Original subtitles

Kichinosuke reached Edo on March 16, 1854.

While it usually took 50 days, it took them 40.

In an age when daimyo usually traveled...

amid pomp and splendor, this trip was unusually swift.

Why was Nariakira in such a hurry?

He sensed danger approaching Japan.

The shogunate had neither the defenses...

nor knowledge of diplomacy to contend with the foreign powers.

Nariakira knew the urgency for strengthening the nation...

to be able to deal equally with the foreign powers.

To take the lead in reforming the shogunate,

he had to be especially aware of the opinions...

of the "300 daimyo," who ranged from the shogun,

who was the head of the "tozama" (outside) lords.

Nariakira works hard to gather the information,

and Kichinosuke would be given his share of work.

Tobu ga Gotoku

Episode 6: Appointed a Gardner

Screenplay: Osanai Mieko

Original Story: Shiba Ryotaro

Misic: Ichiyanagi Toshi

Original Subtitles: Network Japan, Inc.

Transcribed and Edited Subtitles: Kame Fansubs

Narrator: Kusano Daigo

Cast

Saigo Kichinosuke: NISHIDA TOSHIYUKI

Okubo Shosuke: KAGA TAKESHI

Saigo Toshi: MINAMI KAHO

Kiku: TANAKA YOSHIKO

Saigo Kimi: OJI MICHIO

Oyama Katunosuke: KANIE KEIZO

Ikushima: KIKI KIRIN

Fujita Toko: OYAMA KATSUMI

Abe Masahiro: WAKABAYASHI GO

Princess Atsu: FUJI JUNKO

Yura: KUSABUE MITSUKO

Shinmon Tatsugoro: MIKI NORIHEI

Shimazu Nariakira: KAYAMA YUZO

Producer: Yoshimura Fumitaka

Director: Mochizuki Yoshio

Nariakira arrived in Edo on March 6.

The treaty had been signed three days earlier.

Father, I'm glad to see you well.

Torajimaru, come.

How you've grown during my absence.

Have you been well?

- Yes. - I see.

Go to your mother.

Such a fine boy. How I've missed you.

Kichinosuke!

You've finally come to Edo!

We've been waiting.

We've much to tell you and much to ask.

Me, too.

Kichinosuke!

Hey! Over here! He's here!

- Kichinosuke! - Oh, Kabayama.

I've a letter for you.

Thank you.

That can wait. Let's have a drink first.

Let's drink to your safe arrival.

I didn't come to Edo to go drinking.

You can't work well unless you're familiar with Edo.

Just leave it to me.

First, you must wash your feet.

Thank you.

Let's go inside.

Abe Masahiro's residence

Oh, this is...

The first warship to be constructed will be...

15 ken long and 4.17 ken wide. (approximately 90x25 feet)

It will be three-masted like the western ships...

and armed with 16 guns, including eight 36 pounders.

Can you really build such large ships?

Now that the treaty has been signed,

other countries will force themselves upon us.

No matter the hardships, the ships must be built.

The government should have your enthusiasm.

Would you, on completion of the 15 warships,

sell three of them to the shogunate?

I have no intention of selling them.

I intend to make a present of them.

Did you see the Black Ships of the Americans?

Yes. They were spewing black smoke...

and they could go backward and forward. It's amazing.

The shogun's retainers may huff and puff,

but they are powerless, those idiots!

Have you heard?

Lord Shimazu of Satsuma plans to build 15 big ships at once.

Yes, I heard. Isn't that grand?

Edo is full of such talk.

Just as we thought. Our lord is no ordinary daimyo.

Master Toko was very vexed.

Had the permission to build the ships come sooner,

the Black Ships wouldn't have been allowed near Edo.

You mean Fujita Toko?

The very one.

Toko is the greatest scholar in the country.

Are you studying with him?

Not exactly. But we've called on him several times.

So this is Edo!

Three hot ones, right?

Anything else?

Ah, here's a new face.

This is Saigo, our former tutor. (senko)

Stop making fun.

I'm serious!

Oh, where you come from are joss sticks (senko) that thick?

Here, we call the skinny ones that.

Sorry, I'm Ohatsu. I welcome your customs.

What do you think? Aren't Edo women sprightly?

Her words came at me like bullets.

I didn't understand a bit of it.

You'll get used to it.

Now that we're in a good mood, shall we go?

Go? Where?

Where the women are, of course.

Edo women are great in bed.

In bed?

I pass!

We're celebrating your arrival.

Let's get some women and live it up!

I haven't the money for that.

Let us take care of that tonight.

I'm going back to the mansion.

We can't let you go back alone.

Don't let me detain you.

But it's your first time here.

What if you get lost?

It's part of my duty to learn my way around Edo.

What about fellowship?

Don't give me that!

I give up.

What's that?

It's a footpad.

Footpad?

Excuse me. Can you direct me to Mita?

To Mita?

You're a Satsuma samurai, aren't you?

Yes.

Oh, a lost "potato!" (country clod)

It's on my way. Shall we walk together?

That will be a help.

I heard about your lord's plan to build warships.

Is he seeking revenge for Sekigahara?

Of course not. He's doing it for the benefit of Japan.

Then it must be Lord Mito...

who is thinking of overthrowing the shogun.

How small-minded.

Is this your first time in Edo?

Yes.

I'm just a poor fellow named Shinmon-no-Tatsugoro.

It must be fate. I'm pleased to meet you.

No, Edo people aren't poor.

Huh?

Everyone in Edo eats white rice.

Atabo! (Of course)

Atabo? I haven't eaten that yet. What is it?

If you don't eat rice back home, what do you eat?

Sweet potatoes.

Is that the truth?

Yes, it is.

He really is a potato samurai.

So you'd better walk in front of me.

I break a mean and foul-smelling wind.

Follow at your own risk.

Excuse me. Princess Atsu is here.

I've been waiting. Come in.

So many things needed attention upon my arrival in Edo.

Have you been well?

Yes. I'm pleased to see you in good spirits.

Have the waters of Edo and Kyoto lent you polish?

You've grown even more beautiful.

Isn't that right, Ikushima?

Her speech has become quite refined.

You've taught her well.

Thank you.

Sister...

You mustn't, Torajimaru.

Your father is very busy.

It's all right.

Come to think of it, Atsu is Toraji's sister now.

Yes.

While his mother was in Satsuma,

he must have been very lonely.

He's taken to Princess Atsu very well.

He's kept me from being lonely, too.

I wish I could go on living here, looking after him.

No, that's my duty.

I must see to it that Torajimaru grows up...

to be a fine man even at the risk of my life.

They say a curse is being conjured at the Takanawa mansion.

You must not talk about such nonsense.

It makes me so mad!

I must live miles apart from my own son, Saburo,

while the family at the Mita house is all together.

How odious!

But, that's not what I wanted to hear.

Didn't I tell you to find a way...

to unseat Nariakira as the clan chief?

Yes.

You are a parent.

You should know how I feel about waiting...

to live with my Saburo in Edo.

It sickens me to hear about their cozy life.

We'll be back before dark.

Don't go roaming alone and getting lost.

I know. I'll see you later.

Dear Shosuke...

This is my 10th day in Edo.

I have yet to begin working.

I thought I should get to know Edo first,

but Edo is a bustling place that only makes me tense.

There was much excitement when we first entered Edo,

but everything quieted down after Perry left.

As for Edo's defenses,

the clans are only interested in their own safety...

so Lord Nariakira is really troubled.

I find it frustrating that I can only watch from afar,

unable to be of any help to him.

That's so like Kichinosuke.

What else does he say?

"Some fellows have been trying to lure me...

"into visiting places of ill repute,

"but I don't intend to fall into such bad Edo ways,

"so please tell my family not to worry about me."

What are places of ill repute?

Little boys shouldn't be so nosy.

Please go on.

"I'm the only one among my companions...

"who hasn't been to Shinagawa."

"Knowing how hard you and Kichijiro worked to give me...

"the money, I can bear any hardship."

"I could never behave irresponsibly."

Sister!

Toshi! What's wrong?

Don't be silly!

You really think an Edo woman would fall for you?

She took my hand and said, "Come see me soon."

You've been dreaming.

So that's why you were talking and...

gesturing in your sleep during class.

You could have waken me when the teacher came around.

Don't blame others for your dozing off.

Is Saigo here?

Yes, I'm here.

Come to the duty room tomorrow, will you?

Huh?

What's that about?

This will do.

Next.

It was about mid-April when Nariakira summoned Kichinosuke.

Saigo Kichinosuke?

Raise your head.

Didn't we already met at Mikkan Hill?

Then, with your permission...

Have you gotten used to Edo?

Yes!

What do you think about Edo?

Yes!

You can speak candidly.

You may speak directly to Lord Nariakira.

Yes.

Shortly after our arrival in Edo,

I set out to have a look at Perry's fleet for myself.

I was shocked at how poor the defenses and...

the moral preparedness of Edo were.

Anything else?

When I think of conditions back home,

I wonder how it is that people in Edo,

myself included, are able to eat white rice.

A daimyo must keep up appearances.

Economy may seem in order,

but we've cut back where we can.

Don't be preoccupied with trivial things.

Try to see the overall picture.

Yes.

I've read your petitions in the past.

How are the farmers faring now?

With the reduction of forced labor,

they have more time to spend on farming.

Now, they can add wheat to their diet.

Fewer people have been running away.

We owe it all to your benevolence.

No, it was because you brought it to my attention.

Farmers are valuable to the country.

Yes!

What's wrong?

Saigo Kichinosuke, I'm appointing you my gardener.

A person without a right to audience...

must go through many steps to see his lordship.

But, a gardener is in a position to...

always be at his lordship's command.

As of today, you will work in this garden.

Father!

This is Saigo Kichinosuke.

I hear you are very good at wrestling.

Here I come!

Harder!

If that's the case,

I wouldn't mind being the gardener.

It's not a matter in which you have a choice.

But for all the time we've been in Edo,

we haven't even been spoken upon by his lordship.

We're in a different class.

But won't you tell us what our lord told you?

Please?

There may be things he mustn't tell us.

It's not a position for an indiscreet fellow.

But tell us what you can.

We want to know everything.

Do a good job. We're all behind you.

Kichinosuke's education under Nariakira began.

The shogunate signed a peace treaty with America.

Kichinosuke, what do you think about it?

You don't need to hold back. Speak your mind.

I think it's vexing.

Why?

A peace treaty should be based on friendship.

What America did can be likened to a man who...

forces his way upon a woman at knifepoint.

And the shogunate is the woman?

Some brave women would slit their own throats...

to protect their virtue.

It's so cowardly that I cried bitterly for it.

So much for that.

But this is a problem concerning a country.

What will happen to the country...

if we slit our throats whenever a scoundrel makes a pass?

Bring that here.

This is a globe of the world.

First, point out Japan.

You won't learn by hesitating.

The Ryukyu Islands?

Korea?

China?

Where is England?

Where is America?

I'm sorry.

You won't learn anything by apologizing.

Come back here.

Look! This is England.

This is America.

And this vast area is Russia.

"Know yourself by knowing your enemy; and victory is yours."

Who said that?

Sun Tzu.

According to Sun Tzu, winning by wisdom comes first;

winning by use of might, second;

and winning by use of arms, third.

America won this time by threatening us with might.

To stand up against them,

we must develop our strategy and our arms.

If we have time to contemplate suicide,

we should first know our enemy.

For example, technology has come to enable ships...

to cross the seas by steam instead of wind power.

We must become as strong as them...

by learning such technology.

After we've done this,

we must form alliances with our neighbors in Asia.

Today, we'll discuss trade.

Come up. You're too far away.

Yes.

Having worked directly with farm crops for over 10 years,

you must know this.

You must have realized since coming to Edo...

that certain products can only be grown in Satsuma.

The same thing holds true for the whole world.

Not only is Satsuma camphor highly prized in Holland,

huge profits are made by selling it to France and others.

Countries are enriched by mutual buying...

and selling of necessities.

This is what trade is all about.

Is that so.

It's too difficult for me to understand.

I've heard around the household...

that Lord Nariakira enjoys talking to you.

Am I really worthy of his attention?

But, he tends to side with the West too much.

That has me worried, too.

He's such a knowledgeable person;

why must he learn from the West?

People have been saying that he's a xenophile.

Don't be silly!

Who made it possible for us to study here?!

Isn't it beautiful?

Yes.

This crystal will soon be known throughout the world.

It will be in great demand at home and abroad.

In time, I'll send you out on various errands.

It may change your views of people and the world.

Father!

They told me that Kichinosuke was here.

Kichinosuke is studying.

You must study hard, too.

I want to wrestle. Can we, Kichinosuke?

It will take much effort, Master Toraji.

I hear this man is stronger than an ox.

You're that princess!

Yes, I'm glad you pacified that ox that day.

How did you learn to talk to an ox?

Can you talk to an ox?

Yes, er, no...

Ikushima, don't tease Kichinosuke so much.

Yes. He really is like an ox.

I've kept you waiting.

Let me introduce myself.

I am Saigo Kichinosuke, one of Lord Nariakira's retainers.

I have read Lord Nariakira's letter.

I shall give him my answer in a few days.

I shall so inform my master.

So you're Saigo.

Yes.

On his recent clandestine visit,

Lord Nariakira said he'd gotten hold of something good lately.

It was a young man called Saigo Kichinosuke.

By the way, what is "sonno?"

It's an order of reverence for the Emperor.

The samurai shows respect for his lord;

the lord shows respect for the shogun;

and the shogun shows respect for the Emperor.

That's the way we should live in the Land of the Rising Sun.

And if that country is defiled by barbarians?

If our master decides to fight the foreign ships,

we should run to his side and follow him,

even if we perish for the sake of the country.

For a man who would fight and resist,

isn't your lord a little too fond of the West?

If we give ourselves over to the West,

the other encroaching countries...

will demand that we open the country and trade with them.

What are we to do?

Merely revering the Emperor isn't enough right now.

If the warrior has the Emperor at heart,

now is the time to stake his life and work for his cause.

Are you prepared to do that?

Of course, I am.

Isn't Fujita Toko the famous Mito scholar?

To think that Kichinosuke is able to speak directly...

to such a great teacher.

It seems like a dream for me, too.

It was worth sending my older brother to Edo.

I told him to put his heart into his work.

I'd like to keep him from worrying.

But how do I tell him about Toshi?

Just a little more. You must try.

You must eat to regain your strength.

Thank you.

But, I'm just a burden, completely useless.

You have your own home to tend to.

You bring eggs and such. Please don't bother.

Don't hold back like that.

How can I face Kichinosuke...

if you're not well when he returns.

Now, please eat a little more.

Stake your life to work for the Imperial cause.

Are you ready to do that?

Lord Nariakira has returned.

He's calling for you.

Do you still visit Master Toko?

Yes.

I hear there are brave men in the Mito clan...

who oppose the peace treaty and clamor for expelling...

the barbarians. They're full of spirit, aren't they?

Yes, but may I say something?

Feel free to do so.

Of all the great lords,

you are the greatest authority on the world.

Is that so?

You've gone on to build ships and found cannons,

strengthening our defenses against the foreign devils.

Even the commoners know about you.

However, your interest in the West worries me.

What don't you like about it?

I'm resolved to die as I say this.

Our country, the Land of the Rising Sun,

has been under continuous Imperial sovereignty,

unbroken for 2,000 years.

Those who wish it harm should be crushed,

but you have been adopting many things foreign.

That's not the way to be revering the Emperor.

You've been infected.

Infected?

With Master Toko's anti-foreignism.

Yes, it's most regrettable that your keen interest...

in the West is your one flaw.

I never expected you to say that.

Now, listen!

Yes, I'm listening.

What kind of time do you think this is?

It would seem my teaching has not borne any fruit.

- I beg your pardon... - I told you to listen!

"Sonno" means to revere the Emperor.

To reassure the Emperor, indeed,

it is brave to rally against the foreigners.

But, without a single steamship,

how can we fight the barbarians?

You were the one who said Edo...

lacked protection against the guns of the foreign ships.

That's why I've stressed the importance of technology.

It's the duty of the young to support reform.

What will become of Japan if people forgot about learning,

went to extremes, and clamored without cause?

If you think that I'm wrong, prove it.

Xenophobe, xenophile, nonsense!

What's the use if you don't face the facts?

I'm sorry.

And, so?

My eyes have been opened.

Then, I won't allow you to commit suicide.

Lord!

You told me that you were resolved to die.

Although I grew up in Edo, as the clan chief,

I've come to know that when a Satsuma warrior...

says that he'll die, he really means it.

I will not permit you to die!

Lord!

You've been a leader of the young men's group.

If you understand, then you must work...

to bring around the xenophobes in our clan...

and work as my assistant for the sake of Japan.

Is that understood?

Kichinosuke, a letter came for you.

"Toshi had a miscarriage..."

It's a most regrettable loss.

Toshi blames herself and has been grieving.

With everyone's encouragement, she's gotten better,

and promises to present you with a boy next time.

She is anxiously awaiting your return."

Several days later,

Nariakira came down with an illness of unknown origin.

Oh, it's you Saigo.

This sudden illness... How is his lordship?

He's very ill.

Very ill?

He has a high fever and hasn't been able to sleep.

This is no ordinary illness.

Someone must have put a curse on him.

What?

It's Yura. She's showing her evil nature again.

But we must guard against poisoning.

Watch closely to keep out any suspicious characters,

especially those from the Takanawa Mansion.

I'll kill anyone who tries to kill our lord.

I appeal to you, Oh God of Fire!

I pray to you to expel my lord's illness.

Our country needs a man like Lord Nariakira.

Punish those who would put a curse on our lord.

I give my life in return for my lord's.

I give my life!

To be continued.