Original subtitles

The solar calendar was introduced in 1873.

Cultural change surged in the ancient city of Kyoto.

Everyone, it's morning! Wake up!

Ms. Yae, good morning.

Good morning.

Yae was a live-in housemistress...

at Japan first women's public school.

Can I talk to you tonight?

I'll be waiting in my room.

Ms. Yae, I'll finish up. Please go.

Thank you very much.

A year had passed since Yae started learning English.

It is for us the living, rather to be dedicated here...

to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us...

Thank you, Yo.

This is the passage from a speech by Abraham Lincoln...

former president of the United States.

This passage is imploring us to questions ourselves.

Rather than expecting others to take actions...

we must continue to ask ourselves individually...

what can we do here and now?

Ladies, would you mind sharing your dreams of the future?

Please.

What I do here? My dream is... I make this world bigger and bigger

to study and learn more and more.

-That's wonderful Yae. -Thank you.

YAE NO SAKURA

Episode 33: A Reunion with Shonosuke

Screenplay: Yamamoto Mutsumi

Theme Music: Sakamoto Ryuichi Music: Nakajima Nobuyuki

Narrator: Kusabue Mitsuko

Kawasaki Yae: Ayase Haruka

Yamamoto Kakuma: Nishijima Hidetoshi

Kawasaki Shonosuke: Hasegawa Hiroki

Yamamoto Saku: Fubuki Jun

Yamamoto Tokie: Tanimura Mitsuki

Katsu Kaishu: Namase Katsuhisa

Okubo Toshimichi: Tokushige Satoshi

Sanjo Minoru: Sasai Eisuke

Iwakura Tomomi: Kosakai Kazuki

Nijima Jo: Odagiri Joe

Itagaki Taisuke: Kato Masaya

Kido Takayoshi: Oikawa Mitsuhiro

Makimura Masanao: Takashima Masahiro

Saigo Takamori: Kikkawa Koji

Executive Producer: Naito Shinsuke

Translations by MTI

Director: Ichiki Masae

Please approve our transfer to Tokyo!

I said no!

Without the Emperor and Nobles in Kyoto...

business is suffering!

Silence!

The Ono Group will stay in Kyoto for a while longer!

What gall!

That Choshu bumpkin!

This will surely sell well.

Tokyo Seimitsu Company is confident of it.

Also, this...

It's soap.

Washing your hands with this will prevent illnesses.

That's good.

I was wise to recruit you from them.

I had no relations to Aizu.

But Sir Kakuma taught me Western studies.

That is why I came to Kyoto.

How's the hospital construction coming along?

A public hospital is needed.

The construction plans are ready.

Proceed then.

Have Mitsui or the Ono Group pay for it.

We need to set up a system to train good doctors.

What about the medical license exam system?

It's underway as you proposed.

We don't have the funds to build the medical school.

Don't look so depressed.

I'll raise the money.

All right.

Kakuma came up with the ideas, Makimura sanctioned them...

and Akashi implemented.

While modernization was occurring in Kyoto...

In Tokyo, there were heated confrontations over Korea.

This was the Korean Conquest dispute.

Korea refused diplomatic relations with Japan.

Itagaki Taisuke of Tosa,

and Eto Shinpei of Saga,

pushed to apply pressure by sending troops there.

Whereas, Iwakura and Okubo were against it.

The dispute involved Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa and Saga...

and triggered a fierce political struggle.

Saigo was caught in the middle.

Why do you allow Saga and Tosa to do as they wish?

During our absence, the Cabinet decided to send envoys to Korea.

We have no funding for war.

You appear to be focused on domestic matters...

but in actuality, all you care about is acquiring powers.

What!?

I'm going to Korea to control the nobles' discontent.

Blood was shed for this revolution...

so why can't things come together?

The Nobles' anger is being directed at Korea.

If we don't settle this matter with Korea...

it can blow up at anytime.

I'll settle this matter.

I won't let it come to war.

All right.

I don't have a dream.

I'm already engaged.

English is like a form of art for women.

It's useless in life.

That's not true.

Ms. Yae.

English will teach you how the foreigners think.

It'll spark new ideas.

The foreigners invented rifles and steamships...

but Japan may be able to invent something next.

Dreams, huh...?

I never thought about it.

My dream would be to stay in this school.

Me, too.

What's wrong?

We'll soon have to pay tuition.

Then I can't stay here any longer.

Has the government's office said anything?

No. We're short on books and classrooms right now.

They opened enrollment to the commoners without funding.

So, we're forced to charge tuition to make ends meet.

I'm going to the castle.

Castle?

The castle the Choshu keep.

It's like a samurai raid.

Please wait! He's busy now.

It won't take long.

Without the Ono group...

Kyoto can't be revived.

Excuse me!

Insolent! How dare you show up unannounced?!

It's urgent.

Urgent?

Please increase the funding for the women's school.

We should get more for the increased number of students.

Please!

Is that your urgent business?

Yes.

We haven't received any replies to our petitions.

You, who share the same goals as my brother,

wouldn't ignore education.

Of course I wouldn't.

Now that you've heard it, please make a quick decision.

Prompt decisions are my belief.

Then...?

Actually, I'm not feeling well.

I've decided to promptly go home.

Excuse me.

For God's sake!

Mine!

Aunty.

Hisae, I'm your aunty.

I'm coming in! It's me, Yae!

Yae!

Please let me through.

Huh?

Oh, Yae!

Are you off today?

I'm here for work.

Work?

It's from next door.

Excuse me!

How are you feeling?

I can smell beef hot pot.

Let's talk about the women's school funding after your lunch.

Sir!

Sir Yamamoto!

Do something about your sister Yae!

Sir!

You sound very healthy.

No...I feel better after I ate the beef hot pot.

Then, I'll just wait right here.

What?

For God's sake!

Sir! Come quickly!

Sir, are you sure?

Thanks.

Father, Aunty is...

Mine, please deliver a message next door.

I've left the women school's matters to Yae.

Tell him that.

I will.

Is it true he's in Tokyo?

Yes. A former Aizu clansman who retails in Tokyo told me...

he saw Kawasaki Shonosuke.

Kakuma, I brought you tea.

Our neighbor eats a lot of beef so his face is always red.

Mine!

Sir Makimura eats Western food to promote modernization.

I prefer this.

Delicious!

Did you make this?

Mother taught me.

Whatever I teach her she improves on it.

Have you settled the women's school matter?

Yes. He agreed to increase the funding.

I see.

Some students have financial difficulty.

But they are eager to learn.

I manage to protect them.

You seem to enjoy your work.

Can you tell?

Mine, when you grow up, you'll study at the women's school.

I will!

Kakuma, did you call?

Yae.

I wonder how Shonosuke is doing?

I hope he's making ends meet.

We're divorced.

I wouldn't know about him.

Satsuma, Choshu, Saga, and Tosa's power struggle...

over the Korean problem intensified.

Minister!

Why isn't Saigo being dispatched to Korea?

Both Okubo and Kido are against it.

Satsuma and Choshu just want to take power.

I'm going to say this in front of Saigo.

I won't stand for their arbitrary decision!

I know...

Saigo should talk to Okubo, his fellow Satsuma man.

Okubo is fine with it.

Sir Sanjo, what are your thoughts?

Well...

I...

I...

...want this country...

...want this country...

Sir Sanjo!

We can't get anywhere with Sir Sanjo.

We have to suppress Satsuma and Choshu.

How, though?

(Governor) Makimura in Kyoto is a Choshu man.

The Ono Group filed a complaint against him.

I received their petition.

To the Department of Justice?

We'll show them that Japan is now a country ruled by law.

Let's stop here.

Thank you very much.

Thanks to you I can continue to study here.

I haven't done anything.

I'll study hard here and find my dream.

We all will.

Everyone...

Ms. Yae.

You have an urgent message from Sir Kakuma.

Sir Makimura was arrested by the Dept. of Justice and sent to Tokyo.

What?

Sir Kakuma is heading to Tokyo to settle this matter.

Yae headed to Tokyo with Kakuma to rescue Makimura.

After Yae and Kakuma arrived in Yokohama...

they rode the newly operated train.

Wow! I can see the ocean!

It went so fast that I got dizzy.

Tokyo is changing much faster than Kyoto.

Changing only Tokyo won't change the country.

That's why we need Makimura.

Let's go.

Yes.

Sir Makimura, how did it come to this?

Eto in the Justice Department is harassing Choshu.

I'm a victim of the political power struggle.

Hey, bring me tea.

You have no right to deny the Ono Group's request to transfer.

Approve it and return to Kyoto.

I absolutely won't.

You are not a lord.

Yae, did you come to Tokyo to lecture me?

No! I'm here to protect my students at the women's school.

I'm going to talk to Kido to have you pardoned.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

I did nothing wrong.

Forget the pride!

Ms. Yae, Japan is a country in infancy.

An infant needs parental aid rather than logic.

I...

...respect Kido for crushing the rusting country.

But...

...that's about all he did.

I plan to build a new country over the damaged wasteland.

That is why I still need strong leaders.

Even if it means breaking the law and being a criminal...

I don't mind.

It's nonsense that you were dragged into their factional fight.

Damn!

Excuse me.

Have a seat.

KIDO MANSION

Sir Kido, thank you for making the time to see me.

Thank you for coming a long way to see me.

It's been a while! It's me, Iwakura.

Iwakura?

Sir Iwakura Tomomi, Minister of the Right.

That's right. We met at the hospital once.

How can I forget?

I heard you were coming so I waited to see you.

I heard you're doing good work in Kyoto.

No.

Makimura got himself in a lot of trouble.

Please use your powers to send Sir Makimura back to Kyoto.

Kyoto can't change without Makimura.

Impossible.

Makimura has to yield to the Department of Justice.

Or it'll set a bad example.

Choshu has to submit to Eto with the Department of Justice?

Eto is using the law to exclude Choshu.

True... it'll make Choshu lose face.

You got rid of the clan system.

It's somewhat absurd that you still dwell on Choshu and Saga.

What?

Power is merely a tool to control politics.

If you let the toll use you...

you can't run this country properly.

Yae, what is Sir Iwakura looking at?

He's....

...smiling.

I can't tell what he's looking at.

Who are you?

His younger sister, Yae.

Please tell me your vision of this new country.

A place where anyone can get schooling and medical treatment,

and talk about their dreams.

Sir Makimura and Kakuma are striving toward those goals.

Please reconsider.

Kakuma, I...

It's all right.

Please stop for a bit.

I hear children.

Is there a school here?

They're old-fashioned tenement houses.

I see.

Let's move on.

OCTOBER 22, 1873

Thank you for waiting.

Sir Sanjo hasn't come to his senses yet...

so I'll be the acting minister.

Regarding dispatching an envoy to Korea...

I'll push for it immediately with the Emperor.

Thank you very much.

I'll also mention my thoughts of postponing it.

Let's seek fair judgment.

How is it fair!?

Sir Iwakura, you could easily change things.

You cannot overturn a Cabinet's decision.

Okubo, you changed the scenario.

I can't leave this country to Tosa and Saga.

What?!

I said...

...I'd stake my life on it.

There is no place for me here.

It's a bust.

I can't endure anymore.

Sir Saigo!

Saigo resigned from his post.

Itagaki and Eto followed.

The new government finally fell apart.

Makimura was released after Eto left.

I'm returning to Kyoto tomorrow.

Thanks for your troubles. KATSU'S MANSION IN AKASAKA

This is where Kawasaki Shonosuke stays.

Thank you very much.

Kakuma?

He's in Torigoe, Asakura.

The trial is still ongoing.

Trial?

He protected the Tonami clan.

He's being sued for 3,000 ryo for fraud.

3,000 ryo?

Sir Shonosuke!

LETTER OF DIVORCE

Sir Shonosuke is selfish.

How did that happened?

I can't believe it either.

He should be a central figure in the government.

I'm the one who screwed up his life.

Let me go see him.

Excuse me.

Housemistress for the women's school?

I'm glad you're doing well.

I teach the children...

...in these tenements.

It's quite fun.

I wasn't able to accomplish anything.

This lifestyle matches my status.

That's not true.

You protected the lives of the clansmen.

I regretted it all along...

for not going to Tonami.

I had no idea about this.

Please forgive me.

I'm sorry, too.

You were beside me, trying to go to Inawashiro...

and I trampled on your pride.

Please forgive me.

Don't apologize.

You weren't wrong.

I took advantage of you.

I was stubborn.

I'm such a fool.

I'm a fool.

Please let me stay with you.

We needn't remarry.

Please let me do something!

Please.

Please!

Yae...

Sir Shonosuke.

Please don't disappoint me.

You have to help your students in Kyoto.

But I can't leave you by yourself.

My wife shoots a rifle.

The wife I love...

walks gallantly before her husband.

Having been your husband...

is the pride of my life.

You must not come here again.

You are someone who lives in a new era.

Go.

I'll be waiting.

I'll walk forward...

...and wait for you in Kyoto.

My dear husband.

That's more like you.

In my native country of Japan...

a revolution has ended...

and a new nation has emerged.

However, people are suffering and lost...

and devastation is everywhere.

To save my beloved country...

I will build a school.

This is my dream.

The ray of hope for the people of Japan...

does not comes in the form of power...

or material goods...

but as proper education.

Ladies and gentlemen

please...please...

lend me your support.

My dream is to become a teacher.

END OF EPISODE 33

The sad are fortunate.

It's best not to be sad.

I want to build a Christian school to save this suffering country.

Spread Western influence in this moldy city of Kyoto.

I fought with a rifle.

How can I pray for the enemy as a Christian?

Nobody can shoulder the burden that Yae is carrying.

Yae has to find a way to overcome it herself.