Thanks to Blue, we now have the long version of the Father Travels SoftBank commercial, as well as the translation for the commercial and the accompanying song! Thank you, Blue!
***At the Sunami Station***
Father (Cream Shiba) is coming out of the small countryside station.
***On the steps of alleys***
Father is running up and down on stone steps of very narrow alleys.
Father’s voiceover: I’m sure I will come across Tada-Tomo that I have not seen yet.
[Tada-Tomo is the WhiteBanks' calling plan that permits members to call each other for free. Tada means "free" and Tomo is the abbreviation of Tomodachi, which means "a friend."]
***Jodo-ji Temple***
Father runs through a flock of pigeons.
***In the middle of a rice paddy***
Father is sitting at the bus stop with a cute school girl.
Father is walking in the rain.
***At the small harbor***
Father is getting on a boat.
***At the very traditional Japanese inn (Ryokan)***
Father is looking down at the scenery from the window as the maid is serving tea.
A woman who wears Yukata and Haori coat is walking in a courtyard.
***At the beach***
A woman, who turns out to be young and pretty, is making a call from the beach.
Father gets a call and probably he thinks it is from that woman.
Mother: Where are you roaming around?
Father: I’m sorry.
***At the Rotenburo***
Father is walking by the Rotenburo.
[Rotenburo is the outside of a hot spring or hot tub. This particular one seems to have a ceiling but no wall. As Japanese usually bathe in the nude, Rotenburo are surrounded by privacy fences.]
Father is coming out of the female section of the hot spring.
Father: I made a mistake.
Male voiceover: Free calling among family members for 24 hours. SoftBank.
[Contextual Information: Sunami Station is in Mihara City of Hiroshima prefecture, and Jodo-ji Temple is in Onomichi City, which is also within Hiroshima prefecture. Other locations are unknown. However, most likely this film was shot around these two cities as they are located side by side. Onomichi is well known as the city with very pretty scenery. The old parents from Tokyo Story, which is regarded as one of the best movies ever made, resided in this city.]
Here are the lyrics to the accompanying song, which can also be found in this earlier entry:
Iihi Tabidachi (Taking Off On A Fine Day)
I look up to the sky of the North where snow will melt soon
As I call out for the dreams from the days that have passed away
Faces of people who I will never see again come to my mind
So today I will be on the road by myself
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a red sunset
With the song that I heard on my mother’s back as my only company
On the tip of the cape, a boy is fishing
Will he take the pass with tall green grasses when he goes home
In order to make a memory
I will write “Goodbye” on the beach sand with a wooden stick
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a cloud shaped like a sheep
With the song that my father taught me as my only company
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for my happiness
With the song that I sang in my childhood as my only company
It has taken me hours of research to figure all of this out, but the song that accompanies the commercial above can be purchased from CD Japan. It is called Taking Off On A Fine Day (いい日旅立ち) [thanks to Blue for the correct translation of the title], and is performed by Shinji Tanimura. In 1978, the song was made famous by a female artist named Momoe Yamaguchi, and was used by Japanese National Railways to promote travel. You can read more about it on Wikipedia. You can also watch a video of Momoe Yamaguchi performing the song here.
Thanks to Blue, we now have the translated lyrics to the song that accompanies the commercial above! Thanks, Blue!
Iihi Tabidachi (Taking Off On A Fine Day)
I look up to the sky of the North where snow will melt soon
As I call out for the dreams from the days that have passed away
Faces of people who I will never see again come to my mind
So today I will be on the road by myself
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a red sunset
With the song that I heard on my mother’s back as my only company
On the tip of the cape, a boy is fishing
Will he take the pass with tall green grasses when he goes home
In order to make a memory
I will write “Goodbye” on the beach sand with a wooden stick
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a cloud shaped like a sheep
With the song that my father taught me as my only company
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for my happiness
With the song that I sang in my childhood as my only company
[Edited on February 17, 2008: Once again, we are so grateful to Blue for providing the translations and cultural background information for these commercials. Thank you so much!]
Part 12
***At a busy street corner***
Aya is waiting for someone.
She calls but hears only the artificial voice of the voice mail.
The street has been deserted and Aya tries to call again.
She turnes around and finds the guy for whom she has been waiting.
They run toward each other.
Dad (Cream Shiba): That’s enough for today!
Mother nods
Male voiceover: Merry Christmas, SoftBank.
Japanese started to enjoy (not celebrate) Christmas even before the War. Now, Japan has a huge and 100% commercial Christmas. It provides them with a reason to party and a very romantic night for lovers.
Contrary to popular belief, Japanese are very, very agnostic. Yes, they do have many temples and shrines but they are more like cultural heritages and do not have much religious meanings to them anymore.
Part 13
***At a busy street corner***
Aya is waiting for someone.
She gets a call and turns around, there he is.
They run toward each other.
Dad: Ahhhh…
They hug.
Dad: Maybe, it is okay for today.
Mother and son smile.
Male voiceover: Merry Christmas, SoftBank.
Part 14
***In the bathroom***
Son is giving a bath to his dad.
Dad (Cream Shiba): What is “Tada-Tomo”?
(”Tada” means free and “Tomo” is the abbreviation of “Tomodachi” which means a friend.)
Son: It is the “White” (calling) plan to cost 980 yen for one month, until 9pm (from 1pm) free domestic calling between SoftBank members.
Dad: Ouch, that’s hot!
Son: I’m sorry, dad.
***At the dining table***
Aya: Where is dad?
Mother: He’s bathing.
Male voiceover: Spreading the circle of “Tada-Tomo.”
As usual, the shiba has an attitude of a very traditional Japanese dad, very stubborn and tyrant-like. And the son is very obedient.
You may wonder why the shiba is washed outside of the tub. Japanese bath tubs are very deep and filled with hot water, and are strictly for enjoying being in hot water, like a hot tub. Therefore, they wash themselves outside of the bathtub. And, Japanese kids used to wash their dads’ back. I guess some of them still do.
Part 15
Silent Night is the most popular Christmas song in Japan. Every kindergarten student learns this with the translated lyrics.
Part 16
Part 17 (this one is pure genius)
***In the classroom***
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Shorter boy: That’s not believable.
Girl: Stop that!
Shorter boy: He says SoftBank will start the (unthinkably) super student discount.
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Cream shiba enters the classroom.
Girl: Sensei (means a teacher).
Dad: Stop arguing!
Shorter boy: Why do we have to listen to what that dog says?
Girl: What are you saying to our teacher?
Shorter boy: But the dog is a dog.
Dad: Do not judge by what it looks like.
Shorter boy: Then what should we judge with?
Dad: With the eyes of your mind.
Shorter boy: With the eyes of my mind?
Taller boy: Sensei.
Girl: Sensei.
All kids: Sensei.
***In the livingroom***
Aya: What a nice thing you said to the kids, Sensei!
Dad: Do not call me “Sensei” at home.
Male voiceover: Finally, “White (calling plan)” student discount has started.
Part 17 (Alternate Ending)
***In the classroom***
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Shorter boy: That’s not believable.
Girl: Stop that!
Shorter boy: He says SoftBank will start the (unthinkably) super student discount.
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Cream shiba enters the classroom.
Girl: Sensei (means a teacher).
Dad: Stop arguing!
Shorter boy: Why do we have to listen to what that dog says?
Girl: What are you saying to our teacher?
Shorter boy: But the dog is a dog.
Dad: Do not judge by what it looks like.
Shorter boy: Then what should we judge with?
Dad: With the eyes of your mind.
Shorter boy: With the eyes of my mind?
Taller boy: Sensei.
Girl: Sensei.
All kids: Sensei.
Shiba barks or more like howls.
***In the livingroom***
Aya: So you barked again?
Dad: I did (in a kind of embarrassed way).
Part 18
***At the SoftBank store counter***
High School Kid: “White” student discount?
Aya: Yes, for students who join the White plan there is no basic charge for three years and unlimited usage of the package starts from 0 yen.
High School Kid: If you do that much for me,…
Aya: If we do that much,…(what?)
High School Kid: I feel almost sorry.
Dad: Do not be so reserved!
High School Kid: Sensei.
Aya: Dad.
Dad: This is Emoto from my class.
High School Kid: Nice to see you, and sensei has been very kind to me always.
Aya: You have been very nice to my dad.
Dad: Can I say something to you?
High School Kid: What is it, sensei?
Dad: Boys, be ambitious!
Dad: Why are you looking at me like that?
Male voiceover: “White” student discount. For three years, there is no basic charge.
“Boys, be ambitious” are the famous words from Doctor William Clark who came to Hokkaido, the northern part of Japan, from the U.S. to be the first principal of Hokkaido University in 1876. When he left, he said to his students, “Boys, be ambitious (at that time, the university had only male students)!” Since then, these have become such precious words for the Japanese educators’ community and for boys. However, it probably sounds too old fashioned for young kids now. And, by using these words, this dad reveals how old fashioned he is, and it just does not fit with discussion about cellphone calling plans. I guess the dad meant that boys should be ambitious with this discount plan.
