Abe no Seimei

It snowed in some areas in Tohokku and Hokkaido yesterday.　It's a little cold due to rain. Today's high was 18 degrees Celsius in Yokohama.

"which should I visit for Yaku-yoke(厄除け), a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple?"
"Visit whichever you like."
We oftentimes hear this question. It makes no difference if you visit a temple or shrine for Yaku-yoke.

Yaku-yoke or Yaku-barai(厄除け or 厄祓い) is an exorcism. Many people ask a shrine or temple to perform an exorcism at their critical ages. In general, 25, 42, 61 for men and 19, 33, 37 for women are critical ages. Their ages are based on East Asian age reckoning.  Everyone used to add one year to their age at New Year's in Japan.

It is thought that the exorcism comes from Onmyodo(陰陽道). Onmyodo derived from the Chinese theory of Yin-Yang and the five elements, but it developed independently from the original style in Japan. It includes telling people's fortune with oriental astrology and performing an exorcism on the basis of natural science.

"Onmyoji(陰陽師)" who mastered the secret of Onmyodo was a job title in the Imperial court and the most famous onmyoji was Abe no Seimei (安倍 晴明, 921-1005).
Onmyoji played a role like a feng shui master in the earliest years, but they came to perform magico-religious rituals.  With the rise of samurai class, they fell in decay and Onmyodo became popular among the public. In the Edo Period, would-be onmyoji were rampant.  Temples and shrines came to hold the ritual. Onmyoji maintained their power under the wing of the Tokugawa Shogunate, but the Meiji Government regarded onmyodo as a superstition and prohibited spreading of onmyodo in 1872.


Seimei  Shrine


Seimei Festival(晴明祭) in Kyoto was held at Seimei Jinja Shrine(晴明神社) on September 22nd and 23rd.






Seimei Festival


Abe no Seimei  is enshrined in this shrine. It is said that the shrine was built on the site of Seimei's house in 1007.



Seimei Festival


September 26th is the anniversary of the death of Abe no Seimei, and a ceremony was held at Sagano(嵯峨野) in Kyoto on the day.




Seimei Festival


These ceremonies are not nationally-known, but he is very famous as an onmyoji.
A boom in onmyoji occured around 2000.

Seimei Shrine
















He used pentagram(五芒星, gobousei) as a symbol of five elements. Onmyodo regards pentagram as a sign against evil. Pentagram is also used as a variation of family crests in the motif of balloon flower.


Ashiya Doman Ouchi Kagami(芦屋道満大内鑑) is a bunraku play written by Takeda Izumo(竹田出雲). It was premiered as a bunraku play in 1734 and as a kabuki play in 1735.
This play comes from the legend that a white vixen in the Shinoda Forest(信太森, Shinoda no Mori) had a son, future Abe no Seimei with Abe no Yasuna(安倍保名). The vixen was called Kuzunoha(葛の葉) or Shinodaduma(信太妻).

This legend has a theory that he got his supernatural power from his mother. Legend has it that a thousand-year-old fox turns to a nine-tailed fox spirit in China. Foxes are regarded as the messengers of the god at Inari shrines in Japan, and they were thought to have an uncanny ability to change themselves into humans.

Humans have the power to reason, but animals are driven only by emotion. So animals have a deeper affection than humans do. In this play, the lines of Kuzunoha shows that people of the time thought so.

Sakaki-no-mae(榊の前), an adopted daughter of Kamo no Yasunori(賀茂保憲), tries to select his apprentice Abe no Yasuna(安倍保名) as successor according to his testament. However, she is taken in by the tactics of her stepmother and uncle and is pushed into killing herself.  Yasuna who is her fiancee loses his mind.

"Yasuna(保名)" is one of kabuki dances based on this play. A scene of this play was made into a dance. I hear it's a difficult piece of dance. He wanders vaguely with her kimono. Although he is not of sound mind, his good upbringing must become evident in his every movement. Dancers must perform a sophisticated dance, expressing his love and grief.

He comes upon her sister Kuzunoha who is a look-alike for Sakaki-no-mae. He comes to himself and grows to love Kuzunoha. Then a white vixen appears in front of him. The vixen is saved by Yasuna. After that he is saved by the vixen disguised as Kuzunoha. Yasuna and the vixen live together and have a child. However, real Kuzunoha and her parents pay them a visit.

The highlight of this play is separation from a mother, Kuzunoha. On the contrary, the other scenes of this play are barely played.

She reveals herself to him as she talks to her child.  She warns her child not to be told from people that he is a loser due to coming of a vixen and not to kill needlessly.

Her little child cries for her. Yasuna tries to prevent her from leaving with a loud voice.
"I'll be in disgrace for marrying a vixen, but people can laugh all they want. I'm not letting you go without asking."

However, she disappeared, leaving behind a poem that said, "If you miss me, visit me in the Shinoda Forest of Izumi."

Kuzunoha heads for the Shinoda Forest through late autumn scenery including blue beard or Caryopteris incana(段菊 or 蘭菊, dangiku or rangiku), bush clovers, Susuki grass, shigure(a shower in late autumn) and the sound of crickets. This scene was also made into a dance.

A child says, "foxes' wedding!" after seeing her. Ancient people believed that it suddenly rained in the sunshine as the wedding procession of foxes went by. It breaks her heart to see a little child.

kaki, scarecrow, naruko(bird clapper), rice ear

She dreads dogs' barks and the sound of bird clappers(naruko) in the paddies of late‐growing rices.









Yasuna and others go to the forest and meet Kuzunoha. She disappears after telling them that she saves her child. Little Seimei with superhuman prowess and Yasuna bring villains' crimes to light. Seimei is designated as onmyoji by the Imperial court.

Ashiya Doman(芦屋道満) was also a onmyoji and often appears in legends and ancient tales as the Seimei's most powerful rival. He is almost cast as a villain who is beaten in testing their skills of magic.
In this play, he is not a villain for a change and gives the child the name of Seimei.

In fact, Seimei was an apprentice of Kamo no Yasunori who was a onmyoji. Yasunori trained his son Mitsuyoshi(光栄) and Seimei to succeed.  According to an ancient tales, Mitsuyoshi(光栄) and Seimei disputed about which is the favored apprentice. It is said this tale changed into competition between Seimei and Doman.

People go to kabuki theaters to watch kabuki actors, so various performances were added to plays by actors themselves so as to make them look more attractive:
An actor as Kuzunoha makes a quick change and plays the parts of real and fake Kuzunoha in the same scene.
Real Kuzunoha and her parents run in panic on seeing fake Kuzunoha and she cries out.
Yasuna tries things out to unmask fake Kuzunoha.
With a child in her arm, fake Kuzunoha writes with her left hand or with a ink brush between her teeth.

Meanwhile, in buraku plays, the aural rendering by narrators(tayu) and shamisen players has an equal power with the visual rendering by puppeteers. Bunraku play is a fine collaboration between puppeteers, narrators and shamisen players.
Kabuki has a lot of fanfare, but bunraku describes the feelings of fake Kuzunoha with subdued movements.

wild ancestor of thoroughwort

Seven autumnal flowers according to the poems of Yamanoue no Okura(山上憶良, 660?-733?) in the Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) includes bush clover(萩,hagi), Japanese silver grass(薄,susuki), kudzu(葛), fringed pink(撫子,nadeshiko), Patrinia scabiosifolia or golden lace(女郎花,ominaeshi), thoroughwort(藤袴,fujibakama) and balloon flower(桔梗,kikyou). These flowers are blooming in August and September.


Blue beard(Caryopteris incana)


A fox hides behind a thicket of blue beard in a poem by Chinese poet Bai Juyi (白居易,772–846). So the flower came to be linked with the fox.


photo by「季節の花 ３００」

The sight of undulating and shining susuki flowers in the sun is very beautiful. Now is the best time to view a carpet of susuki flowers in Hakone Sengokuhara(箱根仙石原).

photos by フリー素材タウン

Shinpan Utazaimon

Jigen-ji Temple

A Buddhist ceremony called Nozaki Mairi(野崎参り) is held at Jigen-ji Temple(慈眼寺) in Osaka Prefecture from May 1st to 8th. Sutras are recited to thank everything.The principal Buddhist image of the temmple is Nozaki Kannon(Mercy Goddess).

The ceremony dates back to the end of the 17th century. It draws many visitors during the period. Nozaki Mairi appears in some plays such as "Onnagoroshi Abura no Jigoku(Woman-Killer in Oil Hell)" by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, "Shinpan Utazaimon(新版歌祭文)" by Chikamatsu Hanji and others.

A merchant's daughter named Some(そめ) and one of her father's apprentices named Hisamatasu(久松) committed suicide together on the 6th day of the 1st month in the lunar calendar in 1710.

Kabuki and bunraku plays based on this incident were performanced in the same year.
"Somemoyo Imoseno kadomatsu(染模様妹背門松) " by Suga Sensuke is a remake of a 1710 bunraku play and was first performed in 1767.

Shinpan Uta-zaimona is also based on this incident and was premiered in 1780.
Originally, saimon(祭文) is an address to the gods in a religious ritual. It was deconsecrated by mountain priests and became an entertainment. Uta(歌) means a song. Utazaimon(歌祭文) is a ballad　featuring sensational news such as love suicide with shamisen accompaniment. Shinpan means a new version, so Shinpan Uta-zaimona is a new version of the tragic love story between Osome and Hisamatsu.

Romances between masters' daughters and servants were banned in the merchant family, but Osome(お染) falls in love with Hisamatsu.
He is framed by an another apprentice and is sent his parents' home at Nozaki Village. His father attempts to marry him to his stepdaughter, Omitsu(お光). He can't tell his father about his lover. He is torn between love and duty. Osome follows him to the village while wedding preparations are under way.

Osome is an urbane rich girl and Omitsu is a strong-minded country girl. Both of them don't give in an inch.
How will the love triangle work out?

His father persuades Hisamatsu and Osome to give up on their love, and it seems to make it work for his father.  However, Omitsu makes a drastic move.

She appears in a bridal costume (white kimono) with bride's silk floss headdress, but a monk's stole and her short haircut are underneath the costume. Omitsu decides to prolong the death of Hisamatsu and Osome by becoming a nun and bowing out gracefully. She knows they will commit suicide together if this goes on.

When I wacthed this play with a friend of mine, we couldn't go along with her behavior. The two end up comitting suicide together in another scene. Only the scene of Nozaki Village is performed now.

Modern scripts consist of stage directions and dialogues, but bunraku scripts are close to novels. So bunraku without puppets, a storytelling called sujoruri(素浄瑠璃) by narrator(太夫, tayu) and shamisen player is occasionally performed.

At the scene of Nozaki Village, tayu need to perform the voices of several characters including two young women in the same generations.  I was greatly moved by the storytelling of a skilful tayu at the scene without puppets. This is the best play for young tayu to try his skill in storytelling.

Kagamiyama Kokyo no Nishiki-e and Ooku

Maids of warrior families are allowed to return home during the Doll's Festival. "Meiboku Sendai Hagi(伽羅先代萩)" and "Kagamiyama Kokyo no Nishiki-e(加賀見山旧錦絵)" used to be performed for them in the 3rd month.

"Meiboku Sendai Hagi(伽羅先代萩)" is a kabuki or bunraku play based on the internal strife in the Sendai Domain between 1660 and 1671.  It was premiered as a kabuki play in 1777 and as a bunraku play in 1785.

The highlight of this play is the suffering of Masaoka(政岡) who is the wet nurse of her young lord.  She is torn between love for her child and loyalty to her lord.

"Kagamiyama Kokyo no Nishiki-e(加賀見山旧錦絵)" is a kabuki or bunraku play based on the internal strife in the Kaga Domain in 1748 and an actual incident occurred at a feudal lord's residence in Edo. It was premiered as a bunraku play in 1782 and as a kabuki play in 1783.

At the residence maintained by a feudal lord of the Hamada Domain in Edo in 1724, first lady-in-waiting Sawano gave second lady-in-waiting Michi a thrashing because Michi wore Sawano's zori(Japanese sandals) by mistake. Michi was shamed into committing suicide and Michi's waiting maid Satsu got revenge against Sawano to death.

Instead of being punished, Satsu won acclaim for her loyalty. She rose to the rank of second lady-in-waiting.
There is Satsu's grave in Hamada City of Shimane Prefecture.

The three women came from samurai family, but Onoe(Michi) is a commoner's daughter in the play.  This play received empathy from maids who were through the same kind of experience.

Ooku (大奥) refers to the shogun harem in Edo Castle. About 1000 women including the shogun's mother, wife, concubines and maids resided there. The maids were divided into 3 ranks in a broad way and more than 20 ranks for details.

The maids whose father was received in audience with the shogun and his wife had the potential to advance their career. However, they were not allowed to get a lover and marry during their lifetimes. They were scarcely able to go out of the castle.

The daughters of rich merchants or farmers were not able to move upward in Ooku, but they were allowed to make a home visit and were able to marry after coming back to their parents' home.  They tried to gain prestige by going into service in Ooku to make a good match.

Both of high-ranked and low-ranked maids had a chance to catch the shogun's attention and become the shogun's mother before age 30, but high-ranked ones had more opportunities than low-ranked ones.

A top-ranked maid got a salary of 25 million yen a year, but second-ranked maids were at the helm of Ooku.  They had jobs with prestige.
A second-ranked maid got a salary of 15 million yen a year and a house in Edo. They earned house rent income by letting their houses.
A bottom-ranked maid got a salary of less than a million yen a year, but the salary was equivalent to more than double a typical live-in maid's salary.

Maids who had worked for Ooku for over 30 consecutive years received pensions whole life long.

Successive financial reformers of the Edo Shogunate tried to reduce the costs of Ooku, but Ooku's annual budget went up to 24 billion yen around the end of the Edo Period.

The 8th Shogun Yoshimune underwent a major restructuring of Ooku. He retired young and beautiful maids on the assumption that they could find a new carrer.  Every furloughed maid didn't file a claim.

Chushingura(2)

Kira's son Uesugi Tsunanori(上杉 綱憲) was the 4th lord of the Yonezawa Domain.
(Uesugi Kagekatsu who was Uesugi Kenshin's son was the first load of the domain.　Shinshu Kawanakajima Gassen and Honcho Nijushi Kou)

Kira's adopted son Yoshimasa(義周) was one of Tsunanori's sons. Tsunanori urged Kira to move to Yonezawa and it is said the farewell tea ceremony was held on the 14th day.
On hearing about the the raid by the Ako warriors, Tsunanori tried to deliver reinforcements. However his relative held him back.

Eighteen-year-old Yoshimasa waged a brave war against the warriors, but he was seriously injured.
Later the shogunate extinguished Kira's family line and drove him into exile. He was born weak and died of disease at the age of 21 in the place of exile.

Two of his retainers who moved from the Yonezawa Domain to Kira's house with him battled fiercely. One of them was killed in battle and the other was badly injured. Later the surviving retainer accompanied Yoshimasa to the place of exile.

The warriors put out fires caused by the raid and put Kira's headless body to bed after Kira's death. Then, one of them went away. It's not known exactly why.
Forty-six warriors went to Sengaku-ji Temple and placed Kira's head in front of Asano's grave. Later the head was carried back to Kira's retainer by the monks of the temple.

They were entrusted to the cares of four feudal lords.
The shogunate was at a loss over how to cope with the raid.
Raids were punishable by death. Meanwhile, their loyalty to their lord won widespread praise.

On the 4th day of the 2nd month(March 20th), the shogunate ordered them to commit harakiri. They did it the same day and were buried in the graves on the grounds of Sengaku-ji.

Their sons aged 15 and over except monks were driven into exile, but they were pardoned by the next shogun. Asano's brother regained his position as a direct retainer of the shogun. One of Oishi's sons was employed by Asano's head family.
Meanwhile, Yoshimasa death put an end to the Kira Family.

The sons of the 46 warriors received an offer from many domains. However, most of the Ako warriors who didn't take part in the raid could not serve another feudal lord.

Kira gained an infamous reputation for the raid, but was he such a bad person?
Injuring someone by stabbing in Edo Castle was an capital felony. Kira was a victim. Asano should have been punished severely whatever the reason.
The worst of it is that the shogun and his henchmen didn't find out why Asano made a cut at Kira.
The shogunate left warriors although it knew their plot, and no one tried to prevent them from raiding Kira's house when they were heading for it.

Kanadehon in the title "Kanadehon Chushingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)" means an old Japanese alphabet copybook. This alphabet is also a poem which consists of 47 different letters.
Kanadehon is a pun for the 47 warriors.

いろはにほへと   ちりぬるを

わかよたれそ     つねならむ

うゐのおくやま    けふこえて

あさきゆめみし   ゑひもせす

i-ro-ha-ni-ho-he-to    chi-ri-nu-ru-wo

wa-ka-yo-ta-re-so    tsu-ne-na-ra-mu

u-wi-no-o-ku-ya-ma   ke-fu-ko-e-te

a-sa-ki-yu-me-mi-shi  we-hi-mo-se-su

This poem have several possible meanings. One of them is as follows.

The petals fall after blooming.
Everything changes in this world.
I got over a steep mountain in my life today.
I don't want to dream an empty dream when being sober.




East Gardens (the ruins of  the palace)


The present Imperial Palace was built on the site of Edo Castle.

People are not allowed to enter the palace, but the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace is open to people.

There isn't a trace of the corridor where the incident occurred, but the sign in the garden says that it used to be there.


East Gardens (the terraced walls of the castle)



Chushingura (1)

A little snow pile up on the road yesterday. In recent years we have little snow here.

Late on the 14th day of the 12th month in the lunar calendar (January 31st in 1703 according to the Gregorian calendar), forty-seven Ako(赤穂) warriors raided the house of Kira Kozukenosuke(吉良上野介) and killed him around 4 a.m. on the 15th day.

We think of the scene that the warriors are headed for Kira's house in the snow. The memorial event for Ako warriors are held at Sengaku-ji Temple on December 14th, but the snow doesn't piled up at this time of year. In fact, it is said that it was a clear and frigid night with a full moon.

Kanadehon Chushingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵) based on this incident was written by Takeda Izumo Ⅱ(二代目竹田出雲), Miyoshi Syouraku(三好松洛), Namiki Senryu(並木千柳) premiered as a bunraku play in 1748, as a kabuki play in 1749.

he story has been featured in films and TV dramas many times in Japan.
In 2012, this story will be adapted into a 3D film called "47 Ronin" that starred Keanu Reeves. He will play an imagined character for the film. Ronin means a masterless samurai.


It all starts with the incident that Asano Takumi no Kami (浅野内匠頭), the lord of the Ako Domain made a cut at Kira Kozukenosuke with a sword in the corridor of Edo Castle on the 14th day of the 3rd month(on April 21st) in 1701.  The Edo Shogunate was due to perform a very important ceremony after welcoming Imperial messengers at Edo Castle.

The 5th Shogun Tsunayoshi was outraged by the incident. Asano committed suicide(harakiri) on the order of Tsunayoshi on the day of the incident without a detailed investigation in the face of opposition, and that he was sentenced to death by committing harakiri on the garden. Generally a feudal lord committed harakiri in the house.

It was unprecedented for a lord of domain to be ordered to commit suicide on the day of an incident.
Asano said that he had something against Kira, but it's not known exactly why he did so. The shogun extinguished the Ako Domain.  Kira was not punished because he didn't fight back at all.

At night on the 14th day, Asano's retainers received his body and held a funeral in obscurity at Sengaku-ji Temple(泉岳寺). At midnight, Asano's wife was taken along to a house belonging to her father.

The Edo Shogunate decided to punish Asano's brother and cousins on the 15th day. The domain's residences were handed over to another domains on the 17th and 18th day after the members of the Ako Domain working in Edo (now Tokyo) left there.

In the early morning of the 19th day, the members of the domain in Ako(now a part of Hyogo Prefecture) got the initial report of the incident.
The domain used to pay with local paper money issued in Ako. Chief retainer Oishi Kuranosuke(大石内蔵助) decided to change local paper money into national currency at a 40% discount. At that time another domains paid at more discount rate.

The members in Ako split over what to do about the incident. One group advocated holding out against the government barricading themselves inside Ako castle and the other group advocated reviving the domain after surrendering their castle to the government.

The members in Edo strongly advocated avenging their lord's death. Oishi Kuranosuke distributed more surplus funds to low-class warriors, but Oishi himself didn't get a share of the funds.
He led the members to accept the surrender of the castle to ask for reviving the domain by following their master to the grave. Advocates for his plan made an oath to commit harakiri by submitting a written pledge sealed with blood.

On the 19th day of the 4th month, Oishi surrendered Ako castle without blood. Some members including him attended to their backlog of the domain's government.  Asano's tomb was raised at Koyasan.

In the 8th month, the shogunate ordered Kira to move home and ordered Kira's brother, Kira's close companion and the person who made Asano commit suicide in a demeaning manner to give up their posts. In the 12th month, Kira transferred responsibility for the family to his adopted child(his biological grandchild) and his wife came back to her parents.

In the 1st month in 1702, Kayano Sanpei(萱野三平), one of the advocates committed suicide at the age of 28 because he was torn between loyalty to his lord and his father who offered to serve another lord. Hayano Kanpei(早野勘平) in Chushingura was modeled on him. Another advocate committed suicide with a courtesan.

Oishi lobbied powerful persons for reviving the domain, but their hopes were dashed on the 18th day of the 7th month in 1702. Oishi also decided to aim exclusively at avenging their lord's death.
Then Oishi provided an opportunity for the advocates to withdraw from the alliance by returning their written pledges. Because the advocates included the supporters of reviving the domain.

On the 5th day of the 11th month, members including Oishi reached Edo. It's not true that Oishi visited Asano's wife to say farewell after reacing Edo.

Oishi learned from a Japanese classical scholar that a tea ceremony was held at Kira's house. The scholar was one of Oishi's friends and was often invited to Kira's house.
Otaka Gengo(大高源五), one of the advocates, was also well known as a haiku poet and apprenticed himself to a famous tea master to found out the dates of the tea ceremony. Otaka published a collection of haiku poems before going to Edo.

Late on the 14th day of the 12th month (on January 31st in 1703), forty-seven warriors raided the house of Kira.

Meiboku Sendai Hagi

We eat o-hagi(or botamochi) at Higan in spring and autumn. It's called ohagi in the season for hagi(萩:Lespedeza or Japanese bush clover).

Maru ni Kyumaihagi(丸に九枚萩)
Nine leaves of Japanese bush clover in a circle

Hanatsuki Dakihagi(花付き抱き萩)
Blossoming Japanese bush clover

下中菜穂,「切り紙　もんきり遊び」,株式会社宝島社,2007年,P.13,23
Nabo Shimonaka, Kirigami Monkiri-asob(Tokyo:TAKARAJIMASHA,Inc.,2007),P.13,23





The Japanese bush clovers in Sendai(仙台) are now at their peak.

We associate Sendai with Date Masamune (伊達 政宗,1567-1636), who was a fearsome warlord during the Warring States period and the early Edo period. He was also called dokuganryu(独眼竜,one-eyed dragon) because of loss of the right eye due to smallpox.
He was the first lord of the Sendai Domain and formed the basis of today's Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture.

"Meiboku Sendai Hagi(伽羅先代萩)" is a kabuki or bunraku play based on the internal strife in the Sendai Domain between 1660 and 1671. It was premiered as a kabuki play in 1777 and as a bunraku play in 1785.

The actual incident like this.
After the 3rd lord of the Sendai Domain was deposed by feudal lords related to him due to his debauchery, Date Tsunamura(伊達 綱村) became the 4th lord of the Sendai Domain. His granduncles who were the feudal lords of another domains had real power as guardians for him because he was only two years old.

However, the domain were mired in confusion because there was internal strife. A chief retainer and one of his granduncles strove to build a centralized governance structure, and some members of the Date clan strove to maintain the decentralization of power. The domain was divided into two factions by infighting over policy differences.

In 1666, the lord was nearly killed with poison. 
In addition, when a territorial dispute among two factions arose, the Sendai Domain gave an award against a member of the Date clan. The member appealed to the Edo Shogunate.  Edo Shogunate summoned relevant people to the chief minister's house for trial on the 27th day of the 3rd month in 1671. The chief retainer of the Sendai Domain killed the member of the Date clan, and the chief retainer and a faction member of the Date clan killed each other.

Only people belonging to the faction of the lord's granduncle were punished. All the men of the chief retainer's family including infants, adopted child to other homes were forced to commit suicide. The lord escaped punishment due to his tender age.


The highlight of this play is the suffering of Masaoka(政岡) who is torn between love for her child and loyalty to her lord.
Masaoka is the wet nurse of her young lord. Her little son also serves the lord. She prevents her lord from eating served meals for fear of poisoning and boiled rice with utensils for tea cerremony.

She is a mother but the guardian of her lord. Her lord is a child but the lord of the domain. His son is a child but a retainer. While she praises her lord, she gets toughs with her son.

Wives of a shogunate high-ranking official and a member of the domain visit the lord. Actually, they feel hostile toward the lord and give him poisoned confections as a gift from the shogun. Masaoka keeps him from eating them, but the wives blame her on suspecting a gift from the shogun.

Then, his son obeys his mother's instructions. He comes running up to the confections, and he eats them.  One of the wives stabs his son suffering from poison with a dagger on plea of terrible discourtesy to avoid detection. Masaoka desperately tries to stay calm without getting upset.
When being left alone there, she displays her grief in the face of her dead son.

We can't understand her. But kabuki actors and bunraku puppeteers say that Masaoka is a challenging role.


Chinese characters "伽羅" are commonly read "kyara." Kyara(伽羅, aloes-wood) is a high-quality agarwood(沈香, jinkou). The 3rd lord of the Sendai clan went to brothels very often, wearing precious wooden clogs made of aloes-wood.
Sendai Hagi(先代萩) comes from the former(先代, sendai) lord's favorite Lespedeza buergeri(木萩, kihagi).　

Female servants of warrior families are allowed to return home during the Doll's Festival. This play used to be performed for them in the 3rd month.


By the way, there is a sequel to the incident.
In 1923, a covenant under joint signatures was discovered In the attic of a temple. The covenant says that a Buddhist memorial service for the chief retainer was held at the temple six years after his death and 139 of his former retainers attended it. Memorial service for him has been held at the temple every year.

The name of the chief retainer is Harada Kai(原田甲斐), who is named Nikki Danjou (仁木弾正) in the play. He gets categorized as a devil in the play, but there are strong doubts about whether Harada Kai who endeared him to many people was a villain.

Many people gather from the covenant that there were complicated circumstances behind the incident.

Shinshu Kawanakajima Gassen and Honcho Nijushi Kou

It is said that Yamamoto Kansuke (山本勘助) served Takeda Shingen(武田信玄, 1521-1573) as a military strategist. Shingen was a warlord of Kai Province (now Nagano Prefecture) and is known for the battles of Kawanakajima (川中島の戦い) with Uesugi Kenshin(上杉謙信, 1530-1578) of Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture).  The five major battles took place in 1553, 1555, 1557, 1561 and 1564.
 
According to the Kouyou Gunkan (甲陽軍鑑, a record of the military exploits of the Takeda family), Yamamoto Kansuke was blind in one eye and didn't have full use of his one leg, started out on a training journey, was employed at a high salary by Shingen and was killed during the battle of Kawanakajima in 1561.

Only the Kouyou Gunkan incorporates the life story of Yamamoto Kansuke, so most people inferred from it that he was not a real person.  In recent decades, several correspondences that confirms the existence of him were found. He was thought to be an aide close to Shingen, but his real life remains a mystery.

"Shinshu Kawanakajima Gassen(信州川中島合戦)"is a bunraku play, which was written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon(近松門左衛門) based on the battle. It was premiered in the 8th month in 1721.

The monologue of Kansuke's mother(fictional character) hit me in my mind.
She was born in Owari, grew up in Suruga, married into a family in Mikawa, lived with her son who was masterless samurai in Shinano and lived with her son who served Shingen in Kai. She was going to live out her last days there and never thought she would die in Echigo. She could not find a place where she can live in peace to the end.
For the first time after age 70, she finds out her permanent home called the Pure Land in the West(西方浄土) where people are relieved from suffering, by dying.

There is a common saying that woman has no home of her own in the three worlds(女三界に家なし). It means that woman can't get places in this world. It was once thought that woman had to obey her parents when she was a child, to become a trailing spouse after marriage and to obey her children when she was old. It shows woman's low status of that time in society.
In addition, she lived at a time of war and turmoil. She chose suicide to prevent her son from submitting to negotiations in return for freeing her held hostage. Death would have relieved many people from suffering.

Kenshin changed his name several times. His names include Nagao Kagetora (長尾景虎), Uesugi Masatora (上杉政虎) and Uesugi Terutora (上杉輝虎). Naoe Yamashiro-no-kami(直江山城守) in the above play indicates Naoe Kanetsugu (直江兼続,1560-1620) who was a chief retainer of Uesugi clan. His life was featured in a NHK TV drama in 2009.

Kenshin was both a fearsome warlord and a priest who believed particularly in Vaisravana (毘沙門天, guardian god of Buddhism). I have an image of Kenshin as the leader of a religious cult. He was a unique individual. Meanwhile, Shingen sat in the seat of power by purging his father from Kai Province. They tried to put Zenkoji temple(善光寺) in Nagano City under the care of them. Now their mortuary tablets lay alongside at the temple.

Both of Shingen and Kenshin died not in battle but of disease. After their death, their sons, Uesugi Kagekatsu(上杉景勝) and Takeda Katsuyori(武田勝頼) built an military alliance against massive military forces of Oda Nobunaga(織田信長), and Shingen's daughter Kikuhime(菊姫)was given in marriage to Kagekatsu.

Although Kagekatsu delivered reinforcements, Takeda family went to ruin before its arrival because of the late arrival due to dialogue discrepancy between Kagekatsu and commander of the reinforcement. Kagekatsu made his retainer search for Katsuyori and his son after its destruction.

It is said that Kikuhime was a beautiful and intelligent lady. Kagekatsu and she had no child, but she endeared herself to him and people around him. After Shingen's another son defected to the domain of Kagekatsu, Uesugi clan gave special treatment to him and his descendants as members of a domain lord's family.

It is said that Yaegakihime(八重垣姫) in a bunraku play named "Honcho Nijushi Kou(本朝廿四孝)" is modeled after Kikuhime. It was written by Chikamatsu Hanji(近松半二) and others and was based on Shinshu Kawanakajima Gassen and others. It was premiered on the 14th day of the 1st month in 1766.

The story highlights Yaegakihime's dramatic movement that presents her passionate love. Yaegakihime crosses over the frozen lake with the help of a samurai warrior helmet and foxes to protect her fiance from an assassination attempt by her father. The helmet was given by the god of Suwa Myoujin and the foxes are messengers of the god.

While Yaegakihime takes a drastic action for the love of her fiance, she has a dignified elegance. It's a challenging role for puppeteers, so it's regarded as one of the three major princesses in bunraku plays.
I was absolutely enthralled by Yaegakihime manipulated by puppeteer Yoshida Minosuke.

Nijushi Kou(廿四孝) means the 24 filial exemplars in Confucianism. The title comes from the third act of the play based on one of the exemplars.

koi no odamaki

August 16th was the 7th day of 7th month in the lunar calendar this year.

Imoseyama-onna-teikin(妹背山婦女庭訓) is a bunraku play written by Chikamatsu Hanji, Matsuda Baku, Sakai Zenpei, Chikamatus Tounan and Miyoshi Syouraku. It was premiered in 1771.

The highlight in the first half of the play is a tragic love story like Romeo and Juliet in the season for the Dolls' Festival.

In the second half of it, a love triangle is featured.
Omiwa(お三輪) is a daughter of a liquor shop owner. Fujiwara no Tankai(藤原淡海) secretly aspires to defeat a rebel, Soga no Iruka(蘇我入鹿) under an assumed name. Tachibana-hime(橘姫) is Iruka's sister, but she declines to be identified.

Tachibana-hime comes to see him in the evening. Omiwa comes back after attending the Star Festival held at the school of her childhood. Puppeteer Yoshida Minosuke showed a Omiwa's endearing childlike gesture by making her knead and blow a Chinese lantern plant.
Omiwa and Tachibana-hime fight over Tankai.

Two bobbins called odamaki(苧環), which are offerings of the Star Festival, are effectively used as stage props. Tankai ties one end of a string to Tachibana-hime's sleeve and Omiwa ties one end of other string to his sleeve. They follow the trail of
their lovers by tracing strings.

They reach Iruka's palace. Tankai learns that she is Iruka's sister. Omiwa is jealous of Tachibana-hime after her waiting maids mock at Omiwa. Tachibana-hime decides to take Tankai's side against her brother, and Tankai makes a vow to become one with her.

A retainer of Tankai's father stabs at Omiwa with a knife. He tells her that the blood of a woman being insanely jealous is needed to defeat Iruka. Omiwa is pleased to give her life as a sacrifice for fulfilling Tankai's wish. She dies wishing to be joined together in posterity instead of giving up impossible love in this world.

I went to this play with a friend of mine. We disagreed with the story ends. However, there is another argument that it would make Omiwa feel happy to shed blood for him if she has no chance to become one with him.


This play features an event of cleaning wells called Ido-gae(井戸替) and refers to the schools for farmers and townspeople called terakoya(寺子屋).

The Edo Shogunate institutionalized to clean all of the wells in Edo on the the 7th day of the 7th month. Most commoners in Edo were tenants, and they cleaned down the inside walls of wells, removed all the water from wells and scooped dirt out of their bottom under the direction of their superintendents. Edo didn't have a sewerage system, but it had public drinking water supplies.

The children of samurai families studied at the schools of the feudal domains. About 40% of the farmers and townspeople are estimated to have studied at the schools which taught reading, writing and arithmetic necessary for merchants, artisans and farmers.

The parents of the farmers and townspeople payed tuition and fees in proportion to their income. The parents in rural areas often payed in kind. Terakoya school teachers were proud of their works, so they didn't expel the children of people that fell behind in their tuition payments.
It is said that Edo had a literacy rate of nearly 100 percent at the end of the Edo period.

Natsu Matsuri Naniwa kagami

"Natsu Matsuri Naniwa kagami(夏祭浪花鑑)" was written by Namiki Senryu(並木千柳), Miyoshi Syouraku(三好松洛), Takeda Izumo Ⅱ(二代目竹田出雲) and was premiered as a bunraku play in August in 1745, as a kabuki play the following month. It was based on an actual incident that A fish peddler had a fight with a habitual gambler and killed him.

This play is a regular performance in summer, along with "Ise-ondo Koi no Netaba(伊勢音頭恋寝刃)".
The highlight of the play is a scene of a lead character killing his greedy father-in-law because of persistent invective.
With the festival music including the sound of drumbeats and bell jingles, Danshichi kills his father-in-law Giheiji in mud (in kabuki, real muddy water is used) during the summer festival of Kouzu-gu(高津宮) shrine in Osaka.

However, what surprised me most was an action taken by Tokubei's wife, Otatsu(お辰).
Her husband Tokubei(徳兵衛) is yakuza (gangster). When she visits his peer Sabu(三婦), Subu's wife asks her to shelter a young man, Isonojou(磯之丞). But Sabu expresses concerns Isonojou may hook up with Otatsu because she's sexually attractive.
Surprisingly, she holds a red-hot poker against her face by herself and said, "Do you still think I have a sexy look?"

We think that she doesn't need to go to such lengths.
Yakuza were incredibly loyal while being belligerent. They were willing to die for their benefactors. She is the prototype yakuza's wife of modern yakuza movies.

The summer festival of Kouzu-gu is still held on July 17th and 18th every year.










hanten(半纏:traditional short coat as worn at festivals), setta(雪駄:leather-soled sandals), obi(帯:obi sash), hachimaki(鉢巻き:headband) and watermelon.
Hanten is stitched with an embroidery technology called sashiko(刺し子) which has been used for keeping warm and reinforcement of cloth.

ドールハウス（夏祭り）デザイン/石津喜代子
"Dollhouse(summer festival)" designed by Kiyoko Ishizu

Nobuaki Seto(ed), Oheya ni Kazaru Wafu no Mini quilt(Tokyo:Nihon Vogue-sha,1996),P.49.
瀬戸信昭編集,お部屋に飾る和布のミニキルト(東京:日本ヴォーグ社,1996年),P.49.

the day of the ox in mid-summer

This summer heat makes us feel exhausted.

Today is the day of the ox during the period called Doyo(土用). The last 18 days of each season are referred to as Doyo.

The beginning day of Doyo was July 20th this year. On the day, there is a custom of eating Doyo-mochi(土用餅) in Kyoto and Kanazawa.
Nobles of the Imperial Court used to eat miso soup with rice dumplings to beat the summer heat. In the middle of the Edo Period, people came to eat rice cake covered with adzuki bean paste on the first day of Doyo.

Doyo-mochi(土用餅)












People eat broiled eel on the day of the ox in mid-summer to recover from fatigue.
It is said that Hiraga Gennai (平賀 源内, 1729–1779) projected the advertising copy that eating eel helps to beat the summer heat at the request of an eel shopkeeper who had been suffering poor sales of eel in summer.

I found the following waka poem.

石麻呂に　われ物申す　夏やせに　良しといふものぞ　むなぎとりめせ (大伴家持「万葉集」)
"I tell Ishimaro to eat eel because it helps to the summer heat", written by Otomo no Yakamochi(c.718-785) in "Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves"

Hiraga Gennai was a Japanese pharmacologist, student of Western studies, physician, author, painter and inventor in the Edo Period. He also wrote bunraku plays under the name of Fukuuchi Kigai(福内鬼外).
Shinrei Yaguchi no Watashi(神霊矢口渡), one of his plays, was premiered in 1770 as a bunraku play and is still performed nowadays. In this story, a ferryman's daughter sacrifices herself for the man she loves although she know he has a steady partner.

Ise-ondo Koi no Netaba

Ise-ondo Koi no Netaba(伊勢音頭恋寝刃)

On the 4th day of the 5th month in the lunar calendar (on June 9th in the Gregorian calendar), Nine people were killed or injured by a doctor at a brothel in Huruichi(古市) near Ise Jingu(or Ise Grand Shrine, 伊勢神宮). In two days, he committed suicide at his uncle's house.

Ise-ondo Koi no Netaba(伊勢音頭恋寝刃) was written by Chikamatsu Tokuzou(近松徳三) based on this incident. He added a family feud and investigation of a noted sword to the story. It was premiered as a kabuki play in late summer in 1796.

In kabuki, this play is a regular performance in summer.
It was made into a bunraku play in 1838. In bunraku, some parts of the play are performanced. The bunraku play produces a humorous visual effect by cutting a puppet's head completely in half.
It appeared as the indiscriminate mass killing to me.

The doctor's uncle was a onshi(御師).
Onshi(or oshi) belonged to temples or shrines, showed worshippers around them and arranged accommodations for worshippers like travel agencies.
Onshi belonging to Ise Jingu travelled all over the country and encouraged people to make a pilgrimage to the shrine.

Ise Jingu is the holiest site in Shinto. However, the war-torn era had caused a decrease in both worshippers and onshi's incomes. So they started promotional activities to attract more worshippers in the Edo Period(1603-1868).
Commoners were prohibited from moving freely across Japan in the Edo Period, but only going in pilgrimage was allowed.

They went on a sightseeing trip to Ise and other sacred places such as Todai-ji(東大寺) in Nara Prefecture, Kiyomizu-dera(清水寺) in Kyoto, Kotohiragu(金刀比羅宮) in Kagawa Prefecture, Zenkou-ji(善光寺) in Nagano Prefecture and Kumano-sanzan(熊野三山) in Wakayama Prefecture under color of religious pilgrimage.
In the 1830s, 4.8 million people, which accounted for a sixth part of the total population in Japan, made pilgrimages to Ise Jingu.

The cost of the pilgrimage was comparable with a farmer's annual income, so fellow pilgrims put aside some money on a regular basis for the pilgrimage and chose a delegate as a pilgrim to Ise by lot.

Japan in the Edo Period had good road connections. It was easy to find accommodation along the main roads. Travellers enjoyed local dishes. They were able to send their souvenirs to their houses by parcel delivery service when they went along the Tokaido (東海道) road. It was dangerous to carry large amounts of cash, so they were able to use draft for remittance.

Ise Jingu has two main shrines, Naiku (内宮) and Geku (外宮).
The Inner Shrine, Naiku is dedicated to the worship Amaterasu-omikami(天照大御神, the Goddess of the Sun) who is regarded as an imperial ancestor. The Outer Shrine, Geku is dedicated to Toyouke omikami(豊受大御神), the deity of agriculture and industry. Originally, the deity was enshrined to serve meals to Amaterasu-omikami in Ise Jingu.

First of all, onshi showed farmers around Geku. Farmers are so impressed to see that the deity of agriculture was enshrined in Ise Jingu.
Onshi dressed for welcoming worshippers. They served much-prized delicacies to worshippers with magnificent lacquer multitiered boxes. Although farmers usually used to sleep in pallets, onshi prepared silk futons(bed and comforter) for worshippers.

As an optional extra, onshi held kagura(ceremonial dances of Shintoism) as a dedication to the gods to make a wish to the gods in the onshi's house. Because commoners were prohibited from making personal wishes to the gods at Ise Jingu.
Onshi also took them to the brothels in Huruichi.

According to records, a group of 20 farmers from Sanuki(now Kagawa Prefecture) spent two million yen in five days and a group of 38 people spent more than 10 million yen in a current value.
It is said that farmers didn't feel ripped off. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them, so the Journey must have left them with unforgettable memories that would last a lifetime.


People in groups took pilgrimages to Ise once 60 years. It's called Okage-mairi(お蔭参り). It was said that Okage-mairi started after Ise Jingu's talismans dropped out of the sky.
In the end of the Edo Period, people started to dance saying "Ee ja nai ka(ええじゃないか)" when talismans dropped out of the sky. Some people say the dance was reflected in political uncertainty at the time.
I have heard that "Ee ja nai ka" was similar to the Ghost Dance of 1890 in that people were concerned about what was happening in their coutries.
The profession as onshi was abolished in the Meiji Period.

Recently, Ise Jingu is attracting attention as the place where the people are bestowed with psychic powers. There is no science to it.

Ise-ondo(伊勢音頭) is a local folk song in Ise of Mie Prefecture.
Pilgrims to Ise Jingu brought the song back, so it got around throughout Japan.
「伊勢は津でもつ、津は伊勢でもつ、尾張名古屋は城でもつ」
"Tsu(津) is the mainstay of Ise, Ise is the mainstay of Tsu, Nagoya Castle is the mainstay of Nagoya(名古屋)"
Tsu(津) means main ports in Ise(now Mie Prefecture).

Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees

From June 4th to 15th, the kabuki play titled "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜:Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees) " is being performed at the Sadler’s Wells Theater in London. In the play, Ichikawa Ebizou(市川海老蔵) plays a fox disguised as a retainer of Minamotono Yoshitsune(源義経) named Sato Tadanobu(佐藤忠信).

Ichikawa Danjurou(市川團十郎), Ebizou's father, survived bouts with leukemia. Partly for that reason, he said he wanted to express parent-child attachment at the performance in London.

It's generally believed that this story doesn't appeal to the European people having a negative image of fox.　Can it touch the hearts of the audience this time?
I heard that the exciting scene of the fox flying out over the audience using a technique called chunori appealed to the audience in London.


This play was written by Takeda Izumo Ⅱ(二代目竹田出雲), Miyoshi Syouraku(三好松洛)and Namiki Senryu(並木千柳). It was premiered as a bunraku play in 1747, as a kabuki play in 1748.

A tsuzumi drum(a hand drum used in traditional Japanese music) was made to do a ritual for rain. Its drumskins were made from a pair of 1000-year-old foxes which were parents of the fox in disguise. Its parent foxes were killed in its cubhood, so it couldn't be devoted to its parents. Although the fox had its wife and children, it was not giving up on seeing its parents.

Minamoto Yoritomo(源頼朝,1147—1199), the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, is Yoshitsune's elder brother, but Yoritomo is driving Yoshitsune to his death.
Shizuka Gozen(静御前), Yoshitsune's mistress, goes to Yoshino where Yoshitsune escaped, being accompanied by the fox in disguise. The fox aims at the drum that she received from Yoshitsune.

When Shizuka and Yoshitsune meet again, the fox is exposed as an imposter. It reveals itself and confides feelings about its parents to them. When she taps the drum with her finger tips, the fox hears its parents' voice, "Don't afflict a loyal retainer by changing yourself into him. Go home early." The fox apologizes for deceiving them and shoves off.

They are deeply touched by its words and try to call it back by tapping the drum.
But the drum makes no sound.
Lingering farewell makes the drum lose its sound.

Yoshitsune is very impressed by their family love. Although he craved affection and acceptance from his brother, Yoritomo cast off Yoshitsune.
He give the drum to the fox that has come out of hiding. It hugs the drum for joy and flies out of sight. Then it shows its thanks by repeling an enemy.

Yoritomo, Yoshitsune and Shizuka were historical figures. They were hit with tragedies.
The Japanese audience laughs over its fox-like funny gesture, is impressed with its acrobatic movement and is moved to tears by its touching speech.

What does Yoshitsune have to do with the fox?
The fox is called "Genkurou-gitsune(源九郎狐)", and "Kitsune(or gitsune)" means fox.　The Chinese characters "義経" for Yoshitsune can be read "gitsune" in Japanese.


tsuzumi(鼓)

Shimosya's yamadashi

I often hear the beautifl songs because white-eyes have switched places with bulbuls.

As part of the festival called Onbashira-sai (御柱祭), the event named yamadashi(山出し) lasts for three days from today at Shimosya(下社) of Suwa Taisha Shrine(諏訪大社). Yamadashi of Kamisha shrines have already ended last week.

Eight huge logs for Shimosya shrines are cut down from a mountain, run down the steep slope with shrine parishioners aboard and cross over a river in three days.
The route of Shimosya's yamadashi includes a sharper inclination than that of Kamisha's. So the event has a much higher risk of injury.

while pulling the logs, carriers sing a chant called kiyariuta(木遣り唄) to coordinate their movement. Although Edo-kiyari(江戸木遣り) is a famous kiyariuta, it has a different tune from that of Onbashira-sai.

●Sanjusangendo munagi no yurai(卅三間堂棟由来)
premiered as a bunraku play in 1760, written by Wakatake Fuemi and Nakamura Akei.
In this story, there is a scene of chanting a kiyariuta.
Sanjusangendo (三十三間堂,thirty-three ken hall) is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto. This story is based on the legend of the hall.

The spirit of a willow changed itself into a woman and married a man who had stopped the cutting of the willow. they had a child.
One day The emperor send an envoy to him on the grounds that the emperor was troubled with headaches because his skull in his previous life remained inside a willow, and his headache would go away by building Sanjusangendo using the willow and placing the skull in the hall.
She opposed the cutting of the willow, but its cutting started. She reveald herself and handed the skull to her son. She disappeared from the moment it was cut down.
people tried to move the log, but it didn't budge an inch. Her son pulled a tow rope, and it moved.They dragged the log to Kyoto, chanting kiyariuta.

The cherry blossoms in literature and plays

●Hidakagawa Iriaizakura(日高川入相花王）

The highlight of this bunraku play is transformation in an eye's blink from beautiful Kiyohime to a demon with horns, the mouth stretched from ear to ear and gold round eyes.
A puppeteer operates the mechanical head called "gabu(ガブ)". In an eye's blink, the transformed demon is back to Kiyohime's usual self by operating the head with fingers.

The play was premiered as a bunraku play in 1759 and written by Takeda Koizumo(竹田小出雲),Chikamatsu Hanji(近松半二),Kitamado Goichi(北窓後一),Takemomoto Saburubei(竹本三郎兵衛) and Nifudou(二歩堂).

This story is based on the famous legend of "Anchin Kiyohime(安珍 清姫)" set in Dojoji(道成寺), which is located in the town of Hidakagawa, Wakayama Prefecture.

Legend has it that priest Anchin(安珍) escaped from his lover Kiyohime(清姫) into Dojoji across the Hidaka river and hid inside the bell of the temple. A boatman refused to take her on board at his request, so she junped into the river. While swimming across the river, she turned into a huge serpent in a towering rage. However, the serpent found out that he was inside the bell. It twisted itself around the bell and burned him to death.

Various traditional Japanese performing arts in the motif of a sequel to the legend were made as the noh play titled "Dojoji(道成寺)", as the kabuki dance and Japanese dance titled "Musume-Dojoji(娘道成寺)".
Now women practice Japanese dancing as a pastime.


These are Makimono-gashi(蒔物菓子) on the subject of Dojoji, cherry blossoms and the bell of the temple. It is a confection that is handed to invited guests to Japanese dance or koto recital as a souvenir. It's made to the design associated with the recital's program.

Iriaizakura(入相桜), which is a kind of cherry cultivars named Edohigan, and another kinds of cherry trees are planted on the temple grounds of Dojoji. Today Iriaizakura has begun to fall, but yoshino cherry trees are in full bloom.






●Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜:Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees)
The scene, "Michiyuki Hatsune no Tabi(道行初音旅)", began with music and chants by an array of narrators(named tayu) and shamisen players. On the stage, a pale blue vast cloth was suspended from above the stage as a stage curtain.
In the middle of chanting, the cloth had fallen in on the stage.
Just then, my eyes were glued to the vivid scenery of cherry-blossomed Yoshino on the stage.
It was the great dramatic production that I've never seen.

The play was premiered as a bunraku play in 1747, as a kabuki play in 1748. The main character is Minamoto no Yoshitsune who is pursued by his brother. In the scene, his retainer Sato Tadanobu accompanied his mistress Shizuka to Yoshino where Yoshitsune hid himself.
Despite they are taking refuge in Yoshino, the scene looks brilliant.


●Sakurano mori no mankai no shita(桜の森の満開の下:In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom)written by Ango Sakaguchi (坂口 安吾, 1906 - 1955)

Having parties under the cherry blossoms is common sight in the spring. However, by taking humans off the sight, it becomes horrifying one.

●Sakura no ki no shita niwa(桜の樹の下には:Under the Cherry Trees)written by Motojiro Kajii (梶井 基次郎, 1901-1932)

" Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees! …
　 How else would cherry blossoms have come out in a wonderful degree."


"cherry blossoms" designed by Kazuko Togami
さくらＢ デザイン:戸上和子

Kazuko Togami, Washi-de-Tsukuru-Etegami 220（Tokyo：Boutique-sha.co.,1999), p.12
戸上和子著,「和紙で作る絵てがみ」(東京:株式会社ブティック社,1999年),P.12

Romeo and Juliet in ancinet Japan

●Imoseyama-onna-teikin(妹背山婦女庭訓)
When a mother struck off her daughter's head, it caused a scream from the French audience. Bunraku performers including puppeteer Yoshida Minosuke considered whether they should cut its scene. However, Jean-Louis Barrault told them, "Half-hearted compromise disgraces the tradition of Bunraku, so do it the way you've always done it."

reference cited:
Yoshida Minosuke Ⅲ, Zukin-Kabutte-50nen (Tokyo:TANKOSHA PUBLISHING CO., LTD.,1991),P.157.
三代目吉田蓑助著,頭巾かぶって五十年,(東京:淡交社,1991年),P.157.

Kuganosuke(久我之助) and Hinadori(雛鳥), whose parents were enemies, fell in love without knowing each other's true identity like Romeo and Juliet. Suspecting their parents' conspiracy because of their love, Soga no Iruka(蘇我入鹿), a man of power, demands to hand over Hinadori as a bride and Kuganosuke as a retainer from their parents. if they refuse Iruka's request, their clans will be destroyed. So they have to turn over their children's heads unless the young couple accepts the terms.

However, Kuganosuke commits seppuku(suicide by disembowelment) because it came to him that Iruka means to kill Kuganosuke in the first place. On the other hand, Hinadori dies for love with her mother's assistance. If either commits suicide, the other would also do it. So they hide the couple's death from each other.

The cherry blossoms in full bloom. Both of two families live beside the same river, so each parent throws a branch of a blooming cherry tree into the river to let know the other about the agreement of each other's child.

Knowing their death, both parents mourn their tragic fates and enter into a settlement.
It's also the season for the Dolls' Festival in the lunar calendar. Hinadori's mother throws dolls' miniature furniture as marriage one into the river and takes Hinadori's head across the river to her lover. The marriage after the couple's death, so death can't do them part any more.


Imoseyama-onna-teikin is a bunraku play written by Chikamatsu Hanji(近松半二), Matsuda Baku(松田ばく), Sakai Zenpei(栄善平), Chikamatus Tounan(近松東南) and Miyoshi Syouraku(三好松洛). It was premiered in 1771.
The title means "textbook for women", so this story depicts an ideal woman of that time. Todat we never sympathize with their way of thinking.

brief description of the plot:
Soga no Iruka(蘇我入鹿) had physical idiosyncrasy and superhuman ability because his father gave her mother the warm blood of a white deer. Father Fujiwara no Kamatari(藤原鎌足) and son Fujiwara no Tankai(藤原淡海) defeated him, a rebel.

This play has other highlight scenes.
I introduced a part of the story.

Omizutori

Omizutori(お水取り）

An annual ritual commonly known as Omizutori is held at Nigatsudo hall of Nara's Todaiji temple from March 1st through the 14th.　Its preparation started on February 20th.

The ritual continues a tradition that started in 752. So this year marks the 1,259th anniversary. Monks started the ritual to repent of their sins. Now they pray for world peace and prosperity during it.

On the evening of the 1st, they dedicate rice cakes, 400 camellias and 50 nanten(nandina) made of Japanese paper to the 11-faced form of Kannon Bodhisattva housed at the hall.

From about 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., they run along the hall's balcony, carrying huge burning torches every day from March 1st to 14th. On March 12th, monks use larger torches. People believe exposure to the sparks brings good fortune.

Monks draw water from the special sacred well underneath the hall around 2 a.m. on the 13th. The water is offered to the Kannon.

●Rouben-sugi-no-Yurai(良弁杉由来:the origin of the cedar named Rouben)Originally it was one of a omnibus bunraku play and premiered in 1887.
Legend has it that Rouben (良弁、朗弁) (689–773), who was clerical founder of the Tōdai-ji temple in Nara of Japan, was snatched by an eagle and dropped off in front of Nigatsu-do hall when he was a baby and reunited with his mother after becoming a high priest 30 years later.
This story is based on its legend. His mother was so obsessed with her son that she lost her mind. After returning to her senses, she goes to see him on hearing a rumor. when they meet again, Rouben realize that he has been afflicting her despite he has been praised as a person of virtue.


crepe camellia modeled after above-mentioned paper camellia. There is also a confection resembling it.

お水取り デザイン:弓岡勝美
"Omizutori" designed by Katsumi Yumioka.
Katsumi Yumioka, Colors of Japanese Spirits (Tokyo:NIHON VOGUE-SHA.Co,Ltd.,2005),P.8.
弓岡勝美著,日本の心の色100(東京:日本ヴォーグ社,2005年),p8.

Why did Sugawara Michizane become a god?

The plum-blossom(ume) festival(梅花祭) is held at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto City on the anniversary of Sugawara Michizane's death, February 25th. He is enshrined in the shrine.
In fact, he died on the 25th day of the second lunar month (on March 26th in 903 according to the Julian calendar).

Political foes ousted him from power and he was relegated to Dazaifu. Shortly after He died in hopelessness, some key figures died one after another and many officials were struck by lightning while they were meeting in Imperial court. So they regarded a series of accidents as his curse.

Surprisingly, it was believed that an evil spirit having extremely dreadful cursing power turned to the most powerful tutelary god by worshipping the spirit as a god. So Sugawara Michizane come to be worshipped as a god.
By the way, there have been a relic associated with Taira no Masakado, whose spirit is the tutelary god of Edo (old Tokyo). After World war Ⅱ, an attempt to remove the relic ended in failure by a series of accidents.
Although ancient people took too much for granted, it sounds like a good way to eradicate the root of evil. Eventually, it leaves a feeling of awe or respect for the dead.


●sugawara-denju-tenaraikagami(菅原伝授手習鑑)This story was written as a bunraku play by Takeda Izumo(竹田出雲), Miyoshi Syouraku(三好松洛), Namiki Senryu(並木千柳) and premiered in 1748.
I explain the story line: Sugawara Michizane was sent into exile due to a plot by Fujiwara no Shihei(藤原時平), his political rival. Michizane's retainers worked to help him and his son. In the end, Shihei was killed by lightning and Michizane came to be worshipped as a god.

In general, Fujiwara no Tokihira(the name of his role in the play is Shihei) is demonized. However, a TV program shed new light on
Michizane and Tokihira recently. Japanese governing institutions had modeled after Chinese ones, but the traditional system had not worked. In addition, Japan could not rely on the Tang dynasty of China declining at that time.
both of them had felt the need to change the system.

Fox's image in Japan

I cleared the snow off the street this morning.

Fox's image in Japan is different from that in the West. Foxes were portrayed as uncanny or sympathetic beings in literature, entertainment and folklore of Japan.

● kitsune-no-yomeiri(狐の嫁入り:wedding procession of foxes)
　kitsunebi(狐火:foxfire or will-o'-the-wisps)
A lot of foxfire formed a line in night mountains or riverbank. Because it looked like an lantern-light parade, ancient people regarded it as the wedding procession of foxes.　It's also appeared in the Akira Kurosawa's Dreams.

● kyubi-no-kitsune（九尾の狐:nine-tailed fox）
Legend has it that a thousand-year-old fox turns to a nine-tailed fox spirit in China. It's called kumiho in Korea.

● Tamamonomae-Asahinotamoto(玉藻前曦袂)

A bunraku play written by Chikamatsu Baishiken and Sagawa Touta, premiered in 1806. It's based on the legend that a nine-tailed fox spirit changed itself into a rare beauty, enslaved emperors or princes and drove countries to ruin in ancient China, India and Japan. The fox changes itself into a woman named Tamamonomae(玉藻前) in Japan.
Recently, only Act Ⅲ Scene Ⅱ (Michiharu-yakata-no-dan,道春館の段) of the play tends to be performed . Unfortunately, you can not see the fox in its scene.

● Yokyoku(謡曲) "Sessyou-seki(殺生石:killing stone)"

Yokyoku is a script of a noh play. The story goes like this.
A nine-tailed fox spirit disguised as Tamamonomae was penetrated and became "killing stone", which kills approaching people or animals, after being shot to death. Later a priest drove away the evil spirit.
As an aside, a stone named Sessyou-seki(殺生石) lies in Nasu Town of Tochigi Prefecture.



● Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜:Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees)
written by Takeda Izumo Ⅱ(二代目竹田出雲), Miyoshi Syouraku(三好松洛), Namiki Senryu(並木千柳), premiered as a bunraku play in 1747, as a kabuki play in 1748.