Background Information

‘Bancho Sarayashiki’ was written by Okamoto Kido (1872〜1939) as a new Kabuki, and premiered on the Hongoza in Tokyo in 1916. Kido is well known as an author of 'the detective stories of Hanshichi', and he wrote the customs of the Edo period very well in it and the other works.

Cast     

Scene-1; Near Sanno Shrine, Edo

The palanquin appeared and stopped between them, and a woman got down from the palanquin. She, a widow Lady Mayumi, was the aunt of Harima. Lady Mayumi asked Shirobei to stop the dangerous situation. She said that if Shirobei didn’t accept her wish, she would fight instead of her nephew Harima because she was a lady of the samurai class. Shirobei was troubled, but he had no choice because he couldn’t fight against a woman of course. Shirobei accepted to leave there with his henchmen.

Lady Mayumi began the sermon to Harima to stop fighting. First of all, it is a reason of every problem that Harima hasn’t married yet. She recommended marrying with a suitable young woman as soon as possible. Lady Mayumi made Harima recall the woman who introduced to him before, and she said him to consider well about the woman as his wife. Harima says nothing about it. And Lady Mayumi left there. Just after that, Harima whispers that he is weak to the aunt.  

Scene-2;At Harima's Mansion

Aoyama Harima will have a party inviting Mizuno Jurozaemon at his mansion this night. A retainer, Shibata Judayu is leading its preparation, and makes the housemaids, Okiku and Osen, take out the precious set of 10 pieces of dishes. Judayu said that the dishes that were imported from China were very precious, and that if they broke it, they must die. Okiku and Osen count the precious dishes carefully and they each put 5 dishes into the box. Okiku is in a bad mood. She asks Osen how she thinks about the marriage of their lord Harima. Osen answers that it would be very good, and she is looking forward to seeing Harima’s new wife. Okiku became in a bad mood more. Osen is a new housemaid of the Aoyama mansion, so she has no idea why sometimes Okiku becomes in bad mood suddenly. Osen thought that it would be better to leave Okiku alone, and she left there in order to bring a box that 5 pieces of the precious dishes were in to the kitchen.

Okiku has a problem. Harima and Okiku fell in love secretly, but Okiku was worried because she heard that Lady Mayumi was planning the marriage of Harima. Okiku is just a housemaid who doesn’t belong to the samurai clan, and she thinks that she might not be suitable as Harima’s wife regardless of his love. Then, she thinks up something. Okiku thought that it might be a good idea to break the precious dish to know Harima’s mind. If Harima loved Okiku really, he wouldn’t get angry with her. Although Okiku hesitated a moment, she broke it at last. And Okiku didn’t notice that Osen watched it.

Judayu came there and found that Okiku broke the dish. He was furious, and he knew that Harima came home then. Harima comes to the room, and knows that Okikuk broke the precious dish. He said that it was just a mistake and there was no problem because the guests were nine so the dishes weren’t fewer. Harima said Judayu to go to the kitchen, and he started talking with Okiku.

Harima said that Okiku didn’t need to worry about the broken dish because it was mistake. Harima allowed her because of love. Harima said Okiku to throw away the broken dish into a well of the garden, and Okiku did it. After that, Harima asks Okiku how her mother is recently. He thinks that he would like to invite Okiku’s mother to his mansion to live together

Umewakamaru is involved in two punks. A palanquin appears on the stage, and it stops in the center of the stage. The palanquin bearers drive off the punks, and Umewakamaru becomes free, but Umewakamaru feels serious pain suddenly. Sota rubbed the back of Umewakamaru, and he seemed to become feeling good a little. Sota rubbed the breast next, and his hand touched a package of the bosom. He asks what it is, and Umewakamaru answers that it is money.

Sota, in real Yamada Rokuro was husband of Okaji who was a daughter of Gunsuke. Rokuro who was a retainer of the Yoshida clan fell in love with Okaji, but he was allowed the crime of adultery by Lady Hannyo, and went to East with Okaji. Free love affair was forbidden strictly at that time in the samurai society. Now, Rokuro became a gardener in Mukojima, and Okaji sold sakura-mochi, a rice cake that was wrapped by a cherry blossom’s leaf for living.