Track 4
Shimane - Tamatsukuri Hot Spring
You okay, ma’am? You're not injured, are you?
Thanks so much, dearies. I never thought my cart would get stuck in that ditch. Fifty kilos was a bit much after all. Hohoho.
50 kilos…!? No wonder it's so heavy. What are you carrying?
My work tools, dear. Stone materials and such.
(She was struggling when she was stuck in the ditch, but now she’s carrying the load on her own with no issue. Where does such strength come from in those thin, elderly arms.)
You boys are just like Daikoku-sama, you know. Helping this old rabbit with cattails when she was in trouble.
Cattails... Isn't that from the story about the White Rabbit of Inaba?
Well now, aren't you well-informed, sonny!
Hehe! I studied up after we decided to come to Izumo! See that, Liguang? She praised me!
……
I like you two! This must be fate!
Huh?
What? Why did you suddenly grab my arm…
Hmph…!!!
……!?
Whoa, w-where are we—...! What about your stuff?!
Don't worry about it! I'll grab it later!
(Ugh, what incredible strength…! I’m being dragged away…!)
Shimane - Magatama Making Workshop
What is this place?
A workshop…?
This is my magatama-making workshop! As thanks for earlier, you can join for free. Lucky thing there are still open spots in today's last session!
Woow, those are some really tall dudes!
Haven't I seen the red-haired dude somewhere? Probably my imagination.
L-Liguang, what do we do...? Everyone here’s a little kid.
……
You boys are like Daikoku-sama, but I'm no Princess Yakami, so sorry this is all I can offer...
N-no way, this is great...! Thank you, ma'am!
*Sigh*..., sit down, idiot. They won’t be able to start if we stay standing.
Y-Yeah.
(...Of all people, I had to be stuck with this idiot in this ridiculous situation. And not only that, but we’re completely visible from the window along the street.)
(It would be best to quickly finish this and escape this spectacle.)
(This is a bit awkward, but I can't just refuse Granny's kindness!)
Magatama are ancient Japanese ornaments. This area of Tamatsukuri Hot Spring actually thrived as a magatama production center way back when.
The method is to grind the stone with files for detailed work. Since soapstone's particularly soft, handle it carefully so you don't drop and break it.
Ngh, I'm not good with detailed work like this... but I gotta be better than Liguang!
Don’t mess around.
I mean, you've always been clumsy with your hands, right? You sucked at origami too...
Hmph, you’re no better.
Let's see who can make the better magatama!
This is ridiculous…
*Sound of sanding*
…… *scrape scrape scrape scrape*
(Like this... wait, is it like this...?!) *scrape scrape scrape scrape*
……………… *scrape scrape scrape scrape*
*huff huff* (Alright, now for the finer grit sandpaper!) *scrape scrape scrape scrape...!!*
……………………………… *scrape scrape scrape scrape scrape scrape scrape!!!*
These guys are totally competing with each other right now!
They both kinda suck though! Six of one, half a dozen of the other!
Alright! I'm done!
...Oh no, crap! My magatama...!
*Renga drops his magatama*
……
The one with red hair dropped his magatama and the long-haired dude grabbed it!
Even when they're fighting, they help each other! Let's give them a round of applause!
*Everyone applauds*
Th-Tha—
Tha—t’s an ant! Wow, why’s it not moving at all!
*Sigh*… Watch out.
Your magatama is covered in scratches. It appears I’ve won.
What!? Yours has scratches here and here and here too! Mine's way cleaner!
It seems you need to visit an eye doctor. Yours has scratches here, here, here, and here.
...Oh. What was this called again? Looks like some kind of symbol.
Umm, something about... shadow and sun, or like...
You mean the Taijitu, or the symbol of Yin-Yang.
Yeah, that! I studied it a bit when I had a small role in that historical drama. Uh, something about the world being made of shadow and... sun, or whatever...
…There is supposedly a theory that the shape of the magatama is modeled after a fetus or the moon, and that it represents the cyclical world view of “life and death” and “yin and yang”.
The Yin-Yang symbol is a concept that is explained in the Chinese Book of Changes1, and it posits that the world’s balance is maintained by the interaction of opposing forces.
Opposing forces...
The sun and moon... They're definitely opposites!
(Kiba and I were similar beings…)
...So this Pangu god created the world from his own body? Kinda like how the deity at that shrine built the nation.
I think it’s more similar to Izanagi and Izanami4, but…
Pangu’s story is sometimes interpreted as symbolizing self-sacrifice and compassion. That interpretation is a bit sanctimonious, however.
Self-sacrifice and compassion...
Oh, cattails? Their flower meanings are compassion, honesty, and absent-mindedness, dear.
Oh, granny. No, we were talking about how opposites create the world! That Yin-Yang ta... tai jitu thing!
Oh, is that so? People have wondered for ages why the magatama resembles the symbol of Yin-Yang, but I suppose the people’s philosophy is alike all across the world.
——
(Compassion, honesty…absent-mindedness. …Now that I think about it, there was someone like that. Long ago… They were definitely self-sacrificing as well…)
...…?
(Who am I thinking of…?)
Take those magatama you made to Tamatsukuriyu Shrine, why don't you? Press them against the wishing stone there while you pray, and it'll share its sacred energy with you.
Really?! I'll try that tomorrow morning.
Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.
*Liguang walks off*
Hey, wait up Liguang, don't just go off alone!
Shimane - Tamatsukuri Hot Spring
*Sound of a camera shutter*
……
The chief asked me to come look for you guys. I even got a two-shot of you and Renga together from outside~. Want me to send it?
No.
Oh, Ten!? Check this out, Ten! This is the magatama I made. It’s way better than Liguang’s.
Really? It’s good that Liguang-san was actually willing to humor you.
I-I was the one who humored him…
......
They laugh and say the sea is beautiful, dip their feet into the ebb and flow of the waves, and clamorously exclaim how strange it was that water could move.
When they murmur that the sky and the sea are melting together in the distance, their eyelashes flutter absentmindedly, and their profile looks dreamy.
“Who” is the person beside me?
A deeply compassionate heart, an honesty that believes in even the most absurd of lies, and an absent-minded nature that panics at the slightest disturbance…
…Ah, what is this dream?
Who am I dreaming of…?
Hotel Room
......
I fell asleep in the chair while checking documents…
(...I feel like I had a dream.)
……
...zzz, zzz
(That’s right, they put me in the same room as this guy. It’s…11pm. A child’s bedtime.)
*Liguang leaves the hotel room*
Shimane - Footbath
(I came here because I was wide awake… This place was so crowded during the day, but it now feels like I have it rented out for myself. …Hm?)
Oh, Liguang-san! Are you also here to soak your feet in the bath?
Yeah. I’ll use the spot next to you.
*Liguang gets in the foot bath*
Ahh, it feels good here, doesn’t it? The spectacular view overlooking the Tamayu river is also a highlight! It has a really nice ambience at night, too.
It does.
Sojun-san said he wanted you to enjoy the trip to the fullest. Has anything caught your interest?
Because of the nature of Izumo, there are anecdotes of Japanese mythology everywhere in the town, so it’s nice to be able to feel that history. The food is also delicious, perhaps due to nature’s bounty.
You really get a sense of romance when you think back to the olden days, don’t you? The soba we ate for lunch was also fascinating once I learned the history behind it.
You mean that during the Edo period, warigo soba was developed around castle towns, and kamage soba developed around the shrines, right?
The way you could adjust the soup yourself was great, and the way of eating it made it really interesting too! I couldn’t pick which one to eat. I think I ate the wariko soba the last time I came…
That’s right… you mentioned that you’ve been here before.
Yeah. When I was little, I came with my family. But I just can’t remember the inn we stayed at back then.
I visited Tamatsukuri Hot Spring back then too, so I searched the town from one end to the other today while walking around, but I still couldn’t find it.
You seem to have walked around quite a bit.
But according to Kafka, even if memories deteriorate, a trace, or “engram,” stays in the brain from when the memory was first formed.
And apparently, if you stimulate that engram somehow, the memory can resurface. Memories are so interesting, aren’t they?
So that’s why you walked all that way.
Nothing resurfaced, and now I’m just tired and soaking my feet in a footbath… But I got to see you, so it was all worth it in the end!
…Heh.
(...They resemble that presence…from my dream.)
Ah…!
What’s wrong?
…I forgot to bring my towel…
Heh, so absent-minded.
Ahh, what should I do… At this rate, my only options are putting my socks on wet feet, air drying, or being stuck here forever.
…… Use mine.
Huh? But then...what are you going to use…?
*Liguang leans closer and puts the towel on Kaede’s head*
……!?
It’s fine, just use it.
Oh, um!? O-Okay… Th-Thank you…!?
(Huh!? Did he pat me when he put the towel on my head just now!? I mean, I am an adult, you know…!)
…An engram, hm…?
An ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Also known as I Ching.
A primordial being and creation figure in Chinese mythology and in Taoism.
Izanagi and Izanami are primordial brother-sister deities in Japanese mythology, tasked with creating the islands of Japan and numerous other gods.