Chapter 5

## Hokuchin Unit

* Color
* Volume

**Hokuchin Unit** (北鎮部隊, *Hokuchin Butai*) is the 5th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

As Sugimoto observes the 7th Division soldier before him, he realizes how much trouble he has got himself into. The soldier asks Sugimoto what unit he is from, and Sugimoto states that he is from the 1st Division but now is discharged. The soldier looks surprised and says they probably saw each other at 203 Hill. He then offers Sugimoto to give up on the corpse of the drunken man, lamenting it would be a shame to survive the war and then throw your life away over money. He implies that Sugimoto doesn't realize how high the stakes are in the game they're playing. Sugimoto stands tall and announces that he is not in it for money; instead, he is doing it for the woman he loves.

The soldier immediately attacks Sugimoto with a bayonet, but Sugimoto grabs him and throws him on the ground, twisting his right arm behind his back and breaking it. Sugimoto takes his knife and attempts to murder the soldier, but he is stopped by Asirpa calling out to him. The soldier recognizes Sugimoto as the legendary Sugimoto the Immortal and manages to distract him by stabbing him in the eyes. The soldier flees, concluding he won't be able to take Sugimoto the Immortal down in his current condition. Before he could run any further, he gets struck with a butt of the rifle which Sugimoto throws at him. The man loses his senses and falls down from the cliff into the cold river, breaking his jaw during the fall.

Once the soldier is out of their sight, Asirpa asks Sugimoto about his nickname. Sugimoto explains his worldview, saying that during the war he learned the trick to staying alive: you don't let anybody kill you. He claims that he doesn't enjoy killing but will not hesitate to kill whoever he needs to if his life is on the line.

Later, as the two walk through the woods, Asirpa tells Sugimoto about hunting huts nearby and that they should change where they sleep each night in order to not get caught. Sugimoto is impressed by her knowledge and wonders who taught her so much. Asirpa explains that since she didn't have any brothers her father took her hunting in the woods with him and taught her everything. She says she enjoys it more than sitting at home and doing typical female stuff, like knitting.

When they reach a temporary hut called *kuca*, Asirpa suggests they make a meal out of the squirrels she caught with her snares. As she skins them, she explains that she is going to cook *citatap*, an Ainu dish where one uses a knife to make minced meat. Asirpa says that Sugimoto can eat the brain since it's a tasty treat. Sugimoto is taken aback by that suggestion, which offends Asirpa who assumes Sugimoto has a problem with Ainu cuisine. Not wanting to disrespect Asirpa and her culture, Sugimoto begrudgingly eats the raw squirrel brain. Next, Asirpa demonstrates how to mince the squirrel meat to make *citatap* and explains the meaning behind the name of the dish: ci (we), tata (mince), p (it). Then, she asks Sugimoto to mince it too and say citatap while doing it. When the meat is minced, Asirpa says that normally citatap is eaten raw, but for special *sisam* Sugimoto she will make it into a *ohaw* (soup) and add some dried *pukusakina* (soft windflower).

Once *ohaw* is ready, Asirpa and Sugimoto proceed to eating it. Sugimoto says it's delicious, while Asirpa exclaims, *"Hinna, hinna!"* Sugimoto asks her what that phrase means, and she explains that it's an Ainu expression for showing your appreciation for food. Sugimoto smiles and repeats *"hinna, hinna"* after Asirpa.

Somewhere else in the woods, the soldier that attacked Sugimoto is rescued by his fellow soldiers. They report he was found on the riverbank at dusk and that his condition was so severe that any later he would have succumbed to hypothermia. As they reveal his name, Hyakunosuke Ogata, the soldiers wonder what Superior Private Ogata was doing out there all alone. They decide to wait for him to regain his consciousness so they can interrogate him. The soldiers are then shown, standing in the darkness with burning torches, their faces shadowed, and their mysterious commander sitting on a horse.

## Character Appearances

* Asirpa
* Hyakunosuke Ogata
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Umeko Kenmochi *(Mentioned)*
* Asirpa's Father *(Mentioned)*
* 7th Division Officer *(Silhouette)*

## Anime Episode

* Episode 2
* Golden Douga Gekijou: Squirrel Episode