Hanamoyu

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Official Website
www.nhk.or.jp/hanamoyu

Broadcast
Sundays, 8.00 – 8.45 p.m. from 4 January 2015

Station
NHK

Story
The Meiji Restoration started with this family, the Sugis. In 1843 (Tenpo 14), Fumi, the fourth daughter, is born. The second son Torajiro, later Shoin, had become the adopted son of the Yoshidas, the family of his father’s younger brother, but returns to the Sugis upon his uncle’s death. Fumi feels proud of her elder brother who is a respected military strategy instructor even in their domain of Choshu. At the age of 11, he lectured on military strategy to the lord of the domain, Mori Takachika. Shoin is a genius expected to shoulder Choshu’s future. Some incident causes Fumi to bring the Confucian scholar Odamura Inosuke, later Katori Motohiko, in contact with her brother. In 1853 (Kaei 6), Shoin travels to Edo to study and ends up committing the crime of “fleeing his domain”. Fleeing the domain is a major crime of betraying the lord of the domain. The Sugis suffer because of the “crime” he committed. Concerned for Shoin’s welfare, Inosuke, who would become the husband of their second sister, Hisa, talks him into coming back from Edo and keeps pleading to the domain to lessen charges. In the end, Shoin is stripped of his samurai status and becomes the Sugi family’s ward. Fumi secretly admires Inosuke for trying to save her brother. Through the grace of Takachika, Shoin gains the freedom to study and he heads to Edo again. However, he plots to stowaway when Matthew Perry’s black ships arrive. Despite appeals to board a ship and go to America, his wish is not granted. With the failure of his stowaway attempt, Shoin surrenders and is incarcerated in a jail in Hagi. Although the Sugis are placed in a more precarious position because of Shoin’s unprecedented crime, Fumi has a renewed sense of family ties and she supports him by bring food and books. While in jail, Shoin straightens out the prisoners. After his release, he is placed under house arrest at the Sugis. Because of that, he gathers his family and the neighbourhood youth and starts lecturing on Mencius. Fumi scrambles to gather people in order to cheer her brother up. The youth who initially came to listen to the story of Matthew Perry and the black ships, grow fascinated with Shoin’s teachings which incorporate the latest world affairs and social conditions. A string of aspiring disciples gather. Then a confident, handsome young man, Kusaka Genzui, joins his school, Shoka Sonjuku. This would the fateful meeting between Fumi and Kusaka. Fumi is a favourite younger sister with young men such as Takasugi Shinsaku, Ito Hirobumi, Shinagawa Yajiro, Yamagata Aritomo who would subsequently run Japan. She marries Kusaka. However, their married life does not last long. The era is rapidly headed towards turbulence in the twilight years of Shogunate rule. As this intensifies, Shoin is executed in prison. His family and disciples have to face numerous difficulties. Meanwhile, conflict breaks out between a faction in Choshu domain which advocates respect for the Shogunate and a faction critical of the Shogunate. As Takasugi, Kusaka, Ito and as string of others get plunged into the fight, Fumi lives through the war in order to protect her family and Shoka Sonjuku … …

Characters
Character descriptions coming soon!

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• Hanamoyu CM

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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.