Chikamatsu Hanji's play in five acts "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara" was originally written for the puppets theater in 1762. It was adapted for Kabuki in the 2nd lunar month of 1763 and staged at the Moritaza [casting|illustrations]. The historical background of this play is the zenkunen war, which opposed the Abe clan, ruler of the northern provinces of Japan (Ôshû), to the Minamoto clan. The latter clan, led by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son Minamoto no Yoshiie, defeated the former clan, led by Abe no Yoritoki and his two sons, Abe no Sadatô and Abe no Munetô. After the war, the two sons became fugitives and the play is about their actions and their last murder attempts against their victor. The playwrights also integrated within this drama two famous Ôshû legends, the ogress of Adachi-ga-Hara and the utô bird.

"Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara" is made up of 5 acts:

Act I, scene 1: Tsurugaoka Kariya
At the Temporary House in Tsurugaoka
This scene is no more part of the current Kabuki repertoire.

The imperial messenger Ôe Koretoki comes from Kyôto to the temporary house in Tsurugaoka in Kamakura of Minamoto no Yoshiie, commonly called Hachiman Tarô, the head of the Genji Clan. Hachiman Tarô was the victor of the Zenkunen war, which ended with the death of Abe no Yoritoki, the complete defeat of the Abe clan and its followers in Ôshû.

Received by Hachiman Tarô and his retainers including Kamakura Gonnokami Kagenari and Uriwari Shirô, Ôe Koretoki conveys to Hachiman Tarô an Imperial edict to grant an amnesty to the chûnagon Katsura Norikuni, who has been exiled to Ôshû Province. He also tells Hachiman Tarô to go up to Kyôto and look for a missing sword named Totsuka, one of the three Imperial treasures.

A group of villagers comes to present 20 cranes to Hachiman Tarô. The warlord accepts them, saying that he will release them as sacred birds after attaching a gold tag to their legs.

Kagenari notices wild geese flying in an irregular formation and warns Hachiman Tarô that this is a sign of soldiers lying in ambush. Hachiman Tarô is pleased with Kagenari's carefulness and reveals that he has tested Kagenari's caution by making some of his Soldiers lurk in the bush.

Act I, scene 2: Yoshida Shatô
In front of the Yoshida Shrine
--> A dedicated summary: "Yoshida Shatô"

Prince Tamaki-no-Miya arrives with his retinue at the Yoshida Shrine. Shigasaki Ikomanosuke, a retainer of Hachiman Tarô, tells the prince that he has been ordered to escort him. Koiginu, a courtesan in love with Ikomanosuke, flirts with the young man. Uriwari Shirô, another retainer of Hachiman Tarô, falsely tells Ikomanosuke that his master is calling him. Ikomanosuke goes away while Uriwari tries to seduce Koiginu but he has to stop when a professional bird catcher arrives. The bird catcher, who is named Hanbê and who is secretly at the service of the Abe Brothers, puts a letter into the sleeve of Prince Tamaki-no-Miya's lady-in-waiting Kushige no Naishi's kimono while pretending to perform a dance. Kushige throws it back and the others ladies-in-waiting surrounds the bird catcher. He tries to fight them but fails and runs away. Then, Kushige takes the prince away with her. Taira Kenjô Naokata, who is in charge of protecting the prince, arrives to look for his master. He tries to question Hanbê but the bird catcher kills himself with a dagger. Naokata searches the dead man's body and finds an unsigned letter asking Kushige to take Prince Tamaki-no-Miya away. Naokata suspects that this letter was written by the imperial messenger Ôe Koretoki.

Act I, scene 3: Hachiman Tarô Yakata
At Hachiman Tarô's Mansion
This scene is no more part of the current Kabuki repertoire.

Among the koshimoto, Kaede is particularly eager to be loved by Ikomanosuke. As she makes up her face in the front room Uriwari Shirô scolds her and drives her into another room.

Koiginu comes to see Ikomanosuke, saying she has been told by Uriwari Shirô that Ikomanosuke is calling her. Telling her that Shirô did so without his knowledge, Ikomanosuke makes her hide in a room. Kaede enters and tries to seduce Ikomanosuke without success.

Ôe Koretoki brings a sword in a box and presents it to Hachiman Tarô's wife Shikitae, asking her to kill her father Naokata with it. He failed to keep Prince Tamaki-no-Miya in safe custody and therefore he has to be punished. He also asks his retainer Kasahara Gunki to hand his love letter to Shikitae.

The brothel-owner Tomozô comes to call back Koiginu, who has eloped from his house of assignation. Ikomanosuke, disguising himself as Hachiman Tarô, tries to scare off Tomozô but the disguise is soon discovered. Princess Yaehata, Hachiman Tarô's younger sister, settles the dispute by paying Koiginu's ransom to Tomozô. Princess Yaehata, who is also in love Ikomanosuke, asks the courtesan to give him up. So indebted is she to Princess Yaehata that Koiginu cannot help but agree, though most reluctantly. Ikomanosuke gets angry, however, and demands that Koiginu return to him all his love letters in which he has pledged his perpetual love for her. Among the letters, he finds a paper on which the name of Koiginu's deceased father, Abe no Yoritoki, is written. Now that it has become known that Koiginu is a member of the Abe clan, with which his clan has been fighting, Ikomanosuke declares he no longer can love her.

Hachiman Tarô appears and, calling a group of pardoned exiles, tells them that they are now free to go anywhere. After they have gone, Katsura Noriuji, son of the late Katsura Norikuni, an exiled court noble, presents himself. Hachiman Tarô, declaring that Noriuji is the rightful successor to his father as a chûnagon, orders his koshimoto to help him wear a court noble's costume. He then makes Noriuji sit in the place of honor in the room. Noriuji demands that Hachiman Tarô take appropriate measures to find the missing Totsuka sword and locate Prince Tamaki-no-Miya. He also suspects that Naokata may have had a hand in the disappearance of Prince Tamaki-no-Miya but, since Naokata is also Hachiman Tarô's father-in-law, Hachiman Tarô may be conniving at his crime as well.

After Noriuji has gone Ôe Koretoki appears and demands that Hachiman Tarô behead Naokata but he refuses, saying it will become more difficult to locate Prince Tamaki-no-Miya if Naokata is dead. Koretoki then makes Kasahara Gunki bring Ikomanosuke and Koiginu to Hachiman Tarô's presence. Then he asks Hachiman Tarô to execute the pair for their illicit love. Hachiman Tarô takes up a sword and instead of killing Ikomanosuke and Koiginu, strikes and kills Gunki, blaming him for handing a love letter to Shikitae. He then declares that he will expel Ikomanosuke from his clan.

Gunki's younger brother Gunroku comes to avenge his brother's death but is repelled by Ikomanosuke and Koiginu. Uriwari Shirô also comes to attack Ikomanosuke but Ikomanosuke valiantly fights him off.

Act II, scene 2: Soto-ga-Hama
At the Soto-ga-Hama Beach
--> A dedicated summary: "Bunji Sumika"

While his wife is diving near the Soto-ga-Hama Beach to gather shellfish, the diver Chôta tries to seduce Otani, the wife of Utô Bunji. He quickly dives into the sea when Takaemon, the local magistrate, comes with the village headman, who reads to all the official government order not to kill any crane with a gold tag attached to one of its legs.

Otani goes to the doctor's to buy medicine for her son Kiyodô. When she comes back to Soto-ga-Hama Beach she meets her husband Bunji, who tells her that he will be able to get enough money to buy the very expensive medicine needed to cure his son's disease.

Soto-ga-Hama Nambei, a local gambler and money-lender, who has lent money to Bunji, comes to demand the repayment to Bunji. The hunter promises to pay back in two or three days and goes away. Nambei tries to catch hold of Otani but he has to release her as Chôta comes out of the sea and interrupts him.

Later that night, Bunji shoots down a crane, takes the gold tag and quickly runs away.

Act II, scene 2: Utô Bunji Sumika
At Utô Bunji's home
--> A dedicated summary: "Bunji Sumika"

The village official Shôemon visits the dwelling of Utô Bunji. As Bunji is absent, Shôemon shows and reads his wife Otani the government order not to kill any crane with a gold tag attached to its leg.

After Shôemon has gone, Soto-ga-Hama Nambei comes with a brothel proprietor to buy Otani as a courtesan. Otani does not agree but there is no more money at home as everything was sold or pawned to buy medicine to save her son's life. Bunji returns and hands to Nambei the gold tag as a partial repayment of his debt. The brothel proprietor goes away but Nambei stays in the house to receive the remaining part of the debt. Bunji writes a letter and asks Otani to take it to the military governor's office, saying that the letter is to inform the local authorities that Soto-ga-Hama Nambei has killed a sacred crane. In fact, the letter says that Bunji himself has killed the crane but Otani, who is illiterate, can't read it.

Bunji prays at the household Buddhist altar, saying that he is offering his last prayer to the spirits of both Abe no Yoritoki and Bunji's father Yasuhide. His father served the Abe clan when it ruled Ôshû. Hearing this, Nambei reveals to Bunji that he is in fact Abe no Munetô, one of the two sons of Abe no Yoritoki, and that together with his elder brother, Sadatô, he is planning to avenge the death of their father.

Otani gladly comes back, carrying a huge amount of money given as a reward for the letter denouncing the crane killer. She is surprised, however, to know that the killer mentioned in Bunji's letter was not Nambei but Bunji himself. When Otani starts crying, her son Kiyodô rises from his bed and suddenly falls. He is dead. When a group of torite, led by the military governor Shinobu Gunji, comes to arrest Bunji, Nambei offers himself as the criminal, showing the gold tag as the evidence of his offence. Nambei tells Bunji that he has taken his place in order to be able to confront Minamoto no Yoshiie in Kyôto. Bunji tries to kill himself, holding himself responsible for the death of Kiyodô, who is not his real son but the son of Abe no Sadatô. Nambei dissuades him, saying that Bunji's help is indispensable to the Abe family's fight for revenge.

Act III, scene 1: Shushaka Zutsumi
At Shushaka Embankment
--> A dedicated summary: "Shushaka Zutsumi"

Sodehagi, a blind woman beggar, lives with her little daughter Okimi in a hut on the river bank at Shushaka near Shichijô in Kyôto. She used to be better off but was reduced to poverty when she was disowned by her father, Taira no Kenjô Naokata, who opposed her marriage.

Naokata, who was ordered by his master to find the missing Prince Tamaki-no-Miya, happens to meet Yaehata, Minamoto no Yoshiie's younger sister, in front of Sodehagi's hut. While they are talking, Ikomanosuke, a younger retainer of Yoshiie and his lover Koiginu appear and perform a simple wedding ceremony, exchanging cups of sake offered by Sodehagi.

Naokata recognizes his daughter but refrains from admitting it. Some of Naokata's retainers come to tell him that Ôe Koretoki has said that Naokata must kill himself if he cannot find Prince Tamaki-no-Miya in a day or two. As Naokata hurries away, Sodehagi follows him, led by Okimi by the hand.

Act III, scene 2: Tamaki-no-Miya Akigoten
At Prince Tamaki-no-Miya's Empty Palace
Part I: Shikitae Shisha | Messenger Shikitae

Shikitae, daughter of Taira Kenjô Naokata and wife of Hachiman Tarô, visits the mansion of Prince Tamaki-no-Miya in Kyôto, which is being taken care of by Kenjô and his wife in the absence of the prince. She tells her father as Yoshiie's emissary that Hachiman Tarô is going to attack Kenjô for his failure to locate the missing prince. Kenjô is not so much surprised as pleased, for the fact that Hachiman Tarô has designated Shikitae as his messenger is a clear indication that he will never divorce her in spite of the fact that she is Kenjô's daughter.

Act III, scene 2: Tamaki-no-Miya Akigoten
At Prince Tamaki's Empty Palace
Part II: Ya-no-Ne | The Arrowhead

Hachiman Tarô unexpectedly presents himself. Kenjô shows Hachiman Tarô an anonymous letter asking Lady-in-Waiting Kushige to take Prince Tamaki-no-Miya away. Judging by this letter, says Kenjô, he believes that Prince Tamaki-no-Miya has been abducted by the Abe brothers, Sadatô and Munetô, who are planning to fight the Genji clan with Prince Tamaki-no-Miya as leader of the rebellious force. Hachiman Tarô endorses this view and says that he will be able to get a clue to the enemy's plot if he questions Nambei, who is held by his men for his crime of killing a sacred crane.

The chûnagon Katsura Noriuji, a court noble, who in fact is Abe no Sadatô in disguise, then arrives with a branch of a plum tree bearing white flowers. Hachiman Tarô calls Nambei to him and asks whether he is in fact Abe no Munetô. When Nambei says no, Hachiman Tarô shows him the white banner used by his father during the Zenkunen war against the Abe clan and the arrowhead used by the enemy leader Abe no Yoritoki. Nambei holds the arrowhead in his mouth and with it cuts his own shoulder. With the blood-stained arrowhead he writes a poem on the white banner. Hachiman Tarô takes Nambei into an inner room for further questioning. Noriuji also withdraws after advising Kenjô to kill himself honorably.

Act III, scene 2: Tamaki-no-Miya Akigoten
At Prince Tamaki-no-Miya's Empty Palace
Part III: Sodehagi Saimon | The Song of Sodehagi
--> A dedicated summary: "Sodehagi Saimon"

Led by her daughter Okimi by the hand, Sodehagi comes in the snow to the front of the mansion. Kenjô notices her presence and recognizes her as Sodehagi but coldly slams the door shut. His wife Hamayû then appears and advises her to appeal to her father for pardon by telling her story in the form of a beggar's song. Sodehagi does so, singing to the accompaniment of her shamisen. Sodehagi then shows a letter written by her husband. By reading it, Kenjô realizes that her husband is Abe no Sadatô. At the same time he recognizes the handwriting as being identical with that of Katsura Noriuji. It begins to snow heavily and Sodehagi collapses. Okimi takes off her outer garment and places it on her mother. Hamayû also takes off her coat and flings it to Sodehagi across the fence.

Nambei, escaping from the room to which he is confined, comes to see Sodehagi and Okimi and reveals his true identity as Abe no Munetô. He asks Sodehagi to kill Kenjô, who stands in the way of the Abe brothers' plan to assassinate Hachiman Tarô.

As the three persons are about to go away, Hachiman Tarô's voice is heard calling. Munetô tells Sodehagi and Okimi to hide and goes back to meet his arch enemy. Hachiman Tarô, instead of arresting him, gives him a gold tag attached to a red rope that will allow him to travel throughout the country. Munetô thanks him and takes his leave.

Sodehagi, torn between conflicting loyalties, kills herself. Kenjô too commits suicide. Katsura Noriuji is about to leave when he is called by Hachiman Tarô, who knows that he is in reality Abe no Sadatô. The rebel is furious and reveals his true identity through an amazing bukkaeri. Munetô comes back, intent on attacking Hachiman Tarô, but is dissuaded by Sadatô. The Abe brothers are allowed to freely leave the palace. They will meet again on the battefield in a near future.

Act IV, scene 1: Michiyuki Senri no Iwata Obi
The Medicine Peddlers' Travel

Ikomanosuke and Koiginu, who have fled from Kyôto, are on their way to Ôshû, disguised as medicine peddlers. Koiginu is pregnant and wears an iwata obi. Though it is a long and lonely journey, love made their journey a happy one.

Act IV, scene 2: Hitotsuya
The Solitary House
--> A dedicated summary: "Hitotsuya"

A solitary hut stands in the wilderness of the desolate plain of Adachi-ga-Hara in Ôshû. The owner of the hut is an aged woman with piercing eyes. She is the hag of Adachi-ga-Hara. If a traveler, who comes to the door to have a light for his tobacco, is found to have money, she would kill him and rob him of his money. She is almost an ogress.

A young woman, who is presently living with the old woman, comes home, accompanied by a young drug peddler, whom she met on her way home. She enters the house, leaving the young man at the door. He waits for some time but the young woamn does not reappear in spite of the fact that she said she would soon come out to meet him. The old woman comes to the door and tells him that the girl has already gone to bed. The young peddler pretends to go away but secretly enters the house through the back entrance.

Ikomanosuke and Koiginu come to the door. Since Koiginu is not well, they would like to spend the night in this hut. She is in the last month of pregnancy and is suffering from stomach pain. Ikomanosuke goes out to buy medicine, guided by the old woman. Soon she comes home alone and tells the frightened Koiginu that she wants something from her. Discovering that the old woman wants the embryo, Koiginu tries to escape from her. The old woman, however, manages to kill her, and takes the embryo out of the body.

Ikomanosuke returns and he discovers the body of Koiginu. He opens the old woman's room and finds her in a ceremonial robe, seated respectfully in front of a young boy, who is none other than Prince Tamaki-no-Miya. She tells him that she is in fact Iwate, the wife of the late Abe no Yoritoki. She took the embryo from Koiginu as medicine to cure Prince Tamaki-no-Miya, who is deaf-mute. Ikomanosuke tells her that Koiginu is in fact her own daughter. Unmoved, the old woman says that she knew it from the amulet-case Koiginu had on her.

The girl who returned home before Ikomanosuke and Koiginu is actually Kushige. Receiving the blood of the embryo, Kushige accidentally lets it drop into the valley, and strangely vapor rises from the bottom of the valley. Kushige is in fact Shinra Saburô Yoshimitsu in disguise, the younger brother of Hachiman Tarô. He appears on stage in male attire and declares that the angry waves indicate the existence of the Imperial sword of Totsuka concealed in the ravine. Moreover, Prince Tamaki-no-Miya is in fact Hachiman Tarô's son Yatsuwakamaru. He has been pretending to be deaf-mute. Angry at the deception, Iwate tries to kill Yatsuwakamaru but is interrupted by the drug peddler, who in fact is Kamakura Gongorô Kagemasa, one of Hachiman Tarô's faithful retainers. Iwate's plot against Hachiman Tarô having been foiled, Iwate stabs herself and jumps into the ravine.

Act IV, scene 3: Tanisoko
The Bottom of the Ravine
--> A dedicated summary: "Hitotsuya"

Yoshimitsu goes down to the bottom of the ravine where the body of Iwate is lying. Abe no Sadatô appears from behind a rock and hands to Yoshimitsu the Imperial sword of Totsuka as a token of thanks for Hachiman Tarô's benevolence toward his brother Munetô. Yoshimitsu, in the name of Hachiman Tarô, cancels the excommunication of Ikomanosuke in appreciation of his lover's death, which has led to the recovery of the Imperial sword.

Act V, scene 1: Komatsu-ga-Saku
At the Komatsu Palisade
This scene is no more part of the current Kabuki repertoire.

The poster of the production of "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", which was staged in April 1978 at the National Theatre

Prints & Illustrations