ベイカー寮221B／Baker House 221B

Harunobu decides to send his vassals to manage the castles in the territory he occupied. He never strengthen the defence of Tsutsujigasaki residence as told by ITAGAKI Nobukata.In Echigo, NAGAO Kagetora becomes an adopted son of his elder brother to take over the Nagao clan in the future. Though the clan is the shugo of Echigo in reality, Kagetora respects justice and asks Uesugi Sadazane, the original shugo to mediate them and it makes Sadazane happy.  On the New Year's Day of 1549, Harukage who is ill in bed tells Kagetora to make their sister Momo hime marry NAGAO Masakage who opposes them. Harukage dies four years later.

Kagetora (Gackt, right) talks with his sister Momo hime (Naomi Nishida) about her marriage

Kagetora, who became a boy monk in his childhood but was so wild. Momo hime says that only she can do is acting as a go-between the two men, Kagetora and Masakage and accepts the marriage. She also tells about shobukiri (*) in their childhood and it may be happy if the conflicts in the world are resolved by it. And NAOE Sanaetsuna, superior vassal of Kagetora plans to make his daughter Nami serve Kagetora as maid. Sanetsuna seems to promote himself by making her Kagetora's concubine eventually. However he has no interest in woman.


That night Kagetora orders Nami to go out of his room but she hesitates. Kagetora feels it dubious and she says that she would like to sleep with him.
"Were you told or ordered it by your father?"
Nami denies it and kagetora asks her again,
"Then you told me it because of you own desire"
Kagetora sighs over human's desire and he hands her a scroll that is a sutra. He tells her that he will be comforted if she reads it (**).


At that time Masakage’s party fires Biwajima Castle managed by USAMI Sadamitsu. They are inpatient that they cannot make sure whether Sadamitsu takes the side of Kagetora or not. Kagetora feels sympathy with Sadamitsu who doesn't changes his mind easily. He hopes to make Sadamitsu serve him to unite Echigo but Okuma Tomohide, who formerly served the Uesugi clan meets SAdamitsu that he still hesitates to serve the Nagao clan. Sadamitsu says that if Kagetora despises the Uesugis, he will fight against him.


Both Kansuke and Denbei stay at Negoroji Temple in Kishu, current Wakayama and order one hundred matchlocks (***). TSUDA Kenmotsu, who is in charge of manufacturing matchlocks tells them it takes a lot of time. Kansuke gives some pieces of gold as advance payment. Then Kenmotsu says it needs a port because matchlocks should be transported by ship. Then Kansuke asks IMAGAWA Yoshimoto to rent a port in Suruga. On the other hand, Heizo who serves MURAKAMI Yoshikiyo is appreciated but SUDA Shinzaemon doesn't think well of him. Heizo returns to Chiisagata for a while. His master YAZAKI Jugoro also appreciates him and asks him to marry Hisa. Though Hisa was to become a concubine of Shinzaemon, Jugoro refuses it.


Kansuke  asks IMAGAWA Yoshimoto to allow the Takeda clan to use the port. Yoshimoto says ironically that Harunobu wants everything he sees but Jukeini allows it. Yoshimoto is going to fight againt the Oda clan of Owari. Jukeini also tells Kansuke that Yoshimoto's wife who is a sister of Harunobu is ill. There is the possibility that it may influence the alliance between the two clans if she dies. And the Hojos need reinforcements because Ujiyasu attacks Uesugi Norimasa in Kozuke but Nagao Kagetora decides to reinforce him. Ironically, it is the Nagao clan who took the place of Uesugi Sadazane, shugo of Echigo who is related to Norimasa.


Norimasa is surprised to hear it when he enjoys the dance of prostitutes but NAGANO Norimasa tells him that it needs reinforced to survive the clan. In Kai, Kansuke tells Harunobu about her sister and he hopes to make his lord control two seas by occupying both Echigo and Suruga. He also hopes to work in intelligence in Echigo disguising himself as a merchant of matchlock. Harubnobu allows it but it needs to attack OGASAWARA Nagatoki first. In 1550, Kagetora formally becomes the lord of Echigo after the death of Sadazane.

(*) A kind of swordplay as play using a leave of iris as sword.
(**) Such behaviour shows his eccentricity and belief in Bishamonten (Vaisravana).
(***) In Japan, matchlocks were manufactured in the temple, Omi (current Shiga) and Sakai.

The images are from the video of "Furin Kazan".

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