'Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura' was first performed in 1747 as a puppet play. And it was first performed as kabuki the next year. It was written by Takeda Izumo, Miyoshi Shoraku, and Namiki Senryu, and they are well known as the playwrights who wrote the big three kabuki plays. This play is one of them. Taira-Minamoto War/Genji-Heike Clan War happened in 1156-1185. It is the most well known civil war in Japan. A lot of stories, dramas, movies, and stage plays were written about it, and they all were based to 'The Tale of Heike'. And this play isn't an exception of them. This play is based to a supposition that Tomomori, Koremori, and Noritsune didn't die at the Dannoura battle. They all were main warriors of the Heike clan, and they all died at the Dannoura battle. The Heike clan was destroyed then. Kabukiza Theater showed a part of this drama, and I watched its scenes about Tomomori this time. So I will introduce his drama after this. Taira-no Tomomori was a son of Kiyomori who was the great master of the Heike clan. After Kiyomori died, the Genji clan restarted the fight against the Heike clan. In 'The Tale of Heike', Tomomori is described as a great and brave commander. Although Tomomori committed suicide by jumping into the water, he had been a warrior until the end. And the boy-emperor Antoku also jumped into the water then. However, in this play, Tomomori didn't die then, and he survived to do the vendetta of the Heike clan. And he saved Antoku in order to rebuilt the Heile clan. When Tomomori attacked Yoshitsune, Antoku was saved by Yoshitsune then. And Antokku says that he appreciates what Tomomori did for him. It means that Antoku doesn't need Tomomoti after that. It was a betrayal. Even if someone betrayed Tomomori, he wouldn't care it. Antoku was the only person who shouldn't betray him. Tomomori realized that his world vanished then. When Tomomori attacked Yoshitsune, he was wearing white kimono that people put on to die. Tomomori intended to do the vendetta as an evil spirit, because the Heike clan was destroyed already. Although Tomomori knew that his clan had been destroyed, he couldn't have recognized it with reality. It made Tomomori recognize it really that Antoku said to him. Tomomori asks Yoshitsune to think that everything that he did this time was done by an evil spirit of him, because Tomomori died at the Dannoura battle already. And he committed suicide by jumping into the water. It was a reproduction of his death at the Dannoura battle. When the Dannoura battle started, he made a speech in front of the Heike warriors. 'In India, China, and Japan, even many great warriors couldn't have gotten victory, if their destiny had run out. However, place great value on your name's reputation. Fight, warriors. That time is now!' After that, Tomomori placed great value on his name's reputation, and died. When Tomomori decided his mind in this play, he might have thought that he had lost his time to die. His world had been destroyed at the Dannoura battle. So Tomomori directed his death like at the Dannoura battle. His world had destroyed then. When Tomomori attacked Yoshitsune in this play, Yoshitsune had been chased by Yoritomo already. Nevertheless, Tomomori chose Yoshitsune as the subject to hate. Yoshitsune was a great commander the same as Tomomori, himself. So Yoshitsune was easy to understand as a person whom Tomomori hated. In 'The tale of Heike', the Heike clan was destroyed because of their luxury. And the military history said that it was because of Yoshitsune who was an able battle commander. However, I felt the force of time itself this time. I think that Tomomori couldn't have rebelled against that force. (2003,2,1) If you were interested in Tomomori, please access the site under this. http://homepage1.nifty.com/aby/2002/funabenkei-junee.htm
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