KOKONTEI Shinchō intends to tell "Shibahama" though it's not New Year's Eve (*). However he is drunken and sleeps at stage. His daughter Mitsuko worries about it but some of the audience tell her not to wake him up. He remembers the runners in the qualifier for the Olympics 1912 (**).
On the 19th of December, the qualifier is held. Though Yahiko Mishima is a timekeeper, he plans to join the qualifiers of short distance and middle distance and wears spikes and wins the races. The runners from Tokyo Kōtō Shihan Gakkō arrive at the ground in Haneda late and the qualifier of marathon starts. Shisō with other members of the athlete club of Shihan Gakkō runs slowly at the beginning of the race in the rain.
Yahiko Mishima (Tōma Ikuta) at the ground
Many of the runners are exhausted and fall down. And the members of the management committee cannot see the race and waste time at the ground. Sei-san, a rikishaman who pretends himself as a student also joins it. Many unexpected incidents happen during the race. Those who see the race follow the runners, Genzaburō Noguchi who is a junior of Shisō steals a steamed bun because of hunger and Shisō himself is watched by a runner who runs in front of him. But he keeps running toward the finish line.
His tabi are worn out while running so Shisō who returns to the ground kicks them off. His face turns red because the dyes of his cap flows down wetting by rain. Jigorō Kanō sees somebody runs toward them through field glasses. He thinks it's a messenger but it's Shiso. He is hugged by Jogorō as soon as he reaches the goal and his dream from his childhood comes true now (***). It is unbelievable that he betters the world record and there are no problems in timekeeping and the distance. Though a stuff tries to make him drink water, he refuses it.
Shinkei Yoshioka (Shinnosuke Mitsushima, left) and Rinsen Nakagawa (Kōen Kondō) are also the members of Tengu club and manage the qualifier for the Olympice 1912.
"He didn't want to make his record vanish like a dream" (****).
The audience laugh at Shinchō's story. Then he is asked about the story by Mitsuko and his pupils in the backstage.
On the day of the qualifier, Kōzō, young Shinchō takes Sei-san's place. He transports TACHIBANAYA Enkyō from Asakusa to Ningyō-cho by jinrikisha and is attracted by "Kajikazawa" (*****) that Enkyō rehearses. After he gets off, Kōzō asks him to make him become his pupil. Though Koume tells him Enkyō has an eccentric and mercurial character, he gains his favour. And in the dormitory of Tōkyō Kōtō Shihan Gakkō, a party to celebrate Shisō’s victory is held. Isao Kani frolics so much and is warned by Dōmei Nagai. Hidenobu Mikawa visits the venue but he doesn't join the party.
At the ground of Haneda, Jigorō and the members of Tengu Club hold torches and go on spree. Shisō cannot sleep and checks the merits and demerits in the race. He thinks that his tabi should be improves to stand hard use during the race and he sees an illusion of his brother Sanetsugu who scolds him engrossed in running. On the following day, he becomes the man of the day. He visits Harimaya and finds a bill that congratulates him is on the door.
However, he tells Shinsaku, master of the shop that the tabi he bought has low durability and it makes him angry. But if the tabi was more durable, his foot would not blister.
Shisō (NAKAMURA Kankurō) prepares for the race
At the residence of the Mishima family, both Wakako and Yatarō ignore the victory of Yahiko. Shima who cleans Yahiko's room tells him that she is dissatisfied with their behaviours. Yahiko asks her whether she liked sports or not and says women's sports will be popular soon. And Suya Haruno who sees a column with the photo of Shisō on the newspaper and attempts to cut out it. But her father tells her not to do so as she is going to have a marriage. She folds the paper without cutting out the column.
(*)(****) As I write in Shibahama, the climax of the story Katsugorō in this story is set in New Year's Eve and he is told by his wife that picking up a purse is a dream.
(**) But he didn't the race because he pulled a jinrikisha instead of Sei-san on the day.
(***) After having visited Daigo Kōtō Gakkō in Kumamoto to see Jigorō Kanō, his father told the family members that he was hold up in Jigorō's arms but it was not true. And now he is too big to behold up on his arms but is hugged by him.
(*****) One of the specialties of Tachibanaya Enkyō.
The images are from the official website of "Idaten".
