Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Hitotsuya" was premiered in the 4th lunar month of 1859 at the Ichimuraza [more details]. It was staged within the Kabuki drama "Shujusatta Chikai no Kakegaku". It was revived in April 1890 at the Ichimuraza [more details]. The role of the baba Ibara was played several times by Onoe Kikugorô V and Onoe Baikô VI and it was added to the Shinko Engeki Jûsshu collection of the classics of the Onoe Clan. It was also quite often staged in koshibai.

After WWII, it was staged only once, in December 1946 at the Shinjuku Daiichi Gekijô, with Nakamura Tokizô III, Onoe Kikujirô IV and Morita Kan'ya XIV in the roles of the baba Ibara, Ibara's musume Asaji and Hanawaka (in reality the Goddess Kannon).

"Hitotsuya" is a short 1-act drama.

Ibara, an old hag of Asaji-ga-Hara in Musashi, near the Kannon Temple, takes in lost travelers and, while they are asleep on a stone pillow (ishi no makura), crushes them by cutting a sort of stone rope that hangs over their heads. She then robs them. One day, she puts up a lovely, refined child from the capital who is making a religious pilgrimage to the temple. Her beautiful, kindhearted daughter Asaji is moved with compassion for the boy, and she secretly lets him go. Ibara grows angry and is going to kill Asaji with a hatchet, but her body turns rigid. The child is really a manifestation of the Goddess Kannon, who appears in a blaze of light on a purple cloud. Feeling remorse, Ibara experiences a conversion and throws herself into the pond.

Courtesy of Samuel Leiter Summary from "New Kabuki Encyclopedia"

The onibaba was initially named Asaji. In 1890, when revived by Onoe Kikugorô V, she became Ibara. Her daughter, initially named Chigusa, became Asaji.

The actors Seki Sanjûrô III (middle/right), Iwai Kumesaburô III (bottom/center) and Sawamura Tosshô II (top/center) playing the roles of the baba Asaji, Asaji's musume Chigusa and Fumonmaru (in reality the Goddess Kannon) in the drama "Hitotsuya", which was staged in the 4th lunar month of 1859 at the Ichimuraza (picture from an ehon banzuke)

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