a

   Tsuyu Kosode Mukashi Hachijo

story

This play was written by Kawatake Mokuami, and was first performed in 1873. Its title is 'Tsuyu Kosode Mukashi Hachijo', but it is called 'Kamiyui Shinza' popularly. It based on a real incident that happened in 1747. Okuma who was a daughter of a lumber dealer Shirakoya in Nihonbashi plotted to kill her husband with a clerk Chuhachi. Okuma and Chuhachi were arrested and put to capital punishment. In this drama, Chuhachi is Chushichi Mokuami made this incident into an interesting entertainment with Shinza who was a very cool guy.

Shinza, a hairdresser, is an ex-criminal, and he seems to have a suspicious tax-exempt income still now. He disguised himself as a kind man who helped lovers, Chushichi and Okuma. And he plundered Okuma from Chushichi in order to get compromise money from Okuma's family. It was a kidnapping actually, but he didn't say ransom. Shinza knows that Okuma's family would like to keep it secret. So it was just a threat for him.

Shinza raped Okuma, but it didn't mean he loved her. Shinza raped Okuma, because she was there as a beautiful young woman. If he couldn't get compromise money, I'm sure that he wouldn't hesitate to sell Okuma as a prostitute. Shinza is very cool and cruel, and it made him very attractive. And Shinza himself is erotic very much.

When Okuma went out from a closet, she smoothed her kimono right away. But her hair didn't rumple then. As I mentioned, Shinza is a hairdresser. I wonder if Shinza smoothed Okuma's hair after he raped her. It must have been a very erotic scene, must not it?

Moreover, there is a direction at the scene that Okuma leaves from Shinza's home. Shnza touched his penis then, because he recalled an erotic matter of last night. Of course it isn't shown to audiences, but the actor makes his mind like that. This drama is a terrible matter for Okuma, but audiences feel Shinza's indiscreet crime as excellent. I recognized again that Kabuki was very erotic. (2003,5,10)


go to head