a story of Daikichi Hanayama (Jushiro Konoe)

FACTS on 'Suronin Hanayama Daikichi'

As is detailed in the previous pages, "Suronin Hanayama Daikichi" took over "Suronin Tukikage Hyogo".

In the last scene of the last episode of "Suronin Tukikage Hyogo", Hyogo was asked to come back
to Edo to succeed his recently deceased ancle, who had been a lord of a castle.
"I understood"said Hyogo with a painful look and left Hanji without seeing him back.
Hanji cried and cried, calling "Dannah! Dannah!" .

In the first scene of the first episode of "Suronin Hanayama Daikichi", Hanji, having been depressed
by losing his best friend just several days ago, saw a samurai extremely resembled to Hyogo(Both played
by Jushiro Konoe).
They were so lookalike (of course they were!), Hanji had thought he had been fooled by Hyogo.
But he was a different man, Daikichi Hanayama.

For Hanji, matter of course, it needed time to believe it.
When Hanji handed Daikichi a cat, Daikichi didn't understand what it meant.
If Hyogo, he couldn't have been even close to it.
When Hanji yelled Daikichi for help, he didn't know it was a spider in front of him that scared him.

Daikichi enjoyed sake in a sofisticated manner, definately not bubbling nor swilling like Hyogo and Hanji used to do.
But when *Okara was served as a side dish, he became the worst drunkard in the word!
You could even say he is addicted by Okara!(says Mick)

Daikichi hiccuped when surprised and needed sake in his special calabash bottle to stop it.

Hanji did nothing but admit that he was different from Hyogo.
But most important of all, Hanji found that he liked Daikichi as mush as Hyogo!
So, travels of comical pair started again.....

*Okara: Refuse from squeezing soybeans in the process of producing Tofu. It is cooked with vagetables such as chopped carrot,
Japaese muchroom, burdock and greenonion and seasoned by soysouce and some sugar.
As it is refuse, Okara is not expensive at all. For Daikichi, Okara is the best side dish at reasonable price that can go well with sake.

Unlike Hyogo, Daikichi gets money from giving advice to people in trouble..... trouble from how to stop
wetting a futon to how to surppress conflicts in a castle.
It is rare for a samurai, who should be just samurai, to have his own buisiness openly at that time.

  Daikichi is an expert of sword of Ono-ha-Ittoh style.
  He always keeps an iron-made folding fan
  not only to cool down or use as a pirrow
  but also to give bad guys a sharp painful shot.

  When Hanji saw Daikichi clear out all the outlaws for the first time,
  he thought he maybe stronger than Hyogo.

Daikichi Hanayama by Sandayu

In "Suronin Hanayama Daikichi", more episodes were shooted on locations of all over Japan.

After 104 episodes, "Suronin Hanayama Daikichi"had to be ended for Jushiro Konoe who had played Daikichi had
been diagnosed serious diabetes and ordered to stop working by his doctor.
The second Samurai Vagabond series, as well as the first one, ended for the reason non of us expected.
This time, we had to wait for 2 years to see him again in another series of Samurai Vagabond, "Suronin Tenka Taihei".

Well. I should stop telling facts too much before reading any episodes of "Suronin Hanayama Daikichi".
Here you go! Enjoy the one of the most interesting episodes of 104! kindly contributed by Mick.

The maddest was the fiercest - an episode contributed by Mick, one of the most enthusiastic Konoe's fans.

Here comes one half of our beloved "Duo"：Yaizuno Hanji walking down a country side lane in lazy hot daytime.

Hanji murmurs: "It's so hot that this weather sure makes me a 'Human jerky'!!"
Then, he spots a tea shop opening ahead of his direction.
"Thank goodness! Now I can have ice-cold tea - long awaited refreshment, there."

Hanji rushes into the teashop ordering ice cold tea.
Old lady answers: "I'm sorry to disappoint you but the ice-cold tea is sold-out"
"Then, serve me ice cold water, please"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you but no ice cold water in a tank, now"
Hanji becomes a bit irritated, says: "All right, all right I'll have the water even if it's lukewarm!!" and enters the shop.

Then, he accidentally trips over and bumps into one of 3 ronins inside of teashop.
Although Hanji apologizes immediately, the ronin sends out a deadly fast I-Ai manner sword swing to Hanji.
[Is this ronin a MAD man?]
Hanji gets flabbergasted to find his kimono's inner strap being cut off while the exterior of Kimono was unhurt.

Hanji tries to retort back at the ronin, then the old lady of the teashop convinces him not.
While Hanji wonders if it's better taking her word, one samurai (named Kawabe) appears and confronts to the
three ronins.
He addresses them as three Azagami brothers,: the notorious gym-busters, Rekki (means "Fierce Demon"),
Tekki ("Iron Demon") and Kyoki ("Mad Demon") and introduces himself as a master of a sword gym where
those three have dropped by when he wasn't there.
He claims that the "Sword Match" they held there was a mere camouflage of assault, murdering his pupils
in unfair manner and that they badly insulted the gym with stealing its front sign.

The gym master says he's going to punish them.
Rekki, the eldest of three, urges Kyoki (the shortest of three in height but has extraordinarily nimble looking appearance) to "handle" this gym master.

  That nimble demon easily dodges gym master's sword
  -doing quick somersault.
  Soon as he touches down on the ground,
  he captures another sword attack from the gym master
  with his pair of uniquely shaped weapon called "Sai"
  (originated in Okinawa around 15^th century from a farming tool: pitchfork).
  A pair of Sais'prongs squeeze gym master's sword stronger and stronger,
  and finally make it broken.
  Kyoki, then gives decisive hard chops -one, two, three- to gym master
  with his Sai.

Kyoki, the youngest brother of the Azagamis bySandayu

The gym master dies, instantly.

Kyoki goes back to the teashop and join his elder brothers.
Rekki says to Kyoki: "Your checkmating is faulty."

Hanji rushes over the dead body of the gym master, then joins his hands sending his condolences.

Then, a noise that sounds somewhat familiar is heard nearby...
It is Our Hero: Hanayama Daikichi, hiccupping in shock and drinking his hiccup smoother: Sake from his
"Hyotan(calabash bottle)canteen".

"Did you get him, Hanji?!":
"Did I what?! No! No! He was gotten by a fierce gym buster just a short while ago!"
"Maybe the weather causes me hiccupping...Hmm; his opponent must be a fellow of superb martial art. "

Inside a saloon:

"Bring me a bowl of "Okara" with my drink"
"No such stuff in this place!" the saloon owner answers.
"What a clumsy saloon with such an inconvenience not carrying Okara! Then, bring serve me some pickles.
Hanji, you go searching Okara around this town for me!"
"Why such a cool fellow like me have to do ‘Okara Search’, ha?!!

Order of drink from a heavily drunken young samurai is heard from behind Daikichi and Hanji.
The saloon owner convinces him of not having any more, but the samurai was not happy for it and tips over
porcelain "Tokkuri" bottles on the table.
Daikichi and Hanji look back at the young man, and their glances meet each other.

The young man stands up from his seat and approaches to Daikichi and Hanji.
He says that he received insulting stare from them and he is going to compensate it.
[Oh, No! Here’s another MAD man!]

Daikichi does not like to fight against anyone for such fool reason; however, he responds the young man's
consistent call to get outside to fight.

The two draw their sword, keeping eyes on each other.
"You seem to have spent well over ten years of hard training. But your hands are trembling as if you are
longing to be killed by someone. WHY?!!"
Daikichi's poignant remark makes the young man stunned.

"A saloon serving no Okara just served me a trouble!"Daikichi shearthes his sword

Daikichi & Hanji walking down the lane for the unsuccessful “Okara-Hunt”

They spot a sword gym with a stout gate. The front sign says "Tsukada 'Itto-style' Sword Gym".
To Daikichi, this handwriting is familliar.
"Looks like the one of my senior's at the gym in Edo many decades back."

Daikichi asked a lady inside of the gate about the owner of the gym.
It is Tsukada Genshu, Daikichi's senior.
The lady, Genshu's daughter, Kikuno, welcomes them, for Genshu often talks about Daikichi to Kikuno.

Although Genshu has been in bed for 3 months after being suffered from a heart attack, he is very happy
making his re-union with Daikichi:

"It's been 25~6 years!? Hmm...I was young at that time.."
"A beautiful youngster I was..."Daikichi replied.
"What did you say?! You were just notorious for your drinking habit. You used to have cheap raw sake right
after the gym training!"
"Excuse me; it was YOU who taught me that kind of drink."
"Was it so?"
They, including Hanji, laugh. Their friendship hasn't changed a bit.

The atmosphere changes a little bit differently when Daikichi asks Genshu about his two sons:
Genshu pauses for a moment and says
"I have no sons. They're gone. Yes, they're gone...Well, make yourself at home. I'd better having some
rest now."

In the evening of the same day, at a guest room of Genshu's residence:

Daikichi asks Kikuno what happened to Genshu's sons.
"It was my brother who wished to be killed by you this afternoon."
Daikichi and Hanji has already noticed it was she who worried the young man at that time.
She continues: "I had two brothers: Shu-ichiro and Shujiro..."

(A ‘Flash-Back’ of the incident at the gym 3 months ago appears)
Two young samurais are doing practice match with wooden swords while Kikuno and Genshu,
a gym master and a proud father, are watching them.
Sword skill of two young men seems to be even.
Shu-ichiro accidentally trips over the side of gym room and encounters Shujiro's overhead sword swing.
This not only broke Shu-ichiro's wooden sword, but also strikes over Shu-ichiro's forehead and make him dead.
(‘Flash-Back’ ends)

"The accident shocked Shujiro so deep that he ran away from home and drowned his sorrow in drink.
This whole incident made my father sick. Although my father talks about Shujiro bitterly since then, I'm quite
certain he wants Shujiro back home."

"So, it was him who made the senior sick..."Daikichi says to himself.

The next day, Daikichi and Hanji visit Shujiro and take him to a riverside.

Daikichi turns at Shujiro and says:
"I came here to kill you, who has no will for starting over nor even kill yourself. You don't deserve your life"
"Can't you see that you are not the only one who were hurt? Come and show me your spirit, chicken heart!
Here's your last chance to die proudly as a son of Tsukada Genshu!"

Heading to Shujiro and drawing his sword, Daikichi begins his attack.
Shujiro tries to respond with his sword, however, he tells Daikichi that he can't fight back, just dodging these
sword swings.
Daikichi just mercilessly keeps on sending consecutive deadly sword swings to Shujiro.
[Is Daikichi also getting MAD by now?!]

As the battle becomes fiercer, Shujiro gradually regains his bravery, starts respond back with his sword.

Daikichi stops his attack.
"See? You are all right! You now remember your sword touch again. Go back and have the gym reverted
for the sake of your lost brother."
"By the way, your father was my senior at a gym, many years back."

Kikuno, running into the scene, tells them that the Azagami Brothers are coming to the gym.
Is the sick gym master receiving their visit ? An emergency!

Despite of his bad condition, Genshu is trying a match against
one of the gym busting brothers, Tekki.
"Suppose you need a cane, don't you, 'tangle footed' old man?"
throws a cane before Genshu's feet.

Daikichi, Hanji, Shujiro, and Kikuno get to the gym.

Daikichi presents Shujiro to the gym busters:
"This is the guy you ought to run a match, the successor of
Tsukada Ittoh-style gym."

                         TekkiAzagami bySandayu
Rekki, the eldest of Azagami brothers, is about to present himself, but Daikichi interrupts it:
"Stop making a pompous introduction, you mean gym busters."

Shujiro starts an 'real sword (not wooden practice sword)' match against Tekki.
The match seems far advantageous for Tekki who is cornering Shujiro in a bullying manner.
Shujiro, however, defends well......he intercepts Tekki's sword from the rear over his shoulder, then push it back,
finally gained advantageous position, and makes a counterattack at Tekki.

Rekki throws a dart knife that sticks Shujiro's left arm.
Although it is (by no means) not a decent manner in running a match, it's the trick how those gym busters
has made their living.

Measure for Measure, Daikichi quickly intercepts Tekki by throwing him his iron folding fan
and signaled Shujiro to give him a finishing attack.
[Okay, one of the mad men is gone now… Who’s next?]

Kyoki enters the scene doing a short warm-up exercise (accompanied by a strain from an acoustic guitar that sounds somewhat like…like…Flamenco!! Why Flamenco? Don’t ask!!)

  Now, Rekki joins the match.
  Hanji also tries to join the battle holding a dart knife that stuck Shujiro
  in his hand, but Daikichi urges Hanji to step aside.

  Both swords from Rekki (in ‘I-Ai’ manner) and Daikichi make a severe
collision in the air in between:
  So, the first sword exchange results in 'tie'.
  Rekki (following his I-Ai manner) once puts his sword back into the sheath
  and Daikichi (cautiously observing Rekki) does the same.
  Kyoki makes an acrobatic loop jump when dodging Daikichi's sharp
  sword attack.
  This makes everybody stunned (Quite a stunt man this fellow really is!!).

        RekkiAzagami bySandayu

Rekki and Kyoki continue attacking Daikichi alternately
It makes Daikichi difficult to maintain his concentration and specify whom to attack.

As the battle scene progressing, Daikichi's sword is caught by Kyoki's pair of 'Sai':
Two cross prongs, squeeze it firmly while Rekki is preparing to make a decisive attack at Daikichi from
the other side...

After a very short moment of 'power vs. power' push and pull,
Daikichi quickly switches his angle of sword, making it slide out from the trap,
then, giving an ultra sharp swing at Kyoki's belly.
[Now, another mad man is gone...]

Rekki makes a fierce revenging 'I-Ai' attack [now we see who is the maddest and fiercest…] at Daikichi
and hits his arm.
Daikichi collapses.

Just about Rekki's final attack, Hanji interrupts Rekki by throwing a dart knife at him.
While Rekki deflecting the dart, Daikichi, in his disadvantageous squatting posture with wounded arm,
quickly sends out an 'upper cut' swing at Rekki's body.

That big 'Maddest & Fiercest' guy slowly lies down on back.
Hanji rushes over to Daikichi bandaging around his wounded arm, saying
"You've made it, Dannah! The sword fights of samurais were just so deadly spectacular!!"

Shujiro dashes over to Genshu:
"I really was a dumb fool guy. Would you please forgive me?"
"All right, son. Just take care of your wound"

Genshu turns back to Daikichi "Daikichi!"
"Right, senior!"

Daikichi and Hanji depart from the gym:

"Hooray!! There'll be a bright future coming in for this gym from now on, I guess."
"Well, I'm glad that I could take a load off my shoulder."

"It makes me feel great helping out these people who were in trouble."
"I guess you're right."

(END)

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