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Golden Kamuy Wikia

203 Hill, or 203 Meter Hill (二〇三高地, Ni maru san kōchi) is the 31st chapter of the Golden Kamuy manga.

Synopsis[]

Sugimoto asks Asirpa where her father's body and the bodies of other killed Ainu were found. She tells him they were found in Tomakomai. Tanigaki reveals that Noppera-bou was caught while trying to cross Lake Shikotsu. They theorize that Noppera-bou might have been carrying some of the gold with him, and it's possible that the extra weight is what caused his canoe to capsize. Sugimoto picks up one of the tattooed skins and wonders if the tattoo might be a map. Shiraishi recognizes the characters on the skin and says it must be Takechiyo Gotou who was sent to Abashiri because he got drunk and stabbed his wife and kid to death. Shiraishi doesn't recognize the other skin and says that person was a nobody.

Shiraishi talks of Ushiyama, calling him a dangerous person. He reveals the reason why Ushiyama got into Abashiri. Ushiyama practiced judo for 10 years, and during that entire time he went unbeaten. One day, he started to lust after his master's wife and ended up sleeping with her. His master got 10 other students with him to battle Ushiyama, but they were no match for him. Ushiyama killed his master and violently beat other students, leaving one of them bedridden for the rest of his life.

Shiraishi says that there's another prisoner who he'd rather stay away from—a man called Tsuyama who's killed 33 people. Tanigaki replies that the man was killed by the 7th Division, and that Lt. Tsurumi finished him off. Shiraishi realizes that the human skin shirt he saw Tsurumi wearing was likely made from Tsuyama's skin. He asks Tanigaki about Tsurumi and his plans of taking over the 7th Division base at Asahikawa. Shiraishi wonders why Tsurumi wouldn't split the gold between the soldiers and live in luxury and instead comes up with a crazy scheme of a coup. Sugimoto suggests that the reason for it might be the Siege of Port Arthur.

Tsurumi Ch31 02

Tsurumi raising the flag atop 203 Hill.

During the Siege of Port Arthur, Tsurumi was fighting on the frontline with his soldiers. Struggling with the Russian fortifications at Port Arthur and wanting to end things quickly, the imperial army headquarters decided to send in the 7th Division, said to be the strongest unit in the army. As an intelligence officer, Tsurumi thought their chances of success on 203 Hill were rather grim, but he had to follow his orders. Lt. Tsurumi used the fallen bodies of his comrades to shield himself from the hail of bullets as he moved forward on gun emplacements and destroyed them one by one. First Lieutenant Tsurumi led the platoon that raised the Japanese flag atop 203 Hill.

As Tanigaki notes that the price of victory was tough: out of 10,000 men less than half remained. He laments that Lieutenant General Hanazawa Koujirou, chief of staff for that operation and former leader of the 7th Division, saw it as an opportunity to advance his own career. Hanazawa was harshly criticized for stubbornly insisting to use a frontal assault and throwing away the lives of so many soldiers, and after returning to Japan, he was overcome with remorse and ended up committing seppuku. The Japanese government blamed his subordinates, which resulted in the soldiers deemed unworthy of medals or monetary rewards, and the entire 7th Division treated like an outcast by the rest of the army. Tanigaki then says that he doesn't know why Sugimoto and others are looking for gold, but he doubts it can compare to the burden that Lt. Tsurumi is carrying on his shoulders.

In the docks, Tsurumi and Tsukishima are checking the weapons that Thomas brought them. Tsukishima comments that the guns are far from new. Thomas replies that good guns need good money, to which Tsukishima says that soon they will have plenty of money. Thomas counters that he is an arms dealer and not an investor, and there's no guarantee that Tsurumi will find the gold. He says that in Europe, war could break out at a moment's notice, and when it comes, it will be a big one. Thomas suggests that if Tsurumi wants to use the gold to construct a weapons factory, then he should hurry; when the war comes, Britain will need munitions, and the arms made by Japan are of superb quality.

Later, Tsurumi is seen giving a speech to the 7th Division soldiers. He announces his plan of creating a military government. He says that splitting the gold accomplishes nothing. Instead, they will use it to build a weapons factory; get coal from Yuubari and iron ore from Kutchan.

Children who have lost their fathers. Parents who have lost their sons. Widows who have lost their husbands. We shall give them long term, stable jobs. We will develop this frozen land. And to the people scrounging desperately for their daily bread, we will offer... Salvation. That is the very least we can do for our fallen comrades.

Tsurumi's speech to his soldiers

After the conversation with Tanigaki, Sugimoto goes outside to collect his thoughts. Shiraishi calls out to him and asks if the story they heard changed his mind. Sugimoto replies that it's too late to cooperate with the 7th Division and he is not planning on giving up the gold. He then notices a big bird in the sky, and Asirpa recognizes it as kapacir kamuy, a sea eagle. She tells Shiraishi and Sugimoto to gather their things and join her in hunting the eagle.

Character Appearances[]

Anime Episode[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Tsurumi's facial expressions and gestures during his speech to the 7th Division are referenced from Adolf Hitler's appearance in the propaganda movie Triumph of the Will.

Site Navigation[]

v  e Chapters and Volumes
Volume 1 1234567
Volume 2 891011121314151617
Volume 3 18192021222324252627
Volume 4 2829303132333435363738
Volume 5 39404142434445464748
Volume 6 4950515253545556575859
Volume 7 60616263646566676869
Volume 8 7071727374757677787980
Volume 9 81828384858687888990
Volume 10 919293949596979899100
Volume 11 101102103104105106107108109110
Volume 12 111112113114115116117118119120
Volume 13 121122123124125126127128129130
Volume 14 131132133134135136137138139140
Volume 15 141142143144145146147148149150
Volume 16 151152153154155156157158159160
Volume 17 161162163164165166167168169170
Volume 18 171172173174175176177178179180
Volume 19 181182183184185186187188189190
Volume 20 191192193194195196197198199200
Volume 21 201202203204205206207208209210211
Volume 22 212213214215216217218219220221
Volume 23 222223224225226227228229230231
Volume 24 232233234235236237238239240
Volume 25 241242243244245246247248249250
Volume 26 251252253254255256257258259260
Volume 27 261262263264265266267268269270271
Volume 28 272273274275276277278279280
Volume 29 281282283284285286287288289290
Volume 30 291292293294295296297298299300301302
Volume 31 303304305306307308309310311312313314
v  e Chapters and Story Arcs
Introduction Arc 12345
Escape King Arc 6789101112131415161718192021
Legendary Hunter Arc 2223242526272829
Kazuo Henmi Arc 3031323334353637383940414243444546474849
Murder Hotel Arc 505152535455
Battle in Barato Arc 56575859
Immortal Beast Arc 60616263646566676869
Edogai Arc 7071727374757677787980
Con Artists Arc 81828384858687888990919293949596979899100101
Lightning and O-Gin Arc 102103104105106107
Shiton Anehata Arc 108109110111112113114
Blind Bandits Arc 115116117118119120121122123124
Abashiri Prison Arc 125126127128129130131132133134135136137138
Journey to Karafuto Arc 139140141142143144145146147
Youichirou the Manslayer Arc 148149150151152153154
Karafuto Circus Arc 155156157158
Border Crossing Arc 159160161162163164165166167168169170
Pet Monster Arc 171172173174175176
Akou Prison Break Arc 177178179180181182183184185186187188189190
Return to Karafuto Arc 191192193194195196197198199200
Return to Hokkaido Arc 201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216
Bear Man Arc 217218219220221222
Boutarou the Pirate Arc 223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238
Town of Reunions Arc 239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273
Tokyo Love Story Arc 274275276277278279
Hakodate Arc 280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314
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