Zipang 1x18

1. In this place so unreal

2. I wait for dawn to come

3. Farther and farther, like the sky I saw that day

4. What a joke this hope is

5. I acted as if I had forgotten

6. Farther and farther, like the dream I saw that day

7. I just want to know the meaning of it

8. Within this scattered time

9. Along with the breath of ours

10. And of this pain that never goes away

11. Even though the roaring of the sea muffles the voices

12. Darkness engulfs everything ahead

13. The light that passes through our fragile hearts

14. Won't go away

15. We only relied on our compass

16. We believed you

17. While we stand here

18. We're searching for the unseen future

19. Zipang

20. Zipang

21. It's important that a ship's crew is well rested.

22. And a homeport is necessary for maintenance and re-supply.

23. You're suggesting Truk as our new homeport?

24. - Yokosuka. - What?

25. That is your homeport, isn't it?

26. Reunion

27. The assault on Guadalcanal is back on?! But why?

28. Even the commander-in-chief can't go against orders from Central Command.

29. Then, what about Lieutenant Okamura and his stranded engineers?!

30. Just like in history,

31. they will have to fight in the battle alongside Ichiki's men.

32. Where is our friend Kusaka now?

33. Admiral Yamamoto would like to keep him in Truk for a bit.

34. Captain, I have one request.

35. That welcome party was fantastic! All the women were babes.

36. After two months cooped up on this ship,

37. you've lowered your standards a little, huh?

38. - But it's true! - H-Hey!

39. That was close. I thought he was going to tear us a new one...

40. Lieutenant Tsuda. Please come with me.

41. The Captain has granted permission for you to go ashore.

42. Yes, gladly.

43. I need to have a chat with Lieutenant Kusaka as well.

44. I'm going ashore now.

45. Come back soon.

46. Decisions made by the Central Command

47. are officially sanctioned by the Emperor.

48. Not following those orders is like rebelling against the Emperor.

49. That's the tactic Tsuji is using.

50. I'm sure Admiral Yamamoto must be all worked up over the decision.

51. All worked up?

52. Upon Kusaka's advice,

53. he promised to halt the Guadalcanal invasion,

54. while sending in the rest of the fleet to shell the red beach,

55. and wipe out all the US Marines on shore.

56. If that's not an assault on Guadalcanal, what is?!

57. Kusaka's the one behind all this.

58. Kusaka!!

59. I've found you at last! Lieutenant Tsuda, let's go!

60. Yes, sir!

61. XO! Where're you going?!

62. Go on ahead without me!

63. Too bad for you, Kusaka!

64. You can run but you won't get off this island!

65. Acquaintances of yours?

66. He saved my life once.

67. And, he's an important... friend.

68. In that case, should we stop the car?

69. No. I'm sure I'll be seeing him again shortly.

70. Keep going.

71. He was in that car with a damn Army Officer!

72. Where the hell is he going?!

73. To the jetty! There's a shortcut here!

74. No matter where you run to, you won't get away from me!

75. We have to hurry. That boat's headed for Takeshima!

76. Takeshima? The airstrip...

77. - Why not?! - I can't do that, Lieutenant!

78. This ship is assigned to the Hiei's Captain, Commander Nishida!

79. That doesn't matter! We have orders from Admiral Yamamoto!

80. Yes, sir!

81. There are no more scheduled flights for today.

82. - Are you sure?! - Yes, and that reminds me.

83. We just had an emergency flight arranged to carry Officer Tsuji.

84. - Officer Tsuji?! - That's it!

85. Where are they?!

86. It's them... in that Type-100 Scout!

87. Kusaka! Stop him, Tsuda!

88. That's an Army plane. I don't have the authority to stop it.

89. Who cares about authority now?! Isn't this the Imperial Naval base?!

90. If you're not gonna stop it, I will!

91. Hold it right there!!

92. What should I do?

93. - Just take off. - Roger.

94. Running away, Takumi?! You idiot!

95. No matter where you go, or where you hide,

96. I will definitely hunt you down!

97. What's that?! I can't hear you! What are you saying?!

98. Runway clear!

99. You lying bastard!

100. Even if you fool everyone else, you can never fool me!

101. I'll find you!!

102. Ishiwara...

103. You're going to meet Ishiwara?

104. You mean, General Ishiwara Kanji?

105. 30 degrees left. Two ships spotted.

106. Those two transport ships belong to the army.

107. I think they're headed for the Truk base.

108. I think Ichiki's unit is onboard those transport ships.

109. After they arrive in Truk, they should be heading for Guadalcanal next.

110. No, they are going to hell.

111. Can you descend to water level?

112. Roger!

113. Hey! It's a friendly plane!

114. They're here to cheer us on!

115. We are the strongest Army unit, the Ichiki Unit!

116. We'll take back Guadalcanal! Just watch us!

117. We'll slaughter those marines in 3 days!

118. Shall we respond with a banking maneuver, sir?

119. No, there's no need to.

120. I will not let these two thousand lives be lost in vain.

121. Thank you. Let's be on our way.

122. Roger.

123. General Ishiwara was born in Yamagata in 1889.

124. He graduated from Military Academy, and then was stationed in Germany.

125. As the staff officer of the Kanto Army,

126. he played a central role in the Manchurian Incident.

127. The Manchurian Incident started the invasion of China!

128. It says here that his thinking and foresight were way ahead of his time,

129. and in his book, The Theory of the Final War,

130. he accurately predicted the advancement of weaponry

131. which revolutionized the way wars are fought.

132. The most shocking thing was, he even predicted nuclear weapons,

133. things that changed all military strategy in the late 20th century.

134. He looks too smart for his own good.

135. His views didn't make him many friends.

136. He advocated equality for all, was against the invasion of China,

137. and opposed the war with the Americans.

138. He even criticized the head of the Army, Tojo Hideki.

139. After that, he was dismissed from the army.

140. He's a dangerous man.

141. He possesses superb tactical knowledge and insight.

142. His modern theories also garnered many followers.

143. He's the reason why many Army Officers

144. have started making their own important decisions.

145. But I still don't understand.

146. If Kusaka has set out to change the course of this war,

147. why doesn't he approach Prime Minister Tojo Hideki instead?

148. Ishiwara may be an important figure,

149. but now he's nothing but a disgraced, old soldier.

150. Compared to Tojo's authority, he is powerless.

151. Even within the army, he's already a figure of the past.

152. That may be so in Japan,

153. but he may still have some important connections in China.

154. China? You mean, besides influencing the army,

155. Kusaka may be plotting something even bigger?

156. If not... then maybe he's looking for a spokesman.

157. Spokesman? What do you mean?

158. Kusaka is actually pretty shy in front of other people.

159. Commander, Lieutenant, the Captain has called a meeting.

160. Please report to the Captain's Quarters.

161. I personally think we should accept the proposal...

162. ...that Admiral Yamamoto has laid on the table for us.

163. We're going back to Yokosuka?!

164. However, a return to the port...

165. ...does not imply that we are falling under the combined fleet's command.

166. This is just a personal suggestion by Admiral Yamamoto himself.

167. The Mirai will continue to operate autonomously.

168. For the past two months, we've been subconsciously deluding ourselves.

169. We've been trying to convince ourselves...

170. ...that this world isn't real and we'll return to our world at any moment.

171. But, we have to stop running away.

172. The time has come for us to face the truth.

173. What do you think, Weapons Officer?

174. If the safety of the crew members is completely assured then...

175. And on the way to Yokosuka, we may just get lucky

176. and encounter the same storm that sent us back in time and go home!

177. Thank you. XO, what do you think?

178. Sir, just as you trust Admiral Yamamoto,

179. I put my trust in you too, Captain.

180. The Imperial Army has high expectations from all of you!

181. The recapture of Guadalcanal Island

182. has become the responsibility of the Army!

183. Because of the importance of this operation,

184. I, Tsuji Masanobu, will join all of you in going ashore at Guadalcanal,

185. and I will be leading all of you personally!

186. I heard the American soldiers are even weaker than the Chinese,

187. so we've got nothing to fear!

188. In the face of our superior will,

189. the Americans will be running away before the battle begins!

190. The Staff Officer is full of spirit,

191. but he knows nothing about the real situation.

192. The enemy is fully equipped with vehicles and weapons.

193. Well, all we need to worry about...

194. is rescuing Lieutenant Okamura and then getting out of there.

195. We will wipe out all the American Troops!

196. A ship from 60 years into the future.

197. So it's a mystery ship... from the Showa Period?

198. I caught a glimpse of it this morning. It does look quite different.

199. Somehow, Tsuji that sewer rat from the army also noticed it.

200. Of course, I've already destroyed the letter...

201. that he has sent back to Central Command.

202. In three years' time, Japan surrenders unconditionally,

203. and the Imperial Navy is destroyed.

204. If we allow a ship bearing such dark tidings into the Yokosuka Base,

205. what then will happen to Japan?

206. Admiral, I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at.

207. I fear that Admiral Yamamoto...

208. ...may have gone a little senile from the excessive exposure...

209. ...to the sea breeze here at Truk.

210. Lieutenant Taki.

211. You shall not speak that way about the Admiral!

212. Are you taking orders from Chief Oka of the Military Affairs Bureau?

213. Or perhaps it's from Minister Shimada?

214. I work for the interests of the Imperial Navy.

215. That is all I can tell you at this point in time.

216. What are you planning to do with that ship?

217. The distance from Truk to Yokosuka is 14900 miles,

218. anything can happen.

219. You have not witnessed the ship's full capabilities,

220. that's why you're making such claims.

221. Even the Yamato herself may not be able to win a battle against it.

222. To sink that ship,

223. you might even need to use every ship in the whole combined fleet.

224. Yokosuka?!

225. We can go home!

226. Even if it's the Yokosuka of the past,

227. it's still our homeport!

228. Have you forgotten about our other opponent?

229. I'm talking about the American Force.

230. Ritsumeikan University

231. Ritsumeikan University

232. At present, Japan is headed for a defeat.

233. Theory of National Defense \h\h\h\h\h\h- Ishiwara Kanji

234. Theory of National Defense \h\h\h\h\h\h- Ishiwara Kanji

235. Right now, Japan is trying to buy things with only 100 yen in her pocket.

236. While America is trying to buy the same things with a 1 million yen note.

237. We're getting drained slowly and we don't yet feel the pinch,

238. but with the Americans' superior resources,

239. there'll be nothing left but bankruptcy.

240. Since the Sino-Japanese War, Japan has been expanding out of control.

241. Without caution or foresight,

242. she's behaving like a bankrupt company...

243. ...trying to expand beyond its means to do so.

244. Tojo's Army Faction expanded into the South

245. because they wanted the oil resources.

246. But the Imperial Navy...

247. doesn't have a strong defensive perimeter to hold the territory.

248. If we spread out our military resources

249. to defend on both a Northern and Southern front,

250. there will be no one left to defend our homeland!

251. If this keeps up, there'll be no ships left in Japan,

252. and the country of Japan...

253. will become a barren field just like my head!

254. Stop the lecture!

255. You have crossed the line today!

256. Impudent fool! If you don't understand my lecture, just leave this room!

257. - What?! - I see, you're a soldier.

258. If you're a soldier, you should study the military theories in my books.

259. If you refuse to leave the room, then keep quiet and listen.

260. Well, the formations used in war have evolved through history.

261. From the Square to the Line, to the Skirmish Line formations,

262. now we also have the Battle County.

263. Let me explain this using geometry.

264. First, we have the Square as the base,

265. then the ranks in front form the Line.

266. And then we have the Skirmish Line further ahead.

267. The Battle County is what supplies the resources to all of them.

268. Nowadays, the presence of aerial warfare has presented us with...

269. ...a three-dimensional battlefield.

270. In short, it has made things more complex.

271. Air attacks and defense have become very important, that is to say,

272. domination of the skies is now the key to success in a long war.

273. This is the strategic situation that we are currently facing.

274. Now, what about a fourth dimension?

275. If such a dimension exists,

276. then according to Einstein, that's a time and place not of this world.

277. Unfortunately, that's not a dimension that we humans can control.

278. If anyone claims to have any control over it, I'd love to meet him.

279. I have seen it.

280. Mr. Ishiwara, your powers of predicting the future are impressive,

281. but you are no match for me.

282. I have personally experienced the world of the future.

283. - What's that guy talking about? - Is he crazy?

284. Looking forward in time is normally impossible, of course.

285. But I've recently been presented with the future course of this war.

286. The ultimate weapon that you have predicted...

287. ...will be completed by the Americans in 2 years and 11 months time.

288. Just as you have prophesized,

289. the use of this ultimate weapon on civilian targets will end this war.

290. I thought it would be the Germans to develop it first.

291. Hitler feels that it wouldn't be ready in time for this war,

292. and has stopped the research project.

293. Italy and Germany will surrender before its completion.

294. So the first ones to experience its effects will be...

295. This is unusual for a Japanese soldier.

296. You're serious about this, right?

297. That's enough! This lecture is over!

298. Hey! You're a suspicious fella.

299. Come with me! I want to ask you some questions.

300. So the lecture is over?

301. Of course it is.

302. A lecture criticizing the military isn't going to be of any help.

303. If you're going to stop my lecture...

304. ...because you think it's not of any help to this country,

305. then maybe you could give a talk that's going to be of some help?

306. W-What did you say?!

307. The podium is now empty. Don't be shy.

308. Go and speak in my place.

309. If you say the professor's talk is useless, then you give us a talk then!

310. You're not going to weasel out of this!

311. You speak instead of the professor!

312. That's right! Go on! Hurry up!

313. Go on and tell us something useful if you are so smart!

314. Theory of National Defense

315. By the way, may I ask for your name?

316. Yes, former Navy Lieutenant Commander, Takumi Kusaka.

317. So you're an outcast like me too.

318. By the way, Mr. Kusaka...

319. You said you experienced the future, is this true?

320. I was on board a certain ship.

321. And so... why have you come to see me then?

322. If you are looking for the guy in charge, Tojo's the man.

323. That man is... too weak.

324. But he's been killing off all his enemies and allies.

325. It's possible to kill off millions of your own people

326. without having to see their faces.

327. But you... To achieve your goals,

328. you'd betray your benefactors, and sacrifice your trusted subordinates.

329. Even your treasured army... can be defeated.

330. You overestimate me.

331. I'm just a powerless old soldier stuck on reserve duty.

332. Not too long ago, the Japan of 60 years into the future...

333. appeared in front of my eyes.

334. Hawaii Pearl Harbor

335. Hawaii Pearl Harbor

336. Lieutenant!

337. What is it?

338. I noticed something in the recent telegrams sent by...

339. ...the Japanese Navy at Truk.

340. The code CX keeps coming up.

341. From the context of the message, I think it's a ship's name.

342. CX? I've never heard them use that code before.

343. - Is it a new ship? - The interesting thing is...

344. This CX always appears together...

345. in the same messages with the codes for Yamamoto and Guadalcanal.

346. It must be an important ship.

347. Lieutenant! We've just deciphered a new telegram!

348. CX will depart from Truk at 1800 today!

349. It's scheduled for docking at Yokosuka in one week.

350. All units are to be on stand by.

351. Inform Admiral Nimitz right away!

352. Passing through the distant time

353. Just peacefully

354. Without losing your way, you walked towards me

355. How many times have I grasped tightly those small hands of yours?

356. Not being able to do anything

357. I kept on praying

358. Sorrow or agony isn't enough

359. That's why now as if I wanted to make up... I'm looking at you

360. Has Admiral Yamamoto decided to give up on Guadalcanal,

361. and retreat to the South Pacific instead?

362. This is proof of it.

363. History is not created by chance, but by human beings themselves.

364. In my opinion, I'd say without the Navy, there's no Japan.

365. When the time comes, we'll have to take them down...

366. before they can make a report with standard Anti-Air Missiles.

367. Next Episode: The Other Staff Headquarters

368. Next Episode: The Other Staff Headquarters

369. The answer lies in the North.

370. This story is purely fiction. The names of the characters and organizations that appear have no connections with actual people and organizations.

371. This story is purely fiction. The names of the characters and organizations that appear have no connections with actual people and organizations.