Reach Beyond the Blue Sky (2021)

The 60th historical drama depicts the life of Shibusawa Eiichi, known as the Father of Capitalism in Japan. He lived from the mid-19th to early 20th century, contributing to around 600 public projects, and led around 500 enterprises to success. He also committed to international relations and was nominated to Nobel Peace Prize twice. He kept on challenging with high aspirations throughout the life and his well-calculated planning and sincere work opened up the way to the future of modern Japan.

Eiichi learns the indigo trade from his father Ichiroemon and reading from his cousin Shingoro. However, his greatest pleasure is to perform the lion dance at the village festival. However, due to adult circumstances, the festival was canceled. Eiichi is disappointed, but he comes up with a plan. On the other hand, Shichiro Maro, who was adopted by the Hitotsubashi family, changed his name to Yoshinobu and was loved by the Shogun Ieyoshi as if he were his own son. Nariaki, now in retirement, attempts to return to politics with his son as his only hope. Then, Perry is coming to Japan...

Eiichi goes to Edo for the first time with Ichiroemon, and is amazed at the glamour of the city, and learns about the difficulties of business from his father. Eiichi wants to go out and buy indigo leaves himself to help his father, who is in dire straits due to a poor crop that year... In the meantime, Edo was in an uproar when the Black Ships arrived. When Ieyoshi dies, Yoshinobu's name is mentioned as a candidate for the next shogun, but Yoshinobu rebels against the idea. A man is chosen to be Yoshinobu's trusted servant.

As Eiichi worked harder and harder, he wondered what he could do to make better indigo. Meanwhile, the Shogunate was in turmoil as Perry's return was imminent. In order to provide his son, Yoshinobu, who is a candidate to become the next shogun, with an excellent retainer, appoints the eccentric Hiraoka Enshiro as his page. Finally, the Japan-U.S. Treaty of Peace and Amity was signed. The rumor of the opening of the port reaches Chiaraijima, and Junchu was stunned. When Eiichi receives a large sum of money as a representative for his father Ichiroemon, he begins to feel that something is wrong with the world.

When Eiichi learns how the Qing Dynasty was defeated by the British in the Opium War from a book recommended by Junchu, he fears for the future of an open Japan. Meanwhile, Eiichi's older sister, Naka, becomes depressed when her uncle, Sosuke, and his friends oppose her marriage proposal on the superstitious grounds that the other party's family has an evil spirit. On the other hand, Nariaki, who still cannot accept the policy of the shogunate, goes out of control. The elder Abe Masahiro and Nariaki's aide Fujita Toko desperately try to restrain him. Then, a major earthquake strikes Edo.

Eiichi, who is practicing swordsmanship with Choshichiro and Kisaku, is determined to do something, and says, "Even a farmer can do something". When Chiyo suddenly expresses her feelings for him, Eiichi's heart starts to race. Furthermore, a man named Sanada Hannosuke, a dojo stormer showed up to Eiichi and the others at the dojo... On the other hand, after losing Toko, Nariaki's words and actions become even more extreme, and he is advised to retire by Yoshinobu and others, but he refuses, saying that he will retire if Yoshinobu becomes the shogun. Also, Yoshinobu was troubled by the temperament of Mikagimi whom he had taken as his wife.

The shogunate was in turmoil after the death of the elder Abe. In the midst of all this, the calls for Yoshinobu to be the next shogun are increasing day by day... Meanwhile, in Chiaraijima, Sanada recommended that Choshichiro goes to Edo to train as a warrior. Eiichi's relationship with Chiyo is still awkward, but he is upset when Kisaku says he wants her as his wife. Eiichi, who went out with Junchu to sell indigo, realized his true feelings as he walked along the mountain path while reciting Chinese poetry, and at the top of the towering mountain... he reached beyond the blue sky!

Finally, Eiichi speaks his mind and asks Chiyo to marry him. However, Kisaku intervenes. Eiichi and Kisaku decide to compete in a kendo match. On the other hand, in the shogunate, Ii Naosuke, who became the Great Elder, signed the "Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States," but the signing of the treaty was considered to be against the Emperor's orders, which led to a big problem. Yoshinobu and Nariaki, who had voiced their opinions to Ii, were punished, and the harsh oppression known as the Ansei Purge began.

Nariaki and Yoshinobu, who were ordered to stay at their estates by Ii Naosuke, continued their silent resistance. However, Ii was assassinated in the Sakuradamon Incident, and Nariaki died unexpectedly. Upon hearing the news of his father's death, Yoshinobu wailed. Meanwhile, Eiichi, who had been inspired by Choshichiro's return from Edo and had begun to be devoted to the idea of revering the Emperor and Expelling the Barbarians, begged his father Ichiroemon to let him follow Kisaku to Edo.

In the shogunate, the Elder, Ando Nobumasa, who replaced the assassinated Ii Naosuke, was promoting the marriage of Emperor Koumei's sister, Kazunomiya, to the shogun, Iemochi. To strengthen ties with the Imperial Court and restore the authority of the shogunate, Princess Kazunomiya's marriage sparks a firestorm of support for the Emperor and the expulsion of the barbarians. When Eiichi arrives in Edo, he is introduced to Ohashi Totsuan, an advocate of the reverence for the Emperor, and learns of Ando's assassination plot. Choshichiro decides he is ready to give up his life for the plan...

Eiichi and Chiyo have their long-awaited first child, but he dies soon after and the Shibusawa family is surrounded by a heavy atmosphere. In the midst of these circumstances, Junchu proposed burning down the foreign settlement in Yokohama in an attempt to spark the expulsion of the barbarians. Moved by this, Eiichi begins to gather weapons and friends. Meanwhile, Yoshinobu is released from house arrest and becomes the guardian of the shogun Iemochi, but Shimazu Hisamitsu and others urge him to expel the barbarians as soon as possible.

Eiichi and Kisaku are being chased by government officials, and it is Enshiro who draws them into the shabby house. Enshiro suggests that they serve the Hitotsubashi family, but Eiichi and the others refuse. Eiichi returns to Chiraijima Village and prepares a plan to take over Takasaki Castle with Junchu and others. Then Choshichiro returns from Kyoto and tearfully appeals to them to stop the plan. Eiichi and Kisaku give up on their plan and decide to leave the village and head for Kyoto to make a fresh start.

Eiichi and Kisaku receive a deed from Enshiro's wife, Yasu, in Edo, and arrive safely in Kyoto. In Kyoto, the Imperial Court held a meeting of councilors. As the Satsuma Clan and other clans begin to exert influence on national politics, Yoshinobu is quietly outraged by Matsudaira Shungaku, who says, "Let's leave everything behind and create a new world." Meanwhile, Choshichiro is delighted with Eiichi's letter and decides to go to Kyoto. However, he accidentally kills a courier on the way and is arrested. Eiichi's letter is also found, and Eiichi and Kisaku are hunted down by the shogunate.

Eiichi and Kisaku are pressured by Enshiro to serve the Hitotsubashi family, but Eiichi agrees on the condition that they confess their opinions to Yoshinobu. Enshiro succeeded in bringing them face to face with Yoshinobu on the way to his residence and gave them an audience. Eiichi and Kisaku were appointed to serve the Hitotsubashi family. Meanwhile, Yoshinobu realizes that the Satsuma clan has taken in Prince Nakagawa, who is very trusted by the Emperor. He questioned Prince Nakagawa and told Hisamitsu Shimazu and others present that they were the biggest fools and scoundrels in the country.

Eiichi and Kisaku receive their first stipend as samurai and are given new names, "Tokudayu" and "Seiichiro" by Enshiro. Tokudayu's first assignment is to conduct a covert investigation of Orita Yozo, a Satsuma clan samurai who holds a key position in the defense of the Seto Inland Sea. While there, Tokudayu meets Saigo Kichinosuke, who tells Tokudayu that "the more brilliant a person is who can read far ahead, the more likely they are to die a horrible death," and he worries about Enshiro's fate. Meanwhile, in the Mito domain, Fujita Koshiro, the son of Fujita Toko, was leading the Tengu Party in a campaign to expel the barbarians.

Tokudayu and Seiichiro are ordered by Enshiro to go to Kanto to recruit soldiers and retainers for the Hitotsubashi family. The two meet their former comrade, Sanada Hannosuke, and encourage him to work with them, but are shocked when he refuses. In Chiaraijima village, Junchu and Heikuro were taken away on suspicion of involvement in the Mito riot, and Junchu was put in jail. Meanwhile, in Kyoto, the Shinsengumi, led by Hijikata Toshizo, attacked Ikeda-ya. The anger of the expulsionists turned on the Emperor's Protector, Yoshinobu, and his aide Enshiro.

Tokudayu and Seiichiro are shocked to learn in Edo that Enshiro has been killed. At the same time, in Kyoto, Yoshinobu was personally leading a battle against the Choshu clan soldiers approaching the Imperial Palace. Then, Saigo Kichinosuke led the Satsuma Clan soldiers to join the fight. Tokudayu and his men head for Kyoto with the troops they have gathered. On the way, Okabe's Daikan, Tone, appears. Furthermore, in Mito, the Tengu Party, led by Kounsai and Koshiro, was on its way to Kyoto to rely on Yoshinobu.