid orilco Shiralcawa (291 Massage Therapist The happiest moment for me is hearing those words from a customer...
Midoriko Shirakawa (29) Massage Therapist
Midoriko Shirakawa (29) Massage Therapist Frankly, it's the saving grace of this job.
Creating that moment is the most important thing... and it must be strived for.
I only realized that after I decided to leave this shop.
Now all that's left for me is to move onward.
Shangri-la
Yuma no naka cle sae umaku waraenai kimi no kulu
Dame “a Nnutke shikavi nagava aishikeikai
Kimi o omouto kyou mo nemurenai
Bokura duke he mukaouka
Ahh... ahh...
Shangri-la
Shiawasedatte sakende kureyo
ljippari na kimi no nakigao misete kureyo
Shangri-la
Kimi o omouto kyou mo nemurenai boku no koto
Dame “a Nnutke shikafumgava asfinekuve
mm u“, vmnm, Hm WWI BWL bull flmfl ill! mm M sum}, Dame “a Nnutke shikafumgava asfinekuve
Shinji Nice Wrk Tday D gur besl. bu! dn'! wear y-ursell ul. -Shinji
Next Episode: Reward Man
Next episode: "Reward Man."
Next Episode: Reward Man