The play "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" (five acts) was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in Ôsaka at the Toyotakeza in the 12th lunar month of 1751. It was adapted for Kabuki the following year and staged for the first time in Edo at the Moritaza in the 4th lunar month of 1752 [casting]. It was also performed for the first time in Ôsaka in the 11th lunar month of 1752 at the Naka no Shibai as a kaomise drama [casting].

"Mikagehama Hamabe" ^[1] ('On the Shore of Mikage Beach'), commonly called "Hôbiki" ('Drawing Lots'), was revived only twice after WW2, in April 1972 and November 2021 at the National Theatre.

The "Mikagehama Hamabe" ^[1] scene ('On the Shore of Mikage Beach'), commonly called "Hôbiki" ('Drawing Lots'), which is rarely staged nowadays, is the second scene of the third act (naka) of "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".

Supposedly accompanied by the young man, the ishiya Byakugô no Midaroku arrives at the Mikage Beach at dawn to show him the gravestone. As he begins giving finishing touches to the gravestone, several farmers come and surround him. When he tells them that the gravestone was ordered by the young man standing beside him the farmers are all dumbfounded, for they can see nobody besides themselves and Midaroku. Midaroku, too, realizes that the young man has mysteriously disappeared.

Koyuki arrives to look for the youth. Hearing the farmers speak ill of the youth, she insists that he is far from wicked and, as a proof, shows Midaroku and the farmers a gorgeously-decorated flute ^[2] which the young man has given her as a memento. Fuji-no-Kata, Atsumori's mother, happens to pass by on her way to Ichi-no-Tani. She notices the flute held by Koyuki and recognizes it as Atsumori's. She learns from the farmers that Atsumori was killed by Kumagai. All are puzzled and believe that the young man who ordered the gravestone must be Atsumori's ghost.

Genji soldiers appear on stage. They want to arrest Fuji-no-Kata but Midaroku easily handles the situation by leading them off the right path. Another group of Genji soldiers headed by Sunomata Unpei comes to arrest Fuji-no-Kata but Unpei is beaten to death by the farmers with spades or ploughshares. The shôya Magoemon ^[3] arrives to tell the farmers that Banba no Chûta, a retainer of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka, is so angry at their murder that he is about to arrest all of them. The farmers claim that they did not kill Unpei. The evil soldier fainted and naturally died. Magoemon ^[3] inspects the body and is convinced that the farmers claim is true, because there is no wound on it. Magoemon ^[3] suggests that one of the farmers go to report to Chûta that Unpei died by accident. Since nobody wants to go, however, he decides to choose the messenger by drawing … and the task falls upon the unlucky shôya.

[1] "Waki-ga-Hama Hôbiki" ('Drawing Lots on Waki Beach') in Bunraku.

[2] The flute is called Aoba no Fue ('Flute of Green Leaves').

[3] Magoemon (Kabuki) or Magosaku (Bunraku).

Illustration from the ezukushi banzuke for the "Mikagehama Hamabe" scene of the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki", which was staged in the 3rd lunar month of 1782 at the Kado no Shibai with Nakayama Raisuke I, Mimasu Tokujirô I, Asao Tamejûrô I and Nakamura Kichimatsu in the roles of Yaheibyôe Munekiyo, Fuji-no-Kata, Magoemon ^[3] and Koyuki