Background Information
'Keisei Hangon Ko' is a play written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. It was first performed as a puppet play in 1708. This 'Shogen Villa Scene' is the only scene of the play that is still performed. The central character, Matahei is an impoverished artist, he thinks its reason is his speech impediment. This play is one of the scenes of a historical long drama.
Story
Matahei is an impoverished artist who is one of the disciples of the former court artist Tosa Shogen Mitsunobu. He hopes to receive a professional artist's name of Tosa from his master Shogen. One day he comes with his wife Otoku to meet the master. He intends to ask to give him the name of Tosa officially.
The same day, a group of farmers armed invade on the grounds of Shogen's estate. They say that they are after a tiger that disappeared in the area. Shogen refuses to take them seriously because there are no tigers in Japan. But a tiger is found in a nearby bamboo grove.
After Shogen observes the tiger carefully, he says it isn't a real tiger. Because there is no footprint of the tiger.
Shogen thinks the tiger was drawn by Kano Motonobu who is one of the court artists. Shogen didn't know why the tiger was drawn.
Motonobu had a trouble. When he was accused and restricted, he painted the tiger with his own blood. Then the tiger got its life and walked out of the painting, and it made Motonobu free. The tiger that was found had been the painted tiger by Motonobu.
Shogen orders Shurinosuke who is a young disciple to erase the tiger with brush and ink. The tiger has disappeared. It meens that Shurinosuke has proved his ability as an artist. Shogen appreciates Shurinosuke as an artist, and gives him the name of Tosa Mitsuzumi.
After that, Matahei and his wife Otoku arrive to Shogen's villa. They already heard from farmers on their way Shurinosuke had gotten the name of Tosa. Matahei makes Otoku ask Shogen to give him the name like Shurinosuke. Indeed Matahei wants to say it himself, but he has speech impediment.
Otoku asks Shogen to give the name of Tosa to her husband Matahei. But Shogen refuses her favor. Matahei asks the same thing himself, and he gets the same result. Finally he starts crying. He thinks the cause of everything that he doesn't want is his speech impediment.
Utanosuke, a young artist of the Kano school, comes running to the scene. He brings the news that Motonobu and his wife princess Ichonomae are in danger again and they need aid. He asks Shogen to rescue the princess. Shogen accepts his request. Then Utanosuke has gone in order to rescue his master Motonobu.
Matahei asks Shogen let him go to rescue the princess. He intends to get the task in order to get the name of Tosa. But Shogen orders Shurinosuke to rescue the princess. Shogen thinks the task is over Matahei. He says there is no causal relationship between the ability of artist and the princess.
Matahei never give up going to rescue the princess, and he stops Shurinosuke going. Shogen stops Matahei, and Otoku stops him, too. Matahei gets angry very much, because he doesn't think his wife is understand his mind. He hits Otoku crying. Meanwhile Shurinosuke has gone to rescue the princess.
There are Matahei and Otoku in the garden of Shogen's villa. They realize that there is no hope to be recognized as an artist by Shogen. They make their mind to do double suicide.
Otoku says that Matahei may as well paint his own portrait as a memorial. Matahei agrees her, and he paints it on a stone water basin in the garden. After Matahei paints his portrait, the painting appears through the stone water basin to the other side.
While Matahei and Otoku are surprised, Shogen has been seeing the scene. He thinks the miracle proves that Matahei has a real ability as a great artist. Shogen gives Matahei the name of Tosa Mitsuoki.
Matahei wants to go to rescue the princess. But Shogen is worried about his speech impediment. Otoku says there is no problem, because if he has to speak he could sing. When Matahei sings he can sing well. Shogen orders Matahei to go to join Shurinosuke to rescue the princess.
And Matahei goes to rescue the princess.
The drama continues, but this play has finished at this scene.
