9 AM,
black coffee at noon,
more green tea at 3PM,
a last black coffee at 7 PM.
Mr Omochi is receiving executives
from a sister company:
Coffee for 13 people.
Hurry!
This humble task
was the start of my downfall.
Thank you for coming.
Think of this meeting
as the first of a series
that will be held each month.
Thank you for inviting us
into the heart
of Yumimoto.
Please. Here is coffee.
Next time you will visit our company.
Excuse me.
Do you take sugar or milk?
Here's a detailed report on our results
for the last 2 years.
If you please...
Please, here's your coffee.
Saito!
Who is this girl?
What are you up to?
Why does she speak Japanese?
- Stop it at once!
- I'm sorry, sir.
Miss Amelie!
Follow me!
The delegation of the sister company
went away angry!
When you served coffee,
you spoke perfect Japanese!
But...
Sir...
I do speak Japanese.
Be quiet!
How dare you defend yourself?
Mr Omochi is furious.
The negotiation was called off.
Those are very important customers
for our company.
How could they discuss
secret matters
if a foreigner understands us?
Never speak Japanese again!
What?
You no longer understand Japanese!
Got that?
But my knowledge of Japanese
is why Yumimoto hired me!
I don't care!
I, your boss, am giving you an order!
You don't understand Japanese
anymore!
That's impossible.
No one can obey an order like that.
There's always a way to obey!
Western brains must learn that!
Maybe a Japanese brain can force itself
to forget a language.
A Western brain can't do it.
Of course.
I understand.
But give it a try.
At least, pretend!
You've been given orders.
Is that clear?
Logically, I should have quit.
But I'd worked hard
to get this contract.
I'd studied local business terms,
taken many tests.
In Japan,
to resign so soon meant losing face.
So how could I obey Mr Saito's order?
If language is a forest,
could I hide Japanese trees
behind French trees?
Mori,
Fubuki's family name, meant "forest".
What did the boss tell you?
He ordered me to forget Japanese.
Did you talk as you served coffee?
I hate Mr Saito.
He's mean, and a fool.
No, you're wrong.
Of course. You're kind,
you don't see evil.
Only a fool gives such an order!
Calm down.
The instruction didn't come from him.
He only transmitted Mr Omochi's orders.
He had no choice.
Then Mr Omochi is a fool.
Mr Omochi is rather special.
But he's the vice-president.
We can't do a thing!
What if I spoke
to the president, Mr Haneda?
What kind of a man is he?
Mr Haneda is remarkable.
Very intelligent and very kind.
But you have no right to speak to him.
You may only address
your immediate superior: Me.
Thank you, Fubuki.
I realize
you can't do much for me.
But I thank you deeply.
Your kindness does me a lot of good.
What's the ideogram
for Fubuki?
Snow...
...storm!
Fubuki means "snowstorm"?
What a beautiful first name!
I was born during a snowstorm.
Of course
on a day when the beauty of the sky
met the beauty of the earth.
In the majestic city of Nara,
with all its bells.
How do you know it was in Nara?
I studied the list of company employees.
I, too, was born in Kansai.
In Shukugawa, near Mount Kabuto.
I'm glad we're both children
of Kansai province.
That's where the heart of old Japan
still beats.
It's also where my heart beats.
I spent a delightful childhood there.
It's where I lived
until I was 5 years old.
I, too, left my heart there.
Back to work!
I felt great inner peace.
I was a co-worker of Fubuki Mori:
"Snowstorm Forest"!
I started serving
without any courtesy formulas.
The staff wondered how the nice
white geisha became a coarse Yankee.
But serving tea wasn't enough work.
But serving tea wasn't enough work.
Without asking anyone,
I decided to distribute the mail.
My trolley enhanced me...
Mail!
As did knowing the employee list!
Here's your mail, Mr Shiranai.
Your little Yoshiro is 3 today!
Happy birthday!
This task also