User:Tadoritsuita/Works in Progress

Kaga Cape

While Japan is today a unitary state divided into local prefectures, before the Meiji Restoration, Japan was composed of domains, each ruled by daimyo - feudal lords whose clans 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 an 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 to 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

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/加賀藩

Lyrics

I have NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING.

Japanese	English	TL Notes
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 brilliant red silks, When I open these eyes and see your face, Fold up your wings and I will bring you across the waves. If we lock fingers and hold each other tight, we won't fear even a sea of flames. Spread your wings, and rise into a sky of battle.	Does 袱紗 (fukusa) have a special meaning when used in the context of preparing for war? I feel like I'm missing some cultural context here. Also - one day I'm going to learn what ば means, but not today.
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	You and I, when we fire together - The shrouded moon is so beautiful. The battle on this night - We've come too far to turn back, I won't give up here, declared my woman'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 feeling - Things might be fine like this, If my heart could remain. Facing the sea, a single wish, The pride of a million koku, the cape of Kaga.
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	The gloves these fingers touched retain their warmth, If we leave our hearts behind and face forwards, we can fold these wings, face port and return home.
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	Even though I had resolved to destroy the enemy, there were gaps in my heart I didn't want to see. The young cranes, too, sail for war.	"rush off to a sea of battle"? "rush off to war?" Do I care about retaining what parallel there is with 戦の空へ駆ける? And why do "sea of battle" and "sea of war" sound so awkward anyway? "Sea of strife" has a nice sound, but...
一の矢 二の矢 射掛ければ そう 鎧袖一触 けれども	I loose my arrows - once, twice, "Victory in one shot", but even so,	The song abruptly cuts off. Also, ば will be the death of me.

References

Lyrics Source: http://ch.nicovideo.jp/m_puddin/blomaga/ar833349

Unconsulted Translation Assistance (really, I should have just copied this): http://kancolle.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:ToastSoul/Cape_Kaga