Title: 明日への境界線 (The Border onto Tomorrow)
Circle: Kinema106
Vocal: 柊南 (hiina)
Arrangement: Tom
Release Date: Aug 12, 2016 (C90)
Requested By: Yuubari

This Kinema106 song features the Japanese Light Cruise Abukuma during the Kiska Island Evacuation Operation.  After the Allies reclaimed Attu Island, the Japanese garrison on Kiska island was isolated and within American airfields.   The Japanese devised an operation to secretly evacuate their troops under the cover of fog.  The song portrays the events of the evacuation with the troops eager to go and rescue their comrades as soon as possible, but the fog kept dissipating.  In contrast to other leaders, Rear Admiral Kimura on the flagship Abukuma cancelled the operation and said “If we go back, we can come again”.  Although he was criticized for his cowardice, this decision ultimately leads to the “Miracle of Kiska” where a brief break in the fog allows the fleet to evacuate the entire garrison and escape unscathed.  Ultimately, the song ends on a happy note as Abukuma successfully rejoins her companions in “tomorrow”.

Romaji

asu e no kyoukaisen

[collapse]

  • 明日への境界線
  • The border of tomorrow

Romaji

yo wo komete
ato dore dake taereru darou
mou ii kai? mou ii kai?
kawaku kotoba kurikaesu

[collapse]

  • 夜を込めて
  • あとどれだけ耐えれるだろう
  • 「もういいかい？　もういいかい？」
  • 渇く言葉繰り返す
  • Filled with the night
  • How much more can they endure?[1]The first rescue operation by Rear Admiral Kimura commenced in the evening of July 7th, with orders to avoid conflict with the American fleet if possible.  The fleet planned to evacuate on July 12th, but the fog cleared up on that day and for the next three days.
  • “Are we ready?  Are we ready?”
  • I repeat the words I really want to be true

Romaji

ten to sen
narande tsudzuru koe naki koe
mou ii kai mou ii kai aa

[collapse]

  • 点と線
  • 並べて綴る声なき声
  • 「もういいかい？　もういいかい？」　ああ…
  • The dots and lines
  • line up and spell the unvoiced opinion[2]The dots and line are Morse code, and the unvoiced opinion is captains agreeing it is not safe to go.  Rear Admiral Kimura knew from experience how deadly American air superiority was and knew charging in with a torpedo squadron with no air support would be fatal.
  • “Are we ready?  Are we ready?”  Sigh…

Romaji

awaku awaku awaku kiesaru
kibou to shiro wo tsure
shikai wa kage wo otosu
iki wo haite
inoru you ni

[collapse]

  • 淡く淡く淡く消え去る
  • 希望と白を連れ
  • 視界は影を落とす
  • 息を吐いて
  • 祈るように
  • Faintly, faintly, faintly it fades
  • bringing white and hope[3]The fog started to roll back in on the 15th but by then the fleet was low on fuel.
  • The view casts a shadow
  • I exhale
  • as if to pray

Romaji

kakato wo kaeshita kotae
tada hitotsu no dake
potsuri to tsubuyaita
kaereba mata kureru

[collapse]

  • 踵を返した答え
  • ただ一つのだけ
  • ポツリと呟いた
  • 「帰ればまた来れる」
  • The response suddenly changed direction
  • He mumbled
  • just a single phrase
  • “If we go back, we can come again”[4]Rather than initiate the operation on low fuel, Rear Admiral Kimura cancelled the operation, stating that “If we go back, we can come again”.

Romaji

azayakana ai ni hitotsu de
ikiba wo nakushita kokoro wa shiku shiku to naiteiru
asayake ni I miss those day
asu e no kyoukaisen

[collapse]

  • 鮮やかな哀に一つで
  • 行き場を失くした心はシクシクと泣いている
  • 朝焼けに　I miss those day
  • 明日への境界線
  • We are one in vibrant sorrow
  • My heart lost with nowhere to go is sobbing quietly
  • I say “I miss those days” to the dawn
  • The border of tomorrow

Romaji

yo wo koete
ato dore dake negau no darou
mou ikkai mou ikkai
dogou basei tsuki sasaru

[collapse]

  • 夜を越えて
  • あとどれだけ願うのだろう
  • 「もう一回！もう一回！」
  • 怒号罵声突き刺さる
  • Crossing the night
  • How much more could they want?
  • One more time!  One more time!
  • I am pierced by angry shouts of abuse[5]Rear Admiral Kimura was subject to fierce criticism from all headquarters, who asked why he didn’t charge in like all the other Admirals who charged in and died honorably.  In addition, oil stockpiles in the area were running low and they would only be able to attempt evacuation one more time.  High command ordered Kimura to immediately charge in and retrieve the garrison.  The crew of the withdrawal force were shocked at this criticism of Kimura whose actions they thought were sensible.

Romaji

shizukani shiro no sekai ga hirogaru made
mou ikkai mou ikkai aa

[collapse]

  • 静かに白の世界が広がるまで
  • 「もう一回！もう一回！」ああ…
  • Until the white world quietly spreads
  • One more time!  One more time![6]The withdrawal force set out again on July 22nd but despite the criticism, Rear Admiral Kimura did not rush in immediately and waited for the fog to roll in again, which it did on July 25th.

Romaji

kuraku kuraku kuraku hishimeki
hora hitomi mo nigotte
inoru you ni

[collapse]

  • 暗く儚く沌く犇めき
  • ほら瞳も濁って
  • 祈るように
  • A dark, temporary, chaotic regrouping[7]On July 26th  several IJN ships collided with each other causing heavy damage to Wakaba, resulting in her having to return to port.  On the 28th during the evacuation, Abukuma also mistakenly reported enemy warships; Shimakaze and Abukuma both fired torpedoes struck their targets but they turned out to be a warship shaped islands.
  • Look at me, even my eyes are getting cloudy
  • as if to pray

Romaji

mabuta ni yaki tsuku egao atatakana koe
zetsubou nante kotoba ja totemo tarinai no darou

[collapse]

  • 瞼に焼き付く笑顔暖かな声
  • 絶望なんて言葉じゃとても足りないのだろう
  • Their smiles seared into my memory and their warm voices
  • A word such as despair wouldn’t be nearly enough to describe it, would it?

Romaji

shiroku shiroku shiroku somatta
mochi nozonda shunkan
shikai wa tsudzumareteku
iki wo nonde
inoru you ni

[collapse]

  • 白く白く白く染まった
  • 待ち望んだ瞬間
  • 視界は包まれてく
  • 息を飲んで
  • 祈るように
  • I’ve been painted white, white, white[8]During the operation, Kiso and Abukuma had one of their 3 smoke stacks painted white in order to look more like American ships which only had 2 smoke stacks.  After the evacuation, the fleet would be spotted by an American submarine who mistook the fleet as American and passed them by.
  • The moment we’ve been waiting for
  • The view goes to wrap around me
  • I hold my breath
  • as if to pray

Romaji

hari ana wo toosu you na wazukana hikari
hai iro no ishiki wa kansei ni iro tsuku

[collapse]

  • 針穴を通すような僅かな光
  • 灰色の意識は喚声に色付く
  • A tiny light as if passing through the eye of a needle
  • My gray-colored consciousness is given color by their shouts of excitement[9]When the fleet landed at 1:40 PM, the fog briefly cleared up which is referred to as the Miracle of Kiska.  All 5200 personnel were boarded in 55 minutes.  To speed up the process, the soldiers were ordered to discard their rifles.

Romaji

azayakana ai ga hitotsu de
matasete gomen ne
waratte shiku shiku to naiteiru
asayake ni I got those day
asu e no kyoukaisen

[collapse]

  • 鮮やかな愛が一つで
  • 待たせてごめんね
  • 笑ってシクシクと泣いている
  • 朝焼けに　I got those day
  • 明日への境界線
  • A vibrant love is all it takes
  • “Sorry to have to kept you waiting”
  • I laugh and quietly sob
  • I say “I got those day” to the dawn[10]Rear Admiral Kimura was widely praised for going against the prevailing theme of Japanese high command abandoning their soldiers to die.  The Americans and Canadians would later storm the empty island in Operation Cottage and mistook each other for the Japanese, losing 32 troops to friendly fire and 71 to a sea mine.
  • The border of tomorrow

Romaji

koeta kagayaku mirai

[collapse]

  • 越えた輝く未来
  • A shining future beyond

Notes

Notes
↑1 The first rescue operation by Rear Admiral Kimura commenced in the evening of July 7th, with orders to avoid conflict with the American fleet if possible.  The fleet planned to evacuate on July 12th, but the fog cleared up on that day and for the next three days.
↑2 The dots and line are Morse code, and the unvoiced opinion is captains agreeing it is not safe to go.  Rear Admiral Kimura knew from experience how deadly American air superiority was and knew charging in with a torpedo squadron with no air support would be fatal.
↑3 The fog started to roll back in on the 15th but by then the fleet was low on fuel.
↑4 Rather than initiate the operation on low fuel, Rear Admiral Kimura cancelled the operation, stating that “If we go back, we can come again”.
↑5 Rear Admiral Kimura was subject to fierce criticism from all headquarters, who asked why he didn’t charge in like all the other Admirals who charged in and died honorably.  In addition, oil stockpiles in the area were running low and they would only be able to attempt evacuation one more time.  High command ordered Kimura to immediately charge in and retrieve the garrison.  The crew of the withdrawal force were shocked at this criticism of Kimura whose actions they thought were sensible.
↑6 The withdrawal force set out again on July 22nd but despite the criticism, Rear Admiral Kimura did not rush in immediately and waited for the fog to roll in again, which it did on July 25th.
↑7 On July 26th  several IJN ships collided with each other causing heavy damage to Wakaba, resulting in her having to return to port.  On the 28th during the evacuation, Abukuma also mistakenly reported enemy warships; Shimakaze and Abukuma both fired torpedoes struck their targets but they turned out to be a warship shaped islands.
↑8 During the operation, Kiso and Abukuma had one of their 3 smoke stacks painted white in order to look more like American ships which only had 2 smoke stacks.  After the evacuation, the fleet would be spotted by an American submarine who mistook the fleet as American and passed them by.
↑9 When the fleet landed at 1:40 PM, the fog briefly cleared up which is referred to as the Miracle of Kiska.  All 5200 personnel were boarded in 55 minutes.  To speed up the process, the soldiers were ordered to discard their rifles.
↑10 Rear Admiral Kimura was widely praised for going against the prevailing theme of Japanese high command abandoning their soldiers to die.  The Americans and Canadians would later storm the empty island in Operation Cottage and mistook each other for the Japanese, losing 32 troops to friendly fire and 71 to a sea mine.