Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Fujibitai Tsukuba no Shigeyama" was premiered in April 1877 at the Shintomiza [more details].

In modern times (after WWII), "Onna Shosei" was revived only once, in January 1954 at the Shinbashi Enbujô, with Onoe Baikô VII, Onoe Shôroku II and Ichikawa Sadanji III in the roles of Shigeru/Oshige, Gokenao and Jinbô Masamichi. It could be a very good candidate for a revival at the National Theatre in the future to come!

The original drama was in 4 acts.

Tsumagi Uzen, who runs a private school in a village near Ikaho, Jôshû, lost three children in childbirth before begetting a daughter. To ensure the child's safety when raising her, he brought her up as a boy to whom he gave the name Shigeru. Grown up, and with hair cut short in the new foreign mode, she goes to Tôkyô where she studies diligently, taking residence as a male student at the home of Jinbô Masamichi. When she learns of her father's illness and his need for money, she struggles to obtain funds. Her efforts failing, she steals 200 yens from Jinbô and heads for her father's home in a rickshaw pulled by the evil Gokenao.

On the way, stopping at Kumagaya on the Nakasendô, Gokenao sees her breasts, realizes that she is a woman, and forces her to give herself to him. After she leaves the money with her father and heads back to Tôkyô, Jinbô catches up to her and, under pressure, she confesses her theft. When he realizes that she is a woman, he forgives her crime but takes her as his mistress and places her in his villa at Mukôjima. Gokenao kills Uzen, takes the money and. pretending not to recognize her, even blackmails Shigeru, who now calls herself by the female form of her name, Oshige. Oyoshi, daughter of Tokuraya Riemon, is attracted to Shigeru but when she discovers her real sex, jumps into the river, where Jinbô, happening by, saves her.

Finding out that Gokenao killed her father, Shigeru-knowing she is about to commit a crime-ends her relationship and lures Gokenao to a Sumida River embankment in Mukôjima. Their michiyuki is accompanied by Kiyomoto dance music called "Yûdachizuka Haru no Inazuma." Finally, she gets him drunk and kills him in revenge for her father's murder before giving herself up to the law.

Courtesy of Samuel Leiter Summary from "New Kabuki Encyclopedia"

"The play's exploitation of the erotic implications arising from a cross-dressing character who wears her hair cropped in the new male fashion fit the atmosohere of the new age and boosted the work to success. The scene at the villa is intriguing for the way it mixes Shigeru's use of male-female language and behavior. The play is also interesting for the atmospheric way it presents elements of the new world entering Japan clashing with those of the old. It was only externally modern, however, retaining the old-fashioned yusuriba, enkiri, and musical narrative accompaniment. It demonstrates the difficulties Kabuki had in finding a happy medium between the old conventions and the new." (Samuel Leiter in "New Kabuki Encyclopedia")

A great translation in English of "Onna Shosei" was added to the 4th volume of "Kabuki Plays On Stage".

Illustration from a tsuji banzuke for the drama "Fujibitai Tsukuba no Shigeyama", which was staged in November 1877 at the Shintomiza with the actors Onoe Kikugorô V, Ichikawa Sadanji I, Nakamura Sôjûrô, Iwai Hanshirô VIII, Nakamura Nakazô III and Nakamura Shikan IV in the roles of Shigeru/Oshige, Gokenao, Jinbô Masamichi, Tokuraya Oyoshi, Tokuraya Riemon and Oshige's uncle Sôsuke

Prints & Illustrations