Saka no Ue no Kumo (2009)

Saka no Ue no Kumo 2009 / 坂の上の雲 2009 / Clouds Over the Hill , Clouds Above The Slope

The 19th Century was a turbulent one for Japan. Enduring the throes of change brought about by the Meiji era, it still struggled to join the world and be considered a ‟civilized, modern nation.‟ After 300 years, samurai turned to labor, farmers sought other industries, and technology became king. Saka no Ue no Kumo covers the later years of the Meiji, when Japan—still wrestling with its identity—fought the little discussed Russo-Japanese War. We join the story with brothers Akiyama Yoshifuru (Abe Hiroshi) and Akiyama Saneyuki (Motoki Masahiro), and their friend, the poet Masaoka Shiki (Kagawa Teruyuki), as they face these travails with decided Japanese spirit. Saka no Ue no Kumo is an award-winning drama based on a serialized novel by Shiba Ryotaro.