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Sato Moyo Azami-no Ironui

Background Information

'Sato Moyo Azami-no Ironui' is one of the thieves' plays of the later Edo period, and is better known as 'Izayoi Seishin'. Kawatake Mokuami wrote this play based to a real incident that happened in 1855. 3000 gold pieces had been robbed from Tokugawa shogunate government's safe. Tokugawa shogunate government didn't allow performing any play that based to a real incident. So this play was set up at Kamakura period. This play was first performed in 1859.

Cast

Story

Act-1

Scene-1; On the bank of Inase River

Seishin was a monk of Gokurakuji Temple. 3000 gold pieces that the first shogun of Kamakura Shogunate government Yoritomo dedicated to Gokurakuji Temple had been robbed. Seishin was suspected as one of the robbers, because he had sealed that gold. Although Seishin wasn't a robber, its investigation disclosed that Seishin had a lover who was a prostitute. As a result, Seishin has been banished as an apostate monk, and his suspicion as a robber hasn't been clear yet.

Izayoi who is a prostitute, a lover of Seishin comes to the bank of Inase river to meet Seishin before he leaves from the area, but she isn't sure if she can meet him. The strap on her geta cut then. She fixed it, but it cut again. It seems an unlucky warning. Then, Seishin comes there, and the lovers manage to meet each other.

Seishin made his mind up to continue training in order to become an admirable priest, but he has met Izayoi. He says to her to go back to a brothel, but Izayoi says 'no.' If Izayoi came back to a brothel, she must get a heavy punishment, because she has slipped out secretly. And she says that she is pregnant. Seishin thinks to take her together, but it means a kidnapping. They both are cornered, so they decide to do a double suicide. The lovers jump into the river.

Scene-2; A fishing boat on the river

A fishing boat is anchored near the west bank of Inase River. A haiku poet Hakuren is on the boat with a boatman Sanji. They are enjoying fishing, and a fishing net catches something then. They both are surprised, because they picked a woman up the boat from water instead of a fish. The woman is Izayoi. She couldn't die.

Hakuren has known her. He thinks that she must have had a severe reason to die. Then Hakuren suggests that he would pay enough money to a brothel in order to free her, if she came with him as a mistress. Izayoi considers his suggestion, and thinks that it might be a good idea to live at Hakuren's second house until a baby is born, because her lover Seishi had died alone. When Sanji starts rowing, Izayoi fell down into Hakuren's chest. Hakuren says that it is not so bad, really.

Scene-3; On the bank of Inase River again

Seishin also couldn't die, because he could swim. He climbs up the bank of the river. Seishin thinks that Izayoi had died alone, so he tries to jump into the river again in order to die. An enjoyable music sounds like stopping his suicide, and he couldn't die as a result.

Then, Motome who is a temple boy comes there on the way to his father's house. He is a younger brother of Izayoi. Motome is bringing the money 50 ryo in order to avoid the banishment of Seishin. Motome and Seishin don't know each other, though.

Motome is struck by colic suddenly, and asks a passerby Seishin if he has a medicine. Although Seishin doesn't have any medicine, he tries to stroke Motome's chest in order to erase his pain. (This scene has an erotic nuance of homosexuality.) Seishin finds a purse contains 50 ryo. Meanwhile, Motome recovers. After Motome thanks for Seishin's kindness, they each leaves there. However Seishin goes back to catch Motome, and asks to lend the money, because he thought that it was a good idea to use that money for a memorial service of Izayoi. Of course Motome refuses it, and Seishin tries to take the purse from him by force. Seishin has killed Motome finally.

It is a midnight, and the moon appears between clouds. Seishin thinks that only the moon and he know the murder. Then Seishin decides to live as a bad guy after this. Seishin robs the purse, and kicks Motome's dead body into the river. After that, Seishin has disappeared.

Act-2

Scene; Hakuren's house for Izayoi

After Izayoi was saved, Hakuren bought her freedom from a brothel. Izayoi changes her name to the real name Osayo, and lives at Hakuren's second house as an elegant mistress of him. One midnight, Osayo gets up to pray for her dead lover Seishin in the living room. Then Hakuren comes there, and asks whom she prays for. Osayo talks about her lover Seishin and says she can't forget him. She asks to allow to go on a pilgrimage for Seishin as a nun. Hakuren is moved by her story, and allows her wish.

Hakuren's wife Ofuji has overheard it. Although Ofuji came there in order to complain about Osayo to her husband, she was also moved by Osayo's story. Osayo asks Ofuji to become a sister. Ofuji accepts it, and they become sisters.

After that, Osayo has readied to go on a pilgrimage. She shaved her head, and is in a nun fashion. When Mokusuke who is a servant sees her shaved head, he sheds tears. Hakuren gives Osayo some money for her pilgrimage. Osayo's father Saishin who is a monk had come there the previous day. Osayo and Saishin depart on a pilgrimage together.

Act-3

Scene; Hakuren's main residence

After Izayoi, the real name Osayo had gone on a pilgrimage with her father Saishin, they each lost the way. After that, Osayo met Seishin in an accident. As soon as Osayo had a baby, they made the baby a foster child. Seishin calls himself Seikichi now, and he has lived on evil ways. Seikichi made Osayo fall into evil ways, and they both are thieves now.

Seikichi and Osayo come to Hakuren's main residence in order to get money by threat. At first, Osayo approaches to Hakuren's house alone, the servant Mokuren replies. However Mokuren can't distinguish of Osayo, because she is wearing a shabby kimono. Mokusuke tries to make her go away. Osayo introduces herself, so Mokusuke is very surprised and reports about her coming to his master immediately. Osayo is invited into the living room.

Hakuren's wife Ofuji welcomes to Osayo, and she asks how a pilgrimage was. Osayo says that the pilgrimage was terrible, and she asks to allow of her staying here with her husband Seikichi. Seikichi was waiting outside, so Mokusuke takes him to the living room unwillingly. Also Hakuren comes there.

Seikichi and Osayo talk the following; Hakuren forced Osayo to be his mistress, and threw her away with a little money finally. He even made Osayo shave her head by force. Ofuji asked Osayo to become a sister, nevertheless she kicked Osayo out by jealous. After that, Osayo had terrible experiences on her traveling. So Hakuren and Ofuji is responsible for Osayo's unfortunate life. Seikichi and Osayo demand to Hakuren and Ofuji to take care of them.

Although it is an unreasonable request, Hakuren just asks how much they want. Seikichi says that he wants 100 ryo, and Hakuren gives 100 ryo to Seikichi immediately. When Seikichi receives the 100 ryo, he sees that it has Gokurakuji Temple's seal.

Seikichi was a monk Seishin of Gokurakuji Temple before. 3000 gold pieces that the first shogun of Kamakura Shogunate government Yoritomo dedicated to Gokurakuji Temple had been robbed. Seishin was suspected as one of the robbers, because he had sealed that gold. Although Seishin wasn't a robber, its investigation disclosed that Seishin had a lover who was a prostitute. As a result, Seishin has been banished. It isn't wrong to say that the incident made Seikichi fall into evil ways. Seikichi now finds that the robber was Hakuren. Seikichi throws the 100 ryo to Hakuren, and demands 3000 ryo again.

Hakuren realizes Seikichi has known the robber was him. He makes Ofuji and Mokusuke leave from the living room. Hakuren says that he thought his crime would be disclosed someday. If the crime was disclosed once, it must be difficult to hide. Hakuren decides to go on a traveling as a thief again. There are 300 ryo of the stolen money 3000 gold pieces. Hakuren takes 200 ryo, and Seikichi and Osayo take 100 ryo that is the first demand of them.

They all wish their thieves life goes well. Suddenly, pursures come into Hakuren's house. The servant Mokuren is in real a secret officer to investigate Halkuren's past. And he reported things that he overheard to authorities. The thieves are surrounded, and they fight against pursures.

Well, the performance has finished at this scene this time. But this play continues. The three thieves managed to escape then. After that, Hakuren is arrested finally. Seishin and Osayo go to a temple that Osayo's father Saishin lives in. They all know that Seishin had killed Motome who was a younger brother of Osayo. Seishin and Osayo ask Saishin to take care of their child. And they have done double suicide. (2002,3,10)

The End.