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Kanadehon Nimai Ezoshi

Background Information

'Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan' was written by Tsuruya Nanboku as one of the episodes of 'Kanadehon Chushingura', and was first performed in 1825. At the time, 'Yotsuya Kaidan' and 'Chushingura' were shown at the same time. Ichikawa Ennosuke adopted that idea, and made two plays into this play, 'Yotsuya Kaidan Chushingura'. If you would like to know about 'Yotsuya Kaidan' or 'Chushingura', click the titles.

Story

Start; At the edge of Yotsuya Post Town on Tokaido Highway

Cast

In 1338, Ashikaga Takauji started the Muromachi Shogunate Government, and he built a new shrine of the Kamakura Hachimangu shrine in order to celebrate his success. His younger brother Tadayoshi came to Kamakura to its celebration. Lord Kono Morono is also on the way to Kamakura now. When he takes a rest near Yotsuya, the atmosphere changes mysteriously suddenly. An evil spirit of Nitta Yoshisada appears there. He was a warrior who was killed by Ashikaga army. Yoshisada has a son, Kiryumaru, and gave mysterious power to him already in order to destroy the Muromachi Shogunate Government together. Morono is the powerful lord of the Ashikaga, so that Yoshisada possessed him. Morono/Yoshisada and his party depart to Kamakura. Ono Sadakuro, an ex-retainer of Lord Enya, appears there, he hid himself and watched everything.

Act-1

Scene-1; Pine Room of Ashikaga Mansion

Cast

The powerful lord Kono Morono loved Kaoyo-gozen who was a wife of Lord Enya Hangan. Morono sent a letter to Kaoyo-gozen, but she refused him softly. However, Morono still loves her. Today, Morono is waiting for Lord Enya in the Pine Room of the Ashikaga mansion. And Lord Enya comes there. Morono harasses Lord Enya with terrible words. Lord Enya is patient, but he gets angry with Morono terribly at last. Lord Enya slashed Morono with his sword, but he couldn't kill Morono. Lord Enya was restricted.

Although the sword of Lord Enya injured Morono's middle of the brow, Morono had managed to run away from the scene. Yakushiji Jorozaemon who heard about the incident comes there. Yakushiji asks Morono if Morono plotted the incident. Yakushiji also wants to rebel against the government.

Then, Nitta Yoshisada's voice started talking from Morono's mouth. The evil spirit Yoshisada thought that if Morono fought against Lord Enya in the Ashikaga mansion, the Muromachi Shogunate Government would give a punishment to Lord Enya only, because Morono was the powerful lord of the Ashikaga. It must cause people to get angry with the government. Thus Morono did it in order to cause social unrest. Yakushiji is very glad to hear it, and leaves there in order to go to Lord Enya's mansion.

Scene-2; Lord Enya's Mansion

Cast

After that incident, Lord Enys did ritual suicide soon. The Muromachi Shogunate Government gave capital punishment to Lord Enya only, and decided to take away everything from the Enya clan right away. Yakushiji came to the Lord Enya's mansion as a messenger of the government to receive the mansion. At the reception hall, Yakushiji says to retainers that Lord Enya has died, but that Morono is still alive. Yakushiji handed a short sword to Oboshi Yuranosuke who was a chief retainer of the Enya. It was a sword that Lord Enya used when he committed ritual suicide. And Yakushiji left from the hall in order to wait until everyone finish leaving from the mansion.

All retainers of Lord Enya have become the lord-less retainers now. They started talking what they should do after this. Sato Yomoshichi and the others proposed to fight against the government, and die. They think that they should show to the government their loyalty to their lord. But Tamiya Iemon says that it is a stupid idea to die for the selfish lord. Actually Lord Enya made them be unemployed persons. It is incompetent persons' idea to die. Iemon is a very skilled warrior, so that he can be adopted by any new lord. And he leaves there alone.

Yomoshichi and the others got angry with Iemon very much. They all stand up, and are going to kill him, but Yuranosuke stops them. Yuranosuke says that the enemy isn't Iemon or even the government. The enemy, Kono Morono is still alive. The retainers decided to accept his thought. And all retainers leave from the mansion.

Yuranosuke was the last one who left from the mansion. When Yuranosuke leaves there, he recalls many things, and many matters. And he takes out the short sword that was used when Lord Enya committed ritual suicide. It has still bloodstains. Yuranosuke licks it. Finally he leaves from the mansion alone silently.

Scene-3; Outside the fence of Lord Enya's Mansion

Cast

After Iemon left from the mansion, he has stolen the money 3,000 ryo from the treasure house of Lord Enya. Naosuke who served to an Enya retainer Okuda Shozaburo helped Iemon. Iemon has a wife Oiwa, and Naosuke loves Oiwa's younger sister Osode. Naosuke intends to use the money to get married with Osode. The two thieves bring the money to a boat, and they agree that Naosuke would take the money to Musashi by a boat. When Naosuke is going to depart, Koshioda Matanojo who is an Enya retainer comes there. Iemon throws a knife to Matanojo, and it hits his leg. And Iemon and Naosuke managed to leave there.

Scene-4; At Kanzeon Temple in Asakusa

Cast

After one year. Ito Kihei is a wealthy merchant. He comes to Kanzeon temple with his daughter Oyumi and Oyumi's daughter Oume together. Kihei is worried about his granddaughter Oume, because she seems sick recently. Oume says that she loves Tamiya Iemon who is a neighbor, but he has a wife already, so that she feels sad recently. Kihei thinks that there is no problem, and promises to make Oume be a wife of Iemon.

Two homeless men are dragging an old man near a toothpick shop. They got angry with him, because Samon tried begging in their territory. When they hit Samon, Osode goes from a toothpick shop to stop it. Osode give money to the two homeless men, and they leave there. Yotsuya Samon is an ex-retainer of the Enya, and he is unemployed now. Samon has two daughters, and Osode is the younger one. Osode is worried about her father, but he doesn't intend to stop begging. Osode works for a toothpick shop, but Samon knows that Osode does prostitution at night to get money for him. So he need to get money himself, but he has no method except begging. Samon leaves there alone, and Iemon has watched it secretly.

Naosuke comes to a toothpick shop to meet Osode. After he stole the money from the treasure house of the Enya's mansion, he was robbed by Akatsuki Hoshigoro who was a big thief. As the result, Naosuke is now a salesman of medicines. Naosuke has loved Osode for years, but he couldn't get even a good word from her also today. When he leaves there with sadness, he meets up a masseur Takuetsu. Ordinarily a masseur is blind, but Takuetsu can see. Takuetsu know that Naosuke loves Osode now, so that he says that he can make Naosuke have a sexual relationship with Osode. Osode has done prostitution at Takuetsu's home at night. Naosuke accepts Takuetsu's suggestion, and gives money to ask Takuetsu not to take a guest to Osode except himself tonight.

Scene-5; At the Home of Takuetsu

Cast

Sato Yomoshichi, an ex-retainer of the Enya, is now a clerk of a notions store. He comes to Takuetsu's home to buy a prostitute tonight, and Takuetsu introduces Osode to him. Osode is a fiancee of Yomoshichi, so they both are very surprised. Osode says that she didn't have a sexual relationship with her guests. She asked them not to touch her because of Yomoshichi. Yomoshichi can't accept it, but Osode also can't accept that he comes to such a indiscreet place. Although they had almost argued, they didn't do it because of love. When they started making love, Naosuke came to the scene. Naosuke was very angry with all of them, because he gave money to Takuetsu. Although Naosuke demands Osode, she repays the money to him, so that Naosuke can do nothing. And Yomoshichi takes her with him. When Yomoshichi left there, he borrowed a paper lantern from Takuetsu. And Yomoshichi and Osode have become a husband and a wife.

Scene-6; In the paddy at the back of Takuetsu's home

Cast

After that, Osode meets up her elder sister Oiwa who seems a street prostitute. Oiwa also knows that Osode does prostitution. Oiwa and Osode worry about each other. The other side, Yomoshichi meets Okuda Shozaburo who brings a secret letter of Yuranosuke. Yomoshichi received the letter, and Yomoshichi exchanged kimono with Shozaburo. When Yomoshichi left, he handed a paper lantern to Shozaburo.

Naosuken has chased to Yomoshichi, and he attacks a man who brought a paper lantern of Takuetsu. Naosuke killed the man finally, but he didn't notice that the man who killed was Okuda Shozaburo, because it was very dark midnight. Naozuke thought that it was necessary that nobody would find who the victim was easily, so that he even destroyed the man's face. Iemon also chased to Samon, and spoke to his father-in-law. Samon has got angry with Iemon, because Iemon got married with his daughter without his permission. And Samon suspected that Iemon had stolen the money from the treasure house of the Lord Enya's mansion. So Iemon killed Samon.

There are two dead bodies in the paddy now, and two murderers find each other. Then Oiwa and OsoseF pass there, and find the two dead bodies. Oiwa found her father's dead body, and Osode found a paper lantern near the dead man, so that she believed that the dead man was Yomoshichi. The two poor sisters are crying because of their tragedy. Naosuke and Iemon come to the scene, it seems that they have arrived there just now. Iemon comforts to his wife Oiwa, and promises to do the vendetta. Naosuke also comforts to Osode. Iemon recommends Osode to live with Naosuke as a fake wife until she finds the murderer. Naosuke promises to do the vendetta of Yomoshichi and Samon, so that Osode decides to accept him as a fake husband.

Scene-7; At Iemon's house at Yotsuya in Zoshigaya

Cast

Kohei has worked for Iemon as a manservant recently, but his purpose was to get a medicine that Iemon had. Kohei's family served to Koshioda Matanojo who was an ex-retainer of the Enya, but Matanojo has been sick because of the knife wound. It was the knife that Iemon threw when he stole the money from the treasure house of the Lord Enya's mansion. Kohei needed the medicine to recover sick of his ex-master. Although Kohei got the medicine, Iemon found it. Kohei who is tied with a rope is now in the closet.

Takuetsu came to Iemon's house to make an apology, because he introduced Kohei to Iemon. Iemon is in a bad mood recently, because his wife Oiwas is sick after she has a baby. Then a doctor Chikuzen visits Iemon as a messenger from Ito Kihei who is a neighbor. Chikuzen invites Iemon to Kihei's house in order to talk about Kihei's granddaughter Oume. Of course Oume knows that Iemon has a wife Oiwa, nevertheless she would like to get married with him. And Chikuzen gives a medicine to Iemon, and says him to make Oiwa take it. It isn't a medicine, but would make ugly spot on Oiwa's face. Kihei thought that if Oiwa became ugly, Iemon would divorce her, so that Kihei asked Chikuzen to make poison. Kihei is a very wealthy merchant, so that Iemon thinks that it isn't very bad to get married with Oume. Iemon asks Takuetsu to make Oiwa take the medicine, and to keep his house until he comes back. And Iemon goes to Kihei's house.

Just after Oiwas took the medicine/poison, she started suffering very much. Takuetsu takes care of Oiwa, but he is very surprised, because he finds ugly spot on her face. Takuetsu makes Oiwa watch her face with a mirror, and Oiwa falls into mentally deranged. Finally Oiwa kills herself with Kohei's short sword in an accident. Then a big rat holds a baby in its mouth and runs away. Takuetsu is terrified, and gets away as soon as possible.

After that, Iemon came home, and found Oiwa's dead body and Kohei's short sword. And he understood that Kohei's sword had killed Oiwa. So Iemon drags Kohei from the closet, and kills him with his sword. Then Khei and Oume arrived to Iemon's house. Oume is wearing a wedding kimono. Iemon explained to Kihei that Oiwa and Kohei committed adultery, so that he killed them. And he says Kihei's servants to throw their dead bodies into a river. The servants used a door as a stretcher in order to carry two dead bodies away. There is no problem now, so Iemon invites Oume to a bedroom.

Suddenly, Oiwa appeared. Iemon was surprised and killed her. But it was Oume. Iemon falls into disorder, and he find Kohei there. Iemon killed him, but it was Kihei. Then Oiwa's ghost appears, and says that she will avenge herself certainly. And Oiwa's ghost has disappeared.

Scene-8; At Ryogoku Bridge

Cast

A palanquin passed by Ryogoku Bridge, and Chikuzen accompanied it. When Kihei was killed, his house fell into disorder, and Chikuze stole the money then. Chikuzen is carrying the money with a palanquin secretly. Then Akaboshi Hoshigoro who is a big thief appears and robs the money from Chikuzen. Chikuzen and palanquin bearers got away immediately. When Hoshigoro and his henchmen is going to carry the money away, a woman appears on the scene. She introduces herself as Osada, but Hoshigoro finds that she is a male. Osada was Sadakuro who watched the scene that the ghost of Nitta Yoshisada possessed Morono. Sadakuro found that Hoshigoro was Kiryumaru, a son of Yoshisada. Sadakuro has searched for Hoshigoro from then. Hoshigoro's henchmen attack to Sadakuro, and Hoshigoro gets away.

Act-2

Scene-1; At Onbobori moat in Sunamura

Cast

Magobei and a money lender, Mosuke passed by Onbobori moat. Magobei is father of Kohei, and he also searches for a medicine in order to recover the wound of his master, Matanojo. Mosuke has that medicine now as a collateral of Iemon's debt, and he intends to sell it by 20ryo. Magobei needs that medicine, but he doesn't have any money. Mosuke is sympathize with Magobei, so he promises to wait to sell that medicine for a while.

Then Iemon came to Onbobori moat to fish. He met his mother Okuma there in an accident. Okuma worried about Iemon, because she heard that Iemon killed Kihei and Oume. Okuma wrote his name Iemon on a narrow wooden tablet. Okuma brought it there to stand somewhere, and she expected people to think that Iemon had died already. So it was an unexpected meeting for her.

As Iemon heard her idea, he stands the tablet beside Onbobori moat. Okuma served for Morono before, and she received a letter that Morono thanked for her. Okuma gives the letter to Iemon in order to use to get a job as a retainer of Morono. Okuma said that Iemon had better not say his real name, and she recommended him to use the name Kobayashi Heihachiro. Kobayashi is Okuma's former family name.

Just after Okuma left there, Naosuke spoke to Iemon. Naosuke came there in order to catch eels, but he caught a comb instead of an eel. Naosuke heard talking of Iemon and Okuma, and he thought that Okuma's idea of the tablet wasn't a result of deep consideration. Naosuke picked the tablet up, and throws it into the water. A woman finds the tablet that is flowing. She finds Iemon's name on it, and is very surprised, because she is Oyumi who is a daughter of Kihei. After Kihei and Oume were killed, the Ito family ruined soon. And Oyumi now lives in a hut beside the moat alone. Oyumi asked the two men if Iemon died really. Iemon answers 'Yes', and he kicks Oyumi into the water. As a result, Iemon killed Oyumi. Naosuke is surprised of Iemon's cruelty. Iemon says that he must be alive even if his head was lost. A door comes there flowing. Oiwa has been pinned on it. The door turns over, and there is Kohei pinned on it. And Kohei became a skeleton suddenly. The door sank in the water with Oiwa and Kohei finally.

Then, Iemon, Naosuke, Yomoshichi, and Okaru who is a younger sister of Kohei, they all appear on the stage. (Please think that it is in the dark, so that they all can't realize each other.) Iemon slashed Naosuke's stick that he uses to catch an eel. Yomoshichi picked its half up. The stick was written a name 'Gonbei' that is Naosuke's another name. And Naosuke got a secret letter that Yomoshichi had.

After that, Sadakuro meets his lover Okaru. Sadakuro got 50ryo from Yuranosuke to use as a secret liaison man. He knows that Okaru's father Magobei needs money in order to get a medicine for Matanojo. So Sadakuro gave the money to Okaru.

Scene-2; At Misumi house in Fukagawa

Cast

Osode lives with Naosuke together as a fake wife of him, but they are still poverty. A secondhand clothes dealer, Shoshichi visits Osode bringing an old kimono. Osode washes old clothes to get money. When Osode received it, she recalled that her elder sister Oiwa had the similar one. She asked about it, but Shoshichi doesn't answer clearly, and he left there right away. Osode sank the kimono into a washtub.

Naosuke came home, and gave the comb to Osode as a gift. That comb was the one that he caught instead of an eel at Onbobori moat. Osode realized that the comb was the one that Oiwa had as a memento of her mother. Naosuke is confused, and says that he will go to sell the comb. A woman's arm appears from the washtub, and catches Naosuke to stop selling the comb. Naosuke is surprised very much, so that he drops the comb in the washtub. Naosuke finds bloodstain on the old kimono in the washtub. Osode picked the comb up, and put it on her hair.

Then a masseur Takuetsu passed by, and Naosuke asked him to massage. When Takuetsu massages Naosuke, he finds the comb on Osode's hair. He knows that it was Oiwa's one. Takuetsu started talking about the terrible tragedy of Oiwa's death. Osono is surprised to know that Oiwa had died. Takuetsu heard that Osode was a younger sister of Oiwa, so that he was surprised more than Osode. Takuetsu is scared of the complicated causal relationships between people. And he leaves there as soon as possible.

Osode has the three vendetta of father, husband, and sister now. It seems hard for Naosuke to do those vendetta as a fake husband. Osode says that she becomes a real wife of Naosuke. Naosuke accepts it, and he promises her to do the vendetta as her husband. And they have a sexual relationship the first time.

After that, Yomoshichi visits to Naosuke's home. Yomoshichi picked up a stick that was written the name 'Gonbei' at Onboborin moat. Yomoshichi searched for Gonbei, because he thought that Gonbei got the secret letter of Yuranosuke. And he found that Gonbei was an another name of Naosuke finally. Naosuke is very surprised to see Yomoshichi, because he has thought that he killed Yomoshichi. Osode is also surprised. Yomoshichi wonders why Osode is there, but he feels something between Osode and Naosuke at the time. And Yomoshichi proposed Naosuke to exchange Osode and the secret letter of Yuranosuke. Everyone tensed high.

Osode made them be calm, and took them to each different room. Osode asks Naosuke and Naosuke individually to kill the other. Osode goes to bed, and extinguishes a light. As a result, Yomoshixhi and Naosuke both stabbed Osode. Osode thought that she had no choice except to die. Yomoshichi and Naosuke were very surprised. Naosuke finds her umbilical cord note then. As soon as Naosuke read it, he killed Osode completely. That note was written that Osode isn't a real daughter of Yotsuya Samon. Osode was a real younger sister of Naosuke. Naosuke didn't want her to know it, because they had a sexual relationship regardless of their blood relation, so that he killed Osode. Then, Naosuke hard from Yomoshichi that he killed Okuda Shozaburo instead of Yomoshichi. Okuda Shozaburo was an ex-master of Naosuke. Naosuke has committed two taboos, so he stabbed himself and died. He couldn't endure of his serious sins. Yomoshichi regained a secret letter of Yuranosuke at last.

Act-3

Scene-1; In the house of Amagawa Gihei

Cast

Amagawa Gihei is a wealthy merchant who helps the ex-retainers of the Enya. Many wooden boxes were carried to a port from the Amagawa-ya store. Gihei made all servants take a day off and divorced his wife Osono, so that there is him alone in the store except his little son Yoshimatsu. At that night, Osono came home, and asked Gihei to make her meet Yoshimatsu. Gihei refused it, but she couldn't leave there for a while. Then, some black-suit men catch her, and take her away.

Later that night, many pursuers comes to the Amagawa-ya store. They suspected that Gihei must have helped the retainers of the Enya. They brought a wooden box there as an evidence, and demanded to Gihei to open it. Gihei refuses to open the wooden box. They restrict Yoshimatsu, and says that if Gihei didn't open the wooden box, they would kill him. However, Gihei refused obstinately.

Then Yuranosuke appears on the scene. Yuranosuke makes an apology, because he tried Gihei'smind. And he takes out a package to give to Gihei. Gihei is angry with Yuranosuke, because he thinks that the package is money. Gihei feels very sorry that he isn't a bushi, samurai. If he was a bushi, Yuranosuke must have believed him. But it was a bundle of hair and a divorce letter. Yuranosuke says that Gihei doesn't need to divorce his wife Osono, and Osono comes there. Osono says that it is very sorry that she is a woman, because if she was a male, she could help Gihei and the ex-retainers of the Enya. Yuranosuke thanks for Gihei very much, and says that he will use the name of the Amagawa-ya, 'ama' and 'kawa', as passwords when they raid on the mansion of Morono.

Scene-2 ; Fountain in the garden of Morono's mansion

Cast

The secret preparation of the vendetta has finished. There are 47 ex-retainers of the Enya raid on the Morono's mansion. After Koshioda Matanojo took a medicine and recovered, he joined the vendetta. Oboshi Rikiya is a son of Yuranosuke, and he and Matanojo go into the mansion together. Iemon who works for Morono as Kobayashi Heihachiro now and Yomoshichi are fighting. Suddenly, a ghost of Oiwa appears on the scene. Iemon is surprised and is killed by Yomoshichi.

Scene-3 ; Charcoal shed in Morono's inner garden

Cast

As soon as Yakushiji Jirozaemon heard the news that the ex-retainers of the Enya raided on the Morono's mansion, he came there. He doesn't think that Morono wouldn't be killed easily. However he has a thing to worry about. Two arrows of the Genji are in the treasure house of the Morono's mansion. If the arrows were used, the magical power of Yoshisada would vanish. So Yakushiji takes them out. Then a whistle sounds.

Morono is cornered at the charcoal shed in the inner garden. But the ex-retainers of the Enya couldn't be close to Morono because of Yoshisada's magical power. Yoshisada orders Yakushiji to break the arrows. Then Yakushiji's head flies suddenly. The ghost of Lord Enya appeared on the scene and killed Yakushiji. And he says his ex-retainers to kill Morono. The ex-retainers could kill Morono at last. Yuranosuke and the ex-retainers informed to the ghost of Lord Enya that they achieved the vendetta. The ghost of Lord Enya is proud of them, and he orders to break the ambition of Kiryumaru who is a son of Yoshisada. He gave the arrows of the Genji to Yomoshichi.

Scene-4 ; In the depth of Myojingatake mountain along Tokaido High way

Cast

Ono Sadakuro chased a big thief Akaboshi Hoshigoro in real Kiryumaru, and he is fighting against Kiryumaru's henchmen now. Then Okaru who is a lover of Sadakuro comes there, and many rats lead Sadakuro and Okaru to Myojingatake mountain. At Myojingatake mountain, Kiryumaru is fighting against his henchmen who rebel to him. They want money direct instead of making social unrest. Then a hawk flies to Kiryumaru bringing a letter. He read it, and knows that Morono/Yoshisada were killed. Sadakuro and Yomoshichi comes there, and they shot the arrows to Kiryumaru. And Kiryumaru's magical power has vanished.

Scene-5 ; At giant waterfalls in Myojingatake mountain

Cast

Kiryumaru fights against Yomoshichi and Sadakuro in the basin of the giant waterfalls. Kiryumaru is cornered now. (2003,7,5)