Golden Kamuy (ゴールデンカムイ)

Why does Goryoukaku take the shape of a star?

The answer is: for war.

It was based on the design of the bastion fort,

which was invented in Europe while Japan was in the Muromachi period.

The place we're standing on is the bastion.

From this location, for instance,

we have a clear view of that bridge and the stone wall behind it,

along with the bridge and the bastion wall.

The bastion wall on the right, as well.

We can strike approaching enemies from the side and eliminate them.

I see.

By deploying troops in each bastion,

we can attack our foes in any direction, without any blind spots.

The shape of the fortress is specialized for war.

But we can't use it like this.

We need trenches.

Indeed.

Those who have experienced the new age of war understand such things.

While we wait for Sofia and her men to arrive,

we will search for the gold and prepare for combat.

Golden Kamuy

Episode Fifty-Nine Our Kamuy

I found something!

A rock, huh?

I'm exhausted.

I'm pretty sure they hid it in the moat, not a building.

But the old man said, "Dig here, doggy."

You've got something that makes you think it's here, right?

You're still hiding things from us at this point?

I'm not one of your soldiers, you know!

I found a lot of sandbags in a storehouse.

Huh?

They're here!

God

The character for god on my tattoo.

When we laid out the code, it landed right on the storehouses here.

There must be something buried here.

Another rock, huh?

Does the god character really mean anything?

No idea...

God

But the fact is,

there's no other character with a similar reading, like shin or jin.

3:30 AM

It's not a rock!

I found something!

Just this box?

There must be more buried below it, obviously! You idiot!

Open it up already! Hurry!

What's this? Soil? Sand?

Cietoi.

Powdered diatomaceous earth.

That can't be all that's here!

What's this?

Paper?

An animal stomach.

We use them for holding oils and other things.

So they've done everything they can to make sure the contents stayed dry.

A book?

What does it say?

Let the old men read it!

What's this?

Land deeds.

About the time our deal with the Russian navy broke down,

a government called the "Ezo Republic" existed in Hakodate.

They needed money to fight.

So we met with a Nispa named Enomoto Takeaki from the Ezo Republic,

and traded gold for a treaty recognizing Ainu land rights.

Land deeds bought with the gold?

Where's the land? How big is it?

Look at this.

Vast tracts of land, spread all throughout Hokkaido.

There's no way Hijikata Toshizou wouldn't know about this.

I didn't, actually.

About the time this treaty was made, I was busy fighting.

I spent very little time at Goryoukaku.

Just as we were about to hand over the gold, the Hakodate War came to an end,

and the Ezo Republic ceased to exist.

But Enomoto-san worked with the

Meiji government to ensure the treaty with the Ainu would remain enforced.

The Meiji government wanted the gold too, so they agreed.

They assumed, foolishly, that they could abrogate it later.

But Enomoto-san had actually had the ambassadors

Netherlands

France

England

of six countries be present for its signing.

America

Italy

Prussia

It was clearly made out to be an international treaty,

one that could not be easily abandoned.

Perhaps this was his way of repaying the Ainu for their support of him,

or perhaps he knew the war was lost,

and only wanted to make one last problem for the government.

The deed book contains a detailed record of its own history,

and entrusts the landowners, the Ainu, to decide how the land is used.

The Meiji government wouldn't want this getting out.

Wait, does this mean the gold is gone?!

Wonderful.

My daughter will live as an Ainu, and this is the greatest gift I can give her.

I thought that this was all we could do, too.

That the only thing we could do with the gold was buy forested land.

That this was the only way to protect the Ainu without fighting.

If we protect the forests, we can protect the kamuy.

Our culture can't exist without the kamuy.

The thing I had finally figured out, what I could do for the Ainu...

The old Ainu had already accomplished it!

The golden kamuy that I was told would bring disaster...

was the kamuy we really needed!

I'm so disappointed I can't even stand.

But why'd Wilk hide the deed book here?

He could've taken it with him.

Perhaps someone was after it.

Kiroranke, maybe?

But stealing the book wouldn't...

Wilk's code led me to the deed book.

But there was nothing in our discussion about protecting forests.

Did the Ainu make the land treaty to protect their forests in the first place?

Leaving behind the Kamuy wouldn't make the Ezo Republic more powerful.

Don't you think Wilk left this behind because he wanted

the land's resources to be developed?

Asirpa...

What Wilk said... What Yulbars said...

Forget it all.

Sofia.

There's nothing left for us here.

We have two hours until Lieutenant Tsurumi and his men arrive.

We need to get out of here now!

We need to tell the ones working on our defenses!

Hurry! Kantarou, head to the east entrance!

I'm crying so much I can't see.

I can't walk.

Hang in there, Shiraishi.

Hijikata Nispa. I'll take the book.

Hijikata Nispa?

Only half was used!

It says that 37,125 kilograms of gold were given to Enomoto Takeaki.

Nopperabo told me there was 75,000 kilograms.

So a bit over half of it's still out there?

Half the gold's still out there somewhere!

Calm down, Shiraishi!

Get to the trenches!

Lieutenant Tsurumi's men?

But it's too soon!

Look out at the sea.

Something's in the sky.

Military air balloons!

They're watching us?

So that was gunfire from a ship?!

They came in their destroyers!

The minute Lieutenant Tsurumi began to crack the code,

he also contacted Ominato naval base in Aomori,

where Koito's father was located,

Ominato

so that he could quickly get to the gold no matter where it was.

Sapporo

Sugimoto Route (Hakodate Line)

He went from Sapporo Station to Muroran station,

Muroran

Tsurumi Muroran Line)