The Third Murder (2017) Movie Script
1
THE THIRD MURDER
Let me see it.
What?
Here.
A second charge of murder
and burglary is really serious.
But he confessed?
Yeah, right after he was arrested.
Then he'll get the death penalty,
no question.
That's why I asked for your help.
I wish you'd asked me
before he was indicted.
Well, at first I thought
I could manage it on my own.
But he changes his story
every time I see him.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
So many of you today.
I'm glad it didn't rain.
Listen,
this is Shigemori, the lawyer
I told you about before.
That judge from thirty years ago...
His son...
I'm Shigemori.
I'm Misumi.
Your father was good to me.
I asked you the other day,
there's no question
you killed him, right?
No question.
You killed him?
Yes, I killed him.
Why did you kill him?
He owned the factory
where you worked.
Your motive...
I wanted money to gamble with.
Were you in trouble?
Did you have debts?
Yes.
I'd borrowed some money
I couldn't pay back.
When did you quit?
September 30th.
- Fired?
- Yes.
Why were you fired?
I stole money from the safe.
Had you been drinking alcohol that day?
Yes, three glasses of shochu.
Did you decide to kill him
before you started drinking?
Or did you get enraged
while you were drinking?
I got enraged while I was drinking.
What?
Last time I asked you,
didn't you say, "I'd been thinking
about killing him all along"?
Oh, did I?
You hit him with a wrench,
from behind, right?
Yes.
Did you check that he was dead?
Yes, he'd stopped breathing.
Your hand. Did you burn it?
Yes.
When I burned him.
Where'd you get the petrol?
I went back to the factory warehouse
to get it.
That far away?
If I ran, it was less than 10 minutes.
But you didn't take the petrol
with you from the start?
No.
Note that.
Remember, I asked you
to write a letter to the victim's family?
Yes.
I'll take it with me.
Hand it over later.
Yes.
Will the prosecutor demand
the death penalty?
Probably.
He's stuck with murder and burglary.
We have to get that charge reduced.
And dispute the facts, because
we don't have a case with that charge.
- Hey, Settsu.
- What?
Misumi himself wants
the charges reduced, right?
That's right. Why?
He didn't seem that way to me.
For me, I'll be happy
if we can reduce it to life in prison.
Any family?
- He's got a daughter.
- Her age?
The daughter? She's 36.
Shall we go meet her?
She's in Rumoi, Hokkaido.
So far away.
It's so cold up there.
I doubt she saw her father much.
No, he was in prison for 30 years.
I doubt she'd say much
to support his case.
The crab is tasty up there now.
Oh, thanks.
Rumoi is famous for octopus,
not crab.
Oh, just octopus.
Don't make fun of octopus.
- Spoken like a Hokkaido native.
- That's right.
No barbecued meat for a while.
Fly as far as Asahikawa,
and then take the train.
Are travel expenses reimbursed?
To interview a character witness?
No, no way.
Let's not bother, then.
Yeah, it's cold up there.
And there's only octopus.
But it's better to go,
in order to understand Misumi.
- Understand?
- Yes.
You don't need understanding
or empathy to defend a client.
Is that true?
Of course it is.
You're not going to become friends.
Is she involved in the case?
Well, probably.
I feel like I can still smell the petrol.
Yeah.
Is this...
...a coincidence?
Chofu Station, please.
I knew something was wrong with him.
It looked like his hand was burned.
Stop.
Please rewind it a little.
Right there.
Why did he open the window?
- The window?
- Yes.
Did something stink?
Well, I recall...
it smelled like petrol.
Petrol.
Was it the wallet that smelled?
The one he took out of his pocket?
Oh...
Probably.
Right?
- Yes?
- Here.
Yes.
He's already confessed,
so why go through all this?
Yes, yes.
Leave it in the bag.
Oh, right.
Petrol stains, right?
- Did you already have it tested?
- Yes.
It is definitely petrol.
Which could mean
he decided to steal it
after he poured petrol over him.
Which would mean
it's not murder and burglary
but murder and theft.
You contest the charge
with a petrol stain?
It's plenty of proof to contest it.
If only he hadn't confessed, we could
aggressively attack their position.
I wish we'd been involved
in this case from the start.
For now, let's take his letter,
visit the factory,
and comfort the bereaved family.
I'll buy the regular family gift.
Thanks.
And about his motive...
Ask his co-workers if he had
a grudge against his boss.
Yes, I will.
Settsu dumped the whole case onto us.
Yes.
Hello.
Oh...
I'm Shigemori. I'm a lawyer.
I'm defending Takashi Misumi.
I came to deliver a letter
he wrote to your family.
I'll go get my mother.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
I'm Shigemori.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
You want me to forgive him
because he wrote this letter?
We...
A member of our family was murdered,
and then his body was burned.
Even at his funeral...
none of us...
could even see him to say farewell.
Mother.
He genuinely regrets what he did.
I am so very sorry.
Do you think Misumi hated your boss?
He was probably grateful
for giving him a job.
I see...
Did you ever see them argue?
He was always complaining to him
about how little he paid.
Did you screw up again, Sakurai?
No, you idiot!
He's a lawyer, not a cop.
Did you know
Misumi had a criminal record?
I knew that.
A lot of guys here have records.
Actually, I have one, too.
Oh.
You want to know what I did?
No.
Your boss was a good man.
He hired us because we're cheap.
You can't fight back
if you have a weakness.
Oh, I see.
Thank you very much.
How did it go?
Oh, that bad.
They didn't have to...
These days, victims think
they can get away with anything.
"Why are you covering up for him?"
That's what we do.
So, what's our strategy?
We dispute his intent to steal.
And reduce murder and burglary
to murder and theft.
He didn't kill him to steal,
he set fire to him after killing him
and then decided to steal.
He even went all the way back
to the factory to get the petrol,
after he killed him.
- All the way back?
- All the way back.
He should've just run away.
And his motive for murder?
I think a grudge is best.
It seems they argued over his pay.
I don't know the facts,
but that's our defence strategy.
He was enraged over being fired.
A grudge, huh?
It's not a strong defence.
Is it a lesser crime to kill for a grudge
than to steal money?
It's worse if you kill for money
because it's a selfish crime.
Even for the same murder?
That's a great question.
If the motive is a grudge,
something must have provoked it.
But if that makes it a lesser crime...
The law is really strange.
This is Shigemori.
Yes, I'm her father.
What?
Hey.
I got your call.
You're her father?
Don't "Hey" me.
Usually, we'd report this to the police,
right away.
I am so sorry for the trouble...
my daughter caused you.
Oh, you're a lawyer...
I'm involved in an important murder case.
I've been away from home a lot.
I'm sure that was part of this...
Yuka, I'm sorry.
I've left you on your own.
Why didn't you call your mother?
In this case,
a lawyer is more useful.
Thank you so much.
Hey, um, how's Nemo doing?
That's old news.
Shall I send you the tank?
Is it in your way?
Not really.
They died.
They died? All of them?
Yup.
Why are you disappointed?
They're just fish.
You didn't flush them
down the toilet, did you?
When a creature dies,
you need to make it
a Proper grave.
Suddenly, you're sounding
like a real father.
What do you mean, "sounding like"?
I am your father.
For now.
Listen, Yuka.
Why did you cry before?
I'm good at that...
Here. See?
Amazing, right?
Everyone falls for it.
Go ahead, answer it.
Forget it.
Answer it.
Oh, your lover?
No way, dummy.
It's Settsu.
Hello?
Right now?
Sure, I can go.
No, I haven't.
Has Misumi read this?
I sent it over for him to read.
We can't have him
just saying whatever he wants.
Sorry.
It's cold today, isn't it?
Let's see, today...
We're here about
this magazine article.
Oh.
Is this true?
This "Exclusive Confession".
The part where it says: "His wife asked me
to kill him for his life insurance."
Oh, yes.
Did you really say this?
Yes, probably.
What do you mean, "probably"?
Misumi, your bank account
shows a transfer of 500,000 yen
in early October.
In addition to your salary.
This was from his wife?
Yes, that was from his wife.
So that means,
this was the down payment
for your fee.
Yes.
Why didn't you tell us that
from the beginning?
I'm not sure why.
Maybe it's that...
Maybe the journalist asked you
about this story first, right?
I can't really remember.
Not again.
How did she ask you to kill him?
By mobile phone email.
- Phone email?
- Yes.
About when?
About two weeks before I killed him.
Is it still on your phone?
Yes, probably.
I think this could work:
conspiracy, aiding and abetting.
- Really?
- Yes.
After the crime,
did you contact his wife?
Yes, from a pay phone.
And then?
She said if I kept her out of it,
she would take care of me.
Tell me, were you and his wife...
...involved as a man and a woman?
According to yesterday's magazine report,
there is shocking new evidence
in the factory owner murder case.
Can you take care of the business
for 500,000 yen?
By When?
The loan payment is due,
so, by end of October.
I understand.
Leave it to me.
What do you think?
Does it smell fishy?
No.
If we can prove she paid Misumi money,
that's a criminal conspiracy.
And the wife could become
the main offender.
But if, as Misumi says,
he and the wife were sexually involved,
they were probably co-conspirators.
Did he admit it?
He was embarrassed.
His look said he'd done it.
But he didn't actually admit anything.
Of course they did it.
As soon as I saw her face,
I just sensed it...
But he didn't say,
"She asked me to kill him," either.
Let me see that.
Yes.
I doubt the prosecution will reduce
the charge based on this mobile email.
They've already prosecuted him for
doing it alone and they've got their pride.
Speaking as a former
prosecutor myself...
But look,
"She said if I kept her out of it,
she would take care of me."
Here.
But that could be about their
sexual involvement, not the killing.
Which is the truth...
A grudge or life insurance?
Whichever is advantageous
for the client, of course.
I understand that as a legal strategy...
And what else do we have to consider?
Nothing, I guess.
Nothing is right.
We'll never know which is the truth.
So, we choose
whatever benefits his case.
So, what do we do?
Do we go ahead and risk it?
It is a jury trial,
and the testimony will change.
If it were me,
I'd hesitate with the death penalty.
The defence has asked that mobile phone
email records be admitted as evidence.
Objection.
On what grounds do you object?
Do you mean that the contents
of the mobile email are untrustworthy?
No, the records are irrelevant.
What?
Well, in that case,
it's objective evidence,
so it's admissible as irrelevant.
Well...
That's fine, then.
So, it's admitted.
And you don't dispute his culpability.
No, we don't dispute his culpability.
So, the issue is whether or not
he intended to steal.
Yes, we are contesting the murder
and burglary charge.
The prosecution is calling
the wife, Mizue and daughter, Sakie,
as witnesses.
Yes.
Does the defence have an opinion?
As you see fit.
Is the defence calling witnesses?
Yes.
The defence is also calling the wife,
Mizue.
This is to rebut the intent to burglar.
Yes.
And the defendant's daughter,
Megumi is a character witness.
Yes, that is the plan.
Does the prosecution have an opinion?
As you see fit.
That's settled then.
For the next date...
I highly doubt that email will stand up
as evidence she asked him to murder him.
It's plenty to contest the charge
of murder and burglary.
I think he got scared and decided to say
someone instructed him to do it.
I think you're convinced
it was a murder and burglary.
All you live for is "reducing charges".
That's what lawyers do.
You're the kind of lawyer
that gets in the way
of criminals facing their guilt.
What?
What does "facing your guilt"
actually mean?
It means not averting your eyes
from the truth.
The truth?
I think that's about enough.
As we know,
you are on opposite sides here, right?
Hello.
- Sorry to make you wait.
- Thank you.
That house is built out beyond
the building code.
It's jammed up against
the next building.
This guy here is on his second wife.
She's 24 years younger.
Oh, I'm envious.
It's hell at night.
They make so much noise.
- Wear these.
- Thank you so much.
What kind of man was Misumi?
He was a good man who followed
the rules about putting out his trash.
He asked me to send him
some sweaters.
Did he get them,
like that green one?
Yes, he was wearing it.
It looks like it's cold in prison.
I guess it's pretty cold in here, too.
It smells mouldy in here,
it never gets any fresh air.
Um...
Did this person ever visit him here?
Oh...
I saw her on TV.
I never saw her before.
She might have been wearing a disguise.
Hardly anyone ever visited him.
But a young girl visited him
once in a while.
- A young girl?
- Yes.
About what age?
Maybe high school age.
She wore a uniform and had a bad leg.
She walked like this.
How did she seem?
She laughed a lot in a bright voice.
She's not his daughter?
I wonder.
Oh, there's a spider.
But a spider during daytime
isn't bad luck.
Oh, that's right.
When his pet bird died,
he asked me permission
to bury it outside.
Thank you for your gift.
I figured you like peanut butter.
I saw a jar in your place.
I love it.
They serve bread for lunch here
twice a week.
You had a pet bird?
Yes.
A canary.
It died... from a sickness.
That grave...
- Grave?
- Yes.
Under your window.
Yes.
Your birdcage was so large,
it made me wonder.
So, I dug it up.
Five birds don't get sick at once.
I mean...
even if I'd set them free,
they couldn't survive on their own.
One bird...
managed to fly away.
It's going to be cold for a while.
I wonder how it's doing,
for food and...
I wanted to ask you about the rent.
It was 38,000 yen.
With a bath, though it's small.
I asked your landlord.
Next month's rent...
You paid it 10 days earlier than usual.
I think,
you planned to get arrested, right?
You don't understand, do you?
What?
Paying rent is a pleasure.
- A pleasure?
- Yes.
You don't pay rent in prison.
There was no other special reason.
Let me see your hands.
- My hands?
- Yes.
Like this.
You have a large hand.
Keep it there.
You'll start to feel the heat soon.
L.-
...learn more about someone this way
than talking to them.
Shall I guess
what you're thinking now?
Go ahead.
How old is she now?
Your daughter.
She's 14.
Oh, I see.
The next witness to be examined
is Misumi's daughter.
Well, only if we can find her.
After that is Misumi's direct questioning.
That's the toughest.
On the theory that the wife
is the main culprit.
Yeah, that's right.
You don't sound yourself.
You lack confidence.
I can't sell our apartment
for as much as I'd hoped.
Oh, that.
Please, Shigemori.
Misumi's very life depends
on your "you know what".
What's "you know what"?
You know what.
Cut it out.
- Tell me, Settsu...
- What?
How much did you tell Misumi
about me?
How much? That we were
in judicial practice class together.
What about my daughter?
No, I didn't tell him.
But why?
What did he say?
No, in that case, it's fine.
HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
VETERINARY SCHOOL
Apparently, she was born
with that bad leg.
But...
But?
She tells people it's an injury from when she
jumped from the factory roof as a child.
Why does she lie about it?
I wonder.
And the day of the crime?
Sakie...
She got home after school
and apparently never left the house.
She does have that bad leg.
I'm telling you, the prosecution
and the defence
are often 180 degrees apart
on psychiatric evaluations.
Psychiatry isn't science,
it's literature.
You love to criticise evaluations.
Welcome back.
Here are the Rumoi Murder and Burglary
case files I promised you.
You called me so unexpectedly.
I was surprised.
This is former Judge Shigemori.
Oh, your father.
Thank you so much.
The files will be helpful.
You didn't have to bring them all this way,
you could have just shipped them.
- Which class are you?
- Class of 69.
You've got so much competition now.
Your son keeps me busy.
- You practise solo out of his office?
- Yes.
Your father told me that your
childhood dream was to be a judge.
What? For real?
Who knew?
Can you please stop talking
about my past?
- What about her?
- What?
Divorced women are patient.
My divorce hasn't gone through yet.
Then I'll propose my candidacy first.
That's enough.
Please go home when you're done.
- No, I think I'll stay here a few nights.
- What?
Do you know that Italian place,
La Bisboccia, in Hiroo?
I do not.
So, where will you stay tonight?
Shall I reserve a hotel room for you?
A suite for two, please.
You're super fun, Mister.
He just wanted to kill.
That's his motive?
Right.
Kill for fun and then burn him.
Some people are more beast
than human.
But in your court ruling here,
you discuss his unfortunate childhood
and his poverty
as extenuating circumstances.
That was 30 years ago.
Back then, we still believed
social conditions generate crimes.
Blame it on the times?
I never advocated
to abolish the death penalty.
And now...
Because of my compassionate ruling,
someone else had to die.
I do regret it.
Listen.
There's a huge gap
separating those who kill
and those who don't.
Whether or not you can cross that gap
is determined at birth.
That's an awfully arrogant statement.
You don't even believe
in rehabilitation?
After he sent you this postcard.
You're the arrogant one for thinking
people can change so easily.
In this case,
he just killed for money, right?
No.
I have a feeling
there was another reason.
Don't waste your time
trying to figure him out.
Don't say "wasting my time".
People hardly understand members
of their own family, let alone strangers.
Dear Judge Shigemori,
I haven't seen you in a while.
I'm Takashi Misumi.
You presided at my trial.
Last year, I was released
on probation,
and I now work
in a food factory in Kawasaki.
There was a big snow storm here
last week,
that reminded me of my hometown
in Hokkaido.
For my daughter's 4th birthday,
we made a big birthday cake
with snow.
My daughter wasn't wearing gloves,
so I gave her one of mine.
Her hands got red with the cold
while she made a cake
taller than herself.
It is a cold... and warm memory.
The next and last stop is Rumoi.
How old were you
at the time of his last case?
It was in the 1980s?
I was a Junior in High School.
Do you remember it?
No.
Hokkaido is a big prefecture.
Nobody remembers a case
from this tiny little town.
He murdered two loan sharks, stole their
money and set fire to their apartment.
It's amazing he didn't get
the death penalty.
If he had been sentenced to death,
he wouldn't have killed someone else.
Your father will scold you.
That's what my father said.
I arrested him on January 22nd, 1986.
A blizzard had shut down the railroad.
It was a bitterly cold night.
Did you arrest Misumi,
Mister Watanabe?
Yes.
The day after the incident,
I found him,
sitting on the bench
outside the station.
What was his motive?
For the murder?
Officially, it's a grudge.
Officially?
But the truth is, nobody knows.
He kept changing his story
while I was questioning him.
After the mines closed,
many local men were unemployed.
Gangsters gave them
high-interest loans
and treated them horribly.
Oh, we're fine.
I guess his lawyer thought
that a grudge would help him
avoid the death penalty.
He didn't have any personal hatred?
Takashi didn't hold any grudges
or hate anyone.
And that made him spooky.
It was like...
he was an empty vessel.
Car coming behind you.
Right.
World One...
Ran, Hitomi, Asuka...
Hey, isn't that it?
Yes, this is it.
Did her father try
to contact her recently?
Did he send her money?
Yukari, did Megumi
ever mention her father?
I know the guy she called "Daddy".
Not that guy, you idiot,
her real father.
Hi there!
- How late were you drinking?
- Till 5:00am!
- Your face is swollen.
- Shut up, we sang Karaoke.
I hear you got it on
with Ken yesterday.
Do you have any idea
where Megumi went?
I have no idea.
Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you.
Please don't be like that.
Tell us.
Her testimony could reduce his sentence
from the death penalty to life in prison.
She wanted him dead.
She said,
"I wish he'd hurry up and die".
The Tokyo cops came here
right after the murder.
That's why she couldn't
live here anymore.
How long do kids have to take
the blame for their parents' crimes?
I wish you'd told me
you were planning to go up there.
We're considering calling your daughter
as a character witness.
She won't come all this way.
Not for me.
She just wants me
to hurry up and die.
Some things are best forgotten.
Please understand.
But...
I think it's also important
for you to face what you did.
Face what I...
Right.
Everybody does that?
I think so.
Of course not! I mean...
You have to pretend not to see
a lot of things to live on the outside.
You do regret having killed
your boss, right?
- Regret?
- Yes.
You already wrote that you do
in your letter.
Because that other lawyer
kept telling me I had to write it.
Misumi,
whatever your true feelings are,
please don't take that attitude in court.
I know that.
It's going to be a jury trial.
I know that,
but I think that guy
deserved to be killed.
- Deserved?
- Yes.
Why do you think that?
There are some people in this world
who should never have been born.
But that's no excuse
for killing someone
to solve the problem.
Isn't that how you guys solve things?
Are you referring
to the death penalty?
That's it for today.
There's no one.
There's no one...
who should never have been born.
We're done!
But...
He seemed like
a completely different man.
- Who?
- Misumi did.
You...
Earlier, you said, "There's no one
who should never have been born."
Yes.
Do you really believe that?
Yes.
Don't you agree?
Well...
I don't agree. I don't.
Why not?
People's lives get decided for them,
regardless of what they want.
What do you mean?
Some people are born into circumstances
they never would have wanted.
Some have their lives taken away
from them unfairly.
Welcome.
That tastes good, right?
They served it for school lunch.
We used to fight over any leftovers.
It was in a small plastic pack.
What do you want with me?
You used to visit his apartment.
I mean, Misumi's.
Is that what you wanted to ask me?
Normally, people wouldn't...
What's normal?
I'm sorry.
I asked you the wrong way.
No, I'm sorry.
Did Misumi tell you
about his family?
No.
He has an only daughter.
Apparently, he hasn't seen her
in about 30 years.
His daughter also...
has a bad leg like you.
I thought that's why
you two became friends.
I see.
You didn't know.
Someone says they saw you with him
at the Karaoke by the station.
That was at the year-end party.
You were never alone together?
Of course not! Ridiculous.
About the life insurance...
You're the beneficiary, right?
Are you OK?
Turn off the light.
They can see inside.
Why would he be my lover?
Who made up such a baseless story?
Be careful.
After what happened to your father.
You're the only one
I can depend on now.
This pan has gotten really old.
It's all dented.
If you go away to Hokkaido for college,
I might die of loneliness.
You won't die,
just from being lonely.
You're not a rabbit.
Why won't they pay me
the life insurance?
What do you think?
You're worried about money, now?
I guess even
the insurance company thinks
I had him killed.
If you're so worried,
you should tell them the truth.
Just tell them the money wasn't to pay him
to murder. It was for the fake labels...
Don't be stupid.
If I told them that,
the factory would go out of business.
If it's making money
out of that disgusting work,
better that it goes out of business.
You sound just like a child.
It's that "disgusting" money...
that raised you this far.
I know that.
You have to testify
at the trial, too, you know?
Listen, OK?
Don't say anything unnecessary.
You hear me?
What's unnecessary?
What? What's unnecessary?
You know...
About the factory...
About your father...
What?
What about my father?
It wasn't just your father's fault.
Hello.
Hello.
Oh, Yuka?
I'm a little busy right now.
Did you get in trouble again?
No, I didn't.
Right.
That's good.
If something happens,
will you come help me again?
Will you?
Sure, I will.
You won't brush me off?
No, I won't.
I'll come help you.
But... that's no excuse
to do something bad.
Don't worry.
Don't worry.
I'm sorry.
For what?
I'm sorry.
I should have spent more time...
All along...
The prosecution will insist
it was murder and burglary,
but bear with it.
As we just practised,
when they question you,
please say, "I never intended
to steal his wallet."
I understand.
And the main culprit is his wife.
She asked you to murder him.
- Yes.
- Right.
Excuse me.
Do you believe that story?
What?
About the theft
and the life insurance.
You don't believe it,
but it's better for winning?
There is that aspect to it.
In terms of legal strategy.
What do you think
is the real motive?
The real motive?
Yes, the true motive.
Or maybe you're not interested
in the truth?
That's not true.
In that case, tell me.
In that case,
let me ask you a question.
You want a hint...
Go ahead.
That cross.
What does it mean?
Were you judging him?
Judging?
Yes.
His crime...
What crime?
That, I don't know.
I'm not the judge.
I am always the one being judged.
Remember, I told you
one canary got away?
Yes.
I intentionally let it get away.
I wonder if there's someone,
somewhere,
that's playing with our lives,
just like I did with the birds' lives.
If there is, I'd like to meet him.
Meet him and tell him,
it's not fair.
But...
it's not like you've been
treated unfairly.
My father, my mother...
My wife...
They were all perfectly innocent,
but they died from misfortune.
But here I am, still alive.
People's lives get decided for them,
regardless of what they want.
Unfairly!
Where did you hear...
Forget it.
Why...
did you send the judge that postcard?
I always longed to...
have control over people's lives.
This is Court Room 404.
Please send in the defendant.
Unchain him.
All rise.
Court is now in session.
Defendant,
stand by the witness stand.
What is your name?
Takashi Misumi.
Your date of birth?
December 1, 1959.
We will now convene the trial,
in which you stand accused of murder
and burglary and corpse mutilation.
Prosecutor,
please read aloud the charges.
Yes.
Charged facts.
Firstly, the defendant decided
to kill Mitsuo Yamanaka,
then aged 50,
and steal money and valuables.
At approximately 12:30am
on October 11th, 2017,
on the Tama River riverbed,
did repeatedly strike the victim
with a wrench.
I ask the defendant,
were there any misstatements
in the charges the prosecutor read aloud?
Yes.
I didn't kill him to steal his wallet.
His wife, Mizue, asked me to kill him.
Your Honour,
in order to refresh
the witness's memory,
I would like to submit
as Defendant's Evidence #1,
the email the witness sent
to the defendant on September 27th.
Proceed.
I'm asking you about this email.
What does "that matter" refer to?
It's about work.
What work?
I don't really know.
My husband was in charge
of everything related to the factory.
Probably an order or something.
The 500,000 yen was
in addition to his salary, right?
I doubt you'd refer to an order
in this manner.
I don't know.
My husband used my mobile
to send it to him.
So the defendant just made it up
that you were hiring him to kill?
I imagine so.
You'd better ask him.
I don't understand it at all.
And didn't you promise him
that if he murdered him,
you'd pay him 10 million yen
from the 80 million in insurance?
I did not.
Wasn't the 500,000 yen
your down payment?
That's not true.
At approximately 10:00pm,
last October 13th...
Two days after the crime.
Where is this?
That river bed.
Why are the two of you there?
Misumi had made a bonfire.
I passed him on my way home
from school.
When I told him it was my birthday,
he said, "Let's make
your birthday cake out of snow."
After that, I told him...
Here?
Yes.
When did your father start...
I was 14.
In other words,
it was sexual abuse?
Yes.
It was rape.
That's right.
Misumi...
For me...
That's why...
Misumi and my mother
have nothing to do with each other.
And you want to tell that
to the court.
- Yes.
- To save him.
Yes.
You didn't actually ask him
to kill your father, right?
But...
Somewhere in my heart,
I wanted someone to kill my father.
And Misumi figured that out.
How did he figure it out?
He figured it out.
I know he did.
Where did it happen?
It was...
A hotel? Your house?
That river bed?
Shigemori, don't.
Not now.
It's important.
The prosecutor
will definitely ask you
where and how many times.
I'm prepared for that.
In order to weaken
your testimony's credibility,
the prosecution
will investigate your friends,
if you've ever shoplifted,
all of that,
and bring it all up in court.
I understand.
About your leg, too.
My leg?
Yes.
I hear you lie to everyone
that you injured it
jumping off the roof as a child.
That is not a lie.
I jumped from the roof.
In any case, they'll ask you really tough
questions about all that. Can you take it?
It will be tough.
Will you be OK?
It's been so...
When I couldn't tell anyone...
That was much tougher.
We will be back in touch.
Yes.
A candy for you.
The stairs are steep, be careful.
Excuse me.
Thank you for telling us.
But...
Why...
I...
don't want to...
pretend not to see,
like my mother.
Aren't you going to sleep?
And yourself?
The cold woke me up.
Don't catch a cold.
You're getting old.
Shut up.
You know,
there's that folk tale
from China or somewhere,
about people who can't see,
all touching an elephant.
Right.
And the one that touched the nose
and the one that touched the ear
argue over who's right.
That's the one.
I bet that's how you're feeling now.
You're right.
But...
I wonder...
where I'm touching now.
Did the Judge...
Did he save...
Hello.
Sorry to visit so late.
It's fine. I couldn't sleep anyway.
I'm here to talk about Sakie.
Do you remember this?
February 15th, last year.
The day of the big snowstorm.
You and Sakie took this picture
at that river bed.
On that day,
according to her,
she confessed to you
that her father had been raping her.
I don't remember.
I see.
But...
you do remember this.
The postcard you mailed
to my father.
It's dated February 20th.
Five days after this photo was taken.
For you,
Sakie was your surrogate daughter.
In order to save Sakie,
you killed her father.
You intuited her wish to kill him.
Is that what she's saying?
That story is a lie.
Is it a lie?
Shigemori...
That girl...
She lies a lot.
Why would she lie
in order to save you?
You'll have to ask her that.
Then tell me one more thing.
Sure.
About the day of the crime.
Yes.
How did you get your boss
all the way to that river bed?
- How?
- Yes.
I mean, he'd fired you.
I don't mean to offend you,
but normally, he would never
follow someone like you.
I told him it was important.
What was so important?
The fake labels.
Fake labels?
Fake food labels.
Once a month,
flour made in some
mysterious location
was delivered in secret.
He bought that flour for almost nothing
and switched it.
It's a dirty business.
So, that 500,000 yen was...
It was money for that.
Why?
Did you lie?
Were you judging her?
That mother...
who pretended not to see what
her husband did to her daughter?
Shigemori.
What?
No.
You won't believe me anyway.
Tell me.
What is it?
It's a lie.
A lie?
Yes.
I never went to the river bed.
What?
The truth is... I didn't kill him.
You didn't kill him?
The truth is, I didn't kill him.
No.
But...
Why tell me now?
Why didn't you deny it from the start?
I did.
I told them, I didn't do it.
To the police, the prosecutor...
And even the lawyer.
To the lawyer?
Yes.
When he first came to see me.
To Settsu?
Yes.
But... he told me not to lie.
If I confessed,
I'd avoid the death penalty.
But...
But...
even if you avoid the death penalty,
if you confess, you're back in...
Rather than...
living in that factory,
taking advantage of people,
in prison,
at least I don't have to lie.
Will you believe me?
Shigemori.
But...
You've told me...
Now you want me
to believe this story is true?
Right.
Just wait a minute.
You won't believe me.
Tell me, Misumi,
did someone else come here,
to see you?
Tell me!
No, no one other than you.
Please!
Please!
Tell me the real truth now!
Don't worry. He can't hear.
His wallet?
You stole...
his wallet, right?
Yes, I stole it.
The day of the crime,
I threatened the boss
I'd expose the fake labels.
The cash?
I sent it to my daughter.
The burn on your hand?
I made a bonfire the night before.
So that river bed...
I told you, I never went there!
Right.
You never went.
You already told me.
Will you believe me?
You...
are my client.
So I respect your intentions.
But...
Denying the charges now
is bad legal strategy.
Who cares about legal strategy?
I'm asking whether
you believe me or not!
I understand.
You understand me?
You'll take the risk?
You're sure?
Yes.
Give me a break!
What? Is that his story now?
Yeah.
The lawyer told him he'd avoid
the death penalty if he confessed.
Ignore him!
He'll just change his story again.
I agree that we should stress
the importance of Sakie's testimony.
Which means the three of us
acknowledge he did it.
But who's going to believe
he didn't actually do it?
There are no witnesses
to the crime.
The only evidence the prosecution has
is his confession!
He's gotten scared.
The trial started,
and now the death penalty is real,
so suddenly... It happens a lot.
No, he's not like that.
- How do you know that!
- I know that.
This is getting dangerous.
Dangerous?
This...
This is what he's capable of
Look.
Can a normal human being do this?
This kind of father
deserves to be killed!
Deserves?
That prosecutor is right.
You're the kind of lawyer
that gets in the way of
criminals facing their crimes.
We'll lose.
The judge will be disgusted.
But...
as long as he himself denies it,
as his lawyer,
I have to listen to what he says.
Please form two lines.
The surviving family will be asked
questions in today's trial.
People are forming long lines for tickets.
Denied it?
Yes.
He says he didn't kill him.
What?
So, we don't want you
to testify in court,
that he did it to save you.
We're sorry.
I will testify.
We're sorry.
Please let me...
tell the truth.
Do you want to testify,
in order to satisfy
your own righteousness?
That's not true.
You want to save Misumi.
Yes.
In that case,
you should place that goal
above everything else.
What are your feelings
towards the defendant?
He brutally murdered
your precious father
to steal his money,
isn't that right?
I don't believe...
Misumi killed him to steal money.
New question.
What kind of punishment
do you want for the defendant?
I do not want the death penalty.
Do you have anything you want to say
to your departed father?
Do you?
I'm grateful that he brought me
into this world and raised me.
On the night of October 11th,
you waited in front of the factory
for your boss to arrive, didn't you?
Yes.
What was your purpose?
I wanted to threaten him
to steal his money.
I was furious because he'd fired me.
What did you do with his wallet?
I stole his wallet.
But that is all.
I never went to the river bed.
I didn't kill him.
This trial is not contesting
defendant's culpability.
I told them, I didn't do it!
The prosecutor followed me
to the toilet and said,
if I admitted to the murder
I'd avoid the death penalty!
Be quiet.
Where are your questions leading?
You're all in this together.
- I refute his culpability
- Even the lawyer...
- We contest his culpability
- ...told me to admit it.
That I'd be spared!
Defendant, be quiet.
I will order you out of the court.
Nobody believes anything I say.
So, here and now,
I want you to listen to the truth.
Your Honour, I did not kill him!
- May we?
- Please.
Counsellor, what is your intent?
We agreed, the issues are
intent to burgle and sentencing.
The defendant suddenly
changed his plea.
What is your position moving forward?
Will you contest his culpability?
We won't contest any further.
Yes, we will contest it.
Which is it?
We can't take this any further.
We'll contest it.
What is your opinion, Prosecutor?
Defence had not originally
contested culpability,
so we will have to start over
with a new trial.
Defence, this...
I'd like to proceed with
the additional issue of culpability.
Yes, to continue the ongoing trial...
I understand the prosecutor's position,
but it is a sudden assertion.
The defence wishes to continue,
and we must consider the jury, too.
No, we must establish culpa...
Yes.
Well...
It's a baseless refutation anyway.
It's more judicially economical,
as well.
Judicially economical.
The prosecution will submit objective
evidence of culpability
and the trial will continue as is.
I thought this would require
a whole new trial.
It seems that's not necessary.
You all exchanged looks,
like you were in silent agreement.
The judge signalled
that doing the whole trial over
wouldn't change his final decision.
Nobody believes
Misumi didn't kill him.
It can't be helped.
The judge has to complete his trials
on schedule to maintain his reputation.
And we may be on different sides, but
we're all riding the ship called justice.
Here.
Food, food.
Here.
Here.
Come.
Here.
Come here.
Eat.
Come.
- Misumi.
- Yes.
- Please.
- Thank you.
Hello.
I will now pronounce the verdict
to the defendant in this murder and
burglary and corpse mutilation case.
Decision.
The defendant is sentenced to death.
The reason the defendant denied
his culpability at trial is irrational,
and the defendant's defence, that he
threatened and stole the victim's wallet,
is inconsistent with the evidence,
significantly altered, and not credible.
Regarding the email,
because there had been no discussion
between the defendant and Mizue
suggesting the victim's murder,
and with no mention of murder
in the email,
interpreting it as a murder request
is sheer speculation.
Also, although the defendant had
confessed during the investigation,
at trial, he reversed his plea to denial,
resulting in an inconsistent defence.
His intention was
to evade all responsibility.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
It was...
exactly like he said.
No one here tells the truth.
No one?
Who decides...
who gets judged?
The cherry trees...
outside my apartment.
The blossoms are really big.
They'll flower any day.
The cherry trees bloom
so early here.
In Hokkaido,
they bloom around
the end of April, right?
Yes.
Around the holiday in early May.
I've been thinking a lot
about the reason
you denied the crime.
If you deny the crime...
she...
Sakie doesn't have to testify
about painful things.
Is that what you thought?
Is that why you deliberately denied...
Shigemori.
Are you asking me that question?
I guess it's not really a question.
Can I ask you a question?
Is that the reason...
you agreed to my denial?
Yes.
Was I wrong?
But...
It's a good story.
A very good story.
I always thought that
I should never have been born.
Why is that?
I hurt the people around me,
just by existing.
But if what you just said is true...
Even I...
can help someone.
Even, for instance,
if that's murder?
Yes.
If it's true, that is.
Does that mean,
in other words...
That I just want it to be true?
You really shouldn't
expect so much
from a murderer like me.
Are you...
just...
a vessel?
What's a vessel?
THE THIRD MURDER
Let me see it.
What?
Here.
A second charge of murder
and burglary is really serious.
But he confessed?
Yeah, right after he was arrested.
Then he'll get the death penalty,
no question.
That's why I asked for your help.
I wish you'd asked me
before he was indicted.
Well, at first I thought
I could manage it on my own.
But he changes his story
every time I see him.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
So many of you today.
I'm glad it didn't rain.
Listen,
this is Shigemori, the lawyer
I told you about before.
That judge from thirty years ago...
His son...
I'm Shigemori.
I'm Misumi.
Your father was good to me.
I asked you the other day,
there's no question
you killed him, right?
No question.
You killed him?
Yes, I killed him.
Why did you kill him?
He owned the factory
where you worked.
Your motive...
I wanted money to gamble with.
Were you in trouble?
Did you have debts?
Yes.
I'd borrowed some money
I couldn't pay back.
When did you quit?
September 30th.
- Fired?
- Yes.
Why were you fired?
I stole money from the safe.
Had you been drinking alcohol that day?
Yes, three glasses of shochu.
Did you decide to kill him
before you started drinking?
Or did you get enraged
while you were drinking?
I got enraged while I was drinking.
What?
Last time I asked you,
didn't you say, "I'd been thinking
about killing him all along"?
Oh, did I?
You hit him with a wrench,
from behind, right?
Yes.
Did you check that he was dead?
Yes, he'd stopped breathing.
Your hand. Did you burn it?
Yes.
When I burned him.
Where'd you get the petrol?
I went back to the factory warehouse
to get it.
That far away?
If I ran, it was less than 10 minutes.
But you didn't take the petrol
with you from the start?
No.
Note that.
Remember, I asked you
to write a letter to the victim's family?
Yes.
I'll take it with me.
Hand it over later.
Yes.
Will the prosecutor demand
the death penalty?
Probably.
He's stuck with murder and burglary.
We have to get that charge reduced.
And dispute the facts, because
we don't have a case with that charge.
- Hey, Settsu.
- What?
Misumi himself wants
the charges reduced, right?
That's right. Why?
He didn't seem that way to me.
For me, I'll be happy
if we can reduce it to life in prison.
Any family?
- He's got a daughter.
- Her age?
The daughter? She's 36.
Shall we go meet her?
She's in Rumoi, Hokkaido.
So far away.
It's so cold up there.
I doubt she saw her father much.
No, he was in prison for 30 years.
I doubt she'd say much
to support his case.
The crab is tasty up there now.
Oh, thanks.
Rumoi is famous for octopus,
not crab.
Oh, just octopus.
Don't make fun of octopus.
- Spoken like a Hokkaido native.
- That's right.
No barbecued meat for a while.
Fly as far as Asahikawa,
and then take the train.
Are travel expenses reimbursed?
To interview a character witness?
No, no way.
Let's not bother, then.
Yeah, it's cold up there.
And there's only octopus.
But it's better to go,
in order to understand Misumi.
- Understand?
- Yes.
You don't need understanding
or empathy to defend a client.
Is that true?
Of course it is.
You're not going to become friends.
Is she involved in the case?
Well, probably.
I feel like I can still smell the petrol.
Yeah.
Is this...
...a coincidence?
Chofu Station, please.
I knew something was wrong with him.
It looked like his hand was burned.
Stop.
Please rewind it a little.
Right there.
Why did he open the window?
- The window?
- Yes.
Did something stink?
Well, I recall...
it smelled like petrol.
Petrol.
Was it the wallet that smelled?
The one he took out of his pocket?
Oh...
Probably.
Right?
- Yes?
- Here.
Yes.
He's already confessed,
so why go through all this?
Yes, yes.
Leave it in the bag.
Oh, right.
Petrol stains, right?
- Did you already have it tested?
- Yes.
It is definitely petrol.
Which could mean
he decided to steal it
after he poured petrol over him.
Which would mean
it's not murder and burglary
but murder and theft.
You contest the charge
with a petrol stain?
It's plenty of proof to contest it.
If only he hadn't confessed, we could
aggressively attack their position.
I wish we'd been involved
in this case from the start.
For now, let's take his letter,
visit the factory,
and comfort the bereaved family.
I'll buy the regular family gift.
Thanks.
And about his motive...
Ask his co-workers if he had
a grudge against his boss.
Yes, I will.
Settsu dumped the whole case onto us.
Yes.
Hello.
Oh...
I'm Shigemori. I'm a lawyer.
I'm defending Takashi Misumi.
I came to deliver a letter
he wrote to your family.
I'll go get my mother.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
I'm Shigemori.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
You want me to forgive him
because he wrote this letter?
We...
A member of our family was murdered,
and then his body was burned.
Even at his funeral...
none of us...
could even see him to say farewell.
Mother.
He genuinely regrets what he did.
I am so very sorry.
Do you think Misumi hated your boss?
He was probably grateful
for giving him a job.
I see...
Did you ever see them argue?
He was always complaining to him
about how little he paid.
Did you screw up again, Sakurai?
No, you idiot!
He's a lawyer, not a cop.
Did you know
Misumi had a criminal record?
I knew that.
A lot of guys here have records.
Actually, I have one, too.
Oh.
You want to know what I did?
No.
Your boss was a good man.
He hired us because we're cheap.
You can't fight back
if you have a weakness.
Oh, I see.
Thank you very much.
How did it go?
Oh, that bad.
They didn't have to...
These days, victims think
they can get away with anything.
"Why are you covering up for him?"
That's what we do.
So, what's our strategy?
We dispute his intent to steal.
And reduce murder and burglary
to murder and theft.
He didn't kill him to steal,
he set fire to him after killing him
and then decided to steal.
He even went all the way back
to the factory to get the petrol,
after he killed him.
- All the way back?
- All the way back.
He should've just run away.
And his motive for murder?
I think a grudge is best.
It seems they argued over his pay.
I don't know the facts,
but that's our defence strategy.
He was enraged over being fired.
A grudge, huh?
It's not a strong defence.
Is it a lesser crime to kill for a grudge
than to steal money?
It's worse if you kill for money
because it's a selfish crime.
Even for the same murder?
That's a great question.
If the motive is a grudge,
something must have provoked it.
But if that makes it a lesser crime...
The law is really strange.
This is Shigemori.
Yes, I'm her father.
What?
Hey.
I got your call.
You're her father?
Don't "Hey" me.
Usually, we'd report this to the police,
right away.
I am so sorry for the trouble...
my daughter caused you.
Oh, you're a lawyer...
I'm involved in an important murder case.
I've been away from home a lot.
I'm sure that was part of this...
Yuka, I'm sorry.
I've left you on your own.
Why didn't you call your mother?
In this case,
a lawyer is more useful.
Thank you so much.
Hey, um, how's Nemo doing?
That's old news.
Shall I send you the tank?
Is it in your way?
Not really.
They died.
They died? All of them?
Yup.
Why are you disappointed?
They're just fish.
You didn't flush them
down the toilet, did you?
When a creature dies,
you need to make it
a Proper grave.
Suddenly, you're sounding
like a real father.
What do you mean, "sounding like"?
I am your father.
For now.
Listen, Yuka.
Why did you cry before?
I'm good at that...
Here. See?
Amazing, right?
Everyone falls for it.
Go ahead, answer it.
Forget it.
Answer it.
Oh, your lover?
No way, dummy.
It's Settsu.
Hello?
Right now?
Sure, I can go.
No, I haven't.
Has Misumi read this?
I sent it over for him to read.
We can't have him
just saying whatever he wants.
Sorry.
It's cold today, isn't it?
Let's see, today...
We're here about
this magazine article.
Oh.
Is this true?
This "Exclusive Confession".
The part where it says: "His wife asked me
to kill him for his life insurance."
Oh, yes.
Did you really say this?
Yes, probably.
What do you mean, "probably"?
Misumi, your bank account
shows a transfer of 500,000 yen
in early October.
In addition to your salary.
This was from his wife?
Yes, that was from his wife.
So that means,
this was the down payment
for your fee.
Yes.
Why didn't you tell us that
from the beginning?
I'm not sure why.
Maybe it's that...
Maybe the journalist asked you
about this story first, right?
I can't really remember.
Not again.
How did she ask you to kill him?
By mobile phone email.
- Phone email?
- Yes.
About when?
About two weeks before I killed him.
Is it still on your phone?
Yes, probably.
I think this could work:
conspiracy, aiding and abetting.
- Really?
- Yes.
After the crime,
did you contact his wife?
Yes, from a pay phone.
And then?
She said if I kept her out of it,
she would take care of me.
Tell me, were you and his wife...
...involved as a man and a woman?
According to yesterday's magazine report,
there is shocking new evidence
in the factory owner murder case.
Can you take care of the business
for 500,000 yen?
By When?
The loan payment is due,
so, by end of October.
I understand.
Leave it to me.
What do you think?
Does it smell fishy?
No.
If we can prove she paid Misumi money,
that's a criminal conspiracy.
And the wife could become
the main offender.
But if, as Misumi says,
he and the wife were sexually involved,
they were probably co-conspirators.
Did he admit it?
He was embarrassed.
His look said he'd done it.
But he didn't actually admit anything.
Of course they did it.
As soon as I saw her face,
I just sensed it...
But he didn't say,
"She asked me to kill him," either.
Let me see that.
Yes.
I doubt the prosecution will reduce
the charge based on this mobile email.
They've already prosecuted him for
doing it alone and they've got their pride.
Speaking as a former
prosecutor myself...
But look,
"She said if I kept her out of it,
she would take care of me."
Here.
But that could be about their
sexual involvement, not the killing.
Which is the truth...
A grudge or life insurance?
Whichever is advantageous
for the client, of course.
I understand that as a legal strategy...
And what else do we have to consider?
Nothing, I guess.
Nothing is right.
We'll never know which is the truth.
So, we choose
whatever benefits his case.
So, what do we do?
Do we go ahead and risk it?
It is a jury trial,
and the testimony will change.
If it were me,
I'd hesitate with the death penalty.
The defence has asked that mobile phone
email records be admitted as evidence.
Objection.
On what grounds do you object?
Do you mean that the contents
of the mobile email are untrustworthy?
No, the records are irrelevant.
What?
Well, in that case,
it's objective evidence,
so it's admissible as irrelevant.
Well...
That's fine, then.
So, it's admitted.
And you don't dispute his culpability.
No, we don't dispute his culpability.
So, the issue is whether or not
he intended to steal.
Yes, we are contesting the murder
and burglary charge.
The prosecution is calling
the wife, Mizue and daughter, Sakie,
as witnesses.
Yes.
Does the defence have an opinion?
As you see fit.
Is the defence calling witnesses?
Yes.
The defence is also calling the wife,
Mizue.
This is to rebut the intent to burglar.
Yes.
And the defendant's daughter,
Megumi is a character witness.
Yes, that is the plan.
Does the prosecution have an opinion?
As you see fit.
That's settled then.
For the next date...
I highly doubt that email will stand up
as evidence she asked him to murder him.
It's plenty to contest the charge
of murder and burglary.
I think he got scared and decided to say
someone instructed him to do it.
I think you're convinced
it was a murder and burglary.
All you live for is "reducing charges".
That's what lawyers do.
You're the kind of lawyer
that gets in the way
of criminals facing their guilt.
What?
What does "facing your guilt"
actually mean?
It means not averting your eyes
from the truth.
The truth?
I think that's about enough.
As we know,
you are on opposite sides here, right?
Hello.
- Sorry to make you wait.
- Thank you.
That house is built out beyond
the building code.
It's jammed up against
the next building.
This guy here is on his second wife.
She's 24 years younger.
Oh, I'm envious.
It's hell at night.
They make so much noise.
- Wear these.
- Thank you so much.
What kind of man was Misumi?
He was a good man who followed
the rules about putting out his trash.
He asked me to send him
some sweaters.
Did he get them,
like that green one?
Yes, he was wearing it.
It looks like it's cold in prison.
I guess it's pretty cold in here, too.
It smells mouldy in here,
it never gets any fresh air.
Um...
Did this person ever visit him here?
Oh...
I saw her on TV.
I never saw her before.
She might have been wearing a disguise.
Hardly anyone ever visited him.
But a young girl visited him
once in a while.
- A young girl?
- Yes.
About what age?
Maybe high school age.
She wore a uniform and had a bad leg.
She walked like this.
How did she seem?
She laughed a lot in a bright voice.
She's not his daughter?
I wonder.
Oh, there's a spider.
But a spider during daytime
isn't bad luck.
Oh, that's right.
When his pet bird died,
he asked me permission
to bury it outside.
Thank you for your gift.
I figured you like peanut butter.
I saw a jar in your place.
I love it.
They serve bread for lunch here
twice a week.
You had a pet bird?
Yes.
A canary.
It died... from a sickness.
That grave...
- Grave?
- Yes.
Under your window.
Yes.
Your birdcage was so large,
it made me wonder.
So, I dug it up.
Five birds don't get sick at once.
I mean...
even if I'd set them free,
they couldn't survive on their own.
One bird...
managed to fly away.
It's going to be cold for a while.
I wonder how it's doing,
for food and...
I wanted to ask you about the rent.
It was 38,000 yen.
With a bath, though it's small.
I asked your landlord.
Next month's rent...
You paid it 10 days earlier than usual.
I think,
you planned to get arrested, right?
You don't understand, do you?
What?
Paying rent is a pleasure.
- A pleasure?
- Yes.
You don't pay rent in prison.
There was no other special reason.
Let me see your hands.
- My hands?
- Yes.
Like this.
You have a large hand.
Keep it there.
You'll start to feel the heat soon.
L.-
...learn more about someone this way
than talking to them.
Shall I guess
what you're thinking now?
Go ahead.
How old is she now?
Your daughter.
She's 14.
Oh, I see.
The next witness to be examined
is Misumi's daughter.
Well, only if we can find her.
After that is Misumi's direct questioning.
That's the toughest.
On the theory that the wife
is the main culprit.
Yeah, that's right.
You don't sound yourself.
You lack confidence.
I can't sell our apartment
for as much as I'd hoped.
Oh, that.
Please, Shigemori.
Misumi's very life depends
on your "you know what".
What's "you know what"?
You know what.
Cut it out.
- Tell me, Settsu...
- What?
How much did you tell Misumi
about me?
How much? That we were
in judicial practice class together.
What about my daughter?
No, I didn't tell him.
But why?
What did he say?
No, in that case, it's fine.
HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
VETERINARY SCHOOL
Apparently, she was born
with that bad leg.
But...
But?
She tells people it's an injury from when she
jumped from the factory roof as a child.
Why does she lie about it?
I wonder.
And the day of the crime?
Sakie...
She got home after school
and apparently never left the house.
She does have that bad leg.
I'm telling you, the prosecution
and the defence
are often 180 degrees apart
on psychiatric evaluations.
Psychiatry isn't science,
it's literature.
You love to criticise evaluations.
Welcome back.
Here are the Rumoi Murder and Burglary
case files I promised you.
You called me so unexpectedly.
I was surprised.
This is former Judge Shigemori.
Oh, your father.
Thank you so much.
The files will be helpful.
You didn't have to bring them all this way,
you could have just shipped them.
- Which class are you?
- Class of 69.
You've got so much competition now.
Your son keeps me busy.
- You practise solo out of his office?
- Yes.
Your father told me that your
childhood dream was to be a judge.
What? For real?
Who knew?
Can you please stop talking
about my past?
- What about her?
- What?
Divorced women are patient.
My divorce hasn't gone through yet.
Then I'll propose my candidacy first.
That's enough.
Please go home when you're done.
- No, I think I'll stay here a few nights.
- What?
Do you know that Italian place,
La Bisboccia, in Hiroo?
I do not.
So, where will you stay tonight?
Shall I reserve a hotel room for you?
A suite for two, please.
You're super fun, Mister.
He just wanted to kill.
That's his motive?
Right.
Kill for fun and then burn him.
Some people are more beast
than human.
But in your court ruling here,
you discuss his unfortunate childhood
and his poverty
as extenuating circumstances.
That was 30 years ago.
Back then, we still believed
social conditions generate crimes.
Blame it on the times?
I never advocated
to abolish the death penalty.
And now...
Because of my compassionate ruling,
someone else had to die.
I do regret it.
Listen.
There's a huge gap
separating those who kill
and those who don't.
Whether or not you can cross that gap
is determined at birth.
That's an awfully arrogant statement.
You don't even believe
in rehabilitation?
After he sent you this postcard.
You're the arrogant one for thinking
people can change so easily.
In this case,
he just killed for money, right?
No.
I have a feeling
there was another reason.
Don't waste your time
trying to figure him out.
Don't say "wasting my time".
People hardly understand members
of their own family, let alone strangers.
Dear Judge Shigemori,
I haven't seen you in a while.
I'm Takashi Misumi.
You presided at my trial.
Last year, I was released
on probation,
and I now work
in a food factory in Kawasaki.
There was a big snow storm here
last week,
that reminded me of my hometown
in Hokkaido.
For my daughter's 4th birthday,
we made a big birthday cake
with snow.
My daughter wasn't wearing gloves,
so I gave her one of mine.
Her hands got red with the cold
while she made a cake
taller than herself.
It is a cold... and warm memory.
The next and last stop is Rumoi.
How old were you
at the time of his last case?
It was in the 1980s?
I was a Junior in High School.
Do you remember it?
No.
Hokkaido is a big prefecture.
Nobody remembers a case
from this tiny little town.
He murdered two loan sharks, stole their
money and set fire to their apartment.
It's amazing he didn't get
the death penalty.
If he had been sentenced to death,
he wouldn't have killed someone else.
Your father will scold you.
That's what my father said.
I arrested him on January 22nd, 1986.
A blizzard had shut down the railroad.
It was a bitterly cold night.
Did you arrest Misumi,
Mister Watanabe?
Yes.
The day after the incident,
I found him,
sitting on the bench
outside the station.
What was his motive?
For the murder?
Officially, it's a grudge.
Officially?
But the truth is, nobody knows.
He kept changing his story
while I was questioning him.
After the mines closed,
many local men were unemployed.
Gangsters gave them
high-interest loans
and treated them horribly.
Oh, we're fine.
I guess his lawyer thought
that a grudge would help him
avoid the death penalty.
He didn't have any personal hatred?
Takashi didn't hold any grudges
or hate anyone.
And that made him spooky.
It was like...
he was an empty vessel.
Car coming behind you.
Right.
World One...
Ran, Hitomi, Asuka...
Hey, isn't that it?
Yes, this is it.
Did her father try
to contact her recently?
Did he send her money?
Yukari, did Megumi
ever mention her father?
I know the guy she called "Daddy".
Not that guy, you idiot,
her real father.
Hi there!
- How late were you drinking?
- Till 5:00am!
- Your face is swollen.
- Shut up, we sang Karaoke.
I hear you got it on
with Ken yesterday.
Do you have any idea
where Megumi went?
I have no idea.
Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you.
Please don't be like that.
Tell us.
Her testimony could reduce his sentence
from the death penalty to life in prison.
She wanted him dead.
She said,
"I wish he'd hurry up and die".
The Tokyo cops came here
right after the murder.
That's why she couldn't
live here anymore.
How long do kids have to take
the blame for their parents' crimes?
I wish you'd told me
you were planning to go up there.
We're considering calling your daughter
as a character witness.
She won't come all this way.
Not for me.
She just wants me
to hurry up and die.
Some things are best forgotten.
Please understand.
But...
I think it's also important
for you to face what you did.
Face what I...
Right.
Everybody does that?
I think so.
Of course not! I mean...
You have to pretend not to see
a lot of things to live on the outside.
You do regret having killed
your boss, right?
- Regret?
- Yes.
You already wrote that you do
in your letter.
Because that other lawyer
kept telling me I had to write it.
Misumi,
whatever your true feelings are,
please don't take that attitude in court.
I know that.
It's going to be a jury trial.
I know that,
but I think that guy
deserved to be killed.
- Deserved?
- Yes.
Why do you think that?
There are some people in this world
who should never have been born.
But that's no excuse
for killing someone
to solve the problem.
Isn't that how you guys solve things?
Are you referring
to the death penalty?
That's it for today.
There's no one.
There's no one...
who should never have been born.
We're done!
But...
He seemed like
a completely different man.
- Who?
- Misumi did.
You...
Earlier, you said, "There's no one
who should never have been born."
Yes.
Do you really believe that?
Yes.
Don't you agree?
Well...
I don't agree. I don't.
Why not?
People's lives get decided for them,
regardless of what they want.
What do you mean?
Some people are born into circumstances
they never would have wanted.
Some have their lives taken away
from them unfairly.
Welcome.
That tastes good, right?
They served it for school lunch.
We used to fight over any leftovers.
It was in a small plastic pack.
What do you want with me?
You used to visit his apartment.
I mean, Misumi's.
Is that what you wanted to ask me?
Normally, people wouldn't...
What's normal?
I'm sorry.
I asked you the wrong way.
No, I'm sorry.
Did Misumi tell you
about his family?
No.
He has an only daughter.
Apparently, he hasn't seen her
in about 30 years.
His daughter also...
has a bad leg like you.
I thought that's why
you two became friends.
I see.
You didn't know.
Someone says they saw you with him
at the Karaoke by the station.
That was at the year-end party.
You were never alone together?
Of course not! Ridiculous.
About the life insurance...
You're the beneficiary, right?
Are you OK?
Turn off the light.
They can see inside.
Why would he be my lover?
Who made up such a baseless story?
Be careful.
After what happened to your father.
You're the only one
I can depend on now.
This pan has gotten really old.
It's all dented.
If you go away to Hokkaido for college,
I might die of loneliness.
You won't die,
just from being lonely.
You're not a rabbit.
Why won't they pay me
the life insurance?
What do you think?
You're worried about money, now?
I guess even
the insurance company thinks
I had him killed.
If you're so worried,
you should tell them the truth.
Just tell them the money wasn't to pay him
to murder. It was for the fake labels...
Don't be stupid.
If I told them that,
the factory would go out of business.
If it's making money
out of that disgusting work,
better that it goes out of business.
You sound just like a child.
It's that "disgusting" money...
that raised you this far.
I know that.
You have to testify
at the trial, too, you know?
Listen, OK?
Don't say anything unnecessary.
You hear me?
What's unnecessary?
What? What's unnecessary?
You know...
About the factory...
About your father...
What?
What about my father?
It wasn't just your father's fault.
Hello.
Hello.
Oh, Yuka?
I'm a little busy right now.
Did you get in trouble again?
No, I didn't.
Right.
That's good.
If something happens,
will you come help me again?
Will you?
Sure, I will.
You won't brush me off?
No, I won't.
I'll come help you.
But... that's no excuse
to do something bad.
Don't worry.
Don't worry.
I'm sorry.
For what?
I'm sorry.
I should have spent more time...
All along...
The prosecution will insist
it was murder and burglary,
but bear with it.
As we just practised,
when they question you,
please say, "I never intended
to steal his wallet."
I understand.
And the main culprit is his wife.
She asked you to murder him.
- Yes.
- Right.
Excuse me.
Do you believe that story?
What?
About the theft
and the life insurance.
You don't believe it,
but it's better for winning?
There is that aspect to it.
In terms of legal strategy.
What do you think
is the real motive?
The real motive?
Yes, the true motive.
Or maybe you're not interested
in the truth?
That's not true.
In that case, tell me.
In that case,
let me ask you a question.
You want a hint...
Go ahead.
That cross.
What does it mean?
Were you judging him?
Judging?
Yes.
His crime...
What crime?
That, I don't know.
I'm not the judge.
I am always the one being judged.
Remember, I told you
one canary got away?
Yes.
I intentionally let it get away.
I wonder if there's someone,
somewhere,
that's playing with our lives,
just like I did with the birds' lives.
If there is, I'd like to meet him.
Meet him and tell him,
it's not fair.
But...
it's not like you've been
treated unfairly.
My father, my mother...
My wife...
They were all perfectly innocent,
but they died from misfortune.
But here I am, still alive.
People's lives get decided for them,
regardless of what they want.
Unfairly!
Where did you hear...
Forget it.
Why...
did you send the judge that postcard?
I always longed to...
have control over people's lives.
This is Court Room 404.
Please send in the defendant.
Unchain him.
All rise.
Court is now in session.
Defendant,
stand by the witness stand.
What is your name?
Takashi Misumi.
Your date of birth?
December 1, 1959.
We will now convene the trial,
in which you stand accused of murder
and burglary and corpse mutilation.
Prosecutor,
please read aloud the charges.
Yes.
Charged facts.
Firstly, the defendant decided
to kill Mitsuo Yamanaka,
then aged 50,
and steal money and valuables.
At approximately 12:30am
on October 11th, 2017,
on the Tama River riverbed,
did repeatedly strike the victim
with a wrench.
I ask the defendant,
were there any misstatements
in the charges the prosecutor read aloud?
Yes.
I didn't kill him to steal his wallet.
His wife, Mizue, asked me to kill him.
Your Honour,
in order to refresh
the witness's memory,
I would like to submit
as Defendant's Evidence #1,
the email the witness sent
to the defendant on September 27th.
Proceed.
I'm asking you about this email.
What does "that matter" refer to?
It's about work.
What work?
I don't really know.
My husband was in charge
of everything related to the factory.
Probably an order or something.
The 500,000 yen was
in addition to his salary, right?
I doubt you'd refer to an order
in this manner.
I don't know.
My husband used my mobile
to send it to him.
So the defendant just made it up
that you were hiring him to kill?
I imagine so.
You'd better ask him.
I don't understand it at all.
And didn't you promise him
that if he murdered him,
you'd pay him 10 million yen
from the 80 million in insurance?
I did not.
Wasn't the 500,000 yen
your down payment?
That's not true.
At approximately 10:00pm,
last October 13th...
Two days after the crime.
Where is this?
That river bed.
Why are the two of you there?
Misumi had made a bonfire.
I passed him on my way home
from school.
When I told him it was my birthday,
he said, "Let's make
your birthday cake out of snow."
After that, I told him...
Here?
Yes.
When did your father start...
I was 14.
In other words,
it was sexual abuse?
Yes.
It was rape.
That's right.
Misumi...
For me...
That's why...
Misumi and my mother
have nothing to do with each other.
And you want to tell that
to the court.
- Yes.
- To save him.
Yes.
You didn't actually ask him
to kill your father, right?
But...
Somewhere in my heart,
I wanted someone to kill my father.
And Misumi figured that out.
How did he figure it out?
He figured it out.
I know he did.
Where did it happen?
It was...
A hotel? Your house?
That river bed?
Shigemori, don't.
Not now.
It's important.
The prosecutor
will definitely ask you
where and how many times.
I'm prepared for that.
In order to weaken
your testimony's credibility,
the prosecution
will investigate your friends,
if you've ever shoplifted,
all of that,
and bring it all up in court.
I understand.
About your leg, too.
My leg?
Yes.
I hear you lie to everyone
that you injured it
jumping off the roof as a child.
That is not a lie.
I jumped from the roof.
In any case, they'll ask you really tough
questions about all that. Can you take it?
It will be tough.
Will you be OK?
It's been so...
When I couldn't tell anyone...
That was much tougher.
We will be back in touch.
Yes.
A candy for you.
The stairs are steep, be careful.
Excuse me.
Thank you for telling us.
But...
Why...
I...
don't want to...
pretend not to see,
like my mother.
Aren't you going to sleep?
And yourself?
The cold woke me up.
Don't catch a cold.
You're getting old.
Shut up.
You know,
there's that folk tale
from China or somewhere,
about people who can't see,
all touching an elephant.
Right.
And the one that touched the nose
and the one that touched the ear
argue over who's right.
That's the one.
I bet that's how you're feeling now.
You're right.
But...
I wonder...
where I'm touching now.
Did the Judge...
Did he save...
Hello.
Sorry to visit so late.
It's fine. I couldn't sleep anyway.
I'm here to talk about Sakie.
Do you remember this?
February 15th, last year.
The day of the big snowstorm.
You and Sakie took this picture
at that river bed.
On that day,
according to her,
she confessed to you
that her father had been raping her.
I don't remember.
I see.
But...
you do remember this.
The postcard you mailed
to my father.
It's dated February 20th.
Five days after this photo was taken.
For you,
Sakie was your surrogate daughter.
In order to save Sakie,
you killed her father.
You intuited her wish to kill him.
Is that what she's saying?
That story is a lie.
Is it a lie?
Shigemori...
That girl...
She lies a lot.
Why would she lie
in order to save you?
You'll have to ask her that.
Then tell me one more thing.
Sure.
About the day of the crime.
Yes.
How did you get your boss
all the way to that river bed?
- How?
- Yes.
I mean, he'd fired you.
I don't mean to offend you,
but normally, he would never
follow someone like you.
I told him it was important.
What was so important?
The fake labels.
Fake labels?
Fake food labels.
Once a month,
flour made in some
mysterious location
was delivered in secret.
He bought that flour for almost nothing
and switched it.
It's a dirty business.
So, that 500,000 yen was...
It was money for that.
Why?
Did you lie?
Were you judging her?
That mother...
who pretended not to see what
her husband did to her daughter?
Shigemori.
What?
No.
You won't believe me anyway.
Tell me.
What is it?
It's a lie.
A lie?
Yes.
I never went to the river bed.
What?
The truth is... I didn't kill him.
You didn't kill him?
The truth is, I didn't kill him.
No.
But...
Why tell me now?
Why didn't you deny it from the start?
I did.
I told them, I didn't do it.
To the police, the prosecutor...
And even the lawyer.
To the lawyer?
Yes.
When he first came to see me.
To Settsu?
Yes.
But... he told me not to lie.
If I confessed,
I'd avoid the death penalty.
But...
But...
even if you avoid the death penalty,
if you confess, you're back in...
Rather than...
living in that factory,
taking advantage of people,
in prison,
at least I don't have to lie.
Will you believe me?
Shigemori.
But...
You've told me...
Now you want me
to believe this story is true?
Right.
Just wait a minute.
You won't believe me.
Tell me, Misumi,
did someone else come here,
to see you?
Tell me!
No, no one other than you.
Please!
Please!
Tell me the real truth now!
Don't worry. He can't hear.
His wallet?
You stole...
his wallet, right?
Yes, I stole it.
The day of the crime,
I threatened the boss
I'd expose the fake labels.
The cash?
I sent it to my daughter.
The burn on your hand?
I made a bonfire the night before.
So that river bed...
I told you, I never went there!
Right.
You never went.
You already told me.
Will you believe me?
You...
are my client.
So I respect your intentions.
But...
Denying the charges now
is bad legal strategy.
Who cares about legal strategy?
I'm asking whether
you believe me or not!
I understand.
You understand me?
You'll take the risk?
You're sure?
Yes.
Give me a break!
What? Is that his story now?
Yeah.
The lawyer told him he'd avoid
the death penalty if he confessed.
Ignore him!
He'll just change his story again.
I agree that we should stress
the importance of Sakie's testimony.
Which means the three of us
acknowledge he did it.
But who's going to believe
he didn't actually do it?
There are no witnesses
to the crime.
The only evidence the prosecution has
is his confession!
He's gotten scared.
The trial started,
and now the death penalty is real,
so suddenly... It happens a lot.
No, he's not like that.
- How do you know that!
- I know that.
This is getting dangerous.
Dangerous?
This...
This is what he's capable of
Look.
Can a normal human being do this?
This kind of father
deserves to be killed!
Deserves?
That prosecutor is right.
You're the kind of lawyer
that gets in the way of
criminals facing their crimes.
We'll lose.
The judge will be disgusted.
But...
as long as he himself denies it,
as his lawyer,
I have to listen to what he says.
Please form two lines.
The surviving family will be asked
questions in today's trial.
People are forming long lines for tickets.
Denied it?
Yes.
He says he didn't kill him.
What?
So, we don't want you
to testify in court,
that he did it to save you.
We're sorry.
I will testify.
We're sorry.
Please let me...
tell the truth.
Do you want to testify,
in order to satisfy
your own righteousness?
That's not true.
You want to save Misumi.
Yes.
In that case,
you should place that goal
above everything else.
What are your feelings
towards the defendant?
He brutally murdered
your precious father
to steal his money,
isn't that right?
I don't believe...
Misumi killed him to steal money.
New question.
What kind of punishment
do you want for the defendant?
I do not want the death penalty.
Do you have anything you want to say
to your departed father?
Do you?
I'm grateful that he brought me
into this world and raised me.
On the night of October 11th,
you waited in front of the factory
for your boss to arrive, didn't you?
Yes.
What was your purpose?
I wanted to threaten him
to steal his money.
I was furious because he'd fired me.
What did you do with his wallet?
I stole his wallet.
But that is all.
I never went to the river bed.
I didn't kill him.
This trial is not contesting
defendant's culpability.
I told them, I didn't do it!
The prosecutor followed me
to the toilet and said,
if I admitted to the murder
I'd avoid the death penalty!
Be quiet.
Where are your questions leading?
You're all in this together.
- I refute his culpability
- Even the lawyer...
- We contest his culpability
- ...told me to admit it.
That I'd be spared!
Defendant, be quiet.
I will order you out of the court.
Nobody believes anything I say.
So, here and now,
I want you to listen to the truth.
Your Honour, I did not kill him!
- May we?
- Please.
Counsellor, what is your intent?
We agreed, the issues are
intent to burgle and sentencing.
The defendant suddenly
changed his plea.
What is your position moving forward?
Will you contest his culpability?
We won't contest any further.
Yes, we will contest it.
Which is it?
We can't take this any further.
We'll contest it.
What is your opinion, Prosecutor?
Defence had not originally
contested culpability,
so we will have to start over
with a new trial.
Defence, this...
I'd like to proceed with
the additional issue of culpability.
Yes, to continue the ongoing trial...
I understand the prosecutor's position,
but it is a sudden assertion.
The defence wishes to continue,
and we must consider the jury, too.
No, we must establish culpa...
Yes.
Well...
It's a baseless refutation anyway.
It's more judicially economical,
as well.
Judicially economical.
The prosecution will submit objective
evidence of culpability
and the trial will continue as is.
I thought this would require
a whole new trial.
It seems that's not necessary.
You all exchanged looks,
like you were in silent agreement.
The judge signalled
that doing the whole trial over
wouldn't change his final decision.
Nobody believes
Misumi didn't kill him.
It can't be helped.
The judge has to complete his trials
on schedule to maintain his reputation.
And we may be on different sides, but
we're all riding the ship called justice.
Here.
Food, food.
Here.
Here.
Come.
Here.
Come here.
Eat.
Come.
- Misumi.
- Yes.
- Please.
- Thank you.
Hello.
I will now pronounce the verdict
to the defendant in this murder and
burglary and corpse mutilation case.
Decision.
The defendant is sentenced to death.
The reason the defendant denied
his culpability at trial is irrational,
and the defendant's defence, that he
threatened and stole the victim's wallet,
is inconsistent with the evidence,
significantly altered, and not credible.
Regarding the email,
because there had been no discussion
between the defendant and Mizue
suggesting the victim's murder,
and with no mention of murder
in the email,
interpreting it as a murder request
is sheer speculation.
Also, although the defendant had
confessed during the investigation,
at trial, he reversed his plea to denial,
resulting in an inconsistent defence.
His intention was
to evade all responsibility.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
It was...
exactly like he said.
No one here tells the truth.
No one?
Who decides...
who gets judged?
The cherry trees...
outside my apartment.
The blossoms are really big.
They'll flower any day.
The cherry trees bloom
so early here.
In Hokkaido,
they bloom around
the end of April, right?
Yes.
Around the holiday in early May.
I've been thinking a lot
about the reason
you denied the crime.
If you deny the crime...
she...
Sakie doesn't have to testify
about painful things.
Is that what you thought?
Is that why you deliberately denied...
Shigemori.
Are you asking me that question?
I guess it's not really a question.
Can I ask you a question?
Is that the reason...
you agreed to my denial?
Yes.
Was I wrong?
But...
It's a good story.
A very good story.
I always thought that
I should never have been born.
Why is that?
I hurt the people around me,
just by existing.
But if what you just said is true...
Even I...
can help someone.
Even, for instance,
if that's murder?
Yes.
If it's true, that is.
Does that mean,
in other words...
That I just want it to be true?
You really shouldn't
expect so much
from a murderer like me.
Are you...
just...
a vessel?
What's a vessel?