Aug. 24th, 2015 11:27 am
Ichiro Ep3: Drama Notes
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earth_colorsEp. 3: "The First Ordeal"
Episode Synopsis. Finally, along with the the head of Maisaka House, Sakyonodaibu (Watanabe Dai), Ichiro (Nagayama Kento) and his party of processional attendants have left their homeland of West Mino. They are passing through the post town of Magome in the Kiso mountains, when suddenly, a village girl named Suwa (Taira Yuna) jumps in front of the procession. The act of stopping a Sankin-kotai procession is a grievous offense and is punishable by death. Although Suwa herself begs to be put to death, Icihiro decides to pardon the girl. Processional forerunner Sakuma (Fujimoto Takahiro) and Ichiro's uncle Sojuro (Kajihara Zen) think that Ichiro is being too lenient with his decisions. Then the party arrives safely at their destination of the day: the post town of Tsumago. However, that night, Ichiro's assistant, Kuriyama Shingo (Nakajima Hiroki) is worried about Suwa, and leaves town without consent...
Drama Notes:
Nakasendo [中山道]. Also called Kisokaido [木曾街道]. It was a major trade route during the Edo period, connecting Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. It spans an approximate 534 km, and was an alternate road to the other major trade route, Tōkaidō. Nakasendo passes through the central mountains of the island while Tokado is a route located alongside the ocean. It has 69 post towns. Above pic shows the route of Ichiro's party in this episode, starting from somewhere in Mino and resting in Tsumago (red dots).
Shukuba [宿場] or post towns or post stations. These places are found along the five major routes of the Edo period. They were created so "travelers could rest on their journey around the nation." Public officials, including feudal lords, court nobles, vassals (like Sakyonodaibu in this drama), and other samurai stay in inns called honjin while traveling commoners or those from the lower classes stay in lodges called hatago.
(info: wiki)
Magome [馬籠宿]. It is where Ichiro and his party are stopped by a village girl. Magome is the last post town in Mino country (or Gifu prefecture). Beyond Magome is Shinano Province (or Nagano prefecture). Reaching this place means Ichiro and his party are now leaving their home province and entering the Kisoji, which runs through Kiso Valley.
(info/pic: wiki)
Tsumago [妻籠]. In this episode, Ichiro and his party takes a rest in this post town. Tsumago is located in Nagiso, Kiso District of Nagano Prefecture. It was "a relatively prosperous and cosmopolitan town (but) fell into obscurity and poverty (...) after the completion of the Chūō Main Line railway, which bypassed Tsumago." Starting in 1968, locals started restoring the town to its appearance "as an Edo-era post town and is now a popular tourist destination".
Notes on Sankin-kotai feudal procession (Part 2): Etiquette. When a feudal procession comes, the tsuyuharai or forerunner gives a warning by shouting "Bow! Bow! His Lord comes!" or in this drama, "To the side! Move to the side!" Bystanders and onlookers are required to move to the side of the road, kneel and bow down until the procession passes. Those on horseback are also required to get off their horses and bow down. Cutting across or blocking the procession was considered rude behavior, and is punishable by death via cutting with a sword or kirisute-gomen [切捨御免]. Only allowed to cross the road or cut through are couriers and midwives who have been urgently called/sent by their clients (as long as they do not disturb the procession). An example in this episode was the courier who picked up a dropped letter as Ichiro's procession passes: he was allowed to not stop and to continue running along the side.
Gohei Mochi (五平餅). The snack that Chota and Hanji were eating in Tsumago. It is made of ordinary, non-glutinous rice, traditionally flattened into oval shaped patties on bamboo skewers and roasted, and then served with miso-sugary sauce. It is said to have originally come from Kiso-Ina areas of Nagano Prefecture. For its history and recipe: go to aia.pref.aichi.jp.
Heike Monogatari [平家物語] or The Tale of the Heike. This was the text that Sakyonodaibu's page was reading to him at night. It is an "epic account compiled long prior 1330 of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180-1185)", and considered one of the great classics of medieval Japanese literature. The translation I used in the drama was taken from this PDF copy from the Asiatic Society of Japan.
(info: wiki) (pic: google.books)
Episode Index and Subs (link)
Episode Synopsis. Finally, along with the the head of Maisaka House, Sakyonodaibu (Watanabe Dai), Ichiro (Nagayama Kento) and his party of processional attendants have left their homeland of West Mino. They are passing through the post town of Magome in the Kiso mountains, when suddenly, a village girl named Suwa (Taira Yuna) jumps in front of the procession. The act of stopping a Sankin-kotai procession is a grievous offense and is punishable by death. Although Suwa herself begs to be put to death, Icihiro decides to pardon the girl. Processional forerunner Sakuma (Fujimoto Takahiro) and Ichiro's uncle Sojuro (Kajihara Zen) think that Ichiro is being too lenient with his decisions. Then the party arrives safely at their destination of the day: the post town of Tsumago. However, that night, Ichiro's assistant, Kuriyama Shingo (Nakajima Hiroki) is worried about Suwa, and leaves town without consent...
Drama Notes:
Nakasendo [中山道]. Also called Kisokaido [木曾街道]. It was a major trade route during the Edo period, connecting Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. It spans an approximate 534 km, and was an alternate road to the other major trade route, Tōkaidō. Nakasendo passes through the central mountains of the island while Tokado is a route located alongside the ocean. It has 69 post towns. Above pic shows the route of Ichiro's party in this episode, starting from somewhere in Mino and resting in Tsumago (red dots).
Shukuba [宿場] or post towns or post stations. These places are found along the five major routes of the Edo period. They were created so "travelers could rest on their journey around the nation." Public officials, including feudal lords, court nobles, vassals (like Sakyonodaibu in this drama), and other samurai stay in inns called honjin while traveling commoners or those from the lower classes stay in lodges called hatago.
(info: wiki)
Magome [馬籠宿]. It is where Ichiro and his party are stopped by a village girl. Magome is the last post town in Mino country (or Gifu prefecture). Beyond Magome is Shinano Province (or Nagano prefecture). Reaching this place means Ichiro and his party are now leaving their home province and entering the Kisoji, which runs through Kiso Valley.
(info/pic: wiki)
Tsumago [妻籠]. In this episode, Ichiro and his party takes a rest in this post town. Tsumago is located in Nagiso, Kiso District of Nagano Prefecture. It was "a relatively prosperous and cosmopolitan town (but) fell into obscurity and poverty (...) after the completion of the Chūō Main Line railway, which bypassed Tsumago." Starting in 1968, locals started restoring the town to its appearance "as an Edo-era post town and is now a popular tourist destination".
Notes on Sankin-kotai feudal procession (Part 2): Etiquette. When a feudal procession comes, the tsuyuharai or forerunner gives a warning by shouting "Bow! Bow! His Lord comes!" or in this drama, "To the side! Move to the side!" Bystanders and onlookers are required to move to the side of the road, kneel and bow down until the procession passes. Those on horseback are also required to get off their horses and bow down. Cutting across or blocking the procession was considered rude behavior, and is punishable by death via cutting with a sword or kirisute-gomen [切捨御免]. Only allowed to cross the road or cut through are couriers and midwives who have been urgently called/sent by their clients (as long as they do not disturb the procession). An example in this episode was the courier who picked up a dropped letter as Ichiro's procession passes: he was allowed to not stop and to continue running along the side.
Gohei Mochi (五平餅). The snack that Chota and Hanji were eating in Tsumago. It is made of ordinary, non-glutinous rice, traditionally flattened into oval shaped patties on bamboo skewers and roasted, and then served with miso-sugary sauce. It is said to have originally come from Kiso-Ina areas of Nagano Prefecture. For its history and recipe: go to aia.pref.aichi.jp.
Heike Monogatari [平家物語] or The Tale of the Heike. This was the text that Sakyonodaibu's page was reading to him at night. It is an "epic account compiled long prior 1330 of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180-1185)", and considered one of the great classics of medieval Japanese literature. The translation I used in the drama was taken from this PDF copy from the Asiatic Society of Japan.
(info: wiki) (pic: google.books)
Episode Index and Subs (link)
