“The Makioka Sisters”

This is the English translation of Tatsumi Toshi's youtube.

1.

This house is Isyoan. This is the house where Junichiro Tanizaki lived when he started writing "The Makioka Sisters." He lived in this house with his wife Matsuko and her sisters. And Tanizaki wrote almost everything that happened in this house in "The Makioka Sisters."

2.

This is a family tree that contrasts the family of the writer Junichiro Tanizaki and the family in The Makioka Sisters. His wife Matsuko appears under the name Sachiko in The Makioka Sisters. Her sisters Yukiko and Taeko come to this house all the time and cause various problems. The eldest daughter, Turuko, is in the head family of Makioka in Uehonmachi. She protects the Makioka family. Junichiro Tanizaki appears under the name Teinosuke. He objectively looks at the behavior of his wife's sisters. The names of Yukiko's matchmaking partners are written together here. Enjoy it.

3.
What is written in "The Makioka Sisters" is almost the same. From 1936 to 1941, Junichiro Tanizaki lived in Uozaki, Kobe. He wrote that time as it was. "The Makioka Sisters" is a novel with extremely low fiction. Matsuko testifies to this. I had known her in private for 10 years until Matsuko died between the ages of 72 and 82. She was said this. "In The Makioka Sisters, the facts we spent almost all of our time at Kobe's house were written almost like a diary, and it doesn't feel like a novel," she said.  Tanizaki put a detailed date on “The Makioka Sisters”. Its form is like the forerunner of later diary novels. For example,”The Key””Diary of a Mad Old Man”. 

4.
"The Makioka Sisters" begins with the famous phrase " Would you do this please, Koi-san ". Sachiko, the second daughter, was putting on makeup to go to a mini recital at an acquaintance's house. At that time, her sister Taeko passed behind Sachiko. She asked Taeko to put on her neckline makeup. That is the opening scene of handing over the brush, "Would you do this please, Koi-san."

5.
I would like to introduce the original text

Seeing in the mirror that Taeko had com up behind her,Sachiko stopped powdering her back and held out the puff to her sister.Her eyes were still on the mirror,appraising the face as if it belonged to someone else.

“And where is Yukiko?”

Sachiko asks Taeko. In other words, the sisters talk in the mirror while looking at their face and the other's face in the mirror.

A very good opening.

6.
The two talked. There was Yukiko between Sachio and Taeko.
Yukiko was the third sister. Taeko answered Sachiko's question. “She is watching Etsuko practice ” Etsuko is Sachiko's only daughter. Sachiko pulled the mirror stand in front of her
and opened it, brought out a photo, showed it to Taeko, and said. “Koi-san we have another prospect for Yukiko” Yukiko was about to turn 30. Yukiko had declined a lot of marriage deals until now. In the orinally, their family, Makioka, is a long-established store in Senba(Osaka). Makioka has a high pride because it is an old store in Senba. Therefore, they demand strict conditions from their marriage partners.
Because of that, Yukiko coud hardly get married. "The Makioka Sisters" is a story about Yukiko, the third daughter who was past the marriageable age, and Taeko, the fourth daughter, who painted Sachiko's neckline with a brush.

7.
The two are in sharp contrast. The fourth daughter Taeko is a very active type. And Yukiko, the third daughter, is a traditional slow-tempe type. There were many women like Yukiko before World War II.

8.
Taeko was very active and had been learning Yamamura-ryu dance for a long time. She also made dolls because her hands were dexterous. This was a hobby, but she was now holding an exhibition and making money on it. Not satisfied with that, she began to learn dressmaking in earnest. This comes out under the name of Tamaki Dressmaking School, which is modeled after Tanaka Dressmaking School. This is the dressmaking school that appears in Book2.

9.
On the other hand, the third daughter, Yukiko, did not express her intention. For example, after a matchmaking, from her sister

Sachiko "What do you think of him?"

Yukiko "Hmm"

Sachiko: "No, no? You don't like him?"

Yukiko "Hmm"

Sachiko "Which one?"

Yukiko "I will do as my sister decided."

She left all decisions to others. But the truth is, Yukiko runs away for a long time, and ends up doing leaves what she wants. Yukiko has a very funny personality.

10.

The fourth daughter Taeko and the third daughter Yukiko had an incident four years ago.

Taeko had a lover, who was the third son of a jeweler named Okubatake　Keizaburo(Keibon) They had been dating for a long time. But Yukiko, the third daughter, must be married, or Taeko, the fourth daughter, cannot be married. In the old days of Japan, it was customary that a sister could not get married before her older sister would get married. Therefore, Taeko, the fourth daughter, couldn’t wait and ran away with Kei-bon. Then, while staying at a small inn near Tenma, a police officer came to check the guest temporarily. This is an extraordinary inspection called rinken, which was often done during this period. They, who were not married, were caught by the extraordinary inspection and taken to the police. A small newspaper picked up that fact.It was written that "It was protected and unveiled by the Tenma police station, which was the son of a jeweler in Senba, Keizaburo Okubatake and Yukiko Makioka." Moreover, it was Taeko who caused the incident, but it was mistakenly written as Makioka Yukiko. The eldest daughter's husband, Tatsuo, was angry and went to a newspaper to protest. "Don't write this." "And first of all, this is Taeko, not Yukiko." That's right. Then, in the newspaper of the next day, a corrected article appeared, saying, "I wrote Yukiko mistakingly yesterday but Taeko."

11.

Yukiko took the newspaper in her hand and rushed over to Tatsuo.

"You should have ignored this newspaper article. Anyone who knows me understands that I am not the one to do this. You made a protest about it, so a corrected article came out.We are twice ashamed. And first of all, what would you do if Taeko becomes bad because of this? "

Please make sure to check Yukiko's words spoken at this time in the text of "The Makioka Sisters" Yukiko is quiet, but once she talks, she uses a very logical way of saying things. Since then, Yukiko and Taeko had lost contact with their eldest daughter's husband, Tatsuo. That is why they often went to the second older sister, Sachiko's Ashiya house.

12.

By the way, in Book1, Yukiko's first matchmaking partner is Segoshi on the left. Junichiro Tanizaki concentrated on Bunraku in 1937 and was influenced by Bunraku. Bunraku dolls have a typical face and no personality. Without personality, the audience is free to imagine the characters in their heads. Tanizaki adopted the principle of Bunraku in his novel. After 1937, Junichiro Tanizaki began to write the female face of the character, as typically as possible, without a distinct personality. The Makioka Sisters was a work released after 1943. That's why the female face in “The Makioka Sisters” is typical. Tanizaki does not write  woman's faces specifically, so readers can imagine it. On the contrary, the faces of men are very clearly written. In this way, the illustrator drew exactly as The Makioka Sisters described. Segoshi was very handsome. What's more, he works at a foreign affiliated, with  first marriage. It was a nice match for Yukiko, who was learning French. However, when the eldest daughter, Tsuruko, examined it, she found that Segoshi's mother was in a mental hospital. It would be a breakthrough.

13.

Eventually, the eldest daughter's husband, Tatsuo, was transferred to Tokyo. Turuko, the wife of Tatsuo, was the heir to the family. She couldn't leave Osaka. That was why Tatsuo had refused to transfer to any distance. However, he was also a bank clerk, so if he refused to transfer, he couldn’t succeed. This time, he was a big success, becoming a branch manager in Tokyo. "If I decline this offer, I won't be able to get out of my life. Please allow me to transfer to Tokyo." Tatsuo convinced his wife, Tsuruko. Tsuruko initially refused. "Everywhere to the east from Sekigahara (near Lake Biwa) is the countryside,"she said. However, with Tatsuo's persuasion, Tsuruko finally gave up and began preparing for the move. Therefore, Tsuruko almost never appeared in Book2. However, in theaters and movies, this story for Tokyo is the last one. The role of Tsuruko was played by a big actress, so her figure would not disappear until the end.

14.

Around this time, Sachiko had an incident. Sachiko could not have a child for ten years after she gave birth to Etsuko. So she went to Arima Onsen with her friends without knowing she is pregnant. She crosses Rokko on the bus. Because of that, she has a miscarriage.

"You forgive me?" "For what?" "For being careless." "Oh,that.No,as a matter of fact thismakes me more hopeful."

Teinosuke was happy that there was a possibility of having a child.Sooth her. However, the more soothing, the more Sachiko will cry with frustration. Teinosuke is depicted as being a very kind husband.

Actually, there is a story behind this story. Matsuko, who married Junichiro Tanizaki, actually wanted a child with Tanizaki. She prayed every day, "God please give me a baby."

There is worth praying and she got pregnant. Matsuko was happy to report to Tanizaki. Tanizaki then said with a moody face, "I'm sorry, but please have an abortion the baby." Matsuko was surprised. Tanizaki said this way. "I got more and more inspiration from having you and I can write a noble woman. But once you have a child and you take care of it. You'll be a normal caring wife, you'll lose the image of a lady and a noble woman, I can't stand it.Please give up on my children because of my art." How shocked Matsuko was! Matsuko wrote about it in various essays after Tanizaki died.Even in her later years, she was always crying when she told this story.

15.

At that time, even though it was a story that Tsuruko had put together before going to Tokyo, Yukiko had a new matchmaking. This was extended by Sachiko's miscarriage, and the date of the "matchmaking" was only after going to Tokyo. To tell the truth, Nomura, the matchmaking partner, was not attractive as long as Yukiko looked at the photos. But Yukiko said she would go.The matchmaking would be held in Kobe. Yukiko loved Kobe, so she was happy to have an excuse to return to Kobe from Tokyo. So she took a matchmaking and returned from Tokyo to Kobe.

16.

He was a matchmaking partner. He looked poor and remarries, and his wife and two daughters were dead. All of Nomura's family died and was now single. However, nobody thought that Yukiko was suitable. Yukiko didn't like him. She was happy that she could return to Kobe for a matchmaking. For that reason alone, Yukiko agreed to make a match.

17.

Yukiko was very beautiful. Nomura, who was so excited, was really excited and said, "Please come to my house." After the matchmaking, he guided all attendees to his house in Kobe.His house was a poor rented house when Sachiko and the people who attended the meeting were all followed. Nomura, who guided them all over the house, cheered and guided them to the living room. There was a Buddhist altar there. Inside the altar was a picture of his late wife and two daughters who died. Of course, the people who follow him  would somehow become chilled. As always, Yukiko didn't say good or bad.

18.

A few days later, Sachiko was sick and prone because she was having a miscarriage. Taeko came to the bedroom and said, "I'm going to go to Sannomiya for shopping, but can I do something?" In the bed, Sachiko said, "Take Yukiko,please. Sorry, but ask her how does she think of the matchmaking’s person." Taeko said "yeah". Yukiko and Taeko went to Sannomiya for shopping. Yukiko was an introvert, but she loved shopping. And after shopping a little, they decided to buy a souvenir for their home and go home. They stopped by Suzuran to buy a cake. There was a coffee shop in the back, and the door opened that a dull old man came out from inside.

An old gentleman(Taeko did not know him)hurried out from the back of the shop,where he had been drinking coffee. “If you have nothing else to do,why not have a cup of coffee with me? I won’t take more than fifteen minutes of your time.”

 Yukiko said, "I'm gonna hurry a little," and urged Taeko out.

19.

The two rushed out. Taeko didn't know him, so she asked Yukiko, "Who?" "Yeah, oh no, this is Mr. Nomura, who I met with." "Hmm. What do you think of him?" Taeko was asked by her sister to tell her what Yukiko thinks of him. Yukiko mumbled to tell.

20.

Taeko later told Sachiko the words of Yukiko. In the original

Yukiko had not a right to feel uncomfortable at having the pictures set right out in front of her. She quite understood that the man,still alone,would want to  pray for the repose of his wife’s soul;but he hardly needed to take guests into the room where the pictures were on display.He might have hurried to put them away- what could he have had in mind,leading them straight to the altar and the row of pictures over it?

To make it easy to understand

"When he asked me to look at his house, it would be nice if he could put out something like that." Yukiko is talking about photo of his wife and daughters . "What does he mean to guide us in front of the altar where we see, rather than rush to hide the photo? Just looking this point, he is not a person who can understand the delicate psychology of a woman. I think.” It seems that her impression is very long, but this is a rather logical wording. Taeko would say this. "A man without such delicacy, no!" However, Yukiko euphemistically explains why she wants to refuse it for a long time and reasonably. This is Yukiko.

21.

While listening to it interestingly, Sachiko said to Taeko: "Yukiko, she'll keep silent and do whatever she wants. Look at it right now. She's sure to be herself even if she gets married." right.

22.

So, Book1 ends. Next time, I will talk about Book2. Book2 incorporates the fact that the Great Hanshin Flood occurred in 1938, and the scene that is very powerful comes out. Great Hanshin flood changes Taeko. Now, how will Taeko change? Book2 is Taeko's volume. Book1 was a roll of Yukiko. See you next time.

1.

Hello everyone. I will talk about "The Makioka Sisters". The house you can see now is Isyoan. Tanizaki depicts this house as a model house for "The Makioka Sisters". In this Book2, this Isyoan will be talked about today, so please remember the atmosphere of this house. Book2 is Taeko's volume. Taeko's sense of value has changed since the case. It's a climax. Please enjoy it. well then, we'll start.

2.

The opening of Book2 begins with a very gorgeous scene. To symbolize that this is Taeko's volume. Taeko was learning the Yamamura style dance, but she would hold the presentation at Sachiko's house. This is Isyoan's living room. Taeko danced in the dining room, removing various items from the living room. This is a memorial photo when Taeko's model Nobuko is actually dancing. Please pay attention here. This door is the door from the dining room to the next room. The one above is looking like this and dancing in front of this. Look at the gold folding screen here. Although it is a little old and has a gap, please take a look at the atmosphere around here. how is it? It's the same as Taeko's dancing behind. Tanizaki saw Nobuko actually dancing in the dining room of Isyoan. And as is, he wrote in " The Makioka Sisters" that Taeko danced here. It's one proof photo of the fact that what really happened at Isyoan is portrayed.

3.

According to the record on July 5, 1938, the Hanshin area was hit by a great flood. In the first place, the Japanese archipelago has mountains and is surrounded by the sea, and a river flows from the mountains to the sea. It's the same scenery everywhere in the Japanese archipelago. However, the big difference between the Hanshin area and the other areas is that there are three trains running east to west, almost in parallel. The first north is Hankyu Railway. The second one is JR now, Kokutetu once, and people used to call it Syousen when Tanizaki lived. Ministry of Railways. And the Hanshin train runs along the southmost seaside. It means that there are mountains, there is a sea, there is a river, and in the middle of that, there are three railroads running east and west. On this day, it rained heavily on July 5, and a lot of rain fell on the mountains. The water bloke down the trees, rolled the rocks, and they all ran down the river into the sea. However, there was a railroad track along the way. All trees and rocks got caught there. Therefore, it would be a great disaster. As it became a mud sea like this, almost all the first floor was soaked. Various things got caught on the track like this picture. Tanizaki lived within walking distance from Sumiyoshi Station. This is a picture of a derailed train near Sumiyoshi Station. And a little further east of Isyoan where Tanizaki lived, there is the famous Nada High School. A big stone like this was rolling around in Nada High School. Everyone is in the process of removing it after a great flood.

4.

Let's go back to "The Makioka Sisters". On that day, it rained from the morning, and water came out. Teinosuke picked up Etsuko to elementary school and then returned while soaking in water.

5.

Then Sachiko made a deep blue face and said, "“What about Koi-san”She was in tears again. "What happened?" asked Teinosuke.

6.

"Oh, Taeko went to Tamaki Dressmaking School in Noyori today, but according to a person who came back from that place, it seemed that everything was already flooded and it was a big deal. What shall I do." Teinosuke says, "OK, I know. I'm going to help Taeko now," and walked west along the railroad track.

The train wasn't running anymore at this time.There was a considerable distance from Ashiya to Noyori (now Mikage), but he walked techly and finally came to Noyori.

However, the whole area was muddy water. Teinosuke couldnot do anything and was stunned along the track.

7.

What was Taeko doing at that time? This Tamaki Dressmaking School was a young girl school, so the rain had been so bad that the teacher had sent everyone back. Taeko was now alone with her teacher. “Let's cancel today. Would you like to come to my house and have a cup of tea?” she was invited by Mrs. Tamaki. So Taeko was relaxing with Mrs. Tamaki and drinking tea.

8.

The door opened suddenly and said, "It was coming up behind me,and I had to run as fast as I could to keep from getting caught."Mrs. Tamaki's son, a 4th grade elementary school boy, rushed in. "Wow"

9.

In no time, the amount of water would increase. At first they stood on a chair, then on a table , and finally on a piano, but they were being pushed more and more to the ceiling. "Ah, will I die as it is?" When Taeko suddenly thought her death in her mind, there was a sound of people walking on the roof. "There are people on top of us at this time! Help me!" Taeko looked out the window.

10.

There was an acquaintance named Itakura looking out !! "Is it safe, Koi-san!" By the way, this Itakura was an employee at the jewelry store of Keizaburo, the lover of Taeko. However, he was a man who took the initiative to go to the United States, where he acquired the skills of a photographer and came back. "Oh, Itakura!" "Is it okay, I can go help now." Grabed half a tree, reaching out and helping Taeko, her teacher, and her son. They wrere more likely to get caught in the muddy stream and tear their hands. But Itakura desperately helped the three.

11.

That's how Taeko and her teacher and her son escaped to the roof. Only mud around. If Itakura came a little later, all three were dead. While she was saying, "Oh, Itakura, you're a life saver. Thank you." It became a light rain. And around 1 pm,mud water began to draw. Actually, looking at the record book of flood damage, there is a record that the water drew  at 1 pm, so Tanizaki's description is very true.

12.

Now, with the help of Itakura, Taeko got a bath at Itakura's house and came back with Teinosuke who joined. "I'm home." "Ah. I'm glad. Koi-san is safe. Actually, Keibon had been there until a while ago."

13.

That's it, wearing a crisp new suit, wearing a walking stick and wearing a hat, "Koi-san, isn't it? Is this today a dressmaking school day? Maybe I'll wait in a little while?" And he was waiting in the reception there. One or two hours later, Taeko didn't come back and the rain started a light rain, so he said, "I'm a little worried, I'm going to look for her." After stopped raining,he left home. Apparently he was holding the camera in one hand and hiding it. "Didn't you meet him on the way? ""No."Taeko was saved by Itakura when she was about to die at Tamaki Dressmaking School. That was a life-saving rescue operation. Around that time, lover Keizaburo was waiting in the room until the rain stopped. It was here that she clearly understood the difference between Itakura and Keisaburo. Something was broken in Taeko's mind. Itakura desperately helped Taeko and Keizaburo who was waiting in the room until the rain stopped. Keizaburo was Taeko's lover. Itakura, who was neither a lover nor anything, desperately helped herf. At this very moment, Keibon’s stock plummeted and Itakura's stock rose. The reverse phenomenon occurs. Well, here Taeko's sense of values for men changed. And, Taeko became in love with Itakura since the flood disaster that he saved her life.

14.

Keizaburo noticed it and wrote a letter to Sachiko. "Did you know that Taeko was in love with Itakura around this time? I know that he was a life saver, but it seems that Itakura was wandering around that day. He had a secret wish.''Itakura has come to visit Sachiko's house in Ashiya often since then. But Sachiko took great care that Itakura was Taeko's life saver. That's why she was surprised to read the slanderous letter from Keizaburo. It was a shock to Sachiko that Taeko was dating Itakura. The Makioka family was a long-established store. Taeko's lover Keizaburo was also a long-established store in Senba. Therefore, they were equal in terms of family affairs, and Sachiko looked at it roughly. But it's different when it comes to Itakura. Sachiko only knew that Itakura was a farmer's child in the countryside of Sasayama. She doesn't know about him anything, and Keizaburo, a long-established store. For Sachiko, it was clear that Keizaburo had a higher rank. But Taeko was different. Even though there was such a slanderous letter, Taeko began to seriously consider her marriage to Itakura.

15.

Yukiko returned from Tokyo after a long time. She asked Sachiko. "Somehow Koi-san is strange around this time. Although she wasn't elegant from the beginning, I feel that her dignity is getting worse." The door was a little open when Koi-san was taking a bath. I ordered the maid to close it. Then Koi-san told her not to close it. She said she was listening to the radio." You see, a young woman was taking a bath, but she was opening the door for a while. Even though she listened to the sound of the radio, this was not dignified. It is a scene that symbolizes that Taeko’s dignity was becoming more and more worse dating with Itakura. That's how Taeko got to know Itakura seriously.

16.

When Yukiko learned that Taeko was dating Itakura, she said in sync with Sachiko. "I'm sure it won't come to my younger brother like Itakura." Yukiko says that when it comes to emergency.On the other hand, there is a scene in which Taeko cries, but you can see that the values of these two women have changed completely for men. Yukiko has the old sense of values. Family and money are important to Yukiko. Others don't matter to her. These are the values of the Makioka's ladies, but Taeko met Itakura and he saved her life, which changed her perspective on men. First, physical strength, living power, and love. When the life of a lover is dangerous, even if he throw out his life, great love that will come to help. Physical strength, living power and love. It is a new way of thinking from the Showa period This case shows that Taeko, who had the same idea as the old Taisho era like Yukiko, changed its sense of values in the wake of this flood disaster.

17.

Now, Keizaburo's jealousy was not odd. When Taeko was dancing on the stage. Itakura suddenly took a picture from behind, so Keizaburo chased and struck the camera on the ground. Like this he looked down on Itakura, and Keizaburo had a strong desire for monopoly. Even in such an adversity, Taeko and Itakura were seriously thinking about getting married. Taeko went to Tokyo with the intention of pushing against the opposition and marrying Itakura. Taeko went to her eldest daughter, Tsuruko.

18.

"I suppose I have my marriage fund left by my parents. I wonder if I can give it. I want to go to Paris and study dressmaking in earnest. To have a profession."  Professional women were a surprising idea for the Makioka family. Taeko was seriously thinking of marrying Itakura, so she was trying to work for herself, and both were working together to support their life. Her values and readiness are not odd. When Taeko was at the main house, Tsuruko said, "Well, let’s go to Kabuki" and they went to see it. When Taeko was in the theater she was called by the attendant, saying she was on the phone.

Taeko answered the phone and it was a call from Itakura's sister. Itakura was hospitalized for an operation with otitis media, but his sister told Taeko that various bacteria had entered during the operation.

Itakura seemed to be suffering from his pain in his legs. It seemed that the doctor had left surgery and left Itakura after surgery. "Wow". Astonished, Taeko immediately returned to Osaka. Itakura held his left leg and said, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts," his parents were from Sasayama, and they said, "If he dies, we wants him to die with satisfied bodies."

Taeko said, "What are you saying?", asked to her family doctor, and immediately had surgery to have his left leg amputated. Itakura woke up in the morning, "Ah!" I lamented, "How much damage does one foot has to the photographer?" Also, from that day onwards, various diseases spreaded around his head, causing gangrene. And after saying "Oh, it hurts, it hurts."

19.

He died casually. Itakura's death is very symbolic. Taeko was serious, and Itakura, a man whom she really loved by changing her values and chose , died like this. What would happen to Taeko?

20.

This ends Book2. By the way, Book3 comes out in place of Yukiko vs. Taeko. Book1 is Yukiko's volume and Book2 is Taeko's volume. In Book3, both Yukiko and Taeko go on at the same time. Yukiko has the last match. Itakura whom Taeko loved died. Look forward to what happens. See you.

1.

Hello everyone. Today, we are announcing Book3 of "The Makioka sisters". Book1 was a roll of Yukiko. Book2 was Taeko's volume. Book3 appears alternately with Yukiko/Taeko and Yukiko/Taeko today. What you are watching now is Living of Isyoan in Kobe Uozaki. Tanizaki lived here and wrote "The Makioka Sisters" using this house as a model. Therefore, you can see various things that appear in "The Makioka Sisters" when you go to this house. For example, a fireplace. There is a fireplace like this. And there are three doors to the dining room. And the stained glass at the door. When you go there, you can actually see the various things that appear in "The Makioka Sisters" in real life. Now let's talk about "The Makioka Sisters".

2.

From Chapter 4 of "The Makioka s Sisters" Book3, it will be developed in a very fantastic firefly hunting scene. Yukiko went to Gifu for a matchmaking, and they could hunt fireflies near the partner's house. Sachiko, Sachiko's daughter Etsuko, and the fourth daughter, Taeko, all followed along in order to experience the firefly hunting. By the way, Yukiko was already over 30 years old. In Japan, at the age of 30, suddenly the conditions for marriage had worsened. The man Sawasaki in Gifu wanted to remarry after dying with his wife.He had a large son who was already married and lived separately. They made a match in Gifu. But later, Sawasaki turned down Yukiko. The cause was not clear. Yukiko had been making matches over and over until that time, but she refused everytime. But this time she was rejected for the first time. Yukiko lost at the first time.

3.

Next, Yukiko came up with a fourth person called Hashidera. He was bereavedof his wife. But there was an adolescent daughter. This was a little problematic. However, Yukiko loved girls, so she didn’t have such a handicap relationship with him. Teinosuke and Sachiko were very fond of Hashidera, and they started having relationships with each other. They all went shopping together. So Sachiko was relieved and thought, "Oh, this will surely work for Yukiko." One evening, Sachiko went to the post along the river. On the way back, Sachiko returned home along the river, and the housemaid ran at full speed from the direction of the house. "Hahhh... well, there was a call from Mr. Hashidera." "Me?" "No, he's calling Yukiko." "Yukiko is at home?" "She doesn't answer. She's calling you. What should I do?" Sachiko hurriedly ran home and the phone hung up. "Oh please don't let bad things happen" worried Sachiko.

4.

When Sachiko went upstairs, there was a place to look down from the window, where Yukiko was looking down. Sachiko was breathless and said, "Mr. Hashidera was calling you?" "Hmm." "What?" "I'm in Umeda,and t if you like it, come to Umeda right now,will you?Can you come?" "Ah, right then? You told him you're going?" "No," "Why?" "Because it's too sudden," "What did you answer?" "A little thing to do" said Yukiko, Sachiko was disappointed. Mrs. Zimba called. She is the person who introduced Mr. Hashidera. "What happened on earth? Mr. Hashidera is very angry." This telephone incident makes the marriage useless.

5.

On the other hand, Taeko's story. Sachiko told Taeko. "You wear a lot of kimono these days. Did you get a little overweight?" Taeko replied, "I'm pregnant!" "Eh! Whose child? You seem to have returned to Keibon. Keibon's child?" "Nonsense. Keibon seems to go to China soon. It's a good opportunity to say goodbye to him. Bye bye."

"Well, then who is your baby's father?" "Well, a bartender, Miyoshi."

Sachiko had never heard such a name.

6.

"Well, Koi-san, does she still bother her sisters?"

It's different now. Nowadays there is also the phrase "Dekichatta-kon (she gets married because she is pregnant)". However, at the beginning of the Showa era, it was a shame for the family to get pregnant before marriage. "How much does Taeko bother her sisters?" Sachiko was shocked and told her husband Teinosuke. "Anyway, I'll meet Miyoshi," he said.

The bartender named Miyoshi was a serious person who thought about the future with Taeko quite well. They were relieved.

7.

Yukiko's last matchmaking partner was the son of the family Kazoku of the Lord, Minoru Mimaki. Itani the beauty salon, brought this matchmaking to Sachiko. Well, in fact, Yukiko's model, Shigeko's marriage partner, was a descendant of Tokugawa family (ruled the Edo period) . It was a descendant of the Matsudaira(=Tokugawa) family in Okayama.

8.

This is an actual photo. This is a picture of the Tanizaki family visiting the Heian Shrine to see the cherry blossoms.

From the right side, Echan’s model Emiko, is already quite big. Junichiro Tanizaki, next to him is Matsuko, and on the left is Yukiko's model Shigeko. Behind it is Akira Watanabe. The one who actually married Shigeko. He is tall and slender. It is about 10 to 15 cm taller than Matsuko. Matsuko is 150 centimeters tall. The reason seems to be about 150 centimeters because she is a little smaller than me. I'm 153 cm. Perhaps Mr. Watanabe is 160 to 170 cm. A Japanese men in the Meiji era were short. As you can see when you see Tanizaki. So 160-170 cm is the taller one.

9.

But how is it actually written? Certainly Minoru Mimaki was the son of an aristocrat. However, he was actually a mistress' child. But, in addition to having a good family blood, it had been decided that the mistress' children would also be able to obtain property. Yukiko was happy. So Sachiko asked Mrs. Itani. “By the way, what does he do at work?" "Now what does he do? He must not be working." In other words, he is unemployed. Itani goes on to say, "Well, he'll do some work when he gets married." I ordered the illustrator. Draw as you see it in "The Makioka Sisters". His hair is very thin. It's different from that real image, which is stubborn and slender overall. In other words, The Makioka Sisters has taken the element of being tall and handsome from the actual model, Akira Watanabe. Why? This is for readers to make Yukiko's values easier to understand. For her, her marriage partner may look bad or have no occupation.

10.

All he has to do is his family and property. This is to make Yukiko's sense of values stand out. There is a little fiction here.

11.

Well, Taeko. What happened to that pregnancy case? This Miyoshi’s child had a stillbirth when his doctor sliped his hand out. And Taeko went to Sachiko's house in Ashiya with heartbroken heart. Taeko went to her work room to pick up her luggage. Behind her were a line of older sister's bride costumes. In other words, Yukiko and Taeko got married to each other, but it's a stark contrast. Yukiko who seemed to be happy and Taeko who had many damages. Itakura, whom she loved, died, and the next boyfriend, Miyoshi's child, was born but died shortly thereafter. Here, Tanizaki will made clear what he wanted to write. Yukiko was the type of woman who prevailed before the war. Introvert and live without violating the flow of life. On the other hand, Taeko built her own path by herself. There were a lot of women like Yukiko before the war, but probably more women like Taeko after the war. The pre-war type called Yukiko was extinct. After the war, he was sure they would almost disappear. But he wanted to write this Yukiko. There were many such types in the past. That's right. The Makioka Sisters is a novel for drawing Yukiko. “Sasameyuki”… "yuki" is Yukiko's "snow". The type of snow called Sasameyuki is the snow that falls in the Hanshin area. As soon as it falls on the palm, it disappears. Yukiko was such an ephemeral woman. Tanizaki wanted to write such a Yukiko.

12.

When Etsuko asked, "Are you happy to get married?", Yukiko said, "Well. I'm happy or not happy." And she remembered the short poem Sachiko made when she married. “Another day has gone into picking clothes.Sometimes, in spite of herself, a bride can be sad.”

 In other words, she was on Marriage Blue. Yukiko's true intention was to stay single, wear beautiful kimono, and go with her sisters to see cherry blossoms in the spring and go firefly picking in the summer.

13.

This concludes my lecture on The Makioka Sisters. Please come to Isyoan. It was built on August 6, 1929, and Junichiro Tanizaki rented a house to this landlord and lived from 1936 to 1943. He modeled Matsuko and her sisters with little fiction, using this house as a model. Actually, this Isyoan moved to the north a little in 1990 due to the construction of the Rokko liner. It is still built as it was when Tanizaki lived. Please come by all means.

14.

Isyoan is located in Kobe, a 5-minute walk from Uozaki Station on the Hanshin Railway and a 10-minute walk from JR Sumiyoshi. It is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00. Only twice a month, I, Tatsumi Toshi and my successor will guide you specially. Please contact us by calling this phone number. We'll be expecting you. Thank you for listening to The Makioka Sisters Volume III. Here's the end.