"Kanzen Chôaku Nozoki Garakuri" was premiered in the 8th lunar month of 1862 at the Moritaza [casting]. The story was based on a famous kôdan, which was itself created after a real event which happened in the 4th lunar month of 1717. The dual roles of the blackguard Murai Chôan and the honest Kyûhachi were great vehicles for stars like Ichikawa Sadanji I, Ichikawa Sadanji II or Ichikawa En'ô I. In modern times, it was successfully revived at the National Theatre in August 1979 [casting].

The original drama was made up of 8 acts, divided into 11 scenes. The 7th act was a Tokiwazu-based michiyuki entitled "Urami Kuzu Tsuyu-ni Nureginu". The revival at the National Theatre was made up of 7 acts, divided into 9 scenes.

The story follows Murai Chôan, an evil doctor in the district of Kôjimachi in Edo. He gave his house to his young sister Osoyo and goes to Edo. Osoyo and her husband Chôbei had to abandon their farmland due to Osoyo's serious illness and also heavy duty taxes they could not pay. Finally they decide to sell their daughter Oume to a Yoshiwara brothel. On Chôbei's way home from Yoshiwara, Chôan kills him and robs his money. Intentionally Chôan left a paper umbrella, as an evidence of the crime. This umbrella belongs to the rônin Fujikake Dôjûrô, who forgot it when he visited Chôan's clinic. Chôan's trick makes a false charge against Fujikake Dôjûrô. Due to this cunning idea, Dôjûrô is captured and dies miserably in prison.

Oume is now a Yoshiwara courtesan called Sayoginu working at the Chôjiya brothel. She fell in love with Sentarô, the adopted son of Dôjûrô and son (and heir) of Iseya Gohei, who is the owner of a prosperous pawn-shop in the district of Kanda Mikawa-chô. Sentarô is desperately looking for money to ransom Sayoginu. Chôan agrees to help Sentarô and gives him the money under one condition: the young man has to give him a precious sword which used to belong to late Fujikake Dôjûrô and was pawned at the Iseya by a dubious man named Hayanori Sanji. Sentarô steals the sword but the evil Chôan successfully robs him of the sword without giving him any money for the ransom. Then, he sends Hayanori Sanji to the Iseya to blackmail Sentarô. The attempt fails as the honest and loyal bantô Kyûhachi decides to take the blame for the stealing of the precious sword. He manages to run away from the Iseya.

Oriyo, the widow of Fujikake Dôjûrô, is in dire straits, living a miserable existence with her children in a poor house. She has almost no belongings but calls a rag-and-bone man to sell some clothes. This man is none other than Kyûhachi. They recognize each other and decide to team up to go to the court of justice to register a complaint against the evil doctor who is responsible for their downfall. They receive the support of Kaisaka no Chûzô, who has witnessed Chôan's evil deeds.

"Urami Kuzu Tsuyu-ni Nureginu", the michiyuki and 7th act of "Murai Chôan" is set at the Nihon Embankment (Nihon Zutsumi), the road leading to the Yoshiwara pleasures quarter. Sayoginu has escaped from the Chôjiya, to be with her lover Sentarô. Dark thoughts revolve in their minds for they will soon commit shinjû. Hayanori Sanji, who is tracking down Sayoginu, successfully catches her, leaving Sentarô alone on stage. Kyûhachi runs into Sentarô, who is about to kill himself. He tries to save the young man but accidentally kills him. Instead of running away, Kyûhachi decides to give himself up to the police.

The final act is set at the court of Justice in Shirasu, with the judgment full of kanzen chôaku of the the upright and wise magistrate Ôoka Echizen-no-Kami Tadasuke^*: Murai Chôan and Hayanori Sanji are condemned and jailed. Sentarô is posthumously reinstated. Kyûhachi discovers that Sentarô was his real brother and he is adopted by Iseya Gohei.

(*) the magistrate was named Ôdate Samanosuke in the 1862 production, not Ôoka Echizen-no-Kami; this was changed in the later revisions.

It is a tradition to have the same actor performing both the evil Chôan and the loyal Kyûhachi.

The actors Nakamura Fukusuke IV (left print, top/left), Bandô Kakitsu I (left print, bottom/right) and Ichikawa Danjûrô IX (right print) playing the roles of the courtesan Chôjiya Izayoi, the farmer Jûbei and Murai Chôan in the drama "Shigure Gumo Murai no Yabure Gasa", which was staged in November 1884 at the Shintomiza (print made by Toyohara Kunichika)

Print made by Utagawa Yoshiiku in 1862