The play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time in August 1748 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza. It was adapted to Kabuki the same year and staged for the first time in December 1748 in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The the fifth and sixth acts were performed with the actors Arashi Sanjûrô II and Yoshida Manshirô in the roles of Hayano Kampei and Okaru.

The "Teppô Watashi", "Futatsudama" and "Kampei Harakiri" scenes, which are nowadays frequently performed (independently or as part of a tôshi kyôgen), are the fifth ("Teppô Watashi", "Futatsudama") and sixth ("Kampei Harakiri") act of "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

Act V Scene 1: the shotgun scene on a country road at Yamazaki ("Teppô Watashi")

Hayano Kampei was a retainer of En'ya Hangan, and he was at the Ashikaga mansion when the tragic incident leading to the downfall of his clan happened. However, he wasn't by the side of his master then, because he was meeting his lover Okaru, a lady-in-waiting to the En'ya Hangan household. Kampei was very ashamed of it, and he and Okaru have run away. Now, Kampei lives in Okaru's parents' home and has become a hunter in order to support his new family. He is waiting for a chance to apologize of his act.

One rainy night, Kampei asks a traveler to give fire to light the rope-fire of his musket. The traveler is Senzaki Yagorô, who was also one of the retainers of lord En'ya. Kampei has heard some rumours about a vendetta and he would like to join the group to avenge the unfair death of their master. The cautious Yagorô says that there is a contribution fund in order to erect a commemorative monument to their late Lord. Kampei might join if he could give them 50 ryô. Kampei promises to find the money and they go their separate ways.

Act V Scene 2: further down the same road

The same night, Yoichibei, who is father of Okaru, is resting by the roadside on his way from the district of Gion in Kyôto. Gion is a well known as a red-light district. He made arrangements to sell his daughter Okaru as a geisha there. Kampei needed money in order to become a member of the vendetta of his lord, and Okaru knew it. But Okaru also knew that her parents have no fund. So she asked her father Yoichibei to sell herself to Gion. Yoichibei thought that there was no choice, and he has done it. Yoichibei received 50 ryô, half the price of his daughter service. He takes out his purse. Suddenly the highway thief Sadakurô, who was hiding behind Yoichibei, in the bamboo frames holding the bundles of drying rice-ears, robs it and kills the old man with his sword.

Sadakurô, a son of Ono Kudayû, who was also a retainer of lord En'ya, is well known as a bad guy. After having killed Yoichibei, a wild boar rushes toward Sadakurô. Two shots ring out, and they hit Sadakurô instead of the wild boar. Kampei comes here, and he finds that he has killed a man. Kampei is very surprised and he finds a purse. There are 50 ryô in it, and he needs the same amount of money. Kampei takes the purse, and runs away. Everything happened in utter darkness, and Kampei does not know whom he has killed.

Act VI Scene 1: Yoichibei's cottage

The next morning, Osai, who is the proprietress of the geisha house, pays a visit to Yoichibei's cottage in order to take Okaru to Gion. She hands to Okaru's mother Okaya 50 ryô, half the price of Okaru's service. They all are waiting for Yoichibei and Kampei.

Kampei comes home, and he finds that Yoichibei hasn't come home yet. Osai shows her purse, and says that she gave the same purse to Yoichibei last night. Kampei founds the same purse last night, so he thinks that he killed Yoichibei. Kampei realizes that Okaru sold herself in order to make money for him. Although Okaru and Okaya would like to wait for Yoichibei, Kampei says that he met Yoichibei last night, and that they don't need to worry about him. Osai takes Okaru to Gion, and Kampei can do nothing then.

After that, three hunters carry Yoichibei's dead body to the cottage. Okaya is very surprised, and she wonders why Kampei doesn't see it. Okaya finds that Kampei has the same purse that Osai showed before, and it has a blood stain. She thinks that Yoichibei was killed by Kampei.

When Okaya asks why Kampei has killed Yoichibei, Senzaki Yagorô and Hara Kazuemon arrive at the cottage. After Kampei killed Sadakurô, he ran after Yagorô and gave him the 50 ryô. However, they say that the chief retainer Yuranosuke didn't allow Kampei to join them, and they came here to return the 50 ryô to him. Yuranosuke thought that Kampei must have done an unreasonable thing to make the money. So he didn't accept his wish. Okaya tells them everything about the murder of her husband and the two men join her in abusing Kampei.

Yagorô and Kazuemon are about to leave but Kampei stops them. He suddenly commits seppuku and says that everything was caused by his mistake. Yagorô examines Yoichibei's dead body, and finds that he was killed by a sword. There is no bullet wound. Yagorô and Kazuemon saw Sadakurô's dead body on the way to Yoichibei's cottage. Yagorô says that Kampei killed Sadakurô after Sadakurô killed Yoichibei. It means that Kampei took revenge on Sadakurô for the killing of his father-in-law. Okaya, full of remorses, clings to Kampei and weeps.

Kazuemon takes a scroll, the secret covenant with the signatures of the vendetta members. He writes Kampei's name and asks him to put his blood fingerprint on it. Kampei becomes a member of the vendetta of lord En'ya. Senzaki Yagorô and Hara Kazuemon leave the cottage while Kampei dies in the arms of his mother-in-law.

This summary has been written by Sekidobashi Sakura (October 2002) and edited by Shôriya Aragorô

The actors Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII, Ichikawa Komazô VII, Nakamura Kan'emon I and Arashi Kichisaburô III playing the roles of Hayano Kampei, Senzaki Yagorô, Yoichibei and Sadakurô in the fifth act of "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged in February 1851 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Kuniyoshi)