Saigō Kikujirō (Toshuyuki Nishida) talks about the Satuma Rebellion
In 1904, SAIGŌ Kikujirō makes his staff hang his father's writing "Kei-ten, Ai-jin" in a frame on the wall of his office. Then he began talking about the Satsuma Rebellion. He says,
"when a new era comes like a rolling wave, some people cannot ride on it. So my father Takamori hugged, swallowed and took the samurais who were left behind".
Kikujirō as mayor of Kyoto says that someone who accompanied Takamori at that time said,
"As time goes by, my affectionate feelings to him becomes stronger and I want to share his fate".
On the 17th of August 1877, Takamori and his army depart Nobeoka and go toward to Kagoshima where they regard the place of their lkast battle. Then YAMAGATA Aritomo visits the field hospital and asks Ito where her husband departed for but she answers nothing. And Jūdō, Deputy Minister of the Government Army (the Imperial Army) who was permitted to go to Kyushu and arrives in Nobeoka.
Takamori (Ryōhei Suzuki, second from the right) says good-bye to his family
Jūdō finds that the right leg of Kikujirō has lost and realises it's because of the shooting of the Government Army . He bows to her and apologises Ito but she tells him such a high-ranking officer of the Government Army should not behave so. Then Aritomo learns that the Saigō army departed for Kobayashi and even further south via Eno-dake, a mountain in the Kyushu Mountains. They arrive in Kagoshima and climb Mt. Shiroyama and at last they see Mt. Sakurajima. Takamori remembers that he inscribed the letters "Cangoxina" on a stone at the same place and finds it. It makes them feel nostalgic. They try to recover Kagoshima from the Government Army and fight well at first but the latest style of weapons make them retreat and hide in the mountains.
Takamori in Kagoshima with Katsura Hisatake (Jun Itoda, far left), Murata Shinpachi (Arata Horii, second from the left) and Kirino Toshiaki (Takurō Ōno, far right)
Ōkubo Toshimichi is busy with preparing for a national industrial fair. When he comes home, he learns that his house is Kagoshima was burned because of street fighting. He feels happy that his wife Masu and children now live with him in Tokyo but Masu suggests to him that he should go to Kagoshima and help his old friends in Mt. Shiroyama. He warns her to shut up. In Kagoshima, Ito, Kikujirō and Kumakichi return home with Jūdō. But Koto who learns that her son Sōsuke accompanied Takamori tells Jūdō to stop the war at once. She presses him hard and says,
"Are you going to kill our brother?"
KAWAGUCHI Seppō persuades her not to blame him because it's him who brought Ito, Kikujirō and Kumakichi to Kagoshima. Toratarō who hears his aunt's words asks Jūdō to beg for his father's life but Ito warns him.
"It's the shame of the Saigō family".
Jūdō leaves home with his attendants but immediately after Ito goes out of the house. He tells his sister-in-law that Takamori hides in Mt. Shiroyama. Ito is already prepared for the worst and tells him to do his duty because there may be a reason why he remains in the Government Army. She says,
"My husband will say the same thing as me to you".
Saigō Jūdō (Ryō Nishikido) raises his hat to Ito (*)
At Mt. Shiroyama, MURATA Shinpachi plays "Ai Nosti Monti" on the concertina (**) however it sounds sad. So Takamori who goes out of the cave and says he want him to play a tune that makes everybody happy. Then Shinapachi takes off his hat and begs his fellows to throw money in it if the tune pleases them. Then he performs "La Marseillaise". They includes Takamori dance to it and many pieces of military currency called Saigō-fuda are thrown in the hat. And in Tokyo, Toshimichi pulls s drawer of his desk open to take a paper knife out and finds a small bag given by Takamori. In the bag, a piece of paper on which "Cangoxina" is written. The days of his childhood occurs to his mind and the voice of Takamori after the Boshin War echoes in his head.
”I hope you will establish the country that can be on a par with other countries”
Murata shinpachi plays the concertina
At the headquarter of the Government army in Kagoshima, officers talk about the full-scale attack to Mt. Shiryoyama.
(*) At that time, an army officer who wears a cap without chin strap takes off his cap and raises his hand in salute.
(**) Needless to say, the French national anthem was not known widely in Japan. But Shinpachi accompanied the Iwakura Mission and visited Europe and saw opera also. And as for his instrument, I write it is a bandoneon in another post but it seems to be a concertina.
The images are from the official website of "Segodon".