Yutaka Kashiwabara has worked most of his life in silence — a janitor at a neglected public high school in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia years ago, he managed to keep his condition stable, living quietly and without incident. Now, at 58, he's grown tired. He looks into early retirement, hoping for some peace, only to find the pension deductions would leave him with almost nothing. With no real choice, he keeps sweeping the halls. One afternoon, he notices a student lingering near the records office: Renji Kubo, withdrawn, quiet — the kind of boy teachers forget to take attendance for. When Yutaka catches him trying to alter school records, something unexpected happens. He doesn’t report him.

Instead, he listens.

kashiwabara takashi

Alterated Records