Takamori returns to Kagoshima and enjoys living quietly and comfortably. He sometimes hunts hare or pheasant and makes a Chinese poem that pours out his heart. Ito who cannot interpret the words but understands what her husband wants to say. However, former samurais of Satsuma domain who served the government follow him and return to Kagoshima. Kohei who is told by Jūdō to stop them is among them. Takamori scolds them to return to Tokyo and serve the government again. But they tell him that they cannot serve the government controlled by ŌKUBO Toshimichi. So they ask him to go to Tokyo again and reorganise the government though Takamori refuses it.
Many former samurais (shizoku) includes Kirino Toshiaki (Takurō Ōno, far right) visit Takamori frequently
At the prefectural office of Kagoshima, ŌYAMA Tsunayoshi worries about the return of former samurais but KAIEDA Takeji says,
"I can picture how Ichizō (Toshimichi) is confused by it" in a pleasant manner.
However, the number of them who resigned their positions in the Imperial Guards, army and the police reach 600 and there are no employments for them in Kagoshima. If they become to be dissatisfied with the government, there will be a possibility of a riot in the near future. And some of them visit Takamori almost everyday and it makes him stay away from his house. They who are irritated with it tell Kohei and Kumakichi to tell him not to escape from them. But Ito tells them that it's not Takamori who retired but them who should go into action and it makes them embarassed and leave there.
Ōyama Tsunayoshi (Yukiya Kitamura) worries about the increase of former samurais who return to Kagoshima
In Tokyo, MURATA Shinpachi and KAWAJI Toshiyoshi who return from Europe visit the Ministry of Home Affairs with the guidance of Jūdō who asks them not to return to Kagoshima and utilise what they learned in Europe. Then they meet Toshimichi who is the head of the ministry and orders them to reorganise the police. Shinpachi asks him why Takamori resigned his position but he tells them that he said he fulfilled his duty and that's all. Though they are not satisfied with his words, Toshiyoshi accepts it and says,
"I will devote myself to the police regardless of my personal feeling, sir".
At that moment, one of the clerks informs Toshimichi that IWAKURA Tomomi was attacked by the former samurais of Tosa. ITŌ Hirobumi points out that ETŌ Shinpei is going to start a riot. And KIDO Takayoshi says there is a possibility that some regions in Western Japan includes Kadoshima will attack the government. But Toshimichi declares it is unlikely that Takamori will attack them.
Saigō Jūdō (Ryō Nishikido) asks Murata Shinpachi and Kawaji Toshiyoshi not to return to Kagoshima
Around the same time, Takamori visits a hot spring for health with Kumakichi. Kumakichi tells him that Ito sent Toshiaki and his fellows back. Takamori hopes all of them will return to Tokyo and be reinstated in their former positions but it seems to be hard. Then Kumakichi says that his master always thinks about it even while taking a bath. Takamori hopes to end his life as a farmer and see the country established by Toshimichi before it. But some of the former samurais in Kagoshima turn riotous and throw stones to the house of Toshimichi where his wife Masu and their children live. Each stone is wrapped by paper on which the words that blame him are written. Takamori who learns it apologises Masu that he didn't pay attention to her surroundings. She says that her husband wrote to her to live with him in Tokyo but she has to tend the graves of the Ōkubo family and hesitates to go to Tokyo as Toshimichi has a concubine. But she departs for Tokyo with the children soon after.
Ōkubo Masu (Rie Mimura) decides to go to Tokyo to live with her husband at last
At last Shinpei attacked the Saga Castle with 6000 soldiers and the news is informed to Kagoshima. Takamori worries some of former samurais join them and one night he hears someone knocks at the gate of his house. He sees Shinpei and his comrades who are pursued by the government army there. He proposes to Takamori that he should take up arms and regain the government together. But Takamori refuses it and he tries to think how he should support the government from Kagoshima.
"SAIGŌ Takamori disappointed me,"
says Shinpei and he and other soldiers continue to escape. After that he is arrested and Toshimichi orders to execute him without decent trial and displayed his severed head. Takayoshi criticises Toshimichi in this respect but Toshimichi says calmly,
"Such a thing should not be repeated. Mr. Etō did his last duty by showing a bad example for others by himself".
Etō Shinpei (Takaya Sakoda, right) asks Takamori (Ryōhei Suzuki) to help him but is refused
When Toshimichi returns home, he is surprised that O-Yū goes out of the house for Masu and the children. Masu expresses her thanks to her and they talk about how they live from now on. And the children are frolicking and try to take off their father's shoes. Masu sees her family in such a relaxed mood for the first time in a while. And a newspaper splashes the story of the riot Shinpei set off. Though the execution is a warning to others, it makes the former samurais in Kagoshima become so radical. Takamori plans to establish a school to stop them. He visits the prefectural office to see Tsunayoshi and asks him to assist it through the use of public funds. He then sees Shinpachi there. He tells Takamori that he indeed Europe grew and flourish, but it had dark parts also (*). He couldn't agree with Toshimichi on that point and that's why he return to Kagoshima.
Kido Takayoshi (Tetsuji Tamayama) criticises Toshimichi for executing Shinpei without decent trial
Shinpachi visits the Saigō familuy. He plays the band neon and sings to the music and also talks about opera. Then Toshiaki and BEPPU Shinsuke appear and ask Takamori to change the government. Takamori tells them the goverment will be improved by Ichizō but Toshiaki insists he cannot permit Toshimichi who executed Shinpei. Takamori advises him not to be
negative and he and his fellows should lead youths. Shinpachi also persuades him and Toshiaki leaves. In July of the same year, a school called Shigakkō is established. It's for former samurais and they study strategy, Chinese classics and foreign language there. At that time, ICHIKI Sōsuke and Kikujirō return to Kagoshima from the US.
Murata Shinpachi (Arata Horii) visits Takamori and plays the band neon
But Toshiaki doesn't appear there even though he can instruct swordsmanship at the school and is paid in return for it. Tsunayoshi is dissatisfied with it but around that moment, a strange man who is in singularly dressed appears at Shigakkō and cross swords with some pupils and at last he cuts a gun into two halves. He shouts that a sword is the best weapon because it needs neither cannon balls not bullets. It's Toshiaki himself (**). And in Tokyo, Toshiyoshi who becomes a policeman tells Toshimichi about the former samurais in Western Japan who attempts to attack the government. He also tells Toshimichi about Shigakkō. Toshimichi tells him to send more spies to there and then he left the room. Then he looks upwards and says,
"Kichinosuke is the man as I would expect".
The school triggers the Satsuma rebellion later.
Ōkubo Toshimichi (Eita) plans to send more spies to Western Japan
(*) Probably it means economic disparity caused by the transition to capitalism.
(**) Before it, he hears some men speak ill of him and it may be the reason why he behaves so and decides to work at Shigakkō.
The images are from the official website of "Segodon".
