Namiki Shôzô I's ni-no-kawari drama "Kiritarô Tengu no Sakamori" was premiered in the 1st lunar month of 1761 in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai [more details]. It included a michiyuki entitled "Michiyuki Nobe no Hana Fubuki". It was revived a few times in Ôsaka hama shibai (last record in 1820) before falling into oblivion. In modern times, it was revived only once, in March 2007 at the Minamiza. It has a good potential for a revival at the National Theatre in the future to come!

Following the passing of Minamoto Yoriie, the second Shôgun of the Kamakura Shogunate, Minamoto Sanetomo, Yoriie's younger brother, is on the verge of ascending to the title, and his enthronement day is fast approaching. The ama midai Masako, his mother, fervently prays for the continued prosperity of the Minamoto clan. Nonetheless, Kiritarô, a larger-than-life tôzoku employing tengu magic (yôjutsu) and aiming to seize power, has allied with Akuzenji Kugyô, an orphaned individual following Yoriie's demise and dreaming of dominating the world. In furtherance of his ambitions, Kiritarô has pilfered at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine the shirohata (a white battle banner of the Genji) and the onikirimaru (a renowned sword called the oni-slaying one), both cherished ancestral possessions of the Minamoto clan.

Sakuragi, a lovely keisei of Ôiso, was rescued from unwanted advances by Hiki Gundayû, courtesy of Hôjô Yoshitoki, a prominent retainer of the shogunate. She has professed her affection for Yoshitoki, but he has been disowned after being accused of failing to prevent the theft of Onikirimaru. The medicine peddler (kusuri-uri) Kinohei, a former attendant of Yoshitoki, wholeheartedly aids his former master. However, he grapples with a painful dilemma as he was also once in the service of Kiritarô. Kiritarô proceeds to abduct Sakuragi, who happens to be Princess Chiyo, Minamoto Yoshitsune's daughter, and orchestrates a ruse, positioning her as the commander in a bid to attack Kamakura. However, his efforts are finally thwarted by Wada Shinzaemon, a chief vassal of the Minamoto clan.

The cover of an ezukushi banzuke for the production of "Kiritarô Tengu no Sakamori" in Ôsaka at the Wakadayû no Shibai in the 1st lunar month of 1820