ベイカー寮221B／Baker House 221B

Sena is about to be taken to the temple for execution. But a samurai who is called ISHIKAWA Kazumasa on horseback appears there and offers the exchange of the hostages between the Matsudairas and the Imagawas. He is one of the senior vassals of MATSUDAIRA Motoyasu. Sena takes farewell to Nankei and Jiro and promises her mother Sana that she will control the Imagawas on the previous night of her depart for Okazaki. However Sana and her husband SEKIGUCHI Chikanaga are forced to commit suicide soon after.


Jiro returns to Ii-no-ya and tells Naochika that the Imagawas are impatient with the Matsudairas and in reality, IMAGAWA Ujizane seems to be in a neglectful manner. Then his grandmother Jukeini tells him that prevention is better than cure. Naochika has a keen interest in Motoyasu. One day, a yamabushi from the Matsudairas visits Jiro and hands her a gift in reward for having troubled for Sena. He also hands her Motoyasu's letter to Naochika.

Naochika replies it and goes hawking with Motoyasu. After returned to Ii-no-ya, he tells ONO Tajimanokami Masatsugu that Motoyasu was a strongly built man and had a sword scar on his right hand. After that,  Naochika suggests him a marrage with Jiro after her securalisation. Then Jiro joins them and they remember their childhood for a while. And Masatsugu visits to greet the Imagawas but Jukeini shows a letter of Naochika addressed to Matsudaira Motoyasu.

Moreover, the vassal who brought it to Jukeini is a man exactly alike Matsudaira Motoyasu whom Naochika met. Masatsugu realises that Jukeini deceived Naochika and is owed into an act of betrayal to the Iis. At the same time, a yamabushi called MATSUSHITA Jokei visits Ryotanji Temple. He is a "real" messenger from Motoyasu and Jiro and Naochika realise that they are tricked by the Imagawas.

Naochika (Haruma Miura, left), Jiro (Ko Shibasaki, centre) and Masatsugu (Issei Takahashi, right) remember their childhood

Jiro thinks she must be blamed for causing this trouble by begging for Sena's life. She accompanies Nankei and Jokei who goes to Okazaki to ask for Motoyasu to cooperate with the Iis but in vain. And Jiro implores Sena to go to Ii-no-ya as hostage to move Ieyasu but she finally refuses it. She hopes to control the Imagawas and being a hostage again will not move her husband any more. Nankei tells Jiro that Naochika is probably prepared for the worst.

Meanwhile Naochika is ordered to account for his relations with Motoyasu by Ujizane. In addition, he sends soldiers near Ii-no-ya on Masatsugu's suggestion. The vassals plan to attack them but Naochika says that it should be done when his son Toramatsu is attacked. Naochika decides to visit Sunpu but it means his life is in danger. Before departing, he sees his wife Shino and says that he will leave everything on Toramatsu to her and tells his son that while there is life, there is hope.

He visits the well before his depart and sees Jiro who blames herself for her deed and not being a man. Naochika denies it and says to her.
"If you were not a woman, I would lose my only beautiful memory."
Jiro tells him that she will wait for him but there is very little possibility of it. On the way to Sunpu, strong wind block to the way of Naochika and his attendants. After that, they find themselves surrounded by the Imagawas' soldiers.

(*) "Saraba itoshiki hito yo" is the Japanese title for "Farewell, My Lovely" written by Raymond Chandler.

The images are from the official website of "Onna Joshu Naotora".
 

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