MOTHER

Hara Nao (Yasuko Matsuyuki) is not married until the mid-30s. She went on a study of migratory birds intently at the University of Muroran. Meanwhile, the sudden closure of the university laboratory, Nao became the reluctant science teacher at a local elementary school. She became a freshman homeroom teacher replacing a teacher on maternity leave. Nao notices a student (Rena) in class with some bruises on her body. The authorities turn a blind eye to the child abuse. Nao decides to kidnap Rena to start a new life with her assuming flase identities. Their journey begins . . .

Michiki Reina (愛菜Ashida) jumped to take the overnight train with Nao (Yasuko Matsuyuki) Nao gave Reina a new name, Tsugami to start a new life as mother and daughter. They were thinking stopover in hiding. However at the train station Nao had her wallet and all her money stolen. She could not go to the police, so in desperation Nao decides to go to the orphange she stayed at temporairily as a child to seek her former caregiver. Unfortunately the orphanage was abandoned with her former caregiver senile. She stays a few days there before the caregiver is taken away to a nursing home, with Tsugami in tow they both head to Tokyo.

Having no money mid-flight to Tokyo from Muroran, Nao (Yasuko Matsuyuki) decides to borrow money from her stepmom in Tokyo to stay at a hotel with Tsugami -without telling her stepmom about Tsugami. While leaving Tsugami to meet her Stepmom, Tsugami bumps into Nao's birth mom. NAO begins her search in the city looking for a place to live and work the next day. Nao finally finds a janitor job and start workings but has to leave Tsugami for extened periods.

Nao (Yasuko Matsuyuki) decides to take Tsugami to live with her Step mom and step sisters after realizing Tsugami was being left alone for too long. During the brief peace, Nao tries to enroll Tsugami in a school but without identity papers the task seems impossible.

Nao realizes the old lady -owns the barbershop- that was helping her with Tsugami is really her birth mother that she believes abandoned her many years ago. The reporter that was tracking her down from Hokkaido finds her in Tokyo with Tsuagmi. He blackmails her for 10 million yen to keep his silence. At the same time, in Hokkaido Reina's mother mother Hitomi (Ono Matiko) has her daughter's funeral.

Nao's family finds out she kidnapped Tsugami forcing Nao to decide to dissolve her adopted status sparing the family any potential repercussions if she is caught. Tsugami decides to runaway and return to Hokkaido as she does not want Nao to breakup with her family. Nao desperately searches for her by retreacing the steps she took with Tsugami on their way to Tokyo. In the end both Nao and Tsugami leave her step mom's home . . .

Nao's birth mom (Mrs. Forgetful) asks a reluctant Nao to have both of them stay at her barbershop as she would be able to take care of Tsugami when she is at work. Meanwhile Tsugmai's birth mom shows up in Tokyo looking for her and stays with the reporter. The reporter tries to disuade her from seakng Tsugami but to no avail. Meanwhile Nao spends a rare peaceful day with Tsugami at a amusement park while slowly forgiving her birth mom for abandoning her as a child many years ago.

Tsugami's birth mom finally locates the barbershop and barges in searching for her daughter Reina. This episode highlights Tsugami's background with her birth mom from the death of her father to the start of the child abuse. After a lengthy confrontation Nao believed she would give up her rights to Tsugami and return back to Hokkaido but she ends up reporting to the authorities that her child was indeed kidnapped by Nao.

Nao is caught by the police on her way to the bank for a money transfer that will allow her and Tsugami to enroll in the family registry. Nao also learns about her birth mom's illness. After a tearfull breakup Nao is led away for her court hearing on charges of kidnapping while Tsugami is placed in a Hokkaido orphanage.

Nao has her court hearing while her adopted family has to deal with the repercussions of her arrest. She receives a suspended sentence and is released on parole. Tsugami's birth mom and boyfriend are arrested on charges of child abuse. The reporter tracking the case secretly video tapes Tsugami in the orphanage apparently doing well showing the tapes to Nao who seems surprised that Tsugami seems to be forgetting her already but after an unknown phone call to her Nao finds the truth . . .

After a lengthy phone call from Tsugami, Nao realizes how much Tsugami missed her and begs her to kidnap her again to become mother and daughter once more. To Nao's shock Tsugami left the orphanage and retraced the steps she took with Nao from her trip in Hokkaido to Tokyo. They both are reunited at the barbershop along with Nao's birth mom but only have one short day together before Nao must return Tsugami to the orphanage as to not break her parole conditions. Nao promises to Tsugami that she will always be her mother and when she turns 20 she can open the letter she gave her so they can meet again.