User:Tadoritsuita/Works in Progress

Kaga Cape

While Japan is today a unitary state divided into local prefectures, before the Meiji Restoration, Japan made of domains, each ruled by daimyo - a feudal lord whose clan controlled power in the domain. Warfare between these domains largely ended with the unification of Japan under Ieyasu in 1603, but the domains continued to have autonomy until the Meiji Restoration, when the 版籍奉還 (return of lands and people from the domains to the Emperor) converted the feudal lords to government administrators, and the domains finally came to end with the 廃藩置県 (abolishment of domains and establishment of prefectures). The early Meiji period was marked by a continuous reduction in the feudal power structure and its stakeholders (the daimyo and samurai) as Japan abolished its old institutions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolition_of_the_han_system

In Japanese ship-naming convention, battleships were named after these old provinces. For example, the battleship Nagato was named after the historical Nagato Province (also known as the Choshu domain, major power players at the end of the Edo period), and Musashi was named after the historical Musashi Province (which contained the areas which are now Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture). Kaga, having been laid down as a battleship, was named after the domain of Kaga (which contained the provinces of Kaga, Noto, and Etchuu), on the northern coast of central Japan.

Incidentally, Akagi was laid down as a battlecruiser and was named after Mt. Akagi, a volcano at the north of the Kanto plain. (Carriers themselves are generally named ad hoc - air-based terms are common, such as Hiryuu (Flying Dragon), Shoukaku (Soaring Crane), and Ryuujou (Prancing Dragon)... but then Katsuragi was named after Mt. Katsuragi in the Kongou range. Also, ships that were converted into carriers had their own naming systems.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_ship-naming_conventions

The reason for this very long explanation is explain the reference to 百万石 (hyakuman-koku) that Kaga makes in the last line in the standard version of her song, which, now that I think about it, isn't really necessary.

"In 1690, the richest han was the Kaga Domain with slightly over 1 million koku." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_system

Lyrics

この手に寄せる袱紗 朱の色
この目開いて その顔見れば
翼束ねて 波涛を超えてあげる
指を絡めて 抱きしめたなら
炎の海も怖くはないの
翼を放ち 戦の空へ駆ける

Pressed into my hands, these scarlet silks,
Opening your eyes and seeing that face,
Fold up your wings and I will bring you across the waves.
If we hold each other, fingers intertwined,
Even that sea of fire loses its fear,
Spread your wings, and soar towards that sky of fire.

私とあなた 射掛ければ そう
おぼろ月夜が綺麗ね
今夜の勝負は
引くに引けない 譲れはしない
女心よ ねぇ

When you and I loose together, yes -
the shrouded moon is so beautiful
Tonight's match
I want to leave but I can't back down, I've no way out
There's nowhere to run, I can't back down
I want to retreat, but I can't
I want to run but I can't give up here
- a maiden's heart.

胸秘めた 想いひとつ
いいのよこのまま
心が残るのなら
海向かい 願いひとつ
百万石の 誇りよ加賀岬

Hidden in my heart, a single thought,
"Are things really fine like this?"
If my heart will go on,
Facing the sea, a single wish -
The million koku of the cape of Kaga.

More Lyrics

I can't actually find these lyrics sung but they're on the site I copied the lyrics from: http://ch.nicovideo.jp/m_puddin/blomaga/ar833349

この指ふれた 弓掛ぬ曇り
心残して　その先見れば
翼たたんで 港に向かい帰る
見敵必殺 心情なれど
心の隙も見せたくないの
若鶴たちも 戦の海へ走る

一の矢 二の矢 射掛ければ
そう 鎧袖一触 けれども