Background Information

This play was written by Chikamatsu Tokuzo in 1798, based to murder that happened at the same year. A young doctor killed two men and injured seven men out of jealousy for a prostitute, Okon. It was sensational murder, and Chikamatsu made the murder into this play in the three days. There wasn't any newspaper, TV program or magazine at that time, so that Kabuki was a kind of media to know gossips.

Story

Scene-1;Geisha House Aburaya at Ise

Imada Manjiro comes to the geisha house Aburaya to meet his sweetheart Okishi. Although Okishi is glad very much, there is a party at Aburaya, so that she has no time to spend with Manjiro. Manjiro said that he would come again, and left there. Just after that, Fukuoka Mutsugi arrived to Aburaya, and he heard from Okishi that Manjiro left there just now. Mitsugi is going to follow to Manjiro, but Okishi recommends waiting him at the waiting room. Mitsugi accepts her advice, and he asks her to take his sweetheart geisha Okon here. Okishi said that Okon attended at the party, and that Okishi had to go back there as soon as possible. Okishi says that there is a man who intends to buy both of her and Okon, and she asks Mitsugi how she should do. Mitsugi has no idea, but it is a big problem for him, too. And Okishi leaves from the waiting room.

Imada Manjiro was a son of the chief retainer of the lord Awa, and Hachisuka Daigaku, brother of the lord, plotted to usurp the lord's succession. Daigaku thought to exclude Manjiro's father Kuroemon because of Kuroemon's loyalty to the lord, and made his men steal the sword and its written statement from Manjiro. The lord ordered Manjiro to keep them. Manjiro searched for them, and found. However, Daigaku's men made him go to a geisha house and spend much money, and Manjiro had to leave them instead of money for expenses of a geisha house.

Manjiro has been searching for them again, and asked Mitsugi to help him. Mitsugi's father was a former retainer of Imada family. Mitsugi was adopted by Fukuoka family, but he couldn't leave Manjiro alone. Mitsugi found the sword finally, and he came to Aburaya geisha house to hand it to Manjiro today.

A waitress Manno comes to the waiting room. Manno said that if Mitsugi would like to wait for Manjiro here, he had better meet another geisha instead of his sweetheart Okon. Mitsugi accepts it unwillingly. Manno said Mitsugi to hand his sword to her, because it was the rule of a geisha house. Mitsugi refused it, because it was Aoe Shimosaka. There is a cook Kisuke at Aburaya, he was indebted to Mitsugi. Mitsugi believed Kisuke, and he handed the sword to Kisuke. Manno left from the waiting room to call another geisha.

Kisuke recommends Mitsugi to stop coming to the geisha house, even if there is Okon who is his sweetheart at Aburaya. Mitsugi said that that sword was Aoe Shimosaka, so that he came there to meet Manjiro, and Kisuke didn't need to worry about him so much. Kisuke understands it, and leaves there with the sword. Tokushima Iwaji is one of the Daigaku's retainers. He watched everything at the waiting room. Iwaji took Aoe Shimosaka from the rack, and exchanged the blade of his own sword. Kisuke watched it secretly, but he did nothing about it.

Oshika comes to the waiting room as another geisha of Okon. Mitsugi was disappointed to see Oshika, because she wasn't beautiful, but she was very friendly to Mitsugi. Oshika said that she was very glad that Mitsugi wrote many love letters to her. Mitsugi didn't write any letter to her, so that he was surprised very much. Moreover Oshika said that she lent even money to him. Mitsugi thought that there was someone between Oshika and him. It was Manno.

Many guests and geishas come into the waiting room, and there are Manno and also Okon there. Although Manno wrote many love letters as Mitsugi to Oshika, and she stole money from Oshika, she refused to say fact. And Okon got angry with Mitsugi, so that she refused to continue their love relationship strictly. Mitsugi had no way to prove his innocent, and he was cornered. Mitsugi decided to leave from Aburaya, and Kisuke handed Iwaji's sword that had the blade of Aoe Shimosaka intentionally. Nobody noticed it.

Iwaji said that Okon had a good attitude, when she refused Mitsugi. Iwaji intended to buy Okon and Okishi, and he will take them to Awa together. Okon said that she didn't go anywhere with a man who had a love letter inside his kimono. It wasn't a love letter, but Iwaji handed a thing that was wrapped with a cloth to Okon. And Okon accepted to go to Awa with Iwaji together. It was a written statement of the sword Aoe Shimosaka.

Then, Mitsugi came back to Aburaya. and demanded his sword to Manno right away. The sheath of the sword that Mitsugi had was Iwaji's one, but the blade was real Aoe Shimosaka, and Mitsugi didn't notice it. While they are struggling, a sheath of the sword breaks, and its blade injures Manno. Mitsugi was surprised, but he killed Manno at the result. And he killed people who were there accidentally and unfortunately one after another. He lost himself.

Scene-2;Inner Garden of Aburaya

There were many geishas dancing, but they all run away right away, because Mitsugi appeared on the garden with the bloody sword. Okon runs into the garden with a written statement of the sword Aoe Shimosaka, and says that she refused him unwillingly in order to get it. Mitsugi understood that Okon loved him still now, but he killed many people already, so that he tried to kill himself. Kisuke stopped Mitsugi, and said that it was real Aoe Shimosaka, so that Mitsugi got both of the sword and its written statement now. So Mitsugi will depart to Awa with them.

A man mugged Mitsugi suddenly, and he slashed that man with Aoe Shimosaka. Its blade was very sharp. Kisuke wipes blood on the blade.

How will Mitsugi do responsibility of his murder? (2004,5,1)