Background Information
"Sannin Kichisa Tomoe no Shiranami” is known as “Sannin Kichisa”. It was written by Kawatake Mokuami. He was good at writing Shiranami stories which heroes are thieves. It was first produced in 1860. There were 7 acts in original play, but four acts and seven scenes were performed this time.
It had two separate tales, one is about the three thieves who were each named Kichisa. Sannin means three persons in Japanese. The other is about twin brother and sister. Both these stories revolve around a precious stolen sword called “Koshinmaru”. The sword was stolen from the Yasumori house.
Ojo-Kichisa was kidnapped when he was 5. After that he became a thief. When he steals something, he is always wearing Furisode that is a girl’s long-sleeved kimono. Ojo means a girl.
Osho-Kichisa is a thief who was an ex-monk. Osho means a monk. His father stole the sword "Koshinmaru”.
Obo-Kichisa was heir of Yasumori family. Obo means a son of a good family. After the sword was stolen, his father had to do the ritual suicide and the family was wiped out. Then he became a thief.
Story
* This is a long long story at Edo period.
Act-1
Scene:By Sumida River, near streetside Koshin shrine
Otose who is a streetwalker comes to street near the river. The previous day, she had a customer who had left behind packed of money 100ryo. Otose is an honest woman, so she is looking for the customer to bring the money to him. Ojo-Kichisa mugs Otose and kicks her into a river for screaming.
Meanwhile, a passing palanquin halts nearby. The newcomer, who had been watching the crime scene calls to Ojo-Kichisa, and demands that the money be handed over to him. The newcomer is known as Obo-Kichisa, and he knows the mugger is Ojo-Kichisa. Ojo-Kichisa refuses his demand and they begin to fight each other.
Another newcomer stopped their fight. Both Ojo-Kichisa and Obo-Kichisa know who he is. He is well known to thieves as Osho-Kichisa. And they all know each other that they have same name Kichisa. Osho-Kichisa suggests that the 100ryo be divided equally between Ojo-Kichisa and Obo-Kichisa. Ojo-Kichisa decides to give the money to Osho-Kichisa, because he made to finish their fight before they kill each other. Obo-Kichisa agrees with him, and they presented 100ryo to Osho-Kichisa.
They each cut their arm to take blood in a cup and they drink it each other. It means that they swore themselves as brothers.
Act-2
Scene-1:Denkichi's home in Warigesui, the following evening
Denkichi is worried about his daughter Otose because she hasn’t been home since the previous day. Kyubei, the greengrocer comes there bringing with him Otose, whom he had saved from drowning after she was mugged by Ojo-Kichisa. When Kyubei heard the story about the incident from Otose, he thought the customer who had left behind 100ryo might have been his son Juzaburo. Juzaburo is a clerk of a sword store. He has disappeared since the previous evening. He was on the way bringing 100ryo that was the proceeds of the sword “Koshinmaru” to his boss. So Kyubei and Otose had been looking for Juzaburo and 100ryo, before they came there.
Juzaburo has stayed in Denkichi's home since the previous night. He was saved by Denkichi when he was going to do suicide because he had lost the money. Thus Kyubei and Denkichi each saved the life of other's child. But the money is still being lost. Kyubei says that Juzaburo isn't a legitimate child of him. Kyubei's son had been kidnapped when he was 5. When Kyubei was looking for his son, he found a baby at the shrine. Kyubei had brought up the baby who is Juzaburo, instead his own son.
As Denkichi hears this tale he realizes that Juzaburo is his own son, twin brother of Otose, whom he had abandoned at the shrine. But he keeps the knowledge to himself because Juzaburo and Otose are beginning to love each other. And Denkichi has realized one more fact that 100ryo was the proceeds of "Koshinmaru" he stole before. Meanwhile, Kyubei leaves, and the twins retire to an adjoining room.
Osho-Kichisa visits to his father Denkichi’s home to give him 100ryo that he got from other two Kichisa. Denkichi refuses to accept it, because he thinks Osho-Kichisa got the money illegally. Osho-Kichisa protests, but Denkichi doesn’t listen to him. Finally he leaves there with 100ryo. Denkichi is thinking about his twins and 100ryo, telling to himself. Osho-Kichisa hears it because he didn’t leave there. He knows everything about his siblings, and what his father had done. He puts his 100ryo on the family altar silently and disappears.
As soon as Denkichi finds the money, he throws it to Osho-Kichisa. There is Buhei who loves Otose. He came there to propose getting married with Otose. When Buhei is thrown 100ryo, he forgot why he is there. Denkichi notices it, but Buhei gets away. Then Debkichi follows him to get back 100ryo.
Scene-2:At Otakegura, Honjo sector
Buhei is walking away with the money when he is accosted by Obo-Kichisa. The 100ryo was handed to Obo-Kichisa by force, just before Denkichi appears on the scene. Denkichi begs Obo-Kichisa to lend him the 100ryo, but Obo-Kichisa refuses. They fight, finally Obo-Kichisa has killed Denkichi. When Obo-Kichisa is going to get away, Juzaburo and Otose come there to look for Denkichi. They discover Denkichi's body, and a knife Obo-Kichisa left behind.
Act-3
Scene-1:Kichijoin Temple in Sugamo
Some time has passed, police is coming close to the three Kichisa gradually. One night, when Osho-Kichisa comes to Kichijoin temple that is his hiding place, he is ambushed by cops, and has been arrested Cops say if Osho-Kichisa helped to arrest other two Kichisa, he would be free. Osho-Kichisa accepts the suggestion. When Osho-Kichisa comes into the temple, Obo-Kichisa has been there. He intends to leave from Edo, so he came there to see Osho-Kichisa. Obo-Kichisa says to take him to police, because he listened to the suggestion of the cops. Osho-Kichisa refuses it, and says he tricked the cops to help other two Kichisa. And Osho-Kichisa knows that Obo-Kichisa was heir of Yasumori family. Osho-Kichisa says to Obo-Kichisa to hind himself until night has come.
Juzaburo and Otose come to the temple to notify Osho-Kichisa that Denkichi was killed. They ask Osho-Kichisa to find the murderer, and to help making 100ryo. When Juzaburo shows the knife of the murderer, Osho-Kichisa realizes it was Obo-kichisa's possession. And when Otose tells that she was mugged, he realizes the mugger was Ojo-Kichisa. Osho-Kichisa says to wait him at cemetery behind the temple.
Meanwhile Obo-Kichisa comes out from hiding place. Ojo-Kichisa comes out from his hiding place, too. He had been hiding himself at the temple for a few days. Both of them listened to everything that Juzaburo and Otose told about. Thus they know about their crime, and they know that Osho-Kichisa also knows it. When Juzaburo told about himself, Ojo-Kichisa realized that he was Kyubei’s son who was kidnapped. Obo-Kichisa and Ojo-Kichisa decide to kill themselves to apologize for Osho-Kichisa's family.
Scene-2:Cemetery behind Kichijoin Temple
Osho-Kichisa knows why Obo-Kichisa and Ojo-Kichisa fell into the unfortunate circumstances. His father Denkichi was responsible for all of them because he had stolen the sword “Koshinmaru”. He can’t accept to betray his sworn brothers. And he also can’t accept to the incest of his siblings. Osho-Kichisa kills Juzaburo and Otose. Osho-Kichisa couldn’t tell them that they were twins.
Scene-3:Inside the Temple
When Osho-Kichisa comes into the temple, Obo-Kichisa and Ojo-Kichisa are going to kill each other. Osho-Kichisa stops them and shows two freshly-severed heads of Juzaburo and Otose. He says it was the revenge that Obo-Kichisa killed Denkichi, because Denkichi was responsible for the ritual suicide of Obo-Kichisa's father. And he says unless Denkichi stole the sword “Koshinmaru” from Obo-Kichisa’s home, Otose wouldn’t have been mugged by Ojo-Kichisa. There are two freshly- severed heads already, he tells that he intends to take them as Obo-Kichisa and Ojo-Kichisa to police.
Then Obo-Kichisa hands to Osho-Kichisa the 100ryo he has. And Ojo-Kichisa hands to Osho-Kichisa a sword that he stole before. When Obo-Kichisa looks at the sword, he realizes that it is “Koshinmaru”. Thus they decide that Obo-Kichisa takes “Koshinmaru” to his home to revive his house. And Ojo-Kichisa takes the 100ryo to Kyubei who is his real father to prove that Juzaburo was innocent. Then the three Kichisa have disappeared.
Act-4
Scene:Under the fire-lookout tower at Hongo
Police found that the two fresh severed heads were fake. Osho-Kichisa has been arrested. Obo-Kichisa and Ojo-Kichisa are being chased. The gate of the town is closed, and it hasn’t been opened unless the drum of the fire-lookout tower is beaten. Two Kichisa can’t help Osho-Kichisa or get away, because the gate has been closed. Ojo-Kichisa beats the drum. When the gate has been opened, Kyubei comes to the fire-lookout tower. Ojo-Kichisa hands to Kyubei the 100ryo. Obo-Kichisa hands to him the sword “Koshinmaru” because he is a greengrocer of Yasumori family. After Kyubei goes away, three Kichisa fight with cops, and at last they kill each other.
And they all died happily ever after.
The End.
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