Clouds Over the Hill
Saka no Ue no Kumo is an NHK 21st Century special drama which was aired over three years starting from November 29, 2009. The series runs 13 episodes at 90 minutes each. The first series, with 5 episodes, was broadcast in 2009, while series two and three, each with 4 episodes, were broadcast in late 2010 and 2011. While most episodes were shot in Japan, one of the episodes in series two was shot in Latvia. The TV series is based on the novel Saka no ue no kumo by Ryōtarō Shiba and adopted by Hisashi Nozawa. The theme song of the drama series is titled "Stand Alone". It was composed by Joe Hisaishi, written by Kundo Koyama and performed by British soprano singer Sarah Brightman.
Episodes
In 1904, Russia's Baltic Fleet was sailing to join the Lushun Fleet at Port Arthur — a combined force Japan's navy couldn't defeat.In 1904, Russia's Baltic Fleet was sailing to join the Lushun Fleet at Port Arthur — a combined force Japan's navy couldn't defeat. Admiral Togo held a council of war. Saneyuki proposed seizing Hill 203 as an observation point to shell the Lushun Fleet, but Army commander Kodama rejected this, insisting on capturing the fortress itself. Provoked by Japanese shelling, the Lushun Fleet sortied in August, fighting the combined fleet over the Yellow Sea without a decisive outcome. Meanwhile, Kodama ordered Akiyama to form a special squad. The first general assault — a frontal attack — failed catastrophically. The Lushun Fortress was reinforced with modern concrete, and Japan suffered 16,000 casualties, confronting the horror of modern warfare for the first time. A second assault also failed. By October, Russia's Baltic Fleet had finally departed for Japan.
By November 1904, Japan's third frontal assault on the fortress had failed again, marked by the infamous "White Sash Team" battle. Nogi finally abandoned the frontal approach and turned his focus to Hill 203 — but it too was heavily fortified, and casualties kept mounting. Convinced this was the decisive battle of the war, Saneyuki watched anxiously. In a bold and potentially order-disrupting move, Chief of Staff Kodama traveled to Lushun and temporarily took command of the Third Army from Nogi. He overhauled the attack plan and threw full force at Hill 203. After a brutal, costly fight, Hill 203 fell. Japanese artillery immediately trained on the harbor below, shelling and destroying the trapped Lushun Fleet. Togo's naval blockade of Port Arthur — ten months in the making — was finally over.
Saneyuki, who freed himself from care, and the Combined Fleet prepare for a decisive battle with the Baltic Fleet of Russia. Meanwhile, Yoshifuru Akiyama was preparing for a decisive battle with the Russian Army led by Kuropatkin. The Japanese Combined Fleet made preparations and got ready at the Tsushima Strait but the Baltic Fleet of Russia did not appeared. If the Baltic Fleet of Russia avoids Tsushima Strait and goes for Tsugaru or Soya Strait, Saneyuki’s plan will be nothing. Yoshifuru’s success, the Army won the Battle of Mukden, which was called “(the Battle of) Sekigahara” in this war. However, the combat capability of the Army has reached its limit. Saneyuki was exasperated by the Baltic Fleet that has not appeared for a while in Tsushima and advised Heihachiro Togo to move the Fleet. However, Togo said “the enemy will come to Tsushima” and they postpone moving. On the next day, it was telegraphed that enemy was in sight. Japan’s fate really depended on the Combined Fleet.
Japanese combined fleet destroyed the Baltic Fleet by a daring Crossing, tactic overwhelmingly defeated the Baltic Fleet. However, Japanese national power reached its limit. Japan concluded the peace treaty with Russia through the intermediation of the U.S. but Japan was not able to get reparations from Russia. Inside the country, newspapers criticized the government, saying “weak-kneed peace” and people who had frustration with it set fires in Hibiya. Saneyuki returned to Japan suffering distress. He told his wife Sueko “I saw too many deaths… I want to leave the Navy.” Meiji Japan, “Land of the children” had been trying to climb the slope as hard as it can, aiming toward the cloud above the slope. However, a bright future was not all that is ahead of them. The story reaches a conclusion while stippling the ways of life of Saneyuki and Yoshifuru.
