Original subtitles

What is the meaning of this, Mr. Ito?

The government feared that Itagaki Taisuke's

free civil rights movement would propagate.

So in 1878, a prefectural assembly similar to...

a modern day parliament was established.

It was a means to resolve the people's discontent.

The ignorant people are given too much power.

Next they'll demand a say in the Diet.

What will happen to this country then?

If Mr. Kido was alive...

Mr. Makimura, leave the national affairs to us,

and focus on Kyoto.

No, no, no, no...Mr. Ito!

In Kyoto, those influenced by the Americans...

are using the private schools to nurture followers.

In time, they will...

Opt to elect their president?

It's your task to prevent that.

DOSHISHA ENGLISH SCHOOL IN KYOTO

Excuse me.

Yae, what is it?

You received a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I thought it was odd.

The Foreign Affairs?

They are shutting down Doshisha English School?

Shutting down?

By law, non-Japanese can't operate schools in Japan.

Doshisha gets their funding from Christians in America.

...and will thus be closed.

That's all there is to it.

Please wait.

I'm the principal.

You're principal in name only.

The funding from the U.S. is merely donations.

They are not telling me how to run the school.

Mr. Mori in Foreign Affairs insisted that I meet you.

Apparently, you're a great man.

I'm just an ordinary teacher.

I heard that you're acquainted with Secretary Ito.

An ordinary teacher making a direct appeal to me?

Do you feel important for knowing important people?

That is not so.

I just think that Japan needs advanced education.

Mr. Terashima!

YAE NO SAKURA

Episode 40: A Wife's Bluff

Screenplay: Yamamoto Mutsumi

Theme Music: Sakamoto Ryuichi Music: Nakajima Nobuyuki

Narrator: Kusabue Mitsuko

Niijima Yae: Ayase Haruka

Yamamoto Kakuma: Nishijima Hidetoshi

Niijima Jo: Odagiri Joe

Yamamoto Tokie: Tanimura Mitsuki

Tokutomi Iichiro: Nakamura Aoi

Makimura Masanao: Takashima Masahiro

Niijima Tamiji: Shimizu Koji

Yamamoto Saku: Fubuki Jun

Executive Producer: Naito Shinsuke

Translations by MTI

Director: Suenaga So

March of 1879...

After resigning as advisor to the Kyoto Prefecture,

Kakuma lived in peace.

Did Foreign Affairs say anything after that?

They didn't close us down.

The funding from the U.S. will be going to Jo, not to the school.

But...

The foreign teachers are not happy about that.

Excuse me!

Is Yamamoto Kakuma home?

You have a visitor.

Will you come around?

I'm Yamomoto Kakuma.

Congratulations.

In the first prefecture assembly election...

you were elected with 51 votes.

I was?

In the first prefecture assembly election...

male high-income tax payers over age 20 could vote.

This was Japan's first popular assembly election.

Public opinions... are changing this country.

I can't see or get around, yet they want me to work.

That's the Kyoto people's wish.

Dear...

Your hard work up to now has been recognized.

This is the people's first step in governance.

The voices of the many behind those 51 votes...

must be delivered to the prefectural government.

Days later, the first Kyoto prefectural meeting was held.

He was the former prefectural advisor.

That's Yamamoto Kakuma.

There's Mr. Yamamoto.

The members did not volunteer for candidacy.

...but were elected regardless of their will.

FIRST KYOTO PREFECTURAL MEETING

We must first select a chairperson.

Let's vote by ballots.

We have the results.

By a vote of 45 ballots...

Yamamoto Kakuma is elected as the first chair.

Dear.

Who would've thought...?

I was elected for Kyoto's Kamigyo-ku district.

I'm Yamamoto Kakuma.

To change the system in Japan...

we've killed people, reduced cities to ashes...

and fought many wars.

But as of today, that will change.

Unarmed men can deliberate on politics.

This is what this council is about.

You will represent the people.

Please keep that in mind as you do your work.

What a troublesome individual to have as Chair.

Chair!

Please speak.

I plan to do my best.

But when shown the prefectural budget...

it doesn't make any sense to me.

By deliberating the budget,

you will naturally see what kind of business is feasible.

That will allow you to monitor the prefectural government.

For the many who did not understand their roles,

Kakuma was like a teacher.

Chair!

What is our objective?

Fool!

I'm sorry!

It had been four years since Doshisha School opened.

A few upper classmen acted as tutors.

A class based on academic ability was formed.

You made an error on this simple problem.

You can't advance.

No...

You weren't focused on the Bible studies either.

It's algebra now. That shouldn't matter.

He's right! That shouldn't matter!

Overall, you need to study the Bible more.

You're an embarrassment.

What?

What a relief to know the seniors will graduate soon.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

After graduation, I'm staying on as a teacher.

You have nothing else to do?

What was that?

It's a fight! Give it to him!

What's the commotion?

Mr. Niijima.

I have something to say.

I'd like to leave this school.

What?

I want to become a doctor.

A doctor?

Why did you let him quit?

I can't force him to stay.

He can't become a doctor by staying here at this school.

The U.S. is disappointed.

Only six of the graduating students will become pastors.

Jo.

Do you know why you're receiving funding?

Let's persuade at least ten graduates to be pastors.

But it's not something they should be persuaded into.

Principal, in that case...

I'll tell the American Board to stop your funding.

Jo, you're not fit to be principal.

That's going too far.

He's protecting this school from the anti-Christians.

Without the U.S. funding...

there will be nothing to protect.

How rude can she be to the principal?

Well, she is a teacher like me.

We'd better hurry.

Yes.

Jo's parents came from Annaka to live with them.

I'm sorry Father, to keep you waiting.

You've made me wait for ten years.

This is nothing.

Let me introduce you. This is Yae.

Father, Mother, please to meet you. I'm Yae.

We'll be in your care.

Father and Mother, please use this annex.

I'll get the bath ready.

Wait, Jo!

What did you just call him?

I told her to call me by my name.

It's all right.

For someone who couldn't find a wife in Japan...

I'm just happy you found one.

She's a wonderful wife.

She gives me courage.

Jo is a wonderful husband.

He can cook and sew.

He's also a great teacher.

I'm appalled. You've reversed the roles.

They liked the annex.

I'm sorry to cause you stress.

I'm sure they're both happy.

I went to the U.S. without telling them.

I have a hard time facing them.

I can say more in writing.

Are you writing to the American Board?

It sounds like a complaint.

JUNE 12, 1879

To all of you...

I'm not sure if I have been a good teacher.

DOSHISHA'S FIRST GRADUATION CLASS

Your life 10 or 20 years down the road...

will tell me what kind of a teacher I was.

This country has sacrificed many precious lives...

to reach this crossroad of change.

I'm sure there will be unexpected obstacles ahead.

Go.

Go.

Go in peace.

Be strong.

for the rest of your day... guide you.

Doshisha students...

Let us live as we believe.

Miss Mine.

I heard you're going to Imabari Church for missionary work.

Please take care of yourself.

Excuse me!

We're ready.

The first graduates from Doshisha English School

were the 15 troublesome students from Kumamoto.

Please excuse me.

I hope it suits your taste.

I made these sweets for the graduation.

Please leave them there.

Jo worked very hard for the school up to now.

Will you please join in the celebration?

He's wrong to teach Christianity in Kyoto.

What is he thinking?

Father...

I don't understand what he's thinking.

He's the family heir, yet he went to Hakodate to study.

He went to the U.S. without permission.

He had a fine post as the lord's secretary.

When he was a child,

he walked on a tree with his clogs, fell and almost died.

Is that how he got the scar on his forehead?

He bled badly.

The doctor got scared and stopped stitching.

So I took over.

That's why he got that scar.

You did that?

Unlike him, I can't sew well.

I'm sure my unreliable son will trouble you, but...

please take care of him.

Father...Jo is a strong person.

Almost one year had passed.

APRIL 1880

Everyone, try harder or Iichiro will get all of them.

Iichiro is too fast.

Yes, you're too fast.

Mr. Ichihara hasn't got one either.

This is just a child's game to me.

I'm pulling out.

A teacher shouldn't lose his students.

I received an interesting book from the United States.

Shall we go to the library?

I want to talk to you too.

Let's move on.

Everyone's worried we have fewer new students.

People think the government hates our school.

The foreign teachers are complaining that...

we won't have any future teachers to develop.

Mr. Niijima!

Ever since Mr. Ichihara became a teacher,

he's arrogant to even Mr. Niijima.

It's not just him.

Mr. Niijima has to set those foreign teachers straight.

Mr. Niijima is pathetic.

He's too weak-kneed to be a principal.

You're wrong about that!

Well...

Jo has a scar on his forehead.

When he was smuggling to the U.S. from Hakodate,

he got it while he was fighting the officer.

What?

Is that from a sword?

It didn't look like it.

He doesn't want to remember that time.

He's a strong person who would fight for his belief.

Or he wouldn't break the law to go to the U.S.

Wow. He's amazing.

I'm shocked. That's the first time I heard of his bravery.

I was vexed...so I lied.

What?

Why is it a bad memory? Did he kill the officer?

Mr. Niijima? Incredible!

Knowing him, he must not have dodged the blow.

Mr. Niijima, that scar...

What is it?

Nothing.

We, teachers, feel you should start a class

to nurture religious teachers.

Develop religious teachers?

Yes.

However...

We currently can't openly teach the Bible in school.

You have to persuade the government on that.

That's your job.

We are short of rooms and teachers.

If we merge the upper and lower 2nd year classes,

there will be an opening.

It'll be difficult to teach the different levels together.

If we can't get the funds from the American Board...

we'll have to close.

All right.

A few days later...

The school's tyrannical merging of classes...

created opposition from the students.

They went on strike.

We've been betrayed.

We thought Mr. Niijima would follow his beliefs.

This should put him in a bind.

The objective is to make him open his eyes.

The school should hear the students out.

Is that the next edition for Doshisha?

Tokutomi has literary talent.

The principal yields to the U.S. teachers.

Shame to his scar!

That's right!

Where is the man who fight for his strong belief?

Remember Hakodate!

Reflect!

That's right!

Come out!

It's a crime for students to boycott class!

Unless you cancel the merging of the classes,

we will not attend.

That's enough! We'll expel you!

Open the door!

ROAD TO FREEDOM

Scar on the forehead?

It's been three days.

Let's drag them out.

If they don't want to attend classes, that's fine.

Expel them for defying the teachers.

Aren't you under the wrong impression?

The school belongs to the students.

Not the teachers.

But crimes must be punished.

Gather everyone to the classroom.

I'll give them an answer.

Aunty!

Mine! What's wrong?

Read the school paper.

I'll state the decision.

To preserve this school...

the two classes must merge.

Why?

But without explaining it fully to you...

we shouldn't have merged the classes.

I'm sorry.

On the other hand...

it's wrong for students to boycott classes.

Please don't forget...

Receiving an education is your very precious right.

You must receive punishment for your wrongdoing.

I, the principal...

am fully to blame for this.

As such, I will receive the punishment.

Please stop it!

Please stop it!

Why did you do this?

I wanted to be a strong man who'd fight for his beliefs.

The students thought this scar came from a sword.

I'm sorry.

I am the one who told them that lie.

What?

It just blurted out.

I'm sorry.

See? You do give me courage.

MAY 1880

In May of 1880...

the second prefectural meeting was held.

However, Makimura ignored it.

He did not submit the Kyoto Prefectural budget.

Chair.

Do something.

What do we do?

Members...

This is an insult to the people.

Let's report the government's tyranny to the districts.

I am the instigator.

Please let me take responsibility for it.

Tokutomi...

I have a dream.

I'll quit school and become a news reporter.

Iichiro, I understand how you feel...

but can't you do that after you graduate?

Japan is changing at a fast pace.

I can't bear to watch idly.

I want to become a reporter now.

When you fought with the officer in Hakodate...

didn't you feel the same way?

Iichiro.

Yes.

You may be right.

I have one last request.

Please write a few words of wisdom for me.

If you aspire to be a great person...

don't think you are great.

You will always be my student.

If you need help, come to me anytime.

Mr. Niijima...

It feels like yesterday when he called me a monster.

I now know how my father felt when he saw me off.

END OF EPISODE 40

To ease the burden on the national level...

We have to burden the regions.

Just follow the orders of the Governor!

This kind of injustice can't be allowed!

Let's get a stronger ally.

I want to marry Mine.

Father, you discarded Mother.

Are you throwing me out next?

You can't change the past.

But you can change the future.