Clouds Over the Hill

After the defeat of Bakufu system which lasted for 260 years, more modern nation “Meiji” was born in Japan. However, this nation is more of a “land of the children” surrounded by “grownups” in the name of imperialism of western nations. There once were three men at Iyo-matsuyama located in Shikoku region. Yoshifuru Akiyama, Saneyuki Akiyama who later took a great part on “Russo-Japanese War” the biggest crisis Meiji Japan ever encountered and Shiki Masuoka who represents modern Japanese literature we know today with his brother. These 3 men who were raised by the people and land of Matsuyama, decided to move to Tokyo. Time flew by and these 3 men returned home and a took picture in front of Matsuyama castle. In the16th year of Meiji Era (1883), Yoshifuru enrolled at Army War College. In June of the same year, while Shiki was giving a speech for Freedom and People’s Right Movement, he received a letter from his young sister Ritsu, written by his uncle in Tokyo. In the letter his uncle suggests he move to Tokyo. The letter delighted him, and he immediately decided to move.

May 1900 - at Portsmouth Harbor. Saneyuki and Takeo Hirose were excited to see the battleship Asahi on standby for returning to Japan and visited London Royal Navy College. Meanwhile, in Qing Dynasty, Yoshikazu and his men rose in arms and Yoshifuru left for the front as Allied Power with his men. They looked upon how Russian soldiers run riot. Saneyuki returned to Japan and visited Shiki who had been nursed by Ritsu and he was amazed by Shiki¹s tremendous innovative spirit. At that time, Japan thought that a conflict with Russia was unavoidable and sought for alliance with England. Because England had been unwilling Russia¹s expansion to Asia, they formed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in 1902. A huge wave of the era was going to swallow young people on a small island.

In 1904, Russian Port Arthur still existed and if the Baltic Fleet of Russia joined the Lushun Fleet, Japanese combined fleet would have no chance. In July, Togo held a council of war to defeat the Lushun Fleet of Russia protected by a fortress. Saneyuki argued that they should attack only 203 Hill to set observation point there and shell the Lushun Fleet. However, the Army, Gentaro Kodama turned down his argument, saying the purpose of the Army is to reduce a Lushun Fortress itself. The Army of the third military commander, ordered the capture of Lushun. Provoked by the shelling, the Lushun Fleet of Russia set sail in August. The battle took place over the Yellow Sea and the combined fleet could not annihilate the enemy fleet. Meanwhile, Kodama ordered Yoshifuru to organize a squad of the Akiyama troop. The first general attack, a frontal attack by the Army failed because the Lushun Fortress was modern solidified with concrete, causing 16,000 casualties. By the attack on Port Arthur, Japanese faced a terror of modern warfare. Furthermore, the second general attack also ended in failure. In October, Baltic Fleet of Russia finally leaves for Japan.