Original subtitles

My name is Eiji Shima.

I came to Kyoto to find Jurakudai.

- Do you know where Jurakudai was? - No, I don't.

You don't?

- Judakudai? - I don't know.

- I don't know. - You don't?

Jurakudai?

Thank you very much.

Jurakudai is a castle that Hideyoshi built in Kyoto.

As its name suggests,

it was an ornate palace where all kinds of pleasures were gathered.

But Hideyoshi destroyed it later.

The palace disappeared from Kyoto completely.

KYOTO CITY HISTORY MUSEUM - I found the map of Jurakudai.

The map shows a prime location in Kyoto.

West of the Imperial Palace and north of Nijo Castle...

was the location of the legendary Jurakudai.

It was twice as big as Nijo Castle.

With surrounding daimyo lords' mansions,

it occupied an extensive area exceeding the Imperial Palace.

SHIN-CHIEKOIN, SHIMODACHI-URI This is where Jurakudai's south gate was.

I'll run around a lap.

Hideyoshi used this well.

TSUYU-NO-I (Rainy Season Well)

No water comes out.

NAKADACHI-URI STREET

Hideyoshi's mother's mansion was on that side.

Lady Yodo's mansion was on this side.

TSUCHIYAMACHI STREET The low ground down there...

used to be a moat, they say.

It's pretty far.

There were daimyo mansions here.

I just passed where Tokugawa Ieyasu's mansion was.

Date Masamune's mansion was...

near Nijo Castle.

MASAMUNE, THE ONE-EYED DRAGON

Episode 25: Mego as Hostage

Screenplay: James MIKI

Original Story: YAMAOKA Sohachi

Music: IKEBE Shin'ichiro

CAST

Date Masamune: WATANABE Ken

Date Shigezane: MIURA Tomokazu

Katakura Kojuro: SAIGO Teruhiko

Kita: TAKESHITA Keiko

Princess Mego: SAKURADA Junko

Suzuki Shigenobu: HIRATA Mitsuru

Ishida Mitsunari: OKUDA Eiji

Asano Nagamasa: HAYASHI Yoichi

Narration: KASAI Seiji, NHK Announcer

Lady Kitano Mandokoro (Nene): YACHIGUSA Kaoru

Neko-Gozen (Lady Cat): KIYOSHI Kumiko

Tokugawa Ieyasu: TSUGAWA Masahiko

Toyotomi Hideyoshi: KATSU Shintaro

Subtitles Transcribed from JN Productions by: Avallach

Subtitles Adding/Editing/Timing: Koala Fansubs QC by: Kame Fansubs

Director: YOSHIMURA Yoshiyuki

KUROKAWA CASTLE

With all due respect,

I prepared these materials for your judgments.

- Materials for his judgment? - Yes, sir.

- Shigenobu. - Yes, sir.

The left box contains the maps of the former Ahina fief's,

arable land maps by village, yield and tax from each village,

and the list of all the documents and account books in it.

It has census records, too.

It shows you not only grain harvest...

but also lacquer and wax production output, all in details.

What about the right box?

Same kind of documents from Yonezawa.

It has the Date clan's administration records.

As vassal homage,

I would like to leave everything to you, Your Excellency.

Your arrangements...

satisfied me.

You are welcome, sir.

- Ujisato. - Yes, sir.

Check the documents on the Ashina.

Certainly, sir.

If there are no problems, you can have them.

Thank you.

Ice from Uji.

You don't need to check the other box.

Masamune, take it home.

Thank you very much, sir!

I like your graciousness.

Well.

There are people who speak ill of you.

When I was in Odawara, someone said,

"If you keep him alive, you're letting loose a tiger in the field."

Right, Mitsunari?

- That's what you said. - That was Satake Yoshinobu.

That's right!

Satake was saying that!

With all due respect,

My lord is known by the nickname of "One-eyed Dragon."

One-Eyed Dragon?

I checked the documents.

It's exactly as Sir Date said.

If Masamune is a dragon,

Ujisato is a quilin (unicorn).

I'm amused with my northward campaign.

It's a game of wits between a quilin and a dragon.

Well...

With all due respect,

Sir Date is an expert on Oshu affairs.

As a newcomer,

I must ask him to guide me.

You're wrong, Sir Gamo.

His Excellency is taking command of...

land surveys, sword hunts, and castle confiscations.

Sir Date just shows you the way.

Mitsunari, say nothing.

Ujisato was just saying that.

Right?

By the way, Sir Date.

Land surveys have to be done carefully.

Also, your tax system of 360 bu for 1 tan...

has to be changed to our system of 300 bu for 1 tan.

With all due respect,

our peasants cannot survive with only 300 tan.

Their tax payments will fall behind.

They will be frustrated with your reign.

Any peasant, who defies my land surveys...

must be all terminated!!

That's my way.

I don't get it.

YONEZAWA CASTLE - The regent was a farmer.

Why does he torture farmers?

He doesn't trust lower class people.

If I check all the lands, deep in mountains...

all the coastal areas until oars and paddles are broken...

and conduct strict land surveys and taxation,

I'll be able to detect tax frauds, he said.

How unreasonable.

I'm worried about my trip starting tomorrow.

I'll face troubles everywhere.

Please be careful.

That's not all.

With all due respect, Your Excellency,

I obey you from the bottom of my heart.

You want me to send a hostage?

- I cannot believe you said that. - Refrain, Sir Date.

It's only a hostage as a formality.

If you send your wife,

all daimyo lords in Ou will follow you.

To support his administration,

we want you to set an example.

Where do you want?

Kurokawa fief or Tamura fief?

You can pick whichever you want.

With all due respect,

he needs some time.

If you are in a rush,

please allow him to send his relative for now.

His Excellency told you...

to send your wife and child.

But Masamune has no child.

His wife is in delicate health.

Such an important duty is...

- Is his wife sickly? - Yes, sir.

If that's the case,

Kyoto is much better for her than the snowy region.

You can go to Kyoto after everything is settled.

Enjoy your meetings with her then.

What a great plan I made.

Are you sending me to Kyoto?

Don't worry.

I said no.

I want to stay with you.

I won't let you go.

You're my treasure, Mego.

But it you disobey the regent's order...

he'll be mad at you.

He was just harassing me.

If I keep saying no,

he'll forget about that.

On August 18th,

Hideyoshi's army was guided by Masamune to enter the Osaki fief...

and then, to the Kasai fief.

Osaki Yoshitaka and Kasai Harunobu were arrested and esorted to Kyoto.

Both fiefs were given to Hideyoshi's aides,

Kimura Yoshikiyo and his son, Kiyohisa.

Fortune is inconstant for warlords.

Some fell by not joining us in Odawara.

Others made it and their fiefs were secured.

- It was by a twist of fate. - You're right.

Sir Date is lucky.

You're the lucky man, Yoshikiyo.

You ditched Akechi Mitsuhide and started serving His Excellency.

Then you started getting all the luck.

Please call me a forward-looking man.

That's not all.

A mere hatamoto (banner holder) with only 5,000 koku...

has been promoted to a daimyo lord with 300,000 koku.

You must be feeling so lucky.

It's my humble pleasure.

I owe you all for your support.

I appreciate your continued guidance.

It's not easy to govern a fief.

You must be careful not to be...

shot in the back by Osaki and Kasai remnants.

Yes, sir.

Now, Sir Date.

Your wife should go to Kyoto soon.

His Excellency is impatient.

The longer you make him wait, the weaker your position will become.

- I already said no. - You can't do that.

If you don't do anything,

it will surely sway your fate.

His Excellency was in a good mood.

He told me to do whatever I want for the Kurokawa fief.

His good mood is dangerous.

I guess you don't know His Excellency's personality.

Your concern is ridiculous.

- What? - I have my own way.

Well, let's have another drink.

What do you think, Kita?

- Yes? - What should I do?

Should I go to Kyoto or stay in Yonezawa?

Just do what the lord says.

Sir Nanbu Nobunao's wife already went to Kyoto.

We're different from them.

No need to worry.

The lord's in a dilemma.

My heart keeps sinking day by day.

- Princess Mego. - If I go to Kyoto,

the regent will be pleased. The Date family will be secured.

Even so,

the family name will be tarnished.

That's why the lord is not giving an inch.

What if our family is demolished?

That's not going to happen.

I want to do something.

It's been 11 years since I married into this family.

I haven't done anything.

Now, I'm causing trouble just by sitting here.

Stop it!

Causing trouble?

You're putting yourself down too much.

You are the lord's home in his mind.

Kita...

Please understand.

He already disowned his mother and lost his younger brother.

That's not all.

He was pushed away by the army from Kyoto and lost his fiefs.

I have no idea how the lord is feeling.

This is the time for you to stay with him,

comfort and encourage him as his wife.

I know it well.

I don't want to go to Kyoto.

I want to stay with him and hear his voice.

Like other couples, I want to laugh with him, see him off,

pray and wait for his safe return.

In September,

Masamune went northward to Nanbu as the van of Hideyoshi's army.

As soon as he completed his mission,

he headed back to Yonezawa.

Lord.

A letter from Ishida Mitsunari came.

This is for you, Shigezane.

What does he want?

He's telling you to send your wife to Kyoto soon.

Again?

Otherwise, Nihonmatsu and Shio-no-matsu will be confiscated.

They will be given to Gamo Ujisato.

To Ujisato?

I'm not going to give up Nihonmatsu!

As long as I'm alive,

I'm not going to give it up even if I have to use force.

Hideyoshi deferred his judgment on Nihonmatsu, Shio-no-matsu and Tamura...

but he kept pushing Masamune to send Princess Mego to Kyoto.

Masamune kept sending horses and hawks to Hideyoshi's aides...

to have them please Hideyoshi.

But the pressure for Masamune was getting higher every day.

Lord.

I'm so lucky.

You've been rejecting the regent's order to protect me.

I'm truly grateful.

It's the greatest pleasure women can receive.

You're so serious.

However,

we are on the verge of a crisis.

If the Date clan goes under because of me,

you won't be able to face your ancestors.

- What's wrong? - Please...

tell me how you really feel.

How I really feel?

If you tell me to go to Kyoto,

I'm going there immediately.

Stop saying stupid things.

Please don't get mad.

Even if I have to stay faraway,

my heart will always be with you.

You don't have time.

Sir Mogami Yoshiaki's wife already left with his second son.

Do not rush.

I have some plans.

Morishige and Shigenobu are planning to send a substitute.

A substitute?

Neko is volunteering.

You can't!

If you send someone else and they find out,

that will put a shame on us forever.

Only if it's necessary.

Please!

Please send me.

I might not be capable enough,

but I'll work hard to deal with the Kyoto people's ridicule.

It's easy to say.

Hideyoshi is a notorious woman chaser.

If he smooth-talks you,

it's not easy for you to get away.

I will not let him humiliate me.

When I refuse him,

I'm prepared to kill myself to keep my chastity.

Mego...!

Please make up your mind.

All right.

With regard to going to Kyoto,

I'm counting on you.

I'll do my best.

At the end of September,

Masamune finally decided to send Mego to Kyoto.

He decided to send Kita with her.

Do you have a complaint?

No.

I have no choice. It's your order.

I will protect Princess Mego with my own life.

- Kita. - I hate the regent!

How dare he sever such a loving couple?

- Unforgiveable! - Lord is feeling the same.

Please never forget.

Princess Mego is deeply in love with you.

You don't have to remind me.

Take a good care of her.

With all due respect,

I have a favor to ask you.

Speak up.

While she is in Kyoto,

please stay away from Lady Neko (Cat).

What?

Princess Mego is departing for a foreign land with mixed feelings.

- Please understand her. - Enough for your lips.

Refrain!

Please!

In such a case,

a concubine customarily takes the wife's place.

I know the customs.

I'm just asking for your thoughtfulness.

Are you telling me what to do?

I'm aware of my rudeness.

Kita, you don't know what men are.

I mean...

Lord must bear an heir as soon as possible.

Bearing an heir while the wife is gone...

is a sneaky act.

Mego said that?

No way.

That's my thought.

Then, why are you meddling in my decisions?

With all due respect,

I was appointed as your guardian when you were a child.

Your father always told me...

to correct any improper behaviors of yours without reserve.

Arrogant!!

I'm not Bontenmaru any more!!

I know that!

However, your parents are not with you.

It's my duty to express opinions regarding matters involving your family!

Please forgive her.

I see.

You're my mother figure.

Not at all...

- OK. - Yes?

I'll keep your words in my heart.

Thank you very much!

Princess Mego and her party will...

pass Echigo via the Shinano Road to travel the Tokaido Highway.

Aside from Kita,

Uchibaba Naonobu is going to lead a party of 50 attendants.

They're carrying plenty of money and gifts.

Enjoy Kyoto and wait for me.

Yes.

I don't think you'll be treated lightly.

Write me as soon as you arrive.

- I'll write you, too. - Yes.

Kita.

It's a long trip. Don't overdo it.

Be careful with raw water.

Certainly.

Naonobu. I'm counting on you.

Yes, sir.

Well,

I'm leaving.

Goodbye.

Please take care.

You, too.

Meanwhile, riots occurred one after another...

in Akita, Yamagata, and Iwate.

Hideyoshi's harsh land surveys and sword hunts...

made farmers angry and rise up.

Early October, former Osaki vassals and farmers...

rose in revolt in Naka-Niida, Miyagi Prefecture.

They crucified about thirty people.

Peasants in Osaki and Kasai are the victims.

Aside from land surveys and sword hunts,

Sir Kimura Yoshikiyo, who was appointed to govern the fiefs...

is hopelessly ignorant and incompetent.

He's just an overnight lord.

He doesn't know what to do.

That's what I mean.

The wimp with only 15 foot soldiers...

is now acting big just because he was given a castle.

His vassals are a rag-tag of dummies.

They break into any house, take rice and money...

Damn it.

They kidnap any woman, married or unmarried...

rape them, and do all kinds of things.

Is that true?

That's what I heard from people who fled into the Date fief.

- I'm getting upset! - Right.

Hideyoshi already toyed with people in Ou.

Is he going to kill them all?

- How unforgiveable! - Huh?

Aren't you Hideyoshi's supporter, Shigenobu?

I'm just seeing what's right and what's wrong!

- I'm getting bent out of shape. - Out of shape?

- Shigenobu. - Yes?

Call Masakage over.

Yes, sir!

Come closer.

- Interesting. - No.

- Don't do that. - Why?

You must remain low-keyed while your wife is travelling to Kyoto.

He's taking Mego. I'm paying him back!

What are you doing?

You can't.

Please don't.

Neko...

Miss Kita told me.

About your promise.

I have some pride as a woman.

Fool.

- Fool? - Don't get me wrong.

I just came over to check on the noisy cat.

Lord?

Don't catch a cold.

Mid-October,

Masamune received a letter from Princess Mego.

She said, "I arrived in Kyoto safely and received a mansion in Jurakudai."

Excuse me, sir! It's Shigenobu!

Come in.

Something unusual happened in the Kasai fief.

People rose up in Izawa, Iwai, and Kesen counties.

They killed Sir Kimura's vassal.

In the Osaki fief,

the lord of Iwatezawa was brutally murdered by mobs.

Then, local rulers, provincial samurai,

and farmers in Osaki and Kasai stood up.

The riot spread like a lava fire.

Lord received a letter from Sir Asano,

who wrote in place of His Excellency.

He wants us to go to Osaki with Sir Gamo Ujisato...

and punish the villains immediately.

Rioters are hard to deal with.

Exactly.

They are out of patience with the new lord's tyranny.

They're so desperate.

Sir Kimura Yoshikiyo already abandoned Toyoma Castle.

He fled into Sir Kiyohisa's Saruma Castle.

They are holing up with only 200 soldiers.

- They deserve it. - Refrain, Shigenobu.

We're going to punish the rebels.

Doesn't make sense.

Listen up.

Those people are furious at the tyranny and rose in revolt.

I can't bear to punish those people.

But, if I leave it,

our fief will be affected, too.

That's right.

No matter how bad a lord is...

the lord still governs the fief.

Think about future judgments later.

Now is the time to redefine the hierarchy.

- Kojuro. - Yes.

On October 26,

Masamune led an army to punish the rioters.

Katakura Kojuro stayed to protect Yonezawa Castle.

As soon as Gamo Ujisato heard the news,

he prepared his troops and...

left Kurokawa Castle in Aizu.

However, snow hindered his troops' advancement.

His disadvantage of being southern-bred was revealed.

That raised a laugh among others.

RIFU CASTLE - Something bad happened.

Go ahead. Tell us.

The Kyoto army in Furukawa Castle...

tried to vacate the castle to the rioters and escape.

But all of them were foully murdered by the rioters.

- What can I do? - They deserve it.

But...

What?

They were murdered in the Date fief.

- In the Date fief? - Doesn't matter.

None of our business.

That's not how it works!

We might get accused of something we haven't done!

Isn't that annoying!?

- Morishige. - Yes?

I hope you didn't murder them.

No way! Ouch!

What shall we do?

We don't want the Kyoto army to misunderstand it.

With all respect,

the Osaki fief is just around the corner.

We should sally out tomorrow...

to rescue Sir Kimura out of Iwatezawa Castle.

We can prove our innocence.

- Good idea! - Easy.

- But... - Wait.

Until Gamo arrives, we'll just sit and watch.

I don't get what the lord is thinking.

They'll become even more suspicious.

No worries!

This is none of our business.

I'll write them a letter to assert that.

Who are you writing to?

- Tsunamoto. - Yes, sir.

Leave tomorrow early morning for Nihonmatsu.

Sir Asano must be staying there.

By the time Gamo Ujisato finally arrived there,

Masamune's letter had arrived.

This is suspicious.

What?

I'm going there immediately...

to investigate what's going on.

Masamune is saying, "Please leave it to us."

"Sir Gamo does not need to hurry."

That's why I must hurry.

Instead of quelling the riots, he might outsmart us...

by instigating the rioters from behind.

I don't think he's that stupid.

He must know well how scary His Excellency is.

Well, he's so young.

He might be overconfident...

and draw up a wild plot.

- But... - Masamune is a viper.

I can't let him go unchecked.

I have no intention of stopping you.

Be careful.

I will.

No way...

Good.

Spread the straw mats!

Go!!

Meanwhile, Princess Mego in Kyoto...

was invited over to Hideyoshi's residence.

I heard your name was Mego.

Go ahead and face me.

Thank you, ma'am.

Have you gone sightseeing in Kyoto?

No, ma'am.

I'm country-bred and don't know the way around here.

So I haven't gone anywhere.

How inconsiderate His Excellency is.

He hasn't shown his guest around.

He just leaves her alone.

Never mind.

I can take you to temples.

I am very honored.

The rumor was right.

You're such a noble and beautiful princess.

Sir Date must have had a real hard time to see you off.

Thank you for the thought.

You shouldn't hold back just because you're in Kyoto.

Make yourself feel at home.

If...

there's anything inconvenient for you,

feel free to tell me.

Thank you so much.

Your Excellency.

Stop it.

She's Sir Date's wife.

Your Excellency.

How do you do?

It's my great honor to meet you.

Nene.

I snuck out of the lessons.

Go ahead and take your mask off.

Thanks for coming.

What's your name?

- My name is Mego. - Mego (Love)?

The name doesn't match you.

Never mind.

I'll pick a better name for you sometime

I think that's a lovely name.

Well.

It must be a good name then, since Nene said so.

Does Sir Date do Noh dance?

Yes, a little bit.

That's good.

I'll teach him sometime.

What's so funny?

Oh, no.

Well, Masamune is too busy for Noh dancing now.

He's battling in the snow.

- A snow battle? - Something like that.

Peasants caused troubles in a place called Osaki.

Masamune and Ujisato went there to punish them.

One is a qilin and the other is a one-eyed dragon.

It's fun to watch who's winning.

Are they going to fight against each other?

They're testing their skills.

I wonder which one will distinguish himself?

SHIMOKUSA CASTLE

In mid-November, Ujisato arrived in Kurokawa County.

He visited Masamune who was stationed in Shimokusa Castle.

I'm a newcomer.

I'm going to follow your instructions, Sir Gamo.

Oh, you have 15,000 troops.

We are only 6,200...

and we don't know this area.

I want you to make strategies.

Thank you.

Then, both of us can leave tomorrow at dawn...

to prepare our formations around Naka-Niida,

in order to attack Taka-Shimizu.

- Take-shimizu? - Right.

Thousands of rioters are holing up there.

Saruna, where Sir Kimura is holing up...

is only 30 miles away.

Taka-Shimizu?

All right.

My apologies for the humble meals.

I have no choice because this is a battlefield.

Oh no. Thank you.

Please eat before the soup gets cold.

Wait.

In such an occasion,

warlords must be customarily careful with each other.

Please forgive my rudeness of switching the tables...

as my parlor tricks.

How bald-faced, Genzaemon.

Are you trying to make our lord taste the food?

This is just a Western Japanese custom.

Shut up!

How unforgiveable to suspect our food!

Then, go ahead and eat.

What?!

Back off!

Behave yourselves.

Lord?

What's the matter?

Stomach ache.

I'm sorry...

but I'm leaving now.

Morishige.

This way.

Help him.

What's that? A sudden stomach ache?

I want to check everything now!

No.

No need for that.

I'll see you on the battlefield.

Take a good care of him.

We will.

Are they gone?

Lord?

Just played sick.

- You poisoned the food? - Nonsense.

I just took an advantage of his rudeness.

He must have gotten scared.

Eat it.

End of Episode 25