a

Background Information

This is a popular play called 'Soga-mono'. There was a lot of variations of it, and 'Kotobuki Soga-no Taimen' that was written by Kawatake Mokuami in 1885 is still running now. 'Soga-mono' is based to a real vendetta of Soga brothers. It is one of the three famous vendettas, and the other two vendettas are the royal retainer of Aco and Araki Mataemon.

Story

Scene; At Kudo Suketsune's mansion

Minamoto-no Yoritomo started Kamakura shogunate government in 1192, and Kono Suketsune has gotten the highest position of the feudal lords in 1193. Many feudal lords came to Suketsune's mansion to celebrate him. There are three courtesans there, and one of them, Maizuru requests Suketsune to meet Soga brothers. Suketsune accepts it, and Soga brothers come there.

Soga brother's father Kawazu Sukeyasu was a warrior of a powerful clan of Izu. He and Kudo Suketsune had a territorial problem; they each had claimed a territorial right over the same estate. As a result, Sukeyasu was killed with the arrow that was shot by two attendants of Suketsune 18years ago. After that, Sukeyasu's widow married to Soga Sukenobu again with her two sons. The brothers become adapted children of Sukenobu, and they were called Soga-no Juro and Goro. The elder brother Juro grew up a smart young man, and the younger brother Goro grew up a hotheaded young man. They both intend to do the vendetta of their real father. And their enemy Suketsune is here.

When Soga brothers come there, many feudal lords laughed them because the brothers weren't refined. However, Suketsune doesn't mind it, and he recalls who they are. Suketsune says the brothers to come nearer, and gives them a sake cup as his celebration. Although Juro accepts it in a good manner, Goro refuses and smashes the sake cup and tray. Goro tries to attack Suketsune, but Juro stops him. Then Goro shouts that they have wanted to kill Suketsune for a long time. Feudal lords who are there are making uproar, but Suketsune stops them.

Suketsune says the following;
Soga brothers can do nothing, so everyone doesn't need to make a scene. It was sorry that Kawazu Sukeyasu had died, but he wasn't responsible for the death of their father. Even if the brothers tried to kill Suketsune, they couldn't do anything. Their adapted father Soga Sukenobu had kept a sword, Tomokirimasu that was a treasure of the shogun, but he lost it. The brothers are the same as prisoners until the sword is found. So they have no right to make a vendetta. Anyway, Suketsune shouldn't be killed, because he has an important job as a chief of feudal lords.

Then Onio Shinzaemon, a retainer of the Soga family comes running there. Onio says that the sword Tomokirimaru was found. There is no problem to make a vendetta now. Suketsune confirms that the sword is a real Tomokirimaru. And he throws a pass of the hunting to the brothers as a gift. Suketsune has an important job as a chief manager of the hunting of the shogun in May. That pass means that Suketsune accepts to be killed by the brothers after the hunting finishes. Soga brothers decide to wait their vendetta until May.

The End