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TOEI COMPANY LTD.
~ TENKA NO GOIKEN BAN ~
( KNIGHTLY ADVICE )
Screenplay Planning
Hideo OGUNI Junichiro TAMAKI
. Jishin NAKAMURA
Cinematography by: Shintaro KAWASAKI
Lighting by: Haruo NAKAYAMA
Sound Recording by: Kenjiro TOJO
Art Direction by: Taizo KAWASHIMA
Music by: Saburo TOMINAGA
Editing by: Katsumi KAWAI
CAS Chiezo KATAOKA
Ryunosuke TSUKIGATA
Hiroki Satomi Kinya
MATSUKATA OKA KITAOJI
Eitaro OZAWA, Kensaku HARA, Jotaro TOGAMI,
Shin TOKUDAIJI, Kantaro SUGA, Masao MISHIMA
Akashi USHIO Sounosuke SAWAMURA
Ryuji KITA Koinosuke ONOE
Harue AKAGI Ryosuke KAGAWA
Kyomi SAKURA Kyonosuke NANGO
Kenji Isao Isao
SUSUKIDA KIMURA YAMAGATA
Utaemon ICHIKAWA
DIRECTOR
Sadatsugu MATSUDA
This incident happened...
at 7 am, January 2nd, Kannei 6 (1629)...
in front of Edo Castle's main gate.
On January 1,
the Shogun's relatives and liege lords...
had paid their New Year's respects.
And today was the non-liege lords
and Shogun's knights turn.
Hurry. I musn't be late for the ceremony.
Yes, but there are others ahead of us, Sir.
It's just a lowly Shogun's knight.
Go ahead of him.
How dare you. This is Samezu's procession.
Who are you?
I am Lord Horio Inaba. You're just a knight.
How dare you!
Horio Inaba?
You came over to the Shogun's side
betraying your former lord, Toyotomi.
I hear you are despised by everyone.
Oh, you stink.
How dare you come to the castle
smelling like this?
Go home and take a bath.
The knights have been acting deplorably.
To set an example,
we should punish Samezu severely.
Let's put them both under
house arrest for three days.
That's too lenient.
The non-liege lords will not like it.
But if we punish Samezu,
the knights will revolt.
I, Honda, will take care of this matter.
The non-liege lords and Shogun's
knights were treated very differently.
In the case of the non-liege lords...
The Shogun approaches.
Lord Shimazu...
I bid you a Happy New Year.
Happy New Year.
Lord Shimazu presents a sword and a horse.
The Shogun gives him a set of sak cups.
The non-liege lords are permitted
to talk to the Shogun personally.
This is called the Individual Greeting...
I accept it with great gratitude.
In contrast, for the Shogun's Knights...
The Shogun approaches.
We all wish you a Happy New Year, Sire.
Happy New Year.
Thank you for your generosity.
This was it. No fuss, no time.
The Shogun does not even sit down.
This was called the Passing Greeting.
They had to gratefully receive the sak
that the Shogun had not even touched.
Thank you for the sak, Shogun Ieyasu.
Oh, no. I've had quite enough.
Oh, you say one more cup?
Then this is it. This is the last one.
Oh, no. I can't. I can't.
Sir, you always make me drink too much...
trying to make me look foolish.
If I drink more, I may fall into the moat.
Oh, the moat... that reminds me.
Speaking about the knights...
Today in front of the main castle gate
there was an incident that gratified us...
Big News! Big, big news!
- Hey, watch out!
- Oh, sorry.
Stop acting like our lord.
What? Did the cat steal a fish?
No.
Wait.
Stop. Wait.
You can't barg in like this.
Just watch me.
Boss!
Big news.
Big news?
Not a cat stealing a fish?
It's Juzaemon Samezu's punishment.
Three days house arrest
for both Samezu and Horio.
Since they fought on the castle
grounds, that's fair, I think.
Oh, you don't know a thing.
That was this morning.
Just now his confinment became 50 days
and his territory will be confiscated.
And Horio?
After three days house arrest, he's free.
The 80,000 Shogun's knights are furious.
Prepare my horse, Kinai!
SAMEZU
I am Okubo. I have urgent
business with Samezu. Let me pass.
No, Sir.
He is confined. Even you may not see him.
Oh, look a falling star! An omen of something bad!
Don't be hasty.
Juzaemon.
What?
This is the will of our first Shogun.
Listen carefully.
The first Shogun Ieyasu
appeared in my dream and told me...
you disagreed with the verdict...
and proposed to commit seppuku.
"It would shame the Shogun's clan to lose
a loyal vassal like Juzaemon", he said.
He told me to hurry and stop you.
Everyone!
Hold on a second.
Please...
I said please!
Please, Sir Jinjuro.
Don't 'sir' me.
I'm not a sir.
Then prince?
Not even close.
Please pay attention.
I'll call you anything you want.
Anything? If I get my license...
I'd be Lord Kagazume Kai Jinjuro.
But the way I'm going,
I'll never get a license.
As the pop song goes...
"who goes there in the night"?
"Is it Kagazume Kai, a stray dog
or Sanjuro Sakabe?"
A pop song shouldn't lie.
I, Sakabe, never prowl around at night.
That's true.
He's always in bed with a prostitute.
I'm not here to stop you all
from attacking the Horio mansion.
If I could, I'd go with you.
But I'm just asking you to
wait till my boss gets here.
Tasuke. Do you know why we are called
the 6th Law?
Sure. There are five laws of the land;
you're the sixth.
You go outside the law to put things right.
That's right. They call us stray dogs
and we've done our share as outlaws.
But tonight, we can take action
for justice and a good cause.
Can't let the old man talk us out of it.
Sir Okubo is here.
He's here?
Hey Boss.
You're all here.
You all look ready for a fight.
Hey, you. Put your back into it.
Oh, it's you, Hanzo.
Can't kill a fly like that.
Your father was famous
as Hanzo, the Spear.
If you want to put a hole in Horio...
this is how.
The Shogun's clan won over Lord
Toyotomi because we sided with him.
But now we're baggage.
So they ridicule us
and call us non-liege lords.
This third shogun is a small fry.
I want that in writing.
Sirs, Councilor Takeuchi
is here on behalf of Sir Honda.
Call him in.
In 1576 at age 16, I accompanied
Lord Ieyasu, the first Shogun to be...
to my first battle at Nagashino.
I killed the enemy general, Wada.
Since then I've been in 66 battles.
I have 88 wounds on my body to prove it.
I will never forget
the battle of Sumonjiyama.
That day I was wearing...
an armor without a helmet...
just a bandana.
My banner was brown with white lettering.
With a sword in my belt
and a spear in my hand
I rode on a silver saddle
on a brown horse.
I was a sight to behold...
and called out to everyone...
"Come see this courageous warrior".
They can't see a thing if they're sleeping.
Old man.
Your cunning plot has succeeded.
Plot?
Just look... there'll be no raid
on Inaba tonight.
So. No night raid?
But you haven't heard the last of this.
Fool!
Do you think I'm satisfied with this?
I was appointed by the first
Shogun as the Shogun's Advisor.
Looking good, Boss!
Sir Hikozaemon Okubo is here.
I, Okubo, have come to see the Shogun.
Please tell his secretary that I am here.
Sire, does Okubo still come to see you?
I'm worried...
He hasn't been around lately.
He doesn't come to advise you?
He's getting old.
Perhaps he's not up to it.
If he does come...
he's stubborn and righteous.
I too know... how righteous he can be.
You, too, Uncle?
Yes.
But when he doesn't come,
I worry that he may be ill.
He will appreciate your kind thoughts.
Lord Honda...
Tell Okubo what the Shogun said.
Tell him to come see the Shogun.
Since the Shogun wishes to see him...
we can't block Okubo
from seeing him much longer.
But he's here to plead Samezu's case.
If the Shogun pardons Samezu,
we councilors will be humiliated.
Our humiliation is beside the point.
Our priority is peace for our country.
If non-liege lords
decide to take up arms...
Lord Izu, you are a renowned strategist...
What are your thoughts?
Councilor Lord Izu is here to see you.
Good evening.
I see that you are working late.
I simply do... what my job requires of me.
But why are you here so late at night?
Oh, you have not heard of my request?
Oh, I am waiting to see the Shogun.
If you want to see the Shogun...
you must be here on a social call.
But isn't it a bit late
for a social call?
I'm not satisfied about the decision...
to punish Lord Samezu.
So you want to advise the Shogun?
Of course.
How disloyal of you.
What did you just say, Lord Izu?
You overstep your bounds,
you disloyal vassal.
Quiet. How dare you say such a thing.
When the first Shogun was on his deathbed,
he summoned me along with his monk...
Tenkai and told me
to advise the future Shogun.
That was his wish.
So you are the Shogun's Advisor?
That's right.
And you called me disloyal.
Tell me why. If you are out of line...
It's an honor to advise the Shogun.
It was the first Shogun's kindness
to appoint you.
And you don't understand why he did this.
The Shogun entrusts his
councilors to rule the country.
But when you disagree with the Shogun,
you use your privilege...
as the Shogun's advisor
and appeal directly to him.
And our Shogun
who admires the first Shogun...
hears this as his will and obeys.
Our poor Shogun!
What did you say?
Every time you advise him,
the Shogun says...
I was wrong, I made a mistake.
I'll correct it immediately.
Forgive me.
That's correct.
Don't you understand?
Each time you advise him...
the Shogun is made to look like a fool.
By saying he was wrong,
he acknowledges his deficiency.
The more you are touted as the
moral compass of the Shogunate,
the more the Shogun appears inadequate.
Don't you realize that?
Our Shogun is without an heir.
He's new to the position...
His power is unconsolidated...
There are those happy to hear
that he is a poor Shogun...
and try to take advantage
of the situation.
The flame is too high.
It needs to simmer.
Hey, don't spill that thing.
Tasuke, the old man's late.
Did something happen?
Don't worry. The Shogun's happy with
his advice and they're having a drink.
We have a guest.
- Guest?
- Yes.
You must have the wrong house.
This is Sir Okubo's house.
You must be Mr. Kinai. I know you.
And you're Tasuke.
Your tattoo says...
"My heart is a mirror".
You're famous in Osaka.
Oh, Naka. Come on in.
And thank you for bringing my things.
I'll put them away later...
so just take them inside.
I obey.
Tasuke will give you instructions.
Thanks for your help, Tasuke.
Oh, Mr. Kinai...
please show me around the house.
Oh, there's not a stick of furniture.
You must be very poor.
In a samurai house
this is the waiting room.
By edict, it must be empty.
The room to entertain guests
must be that way.
This is the study.
This must be our first Shogun.
Welcome home.
The master's home.
Boss, what were you doing?
We've all been waiting.
This is an emergency.
Is that so?
This is truly a crisis.
Please come talk to the others.
Who are you, Miss? I don't know you.
Go say hello.
That's too far. Get closer.
Oh, okay. Excuse me.
I'm Yu, daughter of
Osaka rice merchant, Naniwaya.
Naniwaya?
Masaemon's my father.
Naniwaya Masaemon.
Have you forgotten him?
How could I ever forget
Sir Naniwaya's name?
For me, and for the first Shogun...
Naniwaya is our saviour.
The Osaka Winter Battle
was going badly for ourside.
We ditched our provisions and retreated.
Our main army
was on the verge of starvation.
Naniwaya crossed the river
by cover of night.
He delivered 20 bales of rice.
I held his hand and wept with joy...
and the first Shogun personally wrote...
a letter of thanks to Naniwaya.
Are you here sightseeing?
No, I have a request
upon which my life depends.
Upon which... your life depends?
Yes, the request is... it concerns you.
Me?
I want to marry you.
You want me to marry you?
Yes.
Boss, did't I say we had a crisis?
You've come at a bad time, Miss.
I'm not in a mood for jokes tonight.
Joke? It's not a joke.
I didn't come all this way...
just for a joke.
How dare you impersonate
Naniwaya's daughter.
I'll rip the truth out of you.
Tasuke, do I look like I'm pretending?
Of course not.
But boy, this makes me nervous.
Here, wipe your sweat.
I can't.
Why?
I don't want to smell like a woman.
Better than smelling like a fish.
Master... I think you should listen
to what she has to say.
No way. This is ridiculous.
At first, my Dad said the same thing.
But then, he said he understood
even if no one else might.
What happened next?
Then he said, if you're that set on it,
go and talk to Sir Okubo about it.
Which means you have to listen to her
because you are indebted to Naniwaya.
He's right.
And what started all this?
I'll never forget.
It was April 17th of last year.
That's the anniversary
of the first Shogun's death.
A distinguished man of about 70
stood by my pillow...
What did he look like?
Well, he had on this crown...
He was holding a staff.
And he stood like this.
Oh, that's the first Shogun.
And this is what he said...
"Your husband to be is Hikozaemon Okubo".
"Yu, hurry...
go arrange this marriage".
How dare you use
our Shogun's name in vain.
But Master... you always talk
about dreaming of the Shogun.
If this is his will...
then it must be done.
You two must decide on the details.
I think we should leave you two now.
Tasuke, you come, too.
I'll take you someplace interesting.
First, it was Lord Fukushima...
The next year, Lord Tanaka...
Two years later, Lord Mogami.
They all had their clans discontinued
and their territories confiscated.
I'm very concerned about our welfare.
It could be our clan next.
I bet our Kato clan is next.
We have to stop the Shogunate.
So, as our secret pact...
if you three rise up in the west, the
Shogun's army will go to quell the uprising.
Then in their absence...
with Lord Suruga's army...
Excuse me.
Is your business meeting over?
The ladies are ready.
Great. Send them in.
Here they are. What took you so long?
Don't tease us so much.
Come in.
It's the first time for him.
Be nice to him.
You can't be a virgin
and pretend to be a playboy.
Hey come on, live it up.
Asagiri, Sanjuro's favorite is with
another customer who won't let her go.
It's Lord Horio and some non-liege lords.
Non-liege?
Non-liege? Lords? So what?
I can't let those country samurai
act like big shots here in Edo.
I'm not afraid of anything.
My boss is the great Hikozaemon Okubo.
As the only child of Naniwaya,
I was born
with a silver spoon in my mouth.
But as a woman, what's important is
to marry a fine man and have children.
But being the only child of Naniwaya
is an obstacle to that.
I mean, no candidate or prospective
husband measures up to my standards.
So I had almost given up hope,
then I had that dream...
It was like a voice from Heaven.
Wait just a second.
As you see, I'm an old man.
Old man? Not at all.
You're in your prime.
I can see you're in your very prime.
Er, but, our ages...
...are so different?
Everyone says so.
And they are right.
You must listen to them.
That's because everyone is a dum-dum.
Dum-dum?
In Osaka, baby talk
for a fool is "dum-dum".
I've decided to marry you
and have seven children.
Seven?
Yes! First, your clan's heir.
Then since I'm the only child,
Naniwaya's heir.
Many people will want
to adopt your child.
We can't accept all their requests but
we'll have to accept at least three or four.
And I want a girl, too.
So that's seven all together.
They say a woman ages four
years when she gives birth.
If I have seven, then I'll age 28 years.
That will make me
an old woman of 40 in no time.
But men are different.
You won't change a bit,
and still be popular with young girls...
You'll leave an old woman like me
and go play with younger women.
I am so jealous.
How dare you play around...
leaving my Mistress.
I'm just saying
maybe that will happen.
Miss, you have to keep him
on a short leash.
He really is a handsome devil.
Kinai, what's to be done?
There's nothing we can do here.
I hate to spoil your fun,
Sanjuro but let's call it a night.
What's up?
I asked the maid to let those in
Horio's room know we were here.
They turned white and whispered a bit
then left suddenly.
That means there's something
they didn't want us to know about.
Right. But how serious it is,
we'll know on our way back home.
If it's serious...
they'll attack to kill us all.
But what about Tasuke?
If it's serious, it's better he's not with us.
They're formidable...
but you must kill them all.
It must be serious.
We can kill the others but we
have to capture the leader.
Kill them.
Kinai? Kinai?
You're awake. Good morning.
You're still here?
I told you...
I intend to be here for life.
Brush up and down, not sideways.
That's what the dentist says.
You're still wet.
I'm okay, okay.
I am not a child.
But I told you how handsome you are.
Your breakfast is over here.
My Lord...
Good Morning.
Lord Okubo... please take your seat.
I'm to eat with the servants?
Yes. Please sit down.
From now on, this is how it will be.
We have 100 servants at Naniwaya.
My father always eats breakfast
with them.
No matter how busy, at least do this or the bond
between servant and master becomes weak, he says.
My Lord...
Thank you for the food.
Oh, and please chew your food well.
You must chew the rice 16 times.
Okay, okay.
Hey... hey. Mr. Kinai.
Over here, Mr. Kinai.
Lord, Tasuke brought a horse,
and they're demanding payment.
What? He's now a horse trader, as well?
How much?
Two ryo...
That's a really cheap horse.
Is it a male or female?
It's a man... I mean a male.
Is it grey or brown?
It's striped.
Striped?
-Yes.
And how old is the horse?
-Yes.
He looks about 30.
Fool. Horses don't live that long.
Hey you, over there.
-Yes.
Come here.
Obey.
Is that the horse?
Yes, he collects debts
for pleasure houses.
He only had...
Shush. Be quiet.
Here's five ryo...
- Good.
You can keep the change.
- For me?
Good going.
You know how to settle a debt.
Dum-dum.
In Osaka,
they call fools "dum-dum" in baby talk.
My, my... how we change.
Didn't you say
you didn't like the smell of women?
Oh, you smell like sak.
I would have thought he'd spilled
it by now but he's acting tough.
Maybe that's not the reason
he won't talk.
It may be too big... to talk about.
Just trying to kill us...
is a serious offense.
Hey, Samezu has been pardoned.
What? Pardoned? That's great.
Let's drink to that.
Bring the sak.
I'm thinking... of declining the pardon.
What happened?
In exchange for my pardon, they want to forbid
knights from taking a palanquin to the castle.
Not to the castle?
The councilors know we won't
settle for this unequal justice.
But they can't just pardon Samezu.
Since this incident started with a
palanquin, this is how they try to end it.
I don't think so.
This is another favor
to the non-liege lords.
Till now, it was just about Mr. Samezu.
Now, they're punishing
all the Shogun's knights.
I don't want to be used by the councilors
to cause trouble for all knights.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom...
your glory lasts but just a day.
For you My Lord, My Liege...
your knights will gladly give their lives.
Live long and you'll embarrass yourself.
I should have died with the first Shogun.
I know women shouldn't meddle, but
I think you should accept the pardon.
This girl is...
They want to put one over and you
decline knowing their intent... That's easy.
To pretend you've been had and put one
over on them that's the way to go, isn't it?
Who are you?
My Dad's a merchant
so I'm used to such things.
Does this mean they want you
to walk to the castle?
We can ride a horse, but we have to
walk up to the castle gate and beyond.
The non-liege lords will see us walking
from their palanquins and laugh.
Then you shouldn't use a horse.
Because we really have to
put one over on them.
The more absurd the better is what I say.
What is carried?
A coffin...? That's unlucky.
A basin... but that's for babies.
Silence.
It would make us all laughing stocks.
Wait. A basin?
Hikoza?
I get it. We all go into it at birth.
January 7th is Young Herb Day.
Lords and knights put on their
best kimono to go to the castle.
Townspeople line up
to watch the procession.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom...
your glory lasts but just a day.
For you My Lord, My Liege...
your knights will gladly give their lives.
It is an honor to fight in battle...
and become but dew on the grass.
Good for you!
You're the best knights of the land.
You did it!
All Edo is rooting for you.
Well done! We rely on you!
If they ban basins,
we'll carry you to the castle.
With our flags flying high in the wind...
We don't need our allies' help...
They will see on the blue mountains...
the signs of the Tokugawa knights.
How dare they come to the castle
in basins.
It's Okubo's idea to ridicule us.
We need to teach him a lesson.
But there's no edict banning basins
so we can't punish him.
But we can't let this be.
Lord Izu. You dealt with Okubo before.
Any ideas?
The best plan is to give Okubo
a big position.
Big position?
He has no responsibility so he is idle.
He gets these ideas with too
much time on his hands...
Of course.
The councilors couldn't do a thing.
Since Lord Okubo's my boss,
I'm very popular, too.
Everyone wants a piece of me.
My sister's giving birth in five days.
I want him to have his first bath
in your basin.
Please give me the basin.
We're expecting tomorrow.
Please Boss Tasuke.
I'm a midwife.
I'll get rich with that basin.
Tasuke. You're SO popular.
Good job. You were so right.
The more absurd the better.
We were a big hit.
If you think I did such a good job...
help me persuade Sir Okubo to marry me.
About that...
Is it about our ages again?
No matter how young, I wouldn't want to
marry someone who's popular with a midwife.
Don't worry. I will love you.
I can be your wife!
So where is my intended?
He was summoned to the castle
by the Shogun.
I'm sure because of our basin procession he
is going to permit the use of palanquins again.
You want me to be the keeper
of the Third Gate?
It's usually a job
for 100,000 koku-a-year lord.
To be appointed is an honor
for your clan.
That's what Lord Honda says.
Lord Honda?
I envy you.
A job for a 100,000 koku-a-year lord
means...
it takes that much income to do the job.
Okubo will go bankrupt in a day.
Good idea, Lord Izu.
This will torment Okubo.
Wait. I admit that I wasn't pleased
with the knights.
That's why I thought a job would be good.
I didn't know you had an ulterior motive.
This isn't what I intended at all.
I was worried that my councilors hated you
as a meddler because of your advice.
I'm happy it was just my imagination.
Perhaps this is a hard job for someone
your age... but will you accept it?
I accept... I accept it with pleasure.
I know you will do a good job.
My Liege...
I'd give my life to complete this mission.
You are always the first consideration
when I act.
Everything I do is for you.
Please keep that in mind...
as you see me do my job.
Hey, guys. I thought warm food would be good.
I said it was for Lord Okubo...
and everyone pitched in.
This is great.
Hey, everyone... take a break.
This looks like we're going to war.
Guarding the gate
was to prepare for war.
Now, with no wars, it's just a formality.
But since Okubo is in charge,
we'll show them the way it used to be.
Horio and Terazawa?
Also Lord Honda and Takeuchi?
Takeuchi won't talk
so our hands are tied.
So why are you torturing Takeuchi?
Why? Because it's treason.
Treason?
Don't be so calm.
The Shogunate is in danger.
The Shogunate in danger?
What's so funny?
Hearing you say those words.
What?
You take offense at every slight and
complain about the Shogun's policies.
You lead a dissipated life and then
talk about the Shogun's crisis...
This is too funny.
Hey, old man!
Stuff it! How dare you say that.
I'm a Shogun's knight as well.
I love the Shogunate
that's why I complain.
I complain about the system that
drives a wedge between us and Him.
We, the 6th Law do what we do because
we want the Shogun to realize that.
Not because you hate the non-liege lords?
Don't be daft. I said I was a knight.
Have you gone crazy, old man?
You think you're the only one
that's loyal?
Well said, Jinjuro. Well said.
Now you sound like the heir to the Kagazume clan.
I'm counting on you to lead the others.
Old man...
I can leave everything in your hands.
This is good. Don't forget those words.
First, he lectures, then he praises.
I can't take all this Jinjuro, Jinjuro!
I'm leaving, because I'm in a hurry.
Boss! Boss!
It's an emergency!
Again?
A gift from Lord Mito, the Shogun's uncle
to congratulate you on your new position.
He said if it's not enough
he'll send more.
I mean fish isn't the only thing we eat.
There are gold coins underneath.
Tasuke, ask Kinai and Miss Yu to come here.
Mr. Kinai, Miss Yu, the Boss wants you.
You called, sir?
Kinai, be happy for me.
Lord Mito sent us this gift.
Oh wonderful. We are so blessed.
For a while I thought everything was over.
But Miss Yu made it financially possible
for you to do your job.
That was a blessing.
And on top of that, this from Lord Mito.
Miss Yu, I'm sorry
I had to rely on you for the money.
Oh, I'm happy to do it.
I think of myself as your wife...
You're still saying that. Enough already.
It's okay, Tasuke.
The Shogun, Lord Mito, Miss Yu, Kinai and Tasuke.
You all helped me
so that I could do my last job.
I feel really blessed.
Last? Why last?
My advice will no longer be necessary.
The Shogun has become a fine adult.
No way. The non-liege lords hold sway.
The knights are desperate, that's what He's caused.
The country really needs a man like you
who can advise the Shogun.
Tasuke, there are things even I can't do.
Why can't the Shogun's Advisor
give advice?
If I can't...
I will disappoint the first Shogun.
What I can't say...
I must show with my actions.
Then will you commit seppuku?
That's old.
I can't make the Shogun a dum-dum.
Fortunately, he is an intelligent man.
He knows me very well.
He'll think about why I acted so rashly.
He will understand. I know he will.
No. He's thinking of acting rashly
and dying.
Dying? Boss?
Master?
I can tell. I know everything about him.
You think the Shogun will understand
if you die.
Well, I certainly don't understand.
It's fine, it's fine.
I'm not going to die that easily.
I'm in my prime, right, Miss Yu?
Tasuke. Heart like a Mirror. Understand?
Boss.
The Shogun's Advisor will give
the most important advice of his life.
I, Okubo, have been appointed
to guard the Third Gate.
I will inspect your procession.
I address Lord Horio Inaba.
According to my inspection...
you have too many attendants,
and decorations
too elaborate for your rank.
I cannot let you pass.
Go back to your mansion, correct
the problem, then come back to the castle.
Insolence! I was invited to watch Noh
in the castle by the Shogun today.
If you won't stand aside...
we'll go through by force.
Silence. Belittling the security of the gate
is the same as belittling the Shogunate.
I will not allow it. Ready?
You big fool. As long as you guard
this gate, I will not go to the castle.
You tell the councilors I can't accept the
Shogun's invitation because of your insane actions.
Don't forget. I, the gatekeeper
ordered you to come back in an hour.
If you're not back in an hour...
I will fire the cannon into your mansion.
Remember that.
Turn the palanquin around.
Sanjuro, aim the cannon at Horio's
mansion so we can fire anytime.
Aye!
Old man, you bluff real good.
Bluff?
It's not a bluff.
Tasuke. You can't mean...
The cannon... he will fire!
He said he was going to act rashly.
I didn't know then... but this is it.
He meant to fire all along.
The man who was concerned
about your reckless acts...
Damn him. I can't watch.
If he fires from the castle gate,
even with his esteemed position,
he'll be ordered to commit seppuku.
Hey, where are you going?
To tell Jinjuro.
Okubo is a stubborn fellow.
He might very well fire into our mansion.
We have an important mission.
For now, rearrange the procession.
This is a separate issue.
It's a bluff. There's no way he will fire
a cannon right in front of the castle.
Boss!
If this guy confesses, the old man's
actions will make sense.
There's no time.
We'll have to make it look
like he committed seppuku.
We'll sign his name
on a confession we write.
Oh no!
Fire!
Don't. Boss. Please don't.
Boss. Don't do it.
Sanjuro. Fire the cannon.
Oh no. He really did it!
Hanzo. Take this confession to Lord Mito.
Aye!
You, don't let the old man commit seppuku.
Aye!
Okubo is finished.
Which means the knights' arrogance
will end as well.
Seppuku. I order Okubo to commit seppuku.
Lord Izu. You make the arrangements.
Are you opposed?
As a lowly 2,000 koku-a-year retainer,
he used his renown as the Shogun's Advisor
to commit such an unspeakable act.
Do you think I can let it go?
Sire!
Uncle. You're opposed, too?
How could I oppose
the decision of the Shogun?
But you said,
a lowly 2,000 koku-a-year retainer.
That reminded me...
I'll hear it.
In April of 1616...
the first shogun was ill.
When I went to see him, he said,
"This is the reason I consider...
Okubo to be the pillar of our Shogunate".
He said he offered Okubo 20,000
and a castle for his bravery in battle.
Okubo laughed and said the other
knights were much braver than him.
If you give me 20,000, you will
have to give them more...
Then the Shogunate worth 8,000,000 koku
will go broke.
And the Shogun himself
will not even be able to eat.
Okubo said his current 2,000 koku
was enough.
And he declined the promotion.
Okubo does not wish for any more.
That's why he's the cornerstone.
That's why the first Shogun gave him
the honor of the Shogun's Advisor.
That is what the first Shogun told me.
I didn't know about this.
Okubo is indeed... "the cornerstone
of the Tokugawa clan".
Cherry blossoms in full bloom...
your glory lasts but just a day.
For you My Lord, My Liege...
your knights will gladly give their lives...
You've all come to prepare camp stew...
for me because I'm still
confined to my house.
I'll never forget it, even if I die.
We prefer you remember when you're alive.
There's a man called Takecho to see you.
Takecho?
Oh, hello. I was just passing
and I heard the song
Hiko... er,
Sir Okubo used to sing to me.
So I barged in.
I wonder if I can join in.
Ye...Ye...Yes... please, please.
- What's this?
- You don't know?
How can you be a knight
and not know camp stew.
Oh, camp stew?
Right. To remember the hardships
of battle, my boss invented it.
Hush.
I see. So let's have a bite.
Oh, you had noodles in camp?
Those are hay shoelaces.
Hay shoelaces?
I've heard of eating hay
when besieged in a castle.
Um, this is pretty good.
There's tree roots, pine leaves,
frogs and snakes.
This moonshine will make it bearable.
Isn't it good?
Yes, it is.
I've never tasted it before.
You're never had moonshine...?
That means you're pretty high ranked
among the knights.
Do you make 5,000 koku a year?
Er... about that.
But you're part of the dum-dum group.
Dum-dum?
In Osaka children call fools "dum-dum".
Then all those here are fools?
All knights are dum-dums.
The Shogun is a bigger dum-dum.
The shogun is a fool?
Yes, he is. I came here
to be Sir Okubo's wife.
Of course he wouldn't have me.
But I'm fine with that.
I don't want to be a knight's wife.
It's not because they're poor.
It's because their lives
are not meaningful.
We don't pay our servants all that well.
But they all work hard without complaint.
That's because their boss
knows how hard they work.
My Dad knows everything about them.
Even down to how many cats they have.
But what does a knight have to live for?
What does the Shogun
know about his knights?
Do you think the Shogun
would recognize you?
Does the Shogun know these people?
No... I don't think so.
Why do they have to be loyal
to someone like that?
It's natural they form a group
like the 6th Law.
And make trouble.
So that's why Sir Okubo wanted
the Shogun to recognize them...
So that they would want to work
for the Shogun.
And finally he decided...
to sacrifice himself.
He also acted rashly with them
and did a very terrible thing,
and made the Shogun angry... so that he must
commit seppuku. But making sure first...
that the Shogun wouldn't blame himself and
die in order to appease their desperate lives.
And you don't think He's a dum-dum?
Hikoza.
Sire...
Hikoza.
How lonely you must have felt.
Forgive me.
Please forgive me.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom...
your glory lasts but just a day.
For you My Lord, My Liege...
your knights will gladly give their lives.
It is an honor to fight in battle...
and become but dew on the grass.
I will not care how and when I die.
Now is the time, comrades, let's attack...
On the 15th, all non-liege lords
and knights were ordered to the castle.
Non-liege lords:
The first and second Shoguns...
were of equal rank to you
under Toyotomi rule.
Thus, they treated you with respect
during their rule.
I was born as the third Shogun and
I believe things should be different now.
From now, I will treat you as my liege.
Those of you who disagree, go back to your
fiefs and do whatever you feel is appropriate.
If you want a battle...
I will not ask other lords,
but will fight you with my 80,000 knights.
Lord Kato?
Lord Terazawa?
Lord Horio?
I hear that you three
might have some other ideas.
You are free to leave.
What about it?
If there are no objections, from today
I will treat all of you as my retainers.
Thank you for coming.
HONDA
Lord Izu has come alone.
He probably has something up his sleeve.
But this is the time for action.
We should take him hostage.
I came here alone
because my father and yours...
served together under the first Shogun.
We also serve in the same council.
And your clan
has always served the Tokugawas.
It is your destiny
to serve the Tokugawas.
To that end...
I advise you to take proper measures.
Lord, do not fall for his words.
He wants to bring you down, take the credit,
then take control of the council himself.
Takeuchi. I would have expected you
to have committed seppuku by now.
Farewell, Lord Honda.
In March, the Shogun travels to Nikko
to the shrine of the first Shogun.
The Chief Trip Attendant, a prestigious position
was given not to noble lords but to Okubo.
I came to Edo hoping to be a bride
but ended being a go-between.
How vexing.
The Shogun Iemitsu Procession Departs!
He really is... in his prime!
THE END