The Strange Moisture of the Fantastic World of Izumi Kyoka.

“Tenshu Monogatari/The Tale of the Castle Donjon"

There is strange moisture in the world of Izumi Kyoka 泉鏡花(1873-1939). We can feel it very well in his dramas. A princess named Tomihime富姫 on "Tenshu Monogatari天守物語" had caused a great flood with a grudge of her previous existence. When Princess Tomihime appeared on the stage she was with rain. She had been to meet her friend Princess Yukihime雪姫 to ask to cause rain to fall. So it wasn't wrong to say that "Tenshu Monogatari" is connected with moisture.

In 1999 March, Kabukiza Theater presented "Tenshu Monogatari", the stage set gave a silence that was like a kind of dry but Princess Tomihime's ladies had really moisture that was similar the amphibian. And Zushonosuke図書之助 who lost his way and wondered into the castle donjon carried there his body temperature with moisture of his blood.

The human world of "Tenshu Monogatari" existed a symbol of ugly. There was the castle donjon against the human world. It was brought into existence the most beautiful world with Princess Tomihime who was a ghastly apparition. The stairs leaded to the castle donjon was a narrow road to heaven from the human world. If someone turned around there anyone couldn't keep one's life.

When Harimanokami播磨守 who was the lord of the Himeji Castle姫路城 pursued Zushonosuke as a revel he run up the stairs to the castle donjon. He would rather to be killed by Princess Tomihime than by his co-workers. It wasn't too much to say that Zushonosuke was already caught into the other world and Princess Tomihime then.

The last scene of "Tenshu Monogatari" suggested a happy of Princess Tomihime and Zushonosuke but every audience should know that Zusyonosuke already wasn't a human. In Europe, when magic disappeared, the hero and the heroine reverted to human again. But in Japan, when magic disappeared they should lose their life. So it wasn't wrong to say that Princess Tomihime killed Zushonosuke. The love that was only once thousand years couldn't fulfill without eating the lover in his blood. Thus a Japanese ghastly apparition story should sublimate to beauty.

Shinnosuke新之助 performed Zushonosuke at Kabukiza Theater that time. Shinnosuke appeared on the stage with his own identity as a young man Zusyonosuke. But Zusyonosuke was a mere retainer to be up his neck in the ethics of the warrior class society at the first half of the drama. The lord Harimanokami pursued Zushonosuke as a rebel and he decided to revel the order by the lord, then he could build his own identity at first in his life.

In this case primary Zushonosuke had to be killed, because the lord ordered it. But he reveled his lord. Then he had changed to be a human from a retainer. Shinnosuke couldn't give the change. His change was only as a young man for Princess Tomihime. It is too difficult for a young man of present day to represent the change. But it is the samurai spirit "BUSHIDO武士道".

Though it wasn't true that Shinnosuke couldn't give a good impression for the audience. Princess Tomihime who was performed by Tamasaburo玉三郎 has already had an excellent reputation. Zusyonisuke who was performed by Shinnosuke and Princess Kamehime亀姫 who was performed by Kikunosuke菊之助 were charm enough for every audience. Almost audience couldn't think any another actors to perform them. It was fantastic enough an atmosphere of the world of Izumi Kyoka that was built by them in the theater. I would like to meet them as the same casting again.

Tenshu Monogatari

The Tale of the Castle Donjon

Tomihime富姫 has returned to the castle donjon to ride on cloud. Her lady-in-low are waiting for her. Tomihime said she had been to Yasyagaike夜叉ヶ池 to meet her friend Princess Yukihime雪姫. She asked Yukihime to cause rain to fall. The lord of Himeji Castle Harimanokami播磨守 had a falcon hunting that day, she wanted to stop it. Her friend Princess Kamehime亀姫 is going to come to visite to Himeji Castle from Inawashiro Castle. She thought the shots would be annoyed Kamehime on her way. Rain had fallen. The lord stopped the hunting.

Kamehime has arrived. She is carring a gift for Tomihime. It is the freshly severed head of the lord of Inawashiro Castle. He was the younger brother of the lord of Himeji Castle. Tomihime is pleased very much. Tomihime has a souvenir for Kamehime, too. It is a worrier’s helmet. Tomihime showed it Kamehime and says it isn’t better than the freshly severed head, so she will be looking for another souvenir for Kamehime by she leaves. 

In the meantime, the time has come that Kamehime leaves from Himeji Castle. Then the lord of Himeji Castle has just arrived. Kamehime sees a white falcon of the hunting party. It is beautiful very much. She wants to keep it. Tomihime catches the falcon with her magic power to give to Kamehime. She thanks Tomihime very much and leaves from Himeji Castle to Inawashiro Castle.

There is a carved lion-head in the castle donjon of Himeji Castle. The lord of Himeji Castle a couple of generation ago raped a woman in a shrine and she died. The lion-head had been looking at it there. When she died she thought if she had enough strength like a lion she wouldn’t have been shamed by the lord.

The lion-head had caused a great flood for three years. The lord ordered to carry the lion-head up to the castle donjon. Then the flood had stopped. The woman’s spirit came to dwell in the lion-head, and formed Princess Tomihime. And then nobody has come to the castle donjon.

A young man upstairs to the castle donjon. He was ordered by the lord to see the castle donjon and to look for the falcon. When he arrives to the castle donjon Tomihime is warning him, and says not to return there. He has left. When he downstairs he is attacked by demons and his lamplight goes out. He upstairs to the castle donjon again to get a light, because he thought rather Tomihime killed him than he fell down the stairs. Tomihime looks pleased the reason.

When Tomihime gives a young man a light she notices he is handsome very much. She asks what his name is. A young man’s name is Himekawa Zusyonosuke姫川図書之助 who is a falconer of the lord. Tomihime had caught the falcon for Kamehime before.

The load blamed the falcon had lost for Zusyonosuke and ordered him to do the ritual suicide. Then the lord would be going to send someone to search the castle donjon because the falcon looked flying into the castle donjon. But nobody would like to go there. The lord ordered Zushonosuke to go there. He had to choose the ritual suicide or to search the castle donjon.

Tomihime talks the falcon was caught by her, and asked him to stay the castle donjon with her forever. Zusyonosuke is surprised and confused. But he refuses her suggestion. Tomihime senses his hesitancy. So she allows him to leave from the castle donjon again. Tomihime gives him a worrier’s helmet she showed Kamehime before. She said if he showed the helmet, the lord would believe him to search the castle donjon. Zushonosuke thanks her and left the castle donjon with the helmet.

Zushonosuke talks about the castle donjon and shows the helmet to the lord. The lord doesn’t believe anything that Zushonosuke talks about. The helmet has lost for long time. The lord thinks Zushonosuke had previously stolen it, and orders his retainers to kill Zushonosuke. Zushonosuke resistants his fickle fellow humans, and runs upstairs to the castle donjon.

Tomihime has been looking at the circumstance from the castle donjon. As soon as Zushonosuke arrives to the castle donjon, he asks her to kill him. He thought he would like to be killed rather by her than by retainers of the lord. Tomihime doesn’t want to kill him. So she hides him insaide of the lion-head with herself.

The pursuing party has arrived the castle donjon and find the lion-head. They attack the lion-head’s eyes. Then Tomihime and Zushonosuke lose their sight. Tomihime goes out from the lion-head and trough the freshly severed head of the lord of Inawashiro Castle. Everyone of the pursuing party are surprised very much, because the head is similar their lord. The lord of Inawashiro Castle is younger brother of their lord. They think their lord had been killed. So they have gone from the castle donjon.

Tomihime calls her ladies, but they have lost their sight, too. Tomihime and Zushonosuke are crying their unfortunately meeting. Then an old man has appeared. He is a sculptor of the lion-head. He carves the lion-head’s eyes to provide their sight. Then all inhabitants of the castle donjon get their sight again.

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End.