The play "Hirakana Seisuiki" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time in the 4th lunar month of 1739 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza. It was adapted for Kabuki the following month and staged for the first time in the 5th lunar month of 1739 in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai, produced by Mizuki Tatsunosuke II for the nadai Hoteiya Umenojô [casting]. Then, the play "Hirakana Seisuiki" was performed for the first time in Ôsaka in the 9th lunar month of 1740: it was produced at the Kado no Shibai by Nakamura Jûzô I and the only know actor in the casting was Nakamura Tomijûrô I in the role of Chidori. This play was staged for the first time in Edo in the 7th lunar month of 1753, at the Ichimuraza [casting].

The play "Hirakana Seisuiki" is made up of 5 acts. "Ôtsu Yadoya" is the opening of the third act, which is followed by "Sasabiki" and ends with the famous "Sakaro" scene. Most of the times, "Sakaro" is staged alone. On rare occasions, the "Ôtsu Yadoya" and ""Sasabiki"" scenes are also produced along with "Sakaro".

Ôtsu Yadoya
The Inn at Ôtsu

Yamabuki Gozen, wife of Yoshinaka, a defeated general, stays at an inn at Ôtsu on her fugitive journey, accompanied by her infant son, Komawakamaru, her favorite maid, Ofude, and Ofude's father, Kamata Haito. Hearing Komawakamaru's cry, an old man staying in the next room shows the child a picture to distract him. The old man is a boatman named Gonshirô living at Fukushima in Ôsaka. He is on a pilgrimage together with his daughter, Oyoshi, and her little boy, Tsuchimatsu, who is about the same age as Komawakamaru.

After all have gone to bed, Komawakamaru and Tsuchimatsu leave their beds and play together with a paper lantern lighting their rooms. Accidentally they knock over the lantern and the light goes out. Just at this moment, Banba no Chûta and his troops attack the inn intent on assassinating Komawakamaru. All those staying at the inn rush away in panic and in the confusion and the dark Komawakamaru and Tsuchimatsu are inadvertently interchanged by their respective relatives.

Text written by Hironaga Shûzaburô

Suketakaya Takasuke II, Fujikawa Tomokichi II, Onoe Onozô, Onoe Eizaburô II, Sawamura Eikichi, Ogino Izaburô II, Iwai Hanshirô V & Ichikawa Onoe playing the roles of Gonshirô, Matsuemon's nyôbô Oyoshi, the Shimizuya inn owner, Tsuchimatsu, Komawakamaru, Kamata Haito, Ofude & Yamabuki Gozen in the "Ôtsu Yadoya" scene of the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki", which was staged in the 9th lunar month of 1812 at the Nakamuraza

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