The play "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time in the 10th lunar month of 1786 in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai. It was not immediately adapted for Kabuki and Namiki Gohei I wrote a similar play, which was entitled "Taikô Shinkenki" and produced by Bandô Iwagorô in the 3rd lunar month of 1787 at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. This drama was staged for the first time in Kyôto the same year in August [casting]. "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" was finally adapted for Kabuki for the first time the following year, in the 5th lunar month of 1788 in Ise at the Furuichi no Shibai [casting]. It was produced in a major theater for the first time in the 7th lunar month of 1790, in Ôsaka at the Nakaza (casting unknown). It was staged for the first time in Edo in the 9th lunar month of 1796, simultaneously at the Kiriza [casting] and the Miyakoza [casting].

"Hyôtandana", or "Ogurusu Hyôtandana" ("The Gourd Trellis at Ogurusu Village"), is the 7th act of the 11-act drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi". It is occasionally staged as part of a tôshi kyôgen production.

Disguising himself as a traveling gambler named Dôhachi, Takumi preys on passers-by by his rigged gambling. When one of the victims accuses him of fraud, Takumi beats him up. He then exchanges pleasantries with street girls and goes away.

Sagohei, an old servant to Osono, appears and, giving money to the street girls, asks them to go away immediately. After they have gone, Osono arrives in a palanquin and, pretending to be a street girl, solicits passers-by. She inserts her hand into their sleeves and feels their arms as a means of identifying Takumi, who has a scar in the upper arm.

She makes her try first on a samurai and then on a sumô wrestler. The third person approached by her happens to be Todoroki Dengoemon, a former fencing disciple of Ichimisai and now chief retainer of the Lord of Kokura. He recognizes Osono as Ichimisai's daughter and gives her a wooden traveling certificate, which would enable her to pass through barriers on her tour in search of Takumi.

After Todoroki Dengoemon has gone, Tomohei arrives and tells Osono that Okiku was killed by Takumi. As evidence he shows a small bag containing Takumi's navel string which he found beside Okiku's body. He then kills himself by way of apology for his failure to protect Okiku from Takumi's attack. Just before he breathes his last, Tomohei throws Takumi's navel string into a pond. In no time clouds of spray rise from the pond and the incense burner in Osono's bosom issues a strange sound.

Takumi reappears as if drawn by a supernatural power. He realizes by intuition that he is the son of the late Mitsuhide. Believing that his deceased father threw his precious Kawazumaru sword into this pond and that he now wants Takumi to recover it, he looks for and finds the sword under floating weeds. Soon after he has picked up the sword Osono approaches Takumi, pretending to be a street girl and tries to rob him of the sword. Takumi resists. As the two struggle for its possession, the sword jumps onto a gourd trellis. They too climb onto the trellis and continue fighting. At last Takumi makes good his escape, taking the precious sword with him.

Source: Hironaga Shûzaburô

The actors Nakamura Daikichi I (bottom/left) and Nakayama Raisuke IV (top/right) playing the roles of Osono and Todoroki Dengoemon in the "Hyôtandana" scene of the drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi", which was staged in the 9th lunar month of 1810 in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai

The actors Nakamura Daikichi I (top/left), Asao Kuzaemon I (top/right) and Arashi Izaburô I playing the roles of Osono, Kyôgoku no Takumi and the yakko Tomahei (Tomohei in the standard version) in the "Hyôtandana" scene of the drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi", which was staged in the 9th lunar month of 1810 in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai