Sep. 3rd, 2015 04:37 pm
Ichiro Ep5: Drama Notes
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
earth_colorsEpisode 5: "The Tears of Wadatoge"
Episode Synopsis: Ichiro (Nagayama Kento) and company approach the mountain pass Wadatoge, Nakasendo's most difficult path. Since theirs is a traditional procession, they have a lot more equipment and luggage than the usual journeys. Also for the first time marchers, the arduous journey has started to take its toll. Aside from the steep climb up the pass, the men will now face an even bigger crisis: someone has earlier cut the suspension bridge which they are supposed to cross. In desperation, Ichiro decides to proceed by taking a longer route that goes around and over the mountain. However, a sudden intense storm occurs, forcing the procession to a halt. Then, Sakyonodaibu (Watanabe Dai) suddenly makes a big decision... Meanwhile, back home in Mino, treasurer Shichizaemon (Ishiguro Ken) is closing in on Shogen's (Sano Shiro) scheme to take over the House. He attempts to persuade a wealthy merchant to confess about financially abetting Shogen's plot...
Drama Notes:
Wadatoge [和田峠]. A mountain pass with a maximum altitude of 1,531m, located in Nagano Prefecture, and stretches from Nagawa-cho of Chiisagata district to Suwa-cho of Suwa District. For travelers of Nakasendo, there were inns and tea houses in Suwa and Nagawa for those who want to rest before or after climbing (some are still preserved up to now). Now, there are modern highways and tunnel that travelers can take with ease. But tourists (who wish to experience the old Nakasendo Way) and pilgrims (who visit Mt. Ontake which is a sacred mountain), can still climb the pass on foot, and to enjoy the views (above right pic). Above left pic is an ukiyoe, made by Hiroshige, depicting Wadatoge's snow scene in front of Mt. Ontake.
Tree stump as a compass. Ichiro was able to guess which direction is south by examining a tree stump. One can do this by checking the growth of the tree's rings. The side to take note of are the part where they grow bigger. That is where the sun shines more. So if you are in the northern hemisphere, that will be the south side. If you are in the southern hemisphere, that will be the north side.
Episode Index and Subs (link)
Episode Synopsis: Ichiro (Nagayama Kento) and company approach the mountain pass Wadatoge, Nakasendo's most difficult path. Since theirs is a traditional procession, they have a lot more equipment and luggage than the usual journeys. Also for the first time marchers, the arduous journey has started to take its toll. Aside from the steep climb up the pass, the men will now face an even bigger crisis: someone has earlier cut the suspension bridge which they are supposed to cross. In desperation, Ichiro decides to proceed by taking a longer route that goes around and over the mountain. However, a sudden intense storm occurs, forcing the procession to a halt. Then, Sakyonodaibu (Watanabe Dai) suddenly makes a big decision... Meanwhile, back home in Mino, treasurer Shichizaemon (Ishiguro Ken) is closing in on Shogen's (Sano Shiro) scheme to take over the House. He attempts to persuade a wealthy merchant to confess about financially abetting Shogen's plot...
Drama Notes:
Wadatoge [和田峠]. A mountain pass with a maximum altitude of 1,531m, located in Nagano Prefecture, and stretches from Nagawa-cho of Chiisagata district to Suwa-cho of Suwa District. For travelers of Nakasendo, there were inns and tea houses in Suwa and Nagawa for those who want to rest before or after climbing (some are still preserved up to now). Now, there are modern highways and tunnel that travelers can take with ease. But tourists (who wish to experience the old Nakasendo Way) and pilgrims (who visit Mt. Ontake which is a sacred mountain), can still climb the pass on foot, and to enjoy the views (above right pic). Above left pic is an ukiyoe, made by Hiroshige, depicting Wadatoge's snow scene in front of Mt. Ontake.
Yakko-san [やっこさん]. The song that Saikyonodaibu was singing. It is a song about a servant named "Yakko-san" who will pick up his lord and that they will set off on a lavish journey/procession.
Tree stump as a compass. Ichiro was able to guess which direction is south by examining a tree stump. One can do this by checking the growth of the tree's rings. The side to take note of are the part where they grow bigger. That is where the sun shines more. So if you are in the northern hemisphere, that will be the south side. If you are in the southern hemisphere, that will be the north side.
Curfew in the Edo Period. In order to deter rebellions and suspicious movements, and to instill order, the Tokugawa shogunate enforced a strict curfew in all the towns in the trade routes. Passing through gates or barriers of a town is permitted from 6 am to 6 pm. That is why in this episode Ichiro kept saying they have to reach the town before sunset or the gate will close.
(info: nakasendoway)
Episode Index and Subs (link)
