The play in nine acts "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki" was originally written for the puppets theater and performed for the first time in the 7th lunar month of 1749 at the Takemotoza in Ôsaka. It was adapted for Kabuki a few weeks later by the zamoto Arashi San'emon IV in the 8th lunar month of 1749 in Kyôto. The roles of the 2 sumô wrestlers Nuregami Chôgorô and Chôkichi were played by the actors Nakayama Shinkurô I and Fujikawa Heikurô.

The "Daihôji-machi Tsukigomeya" act ("at the rice store in the district of Daihôji"), commonly called "Komeya", is the fourth act of the play "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki". It has somehow lost its popularity, which it enjoyed during the Edo period, and is rarely revived nowadays.

Oseki is the elder sister of Hanaregoma Chôkichi. After their parents died, Oseki has brought up Chôkichi alone. She also manages a rice store almost alone, because Chôkichi doesn't help her. Now Oseki worries about Chôkichi, because he doesn't come home as usual.

Chôkichi comes home but he doesn't care of his kind elder sister. Oseki makes supper for her younger brother without any complaint. Node-no-San and Geta-no-Ichi, two dubious friends of Chôkichi, arrive at the rice shop and say that Yamazaki Yogorô and his lover Azuma eloped, because Hiraoka Gôzaemon, a villain samurai, made a deposit to buy Azuma from the geisha house. Chôkichi is very surprised, and he thinks that his rival Nuregami Chôgorô must have hidden them. Chôkichi says that he can't do anything for them, because he made the promise to fight against Chôgorô tonight. Oseki is secretly surprised to hear it, but she says that she is going to her prayer group night meeting, leaving the custody of the shop to her brother. Chôkichi asks his two friends to go to Chôgorô's place and ask him to come here.

Chôgorô comes to the rice store. He asks Chôkichi where Yogorô and Azuma are. Both of them don't know where they are. However they don't think about it, and they start fighting with the shop rice balls. two unknown men, one covered with bandages, suddenly arrive at the rice store. They shout that Chôkichi is a thief. Chôgorô refuses to continue to fight with a mere thief. Then an injured man and an old woman enter the shop and shout the same thing. Chôgorô says that he will wait until Chôkichi's troubles are solved.

Oseki rushes in to deal with the visitors. They tell her that Chôkichi stole their money and injured them. Oseki says that her younger brother isn't a person who does such a thing. The puzzled Chôkichi has no idea why they are accusing him. Oseki shows inside of a chest of drawers in order to prove that his innocence. But there are purses that Chôkichi could have stolen. Oseki is disappointed, but Chôkichi has no words to say, because he didn't steal anything. Oseki says that she will repay the stolen money and will ask them not to take Chôkichi to the police. Oseki shows the visitors into a different room.

Chôkichi is very surprised, and he thinks that he has no method to prove his innocence except to commit suicide. When Chôkichi is about to kill himself, Chôgorô stops him. Chôgorô had been staying as an observer in the same room. Chôgorô says that Chôkichi is very lucky because he has a very kind elder sister, Oseki who is worried and cares about him. Chôgorô was abandoned by his mother when he was 5, because his father died. After that, his adopted parents died, and he has had no family since then. Chôgorô thinks that Chôkichi should stop doing anything to make Oseki worry about him. Chôgorô says that he also stop fighting, and that he would like to make a good relationship with Chôkichi as a brother. Chôkichi accepts it with great pleasure, and promises to stop fighting after this.

Oseki and the visitors are back on stage. She says that she listened to their talking. In fact, Oseki made a plot with the visitors in order to make Chôkichi regret himself. The visitors are all members of her prayer group and everything was a lie that Oseki asked them to say . Today is the memorial day of their father and Oseki thinks that it is a suitable day for Chôkichi to make the resolution to stop fighting and help her to manage the rice store. Oseki thanks her friends, who leave the shop.

After that, Node-no-San and Geta-no-Ichi are back at the shop, reporting that Hiraoka Gôzaemon has finally found Yogorô and Azuma. Chôkichi is very excited hearing it and is about to rush to help them. Chôgorô stops his new friend and says that Chôkichi should stay at home with his sister, because he promised to stop fighting. Chôgorô will take care of Yogorô and Azuma.

This summary has been written by Sekidobashi Sakura (April 2004) and edited by Shôriya Aragorô

[1] The title "A Diary of Two Butterflies in the Pleasure Quarters" comes from the 1st volume of "Kabuki Plays On Stage".

The actors Fujikawa Hachizô II (left), Hanagiri Tomimatsu I (right/top) and Yamamoto Giemon (right/bottom) playing the roles of Nuregami Chôgorô, Oseki and Hanaregoma Chôkichi in the "Komeya" scene of the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki", which was staged in the 5th lunar month of 1782 in Kyôto (cover of the illustated banzuke)

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