Original subtitles

TAIGA DRAMA

SANADA MARU

WRITTEN BY: MITANI KOKI

MUSIC BY: HATTORI TAKAYUKI

NARRATOR: UDO YUMIKO

CAST

SANADA NOBUSHIGE: SAKAI MASATO

SANADA NOBUYUKI: OIZUMI YO

KIRI: NAGASAWA MASAMI

UME: KUROKI HARU

TAKANASHI NAIKI: NAKAHARA TAKEO

SASUKE: FUJII TAKASHI

UESUGI KAGEKATSU: ENDO KENICHI

LADY ACHA: SAITO YUKI

IDEURA MASASUKE: TERAJIMA SUSUMU

MUROGA MASATAKE: NISHIMURA MASAHIKO

TORI: KUSABUE MITSUKO

KAORU: TAKAHATA ATSUKO

HONDA MASANOBU: KONDO MASAOMI

TOKUGAWA IEYASU: UCHINO SEIYO

SANADA MASAYUKI: KUSAKARI MASAO

PRODUCERS: YOSHIKAWA KUNIO, YASHIKI YOTARO

TRANSLATIONS BY MTI

DIRECTOR: TANAKA TADASHI

EPISODE 12: HOSTAGE

Muroga Masatake, the Tokugawa assassin,

was killed by Masayuki.

As a result, the Sanada subjugated Chiisagata in Shinshu.

It also meant the start of a long battle with the Tokugawa.

SHINANO - UEDA CASTLE

How did you know where to find me?

A place with a nice view,

also means you are completely visible.

That's true.

Isn't the view magnificent?

Indeed, it is a castle.

A huge difference from the previous mansion.

I want to thank you.

For what?

For that time.

Don't just stand there!

Are you okay with this?

Poor Ume.

You don't have to thank me.

It just came out.

You voiced my feelings.

Let's leave it at that.

We've come far... the Sanada family and I.

When I told my brother I didn't know which direction to head,

he said I can only go forward.

I know where I'm going.

It's where you go.

Did that scare you? Did you think I'm scary?

Don't worry. I know my place.

During this period, Ieyasu defeated Hideyoshi in battle

at Komaki-Nagakute, and won fame throughout Japan.

Look at my wounds of honor.

Impossible, when you haven't fought in battle.

I've gone out to battle.

I issued commands from the main camp.

You've gained weight.

His heavy armor weighted upon his shoulders, making it red.

What is it, again?

It's about the Sanada.

Oh, the Sanada.

You ordered Muroga Masatake

to kill Sanada Masayuki.

Did Masayuki die?

Muroga was killed instead.

What a disappointment Muroga turned out to be.

Don't bite your nails.

What will you do now?

Now if the Hojo were to become our enemy,

they can destroy us using a pincer attack with the Toyotomi.

We must take back Numata from the Sanada by all means,

and give it to the Hojo.

That's true.

Are the Sanada going to side with the Uesugi?

I highly doubt that.

They betrayed them just recently.

No... you never know.

We should play it safe.

All right.

Don't... bite your nails.

I wrote a letter to the Uesugi.

What?

I asked that the Sanada become Uesugi vassals.

I received a reply.

Their answer was no.

I don't blame them.

That was unexpected.

I can't believe that you even sent them a letter.

No matter how you look at it, they wouldn't go for it.

But they helped us with Numata.

It was just that one time.

Life isn't easy.

As solid as this castle may be,

surrounded by enemies in all four directions,

we stand no chance to be victorious.

In order to sever ties with the Tokugawa,

we need the Uesugi.

That's what I thought.

Send another letter to the Uesugi.

Certainly.

We will sever ties with the Tokugawa,

after we are in favor with the Uesugi.

Tell the Uesugi we will do whatever they say.

So persistent.

Sanada Masayuki is extremely thick-skinned.

Don't even consider forgiving him.

He said he'll do whatever we want.

Don't bother with him.

Let's make an unreasonable demand,

and see how he responds.

What did the Uesugi say?

To give them a hostage if we want their alliance.

A hostage?

I guess we have no choice.

Grandmother just returned from the Tokugawa.

She seems tired lately.

It's not Grandmother.

Will Mother agree to go?

Not Kaoru, either.

But...

Don't tell me... it's me?

I think this turned out for the best.

I wanted some time away from Father.

But...

This is part of my duty.

There are things you can do as a hostage.

Besides, I don't dislike Uesugi Kagekatsu.

True. He appears to be an upright man.

He values honor.

Unlike someone I know.

I wonder how long you will be a hostage?

It could be a month or a year.

If Father defies Uesugi again, then they will kill me.

You have to see your child's face.

Let's come back alive.

I want to go, too.

You may not be able to return alive.

That's the fate of a hostage.

Stay back.

If anything should happen to me,

raise him into a fine man who'll protect the Sanada.

Please bear me a fine child.

I certainly will.

I hope to be back by the time the child is born.

Hey... that's not good for the baby.

I feel sorry for you.

Just when you thought you could live with him,

this happens.

It can't be helped. It's for the clan.

It's not funny at all!

What is it?

Ume, you're so prim and proper that it's not funny.

It's not that I want to entertain you anyway.

What a good wife you are.

Thank you.

How are you feeling?

What do you mean?

I don't know much, but do you have morning sickness?

Not yet.

Are you in your third month?

What is it?

Wait a minute.

How did you know you were pregnant?

What's going on?

I just had that feeling.

Did you lie?

It's not a lie, but a form of strategy.

What?

I had to prod Sir Genjiro into action.

This is a secret.

But I'm sure it'll work out.

It's a nice day.

I'm going to walk a bit for my health.

So that I can bear a healthy child.

ECHIGO - KASUGAYAMA CASTLE

The Lord is busy with previous visitors.

Wait here for a while.

He'll call for you later.

Understood.

How rude, when he named you as the hostage.

Don't say that. That's how it is for hostages.

I wonder who they are.

It looks like they are here to make an appeal.

Directly to the lord?

I've never heard of a lord directly hearing the people's voices.

It appears Kagekatsu does not discriminate by status.

The Lord will personally hear you out.

Representative, follow me.

Thank you!

Wait a minute. We are...

Wait your turn!

How rude!

Why are they going in before you?

They were here first.

Please do something!

Please!

I have heard your side.

I'll look into it and give you a favorable reply shortly.

We appreciate that!

Wait quietly until further notice.

Genjiro Nobushige has arrived from the Sanada.

Send him in.

Certainly.

It's a strife between villages,

on who has fishing rights to a certain shore.

We have a lot of those problems, too.

Please follow me.

This is the third time I'm meeting you.

Thank you for helping us protect Numata Castle from the Hojo.

Do you know why I named you?

No.

I tested Masayuki,

to see if he had the willingness and magnanimity to send his son.

But that wasn't all.

I wanted to see you again.

You wanted to see me?

Yes.

I couldn't forget your face when you came to seek help.

At that time, you were staking your life on it.

And you were confident you'd win in the gamble.

That was how you looked.

I wanted to see you, Genjiro.

Thank you.

Though a hostage, you will be treated here as a guest.

Don't hesitate to ask for anything to make your stay comfortable.

Thank you for your consideration.

The Uesugi do not engage in unjust battles.

But if we are invaded,

we will confront them.

We will not invade others for personal gain.

That's wonderful.

That's Lord Kenshin's belief.

You listened intently to the fishermen's quarrels, too.

You were listening?

Not everyone does that.

In governing,

it's important that your people can live with peace of mind.

If you can't grasp what's in your people's hearts,

it's not sound government.

For Numata,

you were trying to defeat the Hojo without anyone dying.

Lord Kenshin's spirit of cherishing the people...

I saw that in you.

I am very honored.

Come.

If he forgoes justice,

and lives only for personal gain,

what will become of him?

Remember Oda Nobunaga's miserable end.

Your death will reflect your life.

So live honorably.

The Uesugi welcomed him warmly.

Kagekatsu is the opposite of me, and is very righteous.

Genjiro can learn a lot from him.

Can we assume we are in good graces with the Uesugi?

Not exactly.

What do you mean?

I received a letter from Naoe Kanetsugu.

He's making more demands.

Return Numata Castle to the Uesugi.

It was originally a castle governed by the Uesugi.

If you return that,

we will have an amicable relationship with the Sanada.

Numata Castle is out of the question!

That is a difficult one.

To begin with, we're fighting with the Hojo over Numata.

That is why we are seeking help from the Uesugi.

If we hand Numata over to the Uesugi,

it'll only get confusing.

Isn't that good?

What?

It was worth sending Genjiro as a hostage.

This is his job.

Excellent!

Try it.

No. I haven't learned the form yet.

Please teach me.

I received word from Ueda Castle.

That you asked for Numata Castle.

That's news to me.

You didn't know?

Must be Kanetsugu.

He's in charge of negotiations with other provinces.

It's an important castle to the Sanada.

We can't hand it over.

Could Sir Naoe be aware of that

and is making unreasonable demands?

What makes you say that?

To find out the Sanada's true intentions.

He's a cautious man.

But that's also the reason why the Uesugi survived.

I can talk to Kanetsugu for you.

Please do!

Leave things to me.

Please help us!

Please help us.

Almost three months have gone by.

Please do something.

We are looking into it.

Wait a bit longer.

The Lord said he'd take immediate measures!

Left alone, the villages will clash and it'll turn into chaos.

People could die!

I heard you. Leave for today.

It has to be resolved at once!

Leave!

Stop being persistent!

What are you doing!?

Let us go!

What are you doing!?

Let go!

Excuse me.

What?

I don't know the situation,

but why isn't it being resolved quickly?

You must be the hostage from the Sanada.

It looked like you were putting it off.

That's right, we are.

Why is that?

I feel bad turning them away, but there's nothing we can do.

But the Lord promised them.

He likes to put up a good front.

Put up a good front?

He makes promises he can't keep, so the burden falls on us.

Promises he can't keep?

I wish he'd think a little more before he speaks.

Sorry to always put up a good front.

Lord!

Shall I slay him?

Never mind.

Go.

You don't know how it is since Shinano has no shores.

Unlike fields, there are no borderlines on the seas.

Which is why quarrels arise between fishermen.

The Lord said he'd resolve it immediately.

That's just how he is.

When he sees someone in trouble, he offers help.

Isn't it his vassals' duty to grant his wish?

If we could, we would.

But what can't be done, can't be done.

Why?

It isn't the only place that's appealing.

There will be endless strife.

There is no end to it.

The Uesugi have no time to be bothered with that.

Does the Lord know?

There were too many battles.

I can only listen to what they have to say.

This is the real me.

Life isn't rosy.

To be honest, up until yesterday...

I respected you.

Sir Genjiro, watch what you say.

But not anymore?

Right now, I like you more than anything.

Don't tell me, even about Numata Castle...

Oh that.

Did you talk to Sir Naoe?

Not yet.

What about Numata?

My father said he can't hand it over to the Uesugi.

Then you got your answer.

The Uesugi won't join hands with the Sanada.

That's all there is to it.

NAOETSU

It's a fine port.

Yes, it is.

Naoetsu, Kashiwazaki, and Teradomari...

In Echigo, there are ports that Lord Kenshin cherished.

Thanks to the ports, Echigo grew.

But the ships are few now.

It was bustling before.

During Lord Kenshin's days, that is.

Is that right?

I hope to restore it to what it was.

The weather is nice.

-Shall we go to the shore? -Yes.

What's going on?

This looks bad.

They're arguing.

That problematic shore is up ahead.

North and south shore?

Shall I go check on it?

Ignore it.

I'm going to check on it.

No!

Lord, please hide your face.

What happened?

The Hot Iron Oath is about to start.

What is that?

In order to settle disputes,

a trial is held before God.

Excuse me.

Through the warring era and into the early Edo period,

it was a ritual that sought judgement by the god.

Two people with differing opinions,

would grasp the red hot iron.

The one who is able to take it to a designated spot,

is deemed to be in the right.

The loser would be executed for deceiving the god.

Let's start with the north shore.

Am I supposed to put it on this?

And carry it to the stand.

If Jihei of the north shore drops it along the way,

then the shallows will belong to south shore.

If Matakichi of the south shore drops it,

then the shallows will belong to north shore.

If both sides drop it, we will do it over with different people.

If both don't drop it, the one with lighter burns is the victor.

Go on, Jihei.

I don't want to do this!

I don't want to do it!

Jihei!

Let's stop this.

Who said that?

You won't gain a true answer doing this.

It's a traditional ritual.

Do you honestly think this will give you a sound judgment?

Of course.

This is the best way to get a divine answer.

Who are you?

This is Sir Sanada Genjiro Nobushige.

He's a guest of the Uesugi.

Magistrate, let's stop this.

Not possible.

Even if the person won the judgment,

he can't go out fishing with burnt palms.

That is how strict this ritual is.

Let's do this then.

I think you should stop this ritual.

You think this is the only solution.

In other words, you and I are in complete disagreement.

Let's ask God who is right.

What?

Let's do it, too.

Get it ready.

Wait.

What are you suggesting?

You and I will hold the hot iron,

to see who will make it.

Don't be ridiculous!

I am serious!

Don't you know? The loser will die.

I don't think I will lose.

If you think you are in the right in what you say,

please be confident.

He is ready.

I will go first.

You must do the paperwork first.

I'll let the Lord know later.

Stop!

On second thought, we needn't use this ritual to settle it.

Jihei and Matakichi.

Why don't you talk it over more?

What?

Enough!

Lord?

The Lord is here!

It is my fault.

I should've given you people more consideration.

Lord!

I understand both sides.

I promise to do something this time around.

Please wait a bit longer.

Will you really?

Yes, I will.

Are you putting up a good front again?

You're being insolent.

I have an idea.

The quandary is, do the shallows belong to the north or south?

That is what has to be decided, correct?

Good clams can be caught in abundance in the shallows.

That is why we fight over it when spring comes.

What do you say to this?

Why don't you split the days?

For example, the north shore people will go out today,

and the south shore people will go out tomorrow.

Take turns in days?

No, that won't work.

What if one side takes it all when the tide is good?

We'll end up fighting again.

Then go according to the moon.

Switch turns every full moon when the tides are good.

Wouldn't that be fair?

How wise of the Lord!

We have no gripes about that!

I'll go back and discuss this with the villagers.

What do you think, everyone?

It looks like the matter has been resolved.

You are a good strategist like your father.

I enjoyed it.

The way you handled it was excellent.

It was only possible with your help.

The fishermen were happy.

If I were more reliable, they don't have to turn to the gods.

Protecting livelihoods and nurturing their minds.

That in turn will build a strong army.

In essence, a strong province.

I agree with you on that.

You taught me something important.

Genjiro.

I was thinking...

I wish I had a son like you.

What?

Masayuki is a fortunate man.

Lady Ume?

Lady Ume!

Lady Ume!

It looks like Genjiro.

It looks like Genjiro.

Genjiro's first child was a girl.

She was named Sue.

Handle her with care.

Father, she looks like you.

Did she give birth?

Is it a boy?

It is a girl?

Yes.

That's fine! Ume did well!

I don't know what you told him, but

the Lord has been thinking about his people lately,

and has been very busy mediating their fights.

That's good.

I have more work now.

I'm sorry to hear that.

The Lord told me,

isn't it about time that we forgave the Sanada?

He's taken a great liking to you.

I didn't think Masayuki would give up Numata Castle.

If he had easily agreed,

I would've been suspicious.

That he had an ulterior motive again.

The Lord feels the same way.

The Sanada's unyielding resolve to the Tokugawa and the Hojo

appears genuine this time.

The Uesugi will join hands with the Sanada again.

This is a letter from my Lord. Please give it to Masayuki.

The Uesugi promise to protect the Sanada.

If the Hojo or the Tokugawa should invade,

we will send aid,

to repel them.

And...

And?

Numata in Joshu...

and Chiisagata in Shinshu...

will be acknowledged as Sanada fiefs.

Genjiro...

Good job!

The Sanada will hereby sever ties with the Tokugawa!

Sue.

What's the matter?

Are you hungry?

Let's change your diapers.

You're a good girl.

I'll clean you up right now.

The Sanada are severing ties with us.

Masayuki sent his second son to the Uesugi as a hostage.

The Sanada... have sided with the Uesugi.

That is troublesome.

With the Uesugi's backing,

the Sanada plan to hole up in Ueda Castle,

and battle the Tokugawa.

Masayuki outsmarted me.

So our Lord built a castle for the enemy?

How nice of you.

Sanada Masayuki...

What shall I do with you?

Why don't you crush them?

In August of 1585,

the Tokugawa army led by Torii Mototada,

advanced towards Ueda Castle.

The Tokugawa army, with their vassals in Shinano,

number 7,000.

7,000?

And us?

Even if we gathered all of our forces in Chiisagata,

we have only 2,000.

What about aid from the Uesugi?

I wouldn't count on it.

The Uesugi are preoccupied now.

2,000 vs. 7,000.

How shall we confront them?

Let's sally out.

We should hole up in the castle.

We will not hole up.

But if the enemy is three times our number, that would be best.

That's an obvious strategy.

Which means, the enemy would expect that.

We have to outsmart the enemy in order to win.

Let's hear your strategy.

I have a plan in mind.

But I lack the players.

In hindsight, sending Genjiro out as a hostage...

was a bad move.

The battle between the Sanada and the Tokugawa will commence.

Yes, I know.

As the Sanada's ally, we would like to send aid immediately,

but you should know we are not in any position to do so now.

Yes, I do.

Can't we help them?

No.

I promised I'd send aid.

They are fully aware of your feelings.

I promised I wouldn't forsake them.

As promised,

I will help the Sanada!

I knew you were going to say that,

so I scrambled to gather soldiers within our fiefs.

Our strong men are out,

but I was able to somehow gather a hundred men.

Thank you!

I knew I could count on you.

I ordered them to go to Kaizu Castle.

Kaizu Castle?

That's closer to Ueda.

Lord, I would like to make another request.

What is it?

Can you include us in that force of 100?

Don't get carried away!

This battle will decide the Sanada's fate!

Returning a hostage for a battle is unheard of!

Permission granted.

Lord!

Masayuki will feel assured if you're there.

You should be with him.

Very well.

Fight hard!

When the battle is over, be sure to come back.

Yes, sir!

I hope we make it in time!

We have to make it in time!

The decisive battle against the Tokugawa,

was quickly approaching.

END OF EPISODE 12

Charge!

It's not a battle worth your appearance.

6-mon is the fee to cross the River Styx.

Fight with no regrets.

I thought you disliked battles.

I'm going to fight for my child.

Sir Genjiro!

Ume!

NEXT EPISODE: DECISIVE BATTLE