○

This drama is based to a real incident, Uwajima incident (Uwajima sodo) in 1620. Uwajima that was in Shikoku Island was one of the feudal domains of Tokugawa shogunate government.

Although Tokugawa shogunate government forbade that a real incident was made into drama, Kabuki writers and actors didn't stop making drama that was based to a real incident. The real incidents or accidents were made into Kabuki drama as soon as possible. It was the biggest reason Kabuki was popular at that time. Because, you know it was interesting.

But this drama "Uwajima sodo" was made in 1873, 253 years had passed since the real incident happened. Of course there were some dramas that were stopped playing by the shogunate government. Several years were needed until they were played. But I think 253 years might have been too long time for waiting.

There were two chief senior retainers in Uwajima at that time. One of them was Yanbe Seibei and the other was Sakurada Genba who is Uzen in the drama. Their two parties stood in opposition. At last Seibei was killed by Genba's party, and all of Seibei's family were killed at the same time.

It had been thought that repairing Osaka Castle that was ordered by the shogunate government had become the trigger of the killing. The shogunate government concerned to the incident, that was one of the reasons to be difficult to make the incident into drama soon.

The other reason was the lord of Uwajima, whose name is Date Hidemune. It has been said that he supported Genba one-sidedly. It means that the killing of Seibei might have been ordered by the lord. At the same time it means Seibei could have been a criminal.

But there is another thinking. The history of Uwajima wasn't written clearly about the incident. It means that there is possibility that the concerning people might have thought that the incident was the crime of the lord. In this case, both of the lord and Genba were criminals.

At the drama, Seibei was written as a loyal retainer. I think it was the reason that Seibei died earlier than Genba. The history of Uwajima wasn't written clearly about the incident. Thus nobody knows which was the loyal retainer, Seibei or Genba.

The incident was so confusing for common people that wasn't made into drama. It means Kabuki writers lost the timing to make drama. At the result, the incident became an uncommon matter for later people. I think it isn't wrong to say that the incident isn't known by almost Japanese.

At that time, Kabuki was like TV-news or magazines. Common people could know incidents or accidents by Kabuki drama. But in this case, the incident hadn't been made into drama for a long time, so the incident wasn't a common knowledge for people.

If the incident had been made into Kabuki drama earlier, it would have done a job better than historians. It is interesting, isn't it? Of course I know that it might be the only case. And I know whichever you like, nobody knows the truth.