"Hinazuru Sanbasô" is a celebratory piece, believed to have been composed around 1755. There are several sanbasômono in the Nagauta style, but this is the oldest.

In Kabuki, we have a record in the Ritsumeikan Univ. Performances Database for a performance in the 11th lunar month of 1846, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where it was staged within the drama "Sanjô Masu Miiri no Chôjime". Unknow casting.

Unlike many sanbasômono, which emphasize masculine vigor, "Hinazuru Sanbasô" is famous for its graceful, feminine quality and is often performed in a softer style. This sanbasômono is particularly suited to onnagata actors.

The dance opens in a serene, ceremonial mood. The performers appear as an embodiment of youthful grace, surrounded by imagery of cranes, turtles, pine, bamboo, and blossoming gardens, all traditional symbols of longevity and good fortune. The lyrics then turn to harmonious human relationships, celebrating lasting bonds and marriage through poetic images of joined pillows, bridges spanning rivers, and evergreen pine needles whose color never fades. Rather than advancing a plot, this first half builds an atmosphere of blessing, wishing prosperity for the audience, the theater, and the realm as a whole.

Then, the dance shifts into the lively sanbasô section. The dancer becomes more animated, matching the rhythmic drumming and stamping associated with the ancient harvest ritual. Images of moonlight, waves, wind in the pines, sacred shrines, and joyful encounters evoke renewal and the generative forces of nature. The choreography reaches a festive climax as the dancer symbolically dispels evil, invites blessings and longevity, and prays for abundant harvests, social harmony, and peace throughout the land. The work concludes not with dramatic resolution but with an exuberant benediction, leaving the audience enveloped in an atmosphere of celebration and auspicious happiness.

"Hinazuru Sanbasô" (Yamakawa Shûhô)