The first version of "Uwanari" was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1699, in Edo at the Nakamuraza. This drama was entitled "Isshin Gokai no Tama" and the story was created by Mimasuya Hyôgo, who played under his famous stage name of Ichikawa Danjûrô I the leading role of Ichikawa Danjûrô I. It went to oblivion and the original script was lost but it was nevertheless added to the Kabuki Jûhachiban collection of drama in 1840 by Ichikawa Ebizô V. It was revived in April 1936, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza [more details]. The new script was written by Yamazaki Shikô. It was revived a second time almost 50 years later, in January 1986 at the National Theatre [more details].

Act I

At the opening of the play, Tokiwazu musicians describe the wanderings of the yamabushi Kôga no Saburô Kaneie who has been searching for five precious jewels, a lost family heirloom. These jewels represent the five Buddhist precepts against murder, stealing, lying, hedonism and lust. He has found four (indicating that he has overcome those desires in himself) but not the fifth jewel, the one for lust. He asks for the permission to spend one night at the mansion which used to be the mansion of the Kôga clan. A girl appears at the entrance and explains that Lord Araki, the new owner of this mansion, has ordered that yamabushi must be turned away. She says that it might be possible to negotiate an exception and she asks him to tell his story. He explains that he is the second son of Lord Kôga, the original owner of this mansion. He and his elder brother Kôga no Tarô became enamoured of the same young woman, a koshimoto named Minazuki. Saburô eventually divorced his wife Kasuga to marry Minazuki. Unfortunately, burning with hate and jealousy, Kasuga assassinated the mekake Minazuki and then committed suicide. Out of remorse, Saburô became a yamabushi and headed out for the search of the five jewels. He has heard that, in his absence, his family has been ruined and his property was seized by the evil Lord Araki. He would like to understand the situation and he also hopes, to find the fifth jewel. The girl tells him that it is said that such a jewel can be found at the bottom of a nearby well. Saburô looks over the well and she pushes him down ^[1]. This fall leads Saburô to the Netherworld (meifu no kuni), a strange land where the spirits of the dead exist for a while before being sent either to heaven or to hell, depending on the deeds they did in the world of the living.

A kanjo appears on stage and tells the audience that, after death, Kôga no Tarô Kanetsura has rebuilt his mansion in the Netherworld. He devotes himself to lascivious pleasures with concubines just as he used to do in the real world. Tarô, himself, appears together with the spirits of the mekake Minazuki, Wakaba and Shinobu. Saburô arrives and is flabbergasted to find himself in the Kôga mansion in the Netherworld. He is even more surprised when he is in front of his late brother. Saburô rebukes Tarô for having given himself wholly to lust during his lifetime. This was the root cause of the disgrace and the downfall of the Kôga clan. He orders Tarô to hand him over the fifth jewel so that he can return to the real world and restore the honour of the clan. Tarô orders Kuretake to bring forth the fifth jewel. The other women are presented to Saburô and they turn out to be in reality his sisters. Saburô curses those who have killed them but Tarô rebukes him since it was Saburô who was responsible, through his love affair, for the death of Minazuki. Saburô would like to meet also his first wife Kasuga but she will not appear in front of him. Tarô offers the jewel to Saburô but he suggests he resumes his relationship with Minazuki. The temptation is strong for Saburô but Kuretake urges him to remember his duty and return to the real world with the jewel. Saburô cannot make up his mind so the tsubone Kûen suggests they dance to decide. The dance is an imitation of the dance-drama "Koi no Odamaki" in which two young women fight for the affection of a young man.

After the dance, Saburô withdraws with Minazuki. The vengeful spirit of Kasuga, Saburô's first wife, suddenly appears. Her face is masked with an hannya no men. She also carries a stick. She drags Minazuki out and starts to beat her. Saburô intervenes and the spirit takes off the mask to reveal Kuretake again. Kuretake explains that she is in reality Saburô's daughter and that her mother is none other than the love-betrayed Kasuga. She rebukes her father for lingering in the Netherworld with his second woman instead of going back in the real world to restore the honour of the Kôga clan. Saburô agrees but says he must have the fifth jewel, which Kuretake finally gives him. But Kuretake is possessed again by the vengeful spirit of Kasuga, who curses Saburô for the love suffering he inflicted on her when she was alive. She vows to eternally torment him. Saburô apologizes as best he can before seizing the jewel and rushing off out of the Netherworld with the spirit of Kasuga incarnated in her daughter in pursuit.

Act II

Ôzatsuma musicians are on stage to open the scene. Kasuga reappears in the real world. She symbolizes the utter terror born from the jealousy of a betrayed woman (shittogoto). She is about to ruin the Ômi province but Saburô, transformed as a mighty warrior, repulses her in a stylized confrontation (oshimodoshi) performed in the spectacular aragoto style. The five jewels in his possession, he subdues her and poses triumphantly.

[1] as this part of the drama is performed in a style similar to the Nô theatre, the fall in the well is symbolized by the exit from stage; no keren is used on stage.

The actors Ichikawa Ebizô V (left) and his son Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII (right) playing the main roles of the drama "Uwanari" in a mitate-e print made in 1852 by Utagawa Toyokuni III