TV-Series
Description
Saichi Sugimoto, nicknamed Sugimoto the Immortal, is a Japanese veteran of the Russo-Japanese War hailing from Kanagawa Prefecture. He grew up in a village alongside childhood friends Toraji and Umeko. Sugimoto and Umeko fell in love, but tragedy struck in 1899 when tuberculosis claimed his family. After burning his home and wandering Japan, he returned to find Umeko marrying Toraji. Confronted by Toraji, Sugimoto denied any intent to take Umeko and departed for Tokyo.
In 1901, under Mokutarou Kikuta's arrangement, Sugimoto posed as Yuusaku Hanazawa for marriage interviews in Tokyo. He interacted with military men Tokushirou Tsurumi and Hyakunosuke Ogata, though he recalled them vaguely. After refusing marriage due to class differences, he enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army in 1903. Assigned to the 1st Division, he fought ferociously at the Battle of 203 Hill, surviving a neck gunshot and killing numerous Russians. Toraji died saving him from a grenade blast, an event that haunted Sugimoto. Honoring Toraji's final wish, he carried Toraji's body and prioritized wounded soldiers for medical aid. Post-war, Sugimoto faced discharge after nearly beating an officer to death, forfeiting the Order of the Golden Kite and his pension.
By 1904, Sugimoto panned for gold in Hokkaido to fund eye surgery for Toraji's widow, Umeko. A drunken prospector, Takechiyo Gotou, told him of hidden Ainu gold. After Gotou attacked him, Sugimoto chased him into the woods, discovering him mauled by a bear and bearing a coded tattoo. A mother bear attacked Sugimoto, but Asirpa, an Ainu girl, saved him with her poisoned arrow. Learning the gold legend was real and that Asirpa sought vengeance for her father—one of the murdered Ainu miners—they partnered to find the treasure. They realized assembling the map required skinning the tattooed prisoners.
Sugimoto possesses a muscular build and spiky brown hair, often covered by a military cap. His face bears prominent scars: two vertical parallel lines on his cheeks and a horizontal branch-like mark. Extensive battle scars cover his body. He typically wears an olive kimono with sleeves tied by a tasuki sash, military trousers, and high boots taken from an officer. In cold weather, he adds a dark blue trench coat and a foreign-made scarf. After the Abashiri Prison conflict, he wore a metal plate for a head injury from Ogata and a leg brace for a wound from Nikaidou, though he discarded the brace upon returning to Hokkaido.
Sugimoto exhibits a complex personality: kind yet valorous, with a powerful survival instinct. He fiercely upholds promises, driven by loyalty to Toraji and Umeko. Protective of Asirpa, he views her as a partner. War trauma manifests in berserker states triggered by excessive abuse; a head injury from Ogata worsened his recklessness and anger. He can display naivety or childishness, joining Asirpa in cultural activities like Ainu storytelling. He opposes humiliation and unfair treatment, having experienced village shunning. His combat prowess includes judo, kendo, and military strategy. His "immortality" stems from high pain tolerance, rapid healing, and sheer tenacity. He adapts to wilderness survival alongside Asirpa.
Throughout the gold hunt, Sugimoto allied with escape artist Shiraishi and clashed with factions like the 7th Division and Hijikata's group. After the Hakodate battle, he accrued more scars: a horizontal mark branching upward on his right cheek, a partially torn right ear, bullet scars on his lower left face, and a cut on his left ear. His resolve to protect Asirpa and fulfill his promise to Toraji remained unwavering despite the physical and psychological toll.
Sugimoto's character draws from historical figures: Satoru Noda's great-grandfather, Saichi Sugimoto, a Russo-Japanese War cavalryman awarded the Order of the Golden Kite for bravery, and Hiroshi Funasaka, a WWII soldier noted for bayonet skills and miraculous recoveries. He dislikes locust tsukudani and ikanago no kugini but enjoys dried persimmons and salted brains.
In 1901, under Mokutarou Kikuta's arrangement, Sugimoto posed as Yuusaku Hanazawa for marriage interviews in Tokyo. He interacted with military men Tokushirou Tsurumi and Hyakunosuke Ogata, though he recalled them vaguely. After refusing marriage due to class differences, he enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army in 1903. Assigned to the 1st Division, he fought ferociously at the Battle of 203 Hill, surviving a neck gunshot and killing numerous Russians. Toraji died saving him from a grenade blast, an event that haunted Sugimoto. Honoring Toraji's final wish, he carried Toraji's body and prioritized wounded soldiers for medical aid. Post-war, Sugimoto faced discharge after nearly beating an officer to death, forfeiting the Order of the Golden Kite and his pension.
By 1904, Sugimoto panned for gold in Hokkaido to fund eye surgery for Toraji's widow, Umeko. A drunken prospector, Takechiyo Gotou, told him of hidden Ainu gold. After Gotou attacked him, Sugimoto chased him into the woods, discovering him mauled by a bear and bearing a coded tattoo. A mother bear attacked Sugimoto, but Asirpa, an Ainu girl, saved him with her poisoned arrow. Learning the gold legend was real and that Asirpa sought vengeance for her father—one of the murdered Ainu miners—they partnered to find the treasure. They realized assembling the map required skinning the tattooed prisoners.
Sugimoto possesses a muscular build and spiky brown hair, often covered by a military cap. His face bears prominent scars: two vertical parallel lines on his cheeks and a horizontal branch-like mark. Extensive battle scars cover his body. He typically wears an olive kimono with sleeves tied by a tasuki sash, military trousers, and high boots taken from an officer. In cold weather, he adds a dark blue trench coat and a foreign-made scarf. After the Abashiri Prison conflict, he wore a metal plate for a head injury from Ogata and a leg brace for a wound from Nikaidou, though he discarded the brace upon returning to Hokkaido.
Sugimoto exhibits a complex personality: kind yet valorous, with a powerful survival instinct. He fiercely upholds promises, driven by loyalty to Toraji and Umeko. Protective of Asirpa, he views her as a partner. War trauma manifests in berserker states triggered by excessive abuse; a head injury from Ogata worsened his recklessness and anger. He can display naivety or childishness, joining Asirpa in cultural activities like Ainu storytelling. He opposes humiliation and unfair treatment, having experienced village shunning. His combat prowess includes judo, kendo, and military strategy. His "immortality" stems from high pain tolerance, rapid healing, and sheer tenacity. He adapts to wilderness survival alongside Asirpa.
Throughout the gold hunt, Sugimoto allied with escape artist Shiraishi and clashed with factions like the 7th Division and Hijikata's group. After the Hakodate battle, he accrued more scars: a horizontal mark branching upward on his right cheek, a partially torn right ear, bullet scars on his lower left face, and a cut on his left ear. His resolve to protect Asirpa and fulfill his promise to Toraji remained unwavering despite the physical and psychological toll.
Sugimoto's character draws from historical figures: Satoru Noda's great-grandfather, Saichi Sugimoto, a Russo-Japanese War cavalryman awarded the Order of the Golden Kite for bravery, and Hiroshi Funasaka, a WWII soldier noted for bayonet skills and miraculous recoveries. He dislikes locust tsukudani and ikanago no kugini but enjoys dried persimmons and salted brains.