ai to nikushimi no arashi  

(the tempest of love and hate)

It is 1920, and Togura Aya is a 19-year old girl, born in the turn of the century, in Tokyo - the daughter of one of Tokyo's best families. The Togura family is one of the richest landowners, and because of her privileged lifestyle, Aya's character is very advanced for a female of those times - she is among the first to be educated in the city's first girl school, and has all sorts of luxuries like the bicycle - very modern for those times - which she is riding in the countryside, where she is temporarily staying with her family.

She is a very headstrong girl, and when she comes across a primitive log-bridge, and is told not to cross it on the bike as it is very dangerous, she deliberately disregards the passing farmer's warning and ends up falling into the river below. The young farmer, Yashiro Kouta (Harada Ryuji) jumps in and saves her - but when he goes after her sinking bike, she tells him to leave it, which makes him incredulous, seeing how expensive the bike is - and she gives it to him as a present for saving her. As she has hurt her leg and is completely soaked, he carries her to his home, which is nearby. Kouta is a tenant farmer, living with his widowed mom, and they are very poor. When they realise who she is (her family's famous), they are somewhat overwhelmed, but Aya doesn't seem to have any regard for class distinctions. Kouta takes Aya back home on his horse - and as she is riding, wearing in his mom's clothes, she exclaims at the beauty of the countryside, and holding out her arms, asks him if she doesn't blend right in, dressed as she is right now.

When she reaches home, her mom's naturally upset about what happened and when Aya suggests going back to return the clothes and to thank her "saviour", she tells Aya that she'll send the servants to do that and that Aya should stay home as her dad has almost finished his business and their whole family will be returning to Tokyo very soon.

The day that they're packing to leave, Aya sees her bike and realises that Kouta had been to her home to return it. She impulsively takes off in it and goes back to the woods where she had her accident to find him. He's by the brook, painting, and when she comes up to him, she realises it is a portrait of her. Kouta's dream is to be a painter, but as his family is poor and relies on tenant farming, it is an impossible dream. He decided to give up painting after he spent some hard-earned money on paints and nearly broke his mom's heart. But having met Aya - who is like an angel from heaven to him - he felt compelled to paint this one last picture. She agrees to sit for a portrait sketch, but as he is drawing, she encourages him to pursue his dream, saying he should go to Tokyo to try and make a go of it as an artist, and gives him her contact information in case she can be of some help.

Aya's words encourage Kouta and he finds the courage to tell his mother that night that he plans to go to Tokyo to try his luck their as an artist. She realises that his inspiration comes from Aya and she tries to discourage him, saying that he shouldn't let himself be influenced by someone who inhabits a totally world from theirs. He laments the fact that people should have class distinctions and says that such labels as landowners versus tenant farmers are unfair and he wants to find a world where people will be reckoned by their ability and not just by status. He's determined to go to Tokyo, and his mom says that if he goes, she will disown him because she doesn't want him to come back with his tail between his legs, beaten by the harsh realities of the city.

In Tokyo, Aya finds Kouta waiting for her outside her school and they go off to an ice-cream parlor. Aya's delighted to find that Kouta has come to the city to pursue his dreams but when she asks about his art, he says that he has just managed to eke out a living as an apprentice in the city's bond exchange market and has not been able to paint yet. She offers him some money to help him out, but he is offended by this and refuses, telling her that when he has painting something that he considers worthy of her attention, he'll bring it to her.

Aya goes home to find her father waiting for her, and receives the shocking news that he has accepted on her behalf a marriage proposal and she is to get married soon. Aya is outraged and refuses - but after her dad storms out in anger, her mom tells her that the real reason is because their family has fallen into debt (something about her father using their rent money to buy war bonds which after the war - WWI - were not redeemable) and that is why her father is forced to marry her to this wealthy family who offered a considerable marriage settlement for her.

Kouta has finished his painting and is waiting outside Aya's school to show her, but he finds out from her classmates that she has withdrawn from the school and is preparing to get married.

Aya's dressed in her wedding finery and her mom is with her. Her mom feels bad for she knows deep down that Aya doesn't want to do this but when she asks Aya, Aya replies calmly that she has agreed to this marriage because she believes she will find happiness in it. When her dad and brothers come in, her brother comments on how Aya's marriage payment is substantial enough to buy a block of property, and says caustically that Aya should thank her dad for finding her such a rich husband. (Even her dad looks a little shamefaced at this.)

As Aya goes off to her wedding ceremony, there is a crowd assembled outside her home to watch, and Kouta is among those in the crowd. He follows her to the bridegroom's mansion, but then as she enters the mansion, he runs off and throws his painting over the bridge, vowing never to paint again.

Aya meets her husband, Yokoyama Heikichi (Yamaguchi Yuuichirou) for the first time at the wedding ceremony. She does not know what sort of person he is, but she is determined to go through with it, as she has made the choice to save her family and sacrifice her own happiness in the bargain.

Yokoyama Heikichi is an uncultured man who came from Kyuushu to Tokyo when he was very young and moved among the government circles, before making his career in the military. It is from his military business that he made his fortune during the war (WWI). Thus, their wedding celebrations were attended by many honored guests from the goverment and military, and one of them congratulates Heikichi for making such a splendid match, saying with Aya's connections, he'll have no problems carving out a political career. Heikichi doesn't say anything but looks vaguely satisfied...

After the celebrations, as Aya is installed into her new home, she offers to make tea for her mother-in-law (Yokoyama Ito) and Heikichi, but her mother-in-law tells her that she doesn't have to do such things as they have servants. She reminds Aya that her duty is to bring glory to the Yokoyama family and so she must accompany her and her husband to the many social functions.

Aya is waiting for her husband in her bedroom, and when he enters, she shyly offers to massage his shoulders, seeing that he is tired. But he brusquely tells her to undress, and when she hesitates, comes forward and embraces her roughly. She pushes him away, and he says mockingly "so you think you're such a high-class lady that you don't want a ruffian like me to touch you..." and leaves the room.

The next morning, Aya asks Ito of Heikich's whereabouts, and Ito says that he spent the night from home and is still not back yet. She questions why a groom would spend his wedding night elsewhere, and Aya says perhaps she has angered him but his sudden actions had alarmed her. Ito tells her that intimacy between a husband and his wife is something that she'll have to learn and endure.

Even though Aya is not hungry, she is commandeered by her mother-in-law to eat breakfast together, but soon, a servant comes in to announce that the master's back. The mother rushes out to attend to Heikichi, and a servant tells Aya that the master first came out to Tokyo at the age of 15 to live with a government family, and his mom accompanied him by working in the house as a servant. The two of them are therefore very close, and she attends to all of his needs personally.

Aya goes upstairs and standing outside in the hallway, she hears Heikichi laughing with his mother inside the room. He comes out, but walks off without saying anything to her. His mom follows, and tells Aya that all his things are stored in her room, and Aya doesn't have to bother with any of it. As Heikichi leaves, he announces that he won't be back tonight.

The next day, Ito comes in with clothes for Aya to wear to accompany her on social calls. Aya brings up how Heikichi was not home last night again, but his mother doesn't seem concerned, saying he has work matters to do and it's not something a woman needs to know about. Ito is very autocratic and even though Aya says she has her own clothes, she insists that Aya dress according to Ito's dictates when she is going out with her ("to match her own attire").

So Aya's life continues to be controlled by her domineering mother-in-law, while her husband continues to use work as an excuse to stay away from home. Aya is becoming more and more bewildered about why she's been brought into their family at such expense and she wants to have a good talk with Heikichi but there seems to be no opportunity.

Aya's dressing in her favourite ballgown, and she is excited because she's going out with Heikichi to attend a social function together... but her mother-in-law comes in and forces her to change into something more appropriate that will match her own dress. Sitting down at the dinner party, Heikichi and Aya makes a striking couple (even though she's wearing a rather dowdy dress chosen by Ito), but still she is given no chance to talk to him and later, she returns home with Ito, while Heikichi goes off elsewhere for "work".

At this point, Aya's finally had enough and she tells her mother-in-law that she needs to talk to her. Aya asks for a divorce, saying that she can't stand it in this household anymore and she wants to go home. Ito tries to placate her, saying "aren't I treating you well?" and tells Aya is doing a fine job. Aya says that she is useless as a wife and even though they've been married for half a year now, her husband hasn't spent one night at home.\

Ito reveals that Heikichi has a number of mistresses that he keeps at separate abodes and that even before the marriage, he never really spent much time in his "proper" home which he cannot bring his women too, because of his mother being there. Aya is shocked at the information, and says "with so many women around, he isn't even aware of my existence, so why should I stay?" Ito tells her that she should try to win her husband back and not blame others if she fails to hold her husband's heart. She tells Aya that even if her husband has other women, she is his proper wife and take pride in her role. Aya says bitterly that there's nothing to be proud of, and Ito says sharply that she can have her divorce, but she must pay back the marriage settlement. She then orders the servant to prepare a car to take Aya home tomorrow.

When Aya returns home, she is greeted by her mom who tells her that she had been worried by the news of Aya's return, saying that she feared Aya couldn't stand her marriage but seeing her escorted in Yokoyama's car, relieved her mind. Aya's silenced by her mom's words and doesn't say anything while her mom prattles on about how the family's doing so well now, as her father, with Yokoyama's backing, is able to get new credit from the bank and has started a new business. Her brother walks in and tells Aya the gossip about her husband having many women, and how he uses them to advance himself by supplying women to those who are useful to his career, and that's why he can do what he likes in the military.

The next morning, Ito is helping Heikichi dress in his room and she tells him how Aya has asked for a divorce, saying he shouldn't have gone so far as to remain from home for a full six months, as Aya, after all, is still a woman and needs attention. She says that as he obviously doesn't care for her, he should let her have the divorce if she really insists on it. Heikichi doesn't say anything but as he walks downstairs, Aya comes in with her luggage. With eyes cast down, she thanks her mother-in-law for letting her go home to visit her parents and says that they are very grateful. Heikichi says that he'll be eating at home that evening and will be spending some time at home to rest...

That night, Aya finds Heikichi waiting for her in her bedroom. He comments that it's nice having dinner at home and apologizes for having neglected her because of his work. But when he embraces her, she pushes him away, saying that she doesn't want him to touch her after having touched his other women. She tells him that she doesn't mind keeping up appearances as his wife, and thanks him for taking care of her family, saying she will do her part in return.

From then on, Aya played the role of a model wife, going about with her mother-in-law to the many social functions and doing her part perfectly... so no one could sense the depth of her loneliness that she kept buried deep down inside her. And so three years passed in such a way.

On the day of Tokyo's Great Earthquake in 1923, Aya was standing by her window in her bedchamber and she panicked, running downstairs as the house began to shake and crumble. She ended up being buried beneath the rubble, but she's still alive and finally, someone comes back shouting for her - saying "ojousan" ("young-mistress" referring to the daughter-of-the-house, and is what she was called from the time when she resided in her parent's home) and it's Kouta.

Aya has hurt her leg so Kouta carries her off to a safe place outside Tokyo city, accompanied by two male servants. He has been very successful in the past three years and have bought up vast packets of land around his hometown (the house they're at was "thrown in as a present" when he bought some of the land), telling Aya that with the advent of the "densha" (electric train), it will make the rural areas much more accessible, and his plans to develop business. Aya comments on his success and he attributes it to his apprenticeship at the bond market exchange... saying that he'd given up painting as he has found no interesting subjects to paint and says ironically that perhaps making money is more amusing than making pictures.

That night, after having bathed and eaten, Aya retires to her own room and sees the portrait of her hanging on the wall.

The next evening, Kouta has received news of Aya's family, and tells her that they have moved back to their hometown - but he hesitated in informing them of her whereabouts as it may also reach the ears of her husband... Aya quickly asks him not to say anything and when he says that Heikichi is bound to find out sooner or later... she says "then let it be later...please, just a little more time..."

They're out on a drive together, and Aya tells Kouta that she feels at peace now, and maybe this is what happiness is about. It doesn't matter if one has nothing, because before, even though she'd been given every extravagance, she'd felt empty inside, so it means nothing. Kouta said that because they're from such different worlds, he didn't realise that Aya was so unhappy. He'd seen her going out to parties and thought that she was content with her lifestyle, and assumed that it was what she wanted. Aya thanks him for treasuring her portrait, saying that when she saw it last night, it made her realise what sort of life she wanted to lead, and gave her courage to leave the Yokoyama family. He tells her that he'll wait for her to become Togura Aya again...

Heikichi has found where Aya's whereabouts and comes to the house to get her. She refuses to go and asks for a divorce but he threatens to sue her for adultery unless she comes back to him and she reluctantly agrees.

Both Ito and Aya's mom are anxiously waiting for Aya and when she gets home, they charge her with all sorts of questions, like why didn't she leave them a forwarding address and Aya uses the excuse of the city being thrown in such turmoil. Aya's mom tells her how they'd feared she had died, but that Heikichi had believed Aya to be alive and had spared no effort nor expense in finding her, and that she should be properly grateful to him. Heikichi suggests they celebrate Aya's return and invites Aya's whole family to their house for dinner.

After dinner that night, Heikichi comments to Aya what a changed man her father is, now that his business is flourishing, saying that he was very different from the crying, broken man who came to him for financial help. He says that he too is determined to restore his own family's fortune to its former glory and asks her to be patient in their present place in the meantime...but Aya tells him that she has no intention of staying here and says that she only came back with him so they could have a proper talk. She tells him that nothing happened between her and Kouta, but he doesn't believe her, saying that she'd spent a full month in the house alone with him, and that he also knew of her past history with Kouta. She finds it ludicrous that he would accuse her of adulterous behaviour, given his own actions, but he tells her it's different between man and woman, and the law in Japan is that it is illegal for women to engage in adulterous affairs. He gets riled up over the thought of how she had withheld her body from him, yet freely bestowed it on Kouta, and ends up forcibly sleeping with her.

After that night, Aya harboured a deep hatred and fear of Heikichi, which together with the fear of prosecution for adultery and implicating Kouta, made her give up the notion of divorce. Meanwhile, she continued to be subjected to the unwanted caresses of Heikichi, but she suffered in silence as she could see no way out.

Ito tells Aya to prepare for a party they're throwing but Aya rebels by saying she's not attending and if Ito doesn't like it, they can always let her leave and divorce her. Ito gets upset at her words and rallies Heikichi, saying listen to her, do you still want a wife who talks like that? - but Heikichi doesn't react, saying it doesn't matter if Aya doesn't attend and Ito can attend to everything.

Aya gets up to leave the room but she is overcome by a bout of nausea. As Heikichi rushes to her side, a servant exclaims that she may be pregnant - and as Heikichi looks at her questioningly, she rushes out. Ito is triumphant, saying "finally! You've already had two children born out of wedlock and I feared you'd never have a legitimate one... now that she's pregnant, there won't be any more nonsense about a divorce!"

Heikichi goes up to see Aya and asks her roughly if it's Kouta's child - she tells him that it's his, but he doesn't believe her and pushes her down, telling her that he's not going to be played for a fool.

Aya sneaks out of the house and goes to see Kouta, telling him of Heikichi's unfounded suspicions of them having a love affair and asks for money to abort the baby. Kouta tries to talk her out of it, but she is insistent, saying that she'll end up hating the baby, knowing it to be Heikichi's child. He gives her the money and she insists on going to the abortionist on her own.

Heikichi's at home, and they're all worrying about where Aya's gone. (She lied and said to the servant that she was going back to her own family, but her mom's there, saying that she didn't come.) Suddenly, the police is at the door, and tells Heikichi that Aya's been arrested for having an abortion.

At the police station, they're questioning her, and Aya is telling them that it's all her own doing - that the baby's her husband's, and that he has no idea she was going to do this. The police tell her that if it's all her own fault, then she may be subjected to one year in prison - but she remains resolute, telling them that she made the decision on her own and the money came from her own savings, and that she will bear the consequences alone.

At home, Ito is telling Heikichi to divorce Aya, saying a convict as a wife will ruin their family name, but he refuses to budge, saying he will find a lawyer for her and won't divorce her, even when his mom freaks out and starts slapping him.

Aya is given one year's prison sentence and during that year, she refuses all communication and all visits. She spends the year in solitude, using the time to prepare herself for her new life when she gets out.

One year passes, and Aya is released from prison. Kouta is there to pick her up in his car, and he is full of self-blame that he could not help her. He asks her about her plans now, and tells her that her family has disowned her (but that it may not be her parents' will, as her elder brother is now the head of the family.)

As they are talking, Heikichi walks up to them, and Aya goes off with him. He tells Aya how there's no one left at home now, and that his mom has died and the servants are gone. He takes her to their former home and it is in shambles. Heikichi has lost all his money and everything is to be sold.

Heikichi tells Aya that he had actually seen her before the wedding - that he had gone to her home and seen her playing in the yard, and had fallen in love with her at first sight. So when her father came to him for help, he proposed the marriage deal, because he had no other way of winning her - as he is uncouth and uneducated, and so could only offer money. He was really happy at their wedding and wanted to give her the best of everything and look after her for her whole life, but he didn't know how to love a woman properly , so when she refused him on their wedding night, he didn't know how to approach her again. He realised how much she hated him when he saw how determined she was to kill his child, and so he wanted to make things clear to her and hoped to gain her understanding and forgiveness, before they divorced. He didn't want to lose her to another man, which is why he wouldn't divorce her before, but now he has nothing to offer her anymore. He is planning to go to Manchuria, where he's received an offer, to start all over again. He tells her that everything has been sold, except for her possessions, and she can get Kouta to help her move them. He says Kouta is very successful now and he will take good care of her. Heikichi then thanks her, saying that even though they've only been married for a short time, he's very proud to have had her as his wife.

Aya walks away slowly but then turns back and looks at Heikichi through the broken window. She walks back into the house and asks him to dispose of all her possessions. He nods, saying "you don't want anything that would remind you of us - I understand - I will forward the money to you after it's done.." Aya tells him that she will use the money for the fare to go to Manchuria, and asks him to take her along. Heikichi smiles ruefully and says he doesn't want her pity, but Aya tells him it's not pity... she'd spent the year in prison thinking about how she wanted to lead her life, but even when she came out, she wasn't sure where she wanted to go, only that she was determined to decide for herself. And now she knows that she wants to go with Heikichi. She wants to spend the rest of her life with him, and it doesn't matter even if they don't have anything, so long as they have each other...

Aya goes to see Kouta, who's delighted to see her and shows her the plans he is drawing for their new home, and talks about how finally they can be together and it's something he'd dreamed of since the time he met her by the river .... but then Aya tells him that she's here to bid him farewell. She says that Kouta's been her dream too, and it was the thought of him that sustained her through her hard years with the Yokoyama family. But she cannot pursue this dream anymore, because she has decided to start a new life with Yokoyama and the two of them are going to work at rebuilding their lives together from scratch. Kouta is crestfallen, but says that he only wants her happiness and if it's something she decided she wanted to do, he hoped for the best for her. She thanks him and tells him that she's going to go to Manchuria, to a place called Dalian, and that they probably won't see each other ever again. She asks him to take up painting again, saying that she liked best the Kouta she saw painting by the river.

The day she sets sail for Dalian, her mother comes out to see her off... as does Kouta, only he remains in the shadow to give her a private farewell without her seeing him. On board the ship, Aya is looking out at the crowd with Heikichi, and he tells her that she is foolish to give up her hard-earned freedom to go with him to Manchuria, and says that it is not too late yet for her to turn back now... but she just smiles at him, saying that she hasn't lost her freedom, that this is the first time she's been free to choose her own direction in life...

Eight years have passed and Aya and Heishiki have built up a new life in Manchuria, and they now have a daughter.

One day, a young woman with a 3-year-old son comes to visit Aya, and she is Kouta's wife. She tells Aya that her husband has passed away, and he died in the fighting in Shanghai last year. She takes out Aya's portrait and says that the painting has been hanging in their home from when she first became Kouta's bride, and while she has asked him about it, he never answered her, just smiling softly. When he died, his mother came out to the city, and told her the story. She says that Kouta's mom is a strong woman and she didn't even shed a tear when she heard of Kouta's death, saying that her son died for their country and she should be proud - but when she saw the portrait of Aya, she started to cry. She said that no matter how much Kouta loved Aya, Aya was always someone beyond his reach, but that he had always kept her close within his heart. That was why Kouta's wife always wanted to meet Aya, but she never got the chance until recently when she followed her parents to Shanghai, where her dad was posted. She said that she had planned to give Aya back her portrait, but now having seen her, she wanted to keep it because she wanted to cherish the memory of her husband's desire to paint again... and to pass that memory onto their son.

She asks Aya why she never married Kouta, but Aya just smiles softly and says perhaps it's just fate. Aya's daughter comes in and Aya says that when her daughter grows up, she hopes that the world will be one where everyone's equal and free. She hopes that there will be no more wars, and that everyone will be free to choose who they love and wonders if that time will ever come...

As the fighting in the Pacific intensifies, and the war effort takes its toll on everyone. By now, Aya has given birth to another child, a son. Heikiji's transferred abroad to fight, and Aya returns to Tokyo, taking their two children with her. Heikiji also dies in the war, but before news of his demise reaches her, Aya herself dies, leaving her two children as war orphans. World War II ends, and Japan begins its reforms, banishing tenant farming so lands are redistributed to farmers, and the law against adultery for women which Aya suffered under is also banished. In post-war Japan, women are given the opportunity to become self-sufficient, paving the way for greater equality between the sexes. While Aya herself did not survive to see these changes, her two children will forge a new life for themselves under the emerging era...

End of Story #1

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