The star Bandô Mitsugorô III performed in the 6th lunar month of 1826 at the Ichimuraza in a 3-role Kiyomoto-based hengemono entitled "Mata Koko-ni Kabuki no Hanadashi". The 3 roles were Take-no-Uchi no Sukeneya (a legendary character famous for his extraordinary long life), a fisherman fighting a giant octopus and a tekomai festival dancer. The fisherman and the dancer are nowadays independent dances, which are staged under the respective titles of "Amiuchi" and "Omatsuri". Bandô Mitsugorô X revived the 3-role dance "Mata Koko-ni Kabuki no Hanadashi" in October 2003 at the Minamiza.

The main character is a humble fisherman who comes to the beach. After a brief dance he decides to take a nap, at which point a huge red octapus appears and tries to steal his lunch. The fisherman awakens in time to snatch it back and both struggle for possession. This struggle however, is presented humourously in the form of a lovers' tiff, with one character performing a kudoki, ("entreaty"), parodying a woman who berates her sweetheart.

"Amiuchi" was originally one of a set of three dances all performed in quick succession by the same actor, and as such it belongs to a category of works known as henge buyô, ("Transformation Dances"). These pieces sought to show the versatility of the actor by having him portray different and contrasting roles, and by the 1820's, the emphasis was placed on speed, agility, and often a light-hearted subject-matter. "Amiuchi" is no exception.

Both summary and comments are courtesy of Paul M. Griffith.

Bandô Mitsugorô III playing the role of the fisherman in the dance "Mata Koko-ni Kabuki no Hanadashi", which was staged in the 6th lunar month of 1826 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Kuniyasu I)

An illustration taken from the illustrated playbill of the dance "Mata Koko-ni Kabuki no Hanadashi"