Playing the role of a clumsy man was second nature to actor Kunie Tanaka, who died on March 24 at age 88.

To my mind, the most conspicuous example of that was in his portrayal of Ino-san, a character in a movie titled "Gakko" (School).

Over 50 and illiterate, Ino-san learns to read and write at a night school that offers junior high school education.

He falls in love with his teacher, played by Keiko Takeshita, and tries to express his feelings to her in a postcard he writes for the first time in his life: "Please be my bride. If you do, I will study every evening ..."

To make sure his handwriting is nice and neat, he........

© The Asahi Shimbun