Original subtitles

Luis Frois wrote of Nobunaga in the Chronicles of Japan:

"He is rational and decisive; and scorned God and Buddha,

or any forms of worship, paganism, or superstitions."

In the foreigner eyes of Frois,

Nobunaga appeared to be an atheist.

To support this, when building Shogun Yoshiaki's new Nijo Palace,

he used Buddha stones, and eventually burned down the temple on Mt Hiei.

But he was also known to have prayed at Atsuta Shrine for victory in battle,

and supported Owari's Tsushima Shrine and Echizen's Oda-Tsurugi Shrine.

Nobunaga was not a devote Buddhist follower,

but we don't know if he was really scorning God and Buddha.

Nobunaga

Episode 31: "The Burning of Mt. Hiei"

Original Story & Screenplay: Tamukai Seiken

Music: Mori Kurodo

Original Subtitles TV Network Japan, Inc.

Transcribed and Edited Subtitles Kame Fansubs

CAST

Oda Nobunaga OGATA NAOTO

Rui TAKAHASHI KEIKO

Onabe WAKAMURA MAYUMI

Ikeda Tsuneoki MATOBA KOJI

Akechi Mitsuhide MICHAEL TOMIOKA

Hosokawa Fujitaka KATSUNO HIROSHI

Inaba Yoshimichi SHINODA SABURO

Maeda Toshiie HASHIZUME JUN

Niwa Nagahide SUGIMOTO TETTA

Takigawa Kazumasu SHIBA TOSHIO

Asai Nagamasa TATSUMI TAKURO

Louis Frois FRANK NEIL

Kinoshita Tokichiro NAKAMURA TOHRU

Sakuma Nobumori TANAKA KEN

Hayashi Michikatsu UTSUI KEN

Kano Zuiten HIRA MIKIJIRO

Producer: Yagi Masaji

Director: Shibata Takeshi

To impede the Asai-Asakura army from capturing Kyoto,

Nobunaga temporarily halted his battle with the Miyoshi and Ikko Sect...

and retreated into Omi's Usayama Castle,

where he found himself unable to move.

Rokkaku and the Ikko Sect of the east,

the Miyoshi and Ikko Sect of the west,

and the Asai-Asakura army of 13,000 were all nearby.

Two months passed and they faced winter.

When I drink hot tea the cold seems colder.

I hear the sound of the snow.

The sound of snow?

Yes.

I can't hear the snow. It's in your mind.

No, I can hear it.

It's not yet cold enough to snow.

One moment.

Oh, snow is finally falling.

Leave the door open.

Yes.

You have such sharp ears.

I'm sure you can even hear the shogun's thoughts.

What is the shogun thinking these days?

I am not sure...

but, he is probably just waiting for a messenger from you.

For what message?

It doesn't really matter.

He just wants to hear from you.

What the shogun wants is to hear that I have died.

That can't be...

When I die, he can run this land.

You are his only guardian.

When you disappear, the shogun knows that he will too.

People are not that reasonable.

Especially if you happen to be the shogun.

He cannot give orders without checking with me.

Even if that is his thread of survival,

he detests me, his subordinate.

One can forget a hundred moments of joy,

but a single moment of humility lasts a lifetime.

What has the lord said?

It doesn't matter until the Asai-Asakura army descends the mountain.

But, we can't wait any longer.

The soldiers are getting tired.

And then there is the cold.

The lord is well aware of that.

Our men are hiding in the hills and fields.

Not everyone has a roof over them.

What about the rain and wind?

And, it's starting to snow, too.

What can I do?

We just have to wait until we hear from Mt. Hiei.

They have sheltered the Asai-Asakura for two months!

That is their response!

Then you tell that to the lord!

Isn't that your job as his right-hand man?!

What?!

Now, now, you two...

Sir Wada...

Now, now, Sir Maeda.

This is a match of wills between us and the Asai-Asakura.

The cold is even worse up on top of Mt. Hiei.

If it snows, the Asakura can't return home to Echizen.

The wait is almost over.

What's going on?!

Nothing.

That's a problem!

If we remain still, we won't have any food...

and the soldiers will flee.

Tsuneoki.

Send word to Asai-Asakura to descend the mountain...

and battle it out.

We will settle this.

Okay, I will send a messenger.

Reporting. Shogunate envoy Sir Hosokawa Fujitaka is here.

Can I send him in?

Send him through.

Oh, Hosokawa. It's good to see you.

Come closer.

How is the shogun?

Praying for peace in this land.

While I am at battle day after day,

I apologize that I can't bring him good news yet.

What brings you here today?

Let me relay the shogun's message.

The shogun suggests that you and the Asai-Asakura reconcile.

With the snow and cold, he is concerned.

I am grateful for that.

But, they are traitors.

I cannot accept an equal reconciliation.

Word has just been sent to them...

asking them to descend the mountain and fight like warriors.

I'll lay down my arms when they have submitted.

There is also the Mt. Hiei case. If we reconcile now,

we will be overlooking their protection of those men for two months.

Mt. Hiei's Enryakuji Temple was built to protect the Emperor.

Now that they have sheltered the traitors,

their actions are unforgivable.

Many bonzes descend the hills and dwell in Sakamoto...

drowning themselves in women and luxury,

tainting the ways of Buddha.

Please tell the shogun that I can't allow that!

Of course, if the Imperial Court is pushing reconciliation,

that is a different matter.

Of course, I am not saying the shogun doesn't suffice.

This battle is in the name of the Emperor!

That is why his will will be honored!

I understand.

I will return immediately and relay this to the shogun.

You don't need to rush.

It may be settled in a battle before that.

However, I must relay your words to the shogun.

Then, I will see you all again.

Excuse me.

Kawajiri...

You were mentioning food earlier.

How many days supply do we have?

It varies by troops, but the Ano Fort has seven days.

Maeda.

Check the food supply of each troop.

Okay, right away!

We can't continue with this type of indecisive battle.

From now on, we will destroy what we can.

Sir Yoshikage, please make up your mind.

If we descend the mountains and attack them,

we will win for sure.

If we win the first battle,

the shogun won't step in for reconciliation.

If the Miyoshi and Ikko Sect also head for Kyoto,

the Oda will lose their balance and then power.

Let's take this opportunity to battle!

But, Nagamasa, what if we lose this battle?

We can never return here.

In fact, we would have to die in this land.

We will win for sure.

I don't know about that.

The timing is also bad.

The soldiers are tired.

The Miyoshi and Hongwanji aren't very strong either.

As the shogun suggests,

it might be best to reconcile and retreat at this time.

Let's wait for a better time.

There will be another time for victory.

It isn't too bad for you,

but, we must return to Ichijo-ga-dani in Echizen.

If this snow continues and the pass is covered,

our army cannot return home.

That is more of a tragedy.

Look, it is snowing even harder.

And, it is going to keep piling up.

Oda Nobunaga requests the shogun's orders,

as well as Imperial orders, for reconciliation.

That's insolent!

We help him out and he is still willful!

No, he didn't mean that.

Nobunaga is punishing the Asai-Asakura for betraying the Imperial Court.

Thus, he needs their approval.

Without it, he will fight until the Asai-Asakura surrender.

Nobunaga's army cannot make a move either now.

He talks big in front of others,

but to think he wants Imperial orders inside...

Never mind that. He has been stuck for two months.

Nobunaga can only rely on my power at this point.

Now he must acknowledge my power.

Then, should we delay on getting Imperial support?

No, to help the Asakura, let's do it right away.

Okay, I will do it immediately.

Hosokawa.

How was Nobunaga doing?

He seemed to be fatigued.

That's good to know.

It's not that easy to control this nation.

Soon after this, Nobunaga and the Asai-Asakura...

reconciled according to Imperial orders...

and retreated out of the Lake Biwa area.

Without pain, how does one experience joy?

We must get rid of Lady Onabe before the lord returns.

She is the death god disguised as a woman.

I'm not lying. I have lots of evidence!

I can't believe it. Please let me go.

I am here only because you wanted silver.

But, I will never come back here again. I'm leaving.

First, listen well. I am not insane.

Please let me leave!

No!

The Oda will perish at this rate.

Then it will affect you as well.

So listen to me carefully.

I predicted that woman's appearance to the lord.

I said a woman who appeared with the sun behind her...

is the death god, so to keep her out of the castle.

If he allowed her to enter,

many misfortunes would occur until it eventually affected the lord himself.

Then she appeared as I predicted,

and tried to get close to the lord.

But, the lord knowingly allowed her on the premise,

then even chose her as one of his concubines.

Why?

Because his is self-confident, ignores heaven's will,

and wants to ridicule me!

What has resulted?

Within three months, his brothers Nobuharu and Nobuoki,

and many vassals such as Mori, lost their lives.

And, you still won't believe me?!

The lord may be next in line.

Or, it may be Lady Rui... You still don't care?!

Death approaches one like this.

Is that what you will allow to happen?

Can you overlook it if it's another life?!

Zuiten, please let me go.

I need your help.

If you won't help me, God will punish you.

We must get rid of that death god.

But, until then...

Put one pinch of this in her meal each day,

so we can weaken her powers.

That will be your job.

By Imperial mandate, we reconciled with the Asai-Asakura at this time.

That's wonderful.

Yes, so the lord should be back soon.

Is that so? This was a long battle, wasn't it?

Yes. He must have suffered defending the country.

It appears that way.

The enemies are the Asai, Asakura, Miyoshi, and Ikko Sect.

It seems they just keep increasing and I get a bad feeling.

Bad feeling?

Yes. In three months we have had more deaths than ever before.

We lost many good men, too.

I feel that something evil is lurking in this castle.

I will ask the lord to remove it when he returns.

If that is true, it is frightening.

Yes! And, we must get rid of it as soon as we can!

Sir Hayashi...

Yes?

What could be lurking in this castle?

I don't know. But, it is very evil.

For example, the death god?

Are you trying to say this to me?

What's the matter?

Sir Hayashi eyes are saying that.

Hayashi.

Yes?

Did you mean Lady Onabe when you said that?

I feel ill...

Lady Onabe...

I'll be okay soon. I just feel ill.

Go to your room and rest.

Help Lady Onabe. Matsu, help her.

Yes.

Forgive me.

Hayashi.

Yes.

Let me ask you again.

Did you mean Lady Onabe when you said death god?

I have heard rumors.

Nobunaga has heard the same.

It all started with Zuiten, it seems.

Who knows what that man will say now?

He was slain by Nobunaga and abandoned.

To return here, who knows what he would do?

But, he has been right in his predictions.

And, this is not the only time.

I have served the Oda for three generations with Zuiten...

and he has never lied to my knowledge,

and has brought much good to the Oda's future.

Even if Lady Onabe were not the death god herself,

she lacks virtue for being rumored as such.

In any case, it is better if she left.

Or, as Zuiten predicts, misfortunes may continue.

The worst will be when it happens to the lord.

This is a time when we must be on guard,

follow heaven's will, and if evil prevails,

we must avoid it even if means taking the long way.

Please allow me to release Lady Onabe.

We will decide when Nobunaga returns.

Until then, I won't allow any action.

With battles, there are deaths.

Perhaps battles are the gods of death...

In Shiki, near the Omura domain in Kyushu,

Priest Torres, who was a missionary in Japan for 20 years,

left to be at God's side.

He had arrived in Japan with Saint Xavier,

and together were the first to preach about God.

Then, at the end of that year, Nobunaga,

who had lost his stepbrothers and many men,

returned to Gifu after accepting the Imperial orders.

This battle saw the deaths of Sir Nobuharu, Sir Nobuoki, and others.

I am grieved over this.

But, due to Imperial orders, you have returned home safely.

For this, I am grateful.

It means that the heavens favor you.

You must now comply with the way of heaven...

and remove what brings grief to the Oda...

so you can gain good fortune again.

Zuiten tells me that Lady Onabe is evil.

You mean that Onabe is the death god?

Yes.

What do you want to do?

What if we had her leave?

Mother, do you feel the same?

No. I don't think Onabe is the death god.

But, many have died this time, and I feel there might be something evil.

To welcome in a good new year,

let's have this castle blessed as soon as possible.

Hayashi.

Yes.

We will consider what Zuiten has said,

and have this castle blessed to ward off evil.

But my lord, everything that Zuiten said came true...

and it frightens me to ignore his warnings.

Please, let's have Onabe leave and see what happens for a while.

Onabe is not the death god.

She is also bedridden at this time.

I can't have her leave now.

This may affect the future of the Oda.

We cannot allow evil within our confines.

What if the next misfortune falls on us?

Hayashi, it seems that you have grown old.

You have fallen for Zuiten's trap.

That may be the case,

but it is not easy to predict misfortune.

I could never like a man like Zuiten,

but I am not so old that I can't realize his powers.

My lord, you may think he has no power since you killed him.

You may even want to disregard his words.

But, that in itself is falling into a trap.

I've said this many times before,

but everything he said has come true.

Please think it over.

Call Zuiten here.

That's not necessary.

Ward off the evil with a blessing.

If it is done diligently,

we will know if Onabe really is the death god or not.

If she is, the blessings will ward the evil away.

No one could do that better than Zuiten!

Zuiten does not have heavenly powers any more.

He spoke sweet words to Matsu who couldn't leave...

and met his lowly desires by forcing her to bed.

Then he thought he could hide the fact from me.

A man with such low thoughts about life,

cannot have power even the size of a pin's head.

New Year's, 1571

Last year we battled the Asai-Asakura at Omni.

But due to Imperial orders, it was temporarily halted.

There was nothing to be gained in that battle.

It was the lowliest of battles.

We also lost Nobuharu, Nobuoki, and others.

I cannot fail to get revenge.

Our foes are the Asai-Asakura, Miyoshi, Ikko Sect, monks of Mt. Hiei,

and even perhaps Kai's Takeda and Echigo's Uesugi.

We can't even begin to count.

Thus, indecisive battles must be avoided from now on.

This is my resolution for the New Year.

We are no longer the Mino-Owari army.

We revere the emperor and support the shogun.

In essence, we are like the national army.

Our motto is "Tenka Fubu,"

and all who stand in the way of the government shall perish.

We must never let them stand up again.

The first of these will be Mt. Hiei.

It will be overthrown within the year.

Their mission is to pray for the peace of the land,

but instead they hired warriors and act as if they were daimyo.

On that mountain there are no Buddhist practices.

Only taint and filth dwells there.

Thus, in the name of God,

it will be destroyed to restore peace in this land.

I should just leave this castle.

Are you still feeling that way?

I am aware of the rumors.

When you lose battles and loved ones are lost,

it's natural for people to blame someone else.

I may be a woman who brings misfortune.

My husband died, too.

Just forget about that.

I am at your side.

Forget all of this and just get some rest.

Yes.

But, when I'm gone, remain in these chambers.

If you must leave, have men accompany you.

I will select about ten men for that.

Yes.

Trust me.

If you do, I promise happy days ahead for you.

In the near future, I will rule this nation.

I'm against invading Mt. Hiei.

Mt. Hiei's Enryakuji Temple is filled with spirits.

One will be cursed for generations for attacking it.

None of you have any objections?

I would like to avoid it if possible.

You're too mellow!

Either you invade or you don't!

If you are against it, I can talk to Lord Nobunaga.

To defeat domains I would go to any battle.

But, Mt. Hiei is a special mountain.

It's not as if they challenged us.

Just ignore it.

If we invade Mt. Hiei, neighboring clans will turn against us.

That's not all.

The Imperial Court will label us as traitors.

Is that what you want?!

Like Sir Hayashi, I have reservations about invading Mt. Hiei.

Do you think Nobunaga can be convinced like that?

Please let me finish.

I would like to discuss this once again with him,

and if possible, have him reconsider.

As an alternative, we can leave troops at Mt. Hiei...

and prohibit the bonzes from secular life.

If they descend the mountains and still indulge in women and liquor,

we will chase them back to the summit...

and force vows to pray for the nation on them.

If they break their vows,

then we will invade without any reservations.

What are your views on this plan?

I can agree to that.

So can I.

I'll accompany you when you see the lord.

Any other views?

If the lord orders me, I will attack Mt. Hiei anytime.

Tsuneoki.

Don't you have any feelings of remorse about destroying Mt. Hiei?

I do. But, I am one with the lord.

If anyone hinders his progress,

I'll have no hesitation about killing them off.

I don't expect to go to heaven.

What's important is that he rules the nation.

I'm for invading Mt. Hiei.

That mountain is at the entrance to the capital...

and is an ideal place for the enemy to hide.

If there are those that support our enemies,

then protecting the nation becomes harder.

There will never be an age of peace.

We should chase our foes out from there...

and use that as one of our military sites.

We should attack!

If you will send me as your messenger,

I'll have them on our side in a day.

This is no time for joking.

I'm not joking.

I'm against invading Mt. Hiei.

Sir Shibata is injured and is not present,

but I believe he would say this:

"It is not right for a warrior to go against things of God or Buddha,

and should refrain."

"Also, if the enemy is like an infant, there should be no battle."

Invading Mt. Hiei will be defying God and Buddha.

They are also too small to be our foes.

Thus, I don't believe we should invade them.

It would leave a bad aftertaste if we did.

I also have reservations.

Misfortune will occur if we invade it.

We may be giving the death god more power.

Burn it down!

Anything that stands, burn it down!

Don't leave a single tainted person alive!

This is a battle of justice! Burn it down!

Burn it with the flame of justice!

Nobunaga totally burned Mt. Hiei that day.

Not only were the bonzes killed,

but also 3,000 old and young men and women.

That night, I viewed the blazing sky above Mt. Hiei from afar.

For us Christians,

seeing the bonzes who interfered with our work gone was a bit of a relief.

But, the crackling flames and strange red sky...

brought an eerie fear over me.

Burn everything!

Don't leave anything.

So everybody, until next time...

To be continued.

To be continued.