The play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time in the 8th lunar month of 1748 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza. It was adapted for Kabuki the same year and staged for the first time in the 12th lunar month of 1748 in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai [casting]. The "Yodanme" act (4th act) was performed with the actors Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Anegawa Shinshirô I, Kataoka Nizaemon IV and Tamiya Jûzaburô II in the roles of Hen'ya Hangan, Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Ishidô Umanojô, Ono Kudayû and Yakushiji Jirozaemon.

The "Yodanme" act, the fourth act of "Kanadehon Chûshingura", is made up of 3 scenes commonly called "Hana Kenjô" (literally 'Flower Offering'), "Hangan Seppuku" (literally 'Hangan's Ritual Suicide') and "Shiro Akewatashi" (literally 'Vacating the Castle'). Scene 2 and 3 are always performed for a tôshi kyôgen production of this drama and are never staged independently. Scene 1 is still in the repertoire but it is rarely-staged nowadays.

Previous scene: "Hangan Seppuku"

Act IV, scene 3: Shiro Akewatashi
Handing Over the Castle

Yuranosuke and men manage to persuade the rest not to resist the Shôgun's orders and to withdraw. This leaves Yuranosuke alone on stage before the front gate of what used to be Hangan's mansion. This is a short scene but a very important one because for the first time in the play, we get to concentrate on the drama's main hero, Yuranosuke... on his intense grief at the loss of his lord and on his rock-hard conviction to avenge his death. As he stands alone outside the gate it is a dark night and the cawing of crows fills the air. Yuranosuke clutches the dagger which Hangan used and which is still smeared withhis blood. He licks it, and pledges to fulfill Hangan's final wish.

Among famous roles for leading actors of male characters Yuranosuke is classed as one of the heaviest and most difficult. The character is intelligent and though certainly very loyal, he exhibits none of the impulsive and over-passionate dedication of many of the other retainers. Yuranosuke is calm and collected on the outside and all his actions are carefully planned. He is just as determined and just as committed as any of the others but he waits for the right time to express this. He also feels the sad loss of his lord as painfully as anyone and here at the end of this scene the audience finally gets to see this private hurt seep out.

Courtesy of Paul M. Griffith

Next act: "Ochiudo"

Sawamura Gennosuke I and Iwai Hanshirô V playing the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Ôboshi Rikiya in the "Shiro Akewatashi" scene of the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura" in a print made by Katsukawa Shuntei in 1810