The Attempt to Reach Shigeki

Strangers (Taichi Yamada Edition)

This flow traces Hideo’s estrangement from his son and his tentative effort to resume the father-son relationship.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Distant Father A Distant Father from "Strangers". A Distant Father Hideo’s relationship with Shigeki weakens as the boy enters junior high and increasingly turns away from his father.

A Distant Father from "Strangers". A Distant Father Hideo’s relationship with Shigeki weakens as the boy enters junior high and increasingly turns away from his father.

A Distant Father Hideo’s relationship with Shigeki weakens as the boy enters junior high and increasingly turns away from his father. Unmet Expectations Hideo interprets Shigeki’s independence and occasional defiance as personal disappointment, though he recognizes his own expectations may be unfair. Retreat into Distance Rather than keep fighting, Hideo prepares for disappointment and gradually stops trying to win his son’s affection.

A Deliberate Forgetting A Deliberate Forgetting from "Strangers". A Deliberate Forgetting As the divorce approaches, Hideo decides to stop pursuing closeness with Shigeki, who appears to have sided with Ayako.

A Deliberate Forgetting from "Strangers". A Deliberate Forgetting As the divorce approaches, Hideo decides to stop pursuing closeness with Shigeki, who appears to have sided with Ayako.

A Deliberate Forgetting As the divorce approaches, Hideo decides to stop pursuing closeness with Shigeki, who appears to have sided with Ayako. A Defensive Choice He tells himself that letting his son hate him may make life easier for the boy and his mother. An Unresolved Bond The decision protects Hideo from rejection but does not erase his concern for Shigeki.

A Sudden Reconsideration A Sudden Reconsideration from "Strangers". A Sudden Reconsideration The tenderness Hideo receives from his parents makes him wonder whether Shigeki might also need a father’s love.

A Sudden Reconsideration from "Strangers". A Sudden Reconsideration The tenderness Hideo receives from his parents makes him wonder whether Shigeki might also need a father’s love.

A Sudden Reconsideration The tenderness Hideo receives from his parents makes him wonder whether Shigeki might also need a father’s love. Empathy from Experience Having rediscovered the comfort of being someone’s child, Hideo imagines offering that comfort to his own son. A Practical Plan He asks a taxi to take him to a hotel in Akasaka, hoping to invite Shigeki to lunch.

The Missed Meeting The Missed Meeting from "Strangers". The Missed Meeting Hideo learns from Ayako that Shigeki is spending part of the summer in America.

The Missed Meeting from "Strangers". The Missed Meeting Hideo learns from Ayako that Shigeki is spending part of the summer in America.

The Missed Meeting Hideo learns from Ayako that Shigeki is spending part of the summer in America. An Unavailable Son His planned invitation cannot happen, and the news highlights how little Hideo knows about his son’s life. An Opening Remains Even without a meeting, Hideo’s desire to reconnect marks a change from his earlier decision to forget the relationship.

A Modest Reply A Modest Reply from "Strangers". A Modest Reply When Hideo calls to thank Shigeki for helping move his belongings, he asks whether they might share dinner sometime.

A Modest Reply from "Strangers". A Modest Reply When Hideo calls to thank Shigeki for helping move his belongings, he asks whether they might share dinner sometime.

A Modest Reply When Hideo calls to thank Shigeki for helping move his belongings, he asks whether they might share dinner sometime. Familiar Reserve Shigeki answers, “One of these days,” neither rejecting the invitation nor making a firm plan. A Small Improvement Hideo takes the response as progress, sensing that distance may be easier to cross now that they no longer share a roof.

during Shigeki’s adolescence

around the divorce

after Hideo’s final visit to his parents

the next morning

after Hideo leaves hospital