Sanga Moyu (山河燃ゆ) is a Japanese television drama based on the 1983 novel Futatsu no Sokoku (二つの祖国) by Toyoko Yamazaki. It was NHK's taiga drama in 1984.

Sanga Moyu
Written byShin'ichi Ichikawa
Shunsuke Katori
Directed byYūji Murakami and others
Starring
Theme music composerHikaru Hayashi
ComposerHikaru Hayashi
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes51
Production
ProducerSusumu Kondō (chief)
Running time45 minutes
Original release
NetworkNHK
ReleaseJanuary 8 (1984-01-08) –
December 23, 1984 (1984-12-23)

Synopsis

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The Amo family lives in Los Angeles, California. Two of the sons, Kenji and Tadashi, live in Japan. Kenji returns to the United States before war broke out in 1941, and is sent to Manzanar with his family as part of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. Kenji joins the United States Army and is sent to fight in the Philippines, where he shoots Tadashi, who joined the Imperial Japanese Army. Isamu, the third son, joins the 442nd. After the war Kenji finds Nagiko, a childhood friend who had confessed her love for him just before he returned to the United States. She was a victim of the bombing of Hiroshima. Kenji then becomes an interpreter at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, where he commits suicide in the courtroom because of the internal turmoil caused by his split loyalties.[1]

Cast

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Reception

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Several Japanese American organizations like the Japanese American Citizens League were concerned that the portrayal of split loyalties would affect the movement for redress.[2] Some individual Japanese Americans, including Mike Masaoka, also wrote to the NHK to express their concerns about airing the show in the United States.[3] It was not broadcast in the United States until 1989.[2] The show's name was also changed from "Futatsu no Sokoku" (Two Homelands) to "Sanga Moyu" (The Mountains and Rivers are Burning) for this reason.[4]

The series was considered unusual in Japan because NHK's Taiga dramas usually concern history before the Meiji era.[1] Many Japanese films at the time showed Japan as being the victims of World War II, but the NHK chose to include Japanese atrocities.[3]

According to the Japan Times, the original novel was based on the life of Akira Itami.[5]

TV schedule

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Episode Original airdate Title Directed by Rating
1 January 8, 1984 (1984-01-08) "Shōwa 11nen, Yuki ga" (昭和十一年、雪が) Yūji Murakami 30.5%
2 January 15, 1984 (1984-01-15) "Kaigenrei" (戒厳令) Shizuhiro Izuta
3 January 22, 1984 (1984-01-22) "Kakanashimi eno Jokyoku" (悲しみへの序曲) Mikio Satō
4 January 29, 1984 (1984-01-29) "Wakare no Ezōshi" (別れの絵草子) Yūji Murakami
5 February 5, 1984 (1984-02-05) "Kazoku" (家族) Shizuhiro Izuta
6 February 12, 1984 (1984-02-12) "Little Tokyo" (リトル・トーキョー) Mikio Satō
7 February 19, 1984 (1984-02-19) "Sōgen Jōka" (草原情歌) Yūji Murakami
8 February 26, 1984 (1984-02-26) "Tairiku e" (大陸へ) Shizuhiro Izuta
9 March 4, 1984 (1984-03-04) "Shanghai ni Itteki no Namida wo" (上海に一滴の涙を) Mikio Satō
10 March 11, 1984 (1984-03-11) "Sento" (戦都) Yūji Murakami
11 March 18, 1984 (1984-03-18) "Ima Hitotabi no" (いまひとたびの) Shizuhiro Izuta
12 March 25, 1984 (1984-03-25) "Tairiku kara no Tegami" (大陸からの手紙) Mikio Satō
13 April 1, 1984 (1984-04-01) "Sorezore no Seishun" (それぞれの青春) Yūji Murakami
14 April 8, 1984 (1984-04-08) "Saraba Nihon yo" (さらば日本よ) Shizuhiro Izuta
15 April 15, 1984 (1984-04-15) "Kaisen Zen'ya" (開戦前夜) Mikio Satō
16 April 22, 1984 (1984-04-22) "December 8, 1941" (1941年12月8日) Kōji Matsuoka
17 April 29, 1984 (1984-04-29) "Pearl Harbor" (パール・ハーバー) Yūji Murakami
18 May 6, 1984 (1984-05-06) "Senka no Rinjin-tachi" (戦下の隣人達) Mikio Satō
19 May 13, 1984 (1984-05-13) "Nihon-tō wo Umeta Hi" (日本刀を埋めた日) Shizuhiro Izuta
20 May 20, 1984 (1984-05-20) "Daitōryō-rei 9066" (大統領令9066) Yūji Murakami
21 May 27, 1984 (1984-05-27) "Manzanar Shūyōjo" (マンザナール収容所) Yūji Murakami
22 June 3, 1984 (1984-06-03) "Kōya no Party" (荒野のパーティー) Shizuhiro Izuta
23 June 10, 1984 (1984-06-10) "Niji no Kanata ni" (虹の彼方に) Mikio Satō
24 June 17, 1984 (1984-06-17) "Sokoku America" (祖国アメリカ) Kōji Matsuoka
25 June 24, 1984 (1984-06-24) "Bōdō" (暴動) Shizuhiro Izuta
26 July 1, 1984 (1984-07-01) "Ningen Test" (人間テスト) Mikio Satō
27 July 8, 1984 (1984-07-08) "Sraba Shūyōjo" (さらば収容所) Yūji Murakami
28 July 15, 1984 (1984-07-15) "America Rikugun Nihon-go Gakkō" (アメリカ陸軍日本語学校) Shizuhiro Izuta
29 July 22, 1984 (1984-07-22) "Rikon" (離婚) Mikio Satō
30 July 29, 1984 (1984-07-29) "Chi no Akashi" (血の証し) Teru Tajima
31 August 5, 1984 (1984-08-05) "Taiheiyō Sensen" (太平洋戦線) Yūji Murakami
32 August 12, 1984 (1984-08-12) "Futatsu no Senjō" (二つの戦場) Mikio Satō
33 August 19, 1984 (1984-08-19) "Dare ga Kokyō wo Omowazaru" (誰が故郷を想わざる) Kōji Matsuoka
34 August 26, 1984 (1984-08-26) "Tokyo Dai-kūshū" (東京大空襲) Yūji Murakami
35 September 2, 1984 (1984-09-02) "Kyōdai Taiketsu" (兄弟対決) Mikio Satō
36 September 9, 1984 (1984-09-09) "Shūsen" (終戦) Teru Tajima
37 September 16, 1984 (1984-09-16) "Hiroshima" (ヒロシマ) Shizuhiro Izuta
38 September 23, 1984 (1984-09-23) "Tokyo-saiban Kaitei" (東京裁判開廷) Mikio Satō
39 September 30, 1984 (1984-09-30) "Monitor" (モニター) Teru Tajima
40 October 7, 1984 (1984-10-07) "Henshin" (変身) Shizuhiro Izuta
41 October 14, 1984 (1984-10-14) "Gaisen" (凱旋) Morihisa Matsudaira
42 October 21, 1984 (1984-10-21) "Eirei" (英霊) Mikio Satō
43 October 28, 1984 (1984-10-28) "Koto Yūshū" (古都憂愁) Takeshi Kobayashi
44 November 4, 1984 (1984-11-04) "Shinjuwan-kōgeki no Nazo" (真珠湾攻撃の謎) Kōji Matsuoka
45 November 11, 1984 (1984-11-11) "Washington Heights" (ワシントン・ハイツ) Shizuhiro Izuta
46 November 18, 1984 (1984-11-18) "Kagiri-aru Seimei" (限りある生命) Mikio Satō
47 November 25, 1984 (1984-11-25) "Yakeato no Seiya" (焼跡の聖夜) Teru Tajima
48 December 2, 1984 (1984-12-02) "Kyōdai Wakai" (兄弟和解) Yūji Murakami
49 December 9, 1984 (1984-12-09) "Saishū Ronkoku" (最終論告) Mikio Satō
50 December 16, 1984 (1984-12-16) "Senkoku" (宣告) Shizuhiro Izuta
51 December 23, 1984 (1984-12-23) "Aratanaru Tabidachi" (新たなる旅立ち) Yūji Murakami
Average rating 21.1% - Rating is based on Japanese Video Research (Kantō region).

References

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  1. ^ a b Haberman, Clyde (1984-02-16). "JAPANESE TV SERIES DEPICTS NISEI PLIGHT (Published 1984)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  2. ^ a b "Sanga moyu (film) | Densho Encyclopedia". encyclopedia.densho.org. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  3. ^ a b Wetherall, Will. "Sanga moyu : Dual nationals caught in a storm over their Mt. Fuji inheritance". www.yoshabunko.com. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  4. ^ 林ケ谷, 昭太郎 (June 15, 1984). "日系アメリカ人社会を揺り動かす「二つの祖国」" (PDF). 関大. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Otake, Tomoko (2005-08-14). "Tried to the limit and beyond". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-11-21.