Kabuki: Five Classic Plays 9780824842833

Citation preview

KABUKI FIVE CLASSIC PLAYS

Kabuki FIVE CLASSIC PLAYS

Translated by James R. Brandon

U n i v e r s i t y of Hawaii P r e s s / H o n o l u l u

© 1975 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College © 1992 James R. Brandon All rights reserved First published by Harvard University Press Paperback edition published by University of Hawai'i Press 1992 Printed in the United States of America 04 03 02 01 6 5 4 3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kabuki : five classic plays / translated by James R. Brandon, p. cm. Translation of: Kabuki. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8248-1426-7 (paperback) 1. Kabuki plays—Translations into English. 2. Edo period, 1600-1868—Translation into English. PL782.E5K3 1992 895.6'2008—dc20 CIP

Japanese drama—

92-12160

UNESCO Collection of Representative Works Japanese Series Frontispiece: Ichinotani.

Matsumoto KoshirO as Kumagai in Chronicle of the Battle of

University of Hawai'i Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Council on Library Resources.

For Ken

Contents

Illustration Credits Preface to the Paperback Edition Preface Introduction The Plays

IX XIII

1 5

The Playwriting System Religious Background Themes

viii

24 32

34

Language

36

Performance Conclusion

40 46

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo Sukeroku

Yukari no Edo Zakura

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo Narukami Fudo Kitayama Zakura Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani Ichinotani Futaba Gunki Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter Kuruwa Bunsho The Scarlet Princess of Edo Sakura Hime Azuma Bunsho

49 93 165 213 239

Appendix A Sound Effects: Ki patterns Appendix B Sound Effects: Tsuke patterns

351 354

Appendix C Geza Music Cues Glossary Selective Bibliography Index

357 361 371 375

vii

Illustration Credits E x c e p t as n o t e d b e l o w , all illustrations are courtesy o f the National Theater o f Japan, Research Department. Frontispiece: Sbocbiku Company. Following page 70: Shiratama, surrounded; Sukeroku enters; He holds; Stamping loudly; He strides; "If you . . ."; Challenged by; Sembei demands; The effeminate;-Dandy places; Sukeroku hides—Umemura Yutaka. Discovered by—Sbocbiku Company. Agemaki; Sukeroku insultingly; For their—/ R. Brandon. Following page 124: The revolving; The high; Kazuma is; The garden; Danjd slaps; Iron dagger— Goto Katsuicbi. At the signal; Suddenly he—National Theater of Japan, Stage Department. When Danjd—Umemura Yutaka. Following page 156: Lady Taema; Hayakumo wears; Hayakumo's disguise; Narukami begins; Basting threads—Got6 Katsuicbi. To signify; The Guardian; The final—National Theater of Japan, Stage Department. Narukami leads; A group pose—Kennedy Theatre, University of Hawaii. Following page 182: Prince Atsumori; Far out; Kumagai has; Kumagai draws; "His head . . ."; Kumagai thrusts; The act ends—Umemura Yutaka. The formal; "Ahh! Isn't . . ."; "My son's . . ."—J. R. Brandon. Following page 208: Kumagai concludes; Then Kumagai; Yoshitsune views— Umemura Yutaka. Lady Fuji; "When the . . ."; Sagami shows; "When he . . ."; Lady Fuji; Kumagi exits—/ R. Brandon. Kumagai prevents; Kumagai abandons—Sbocbiku Company. Following page 226: Izaemon stops; Izaemon steps; Yugiri enters; Yugiri kneels; "There's no harm . . ."; "From the day . . ."; A Clerk—Umemura Yutaka. In front; "This Izaemon . . ."—Sbocbiku Company. Following page 262: Seigen comforts—National Theater of Japan, Stage Department.

viii

Preface to the Paperback Edition

It is now twenty-five years since I began the daunting but pleasurable task of translating the five kabuki "performances" in this book. As a theater person, I was entranced by the vital life force of kabuki on stage from the time I saw my first performance at the Shinbashi Embujo Theater in Tokyo during the summer of 1952. My hope was that something of this feeling of theatrical excitement would be conveyed in the published translations. The task gave me a wonderful excuse to attend dozens of performances of each play. Sometimes I would spend an entire evening watching (and listening to) just the tsuke sound effects patterns or noting the cueing system for the off-stage music, subjects which had not been written about and could only be learned by repeated observance sitting in the theater or standing backstage. Actors and staff members of the National Theater of Japan, the Shochiku Company, the Kabuki-za, and the Shinbashi Embujo Theater were boundless in their courtesy, and for some weeks it seemed I scarcely left their theaters. The rather lengthy stage directions, describing and interpreting the action, derive from these theater sessions and repeated listening to audio tapes that I made of the performances. Were I translating the plays now, I am sure the stage directions would be shorter, for we know more about kabuki today and need them less. We can even watch some of these plays on videotape. I confess that I imagined many other books of kabuki translations would soon supercede my efforts, for there are perhaps 250 plays in the classic repertory and many deserve translation. A partial translation of The Forty-Seven Samurai, prepared as an acting script for performance at the University of Hawaii, appears in Cbusbingura: Studies in Kabuki and the Puppet Theater, which I edited (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1982). That produc-

tion, directed by kabuki actor Nakamura MatagorO II, was seen in fourteen states during a national tour in spring 1979. In that year, Samuel L. Leiter brought out new translations of major scenes from four plays—Benten Kozo, Sugawara's Secrets of Calligraphy, Shunkan, and Naozamurai—in The Art of Kabuki: Famous Plays in Performance (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979). Leiter describes in detail the alternate acting patterns (kata) that actors may use, highlighting kabuki's creativity. In my view, these new translations do not replace but complement the plays translated here. For several years the hardcover edition of this book has been out of print. It is hoped this new paperback edition will prove of use. Kabuki has changed in many ways over the past quarter century. Many of the older generation of great stars whose pictures appear in these pages have passed from the scene. Child actors such as Bando TamasaburO, pictured as a boy of sixteen in The Scarlet Princess of Edo, are now stars in their own right. Older actors play golf when they are not acting, and their children, who will continue the family acting line, attend university. Earphone guides provide ubiquitous explanation and translation, both in English and in Japanese, to the many new audience members. A ticket for an orchestra seat begins at $80, and can be 1150. International tours and student workshops overseas are spreading knowledge of kabuki beyond the borders of Japan. Yet these changes in kabuki do not affect the classic plays in this book. If you see a performance of Sukeroku: the Flower of Edo or Saint Narukami in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka today, it will not vary significantly from the performances I saw a quarter century ago and that are translated here. I regret that I did not have the foresight originally to indicate an actor's generation. For example, photos of Izaemon in Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter are of Nakamura GanjirO II who died in 1983; his son, Nakamura Ganjiro III, now plays that role. Unfortunately it is not feasible to alter hundreds of captions to make this distinction now. The editors of the University of Hawaii Press have generously allowed me to correct obvious errors of fact, but the translations stand as they were originally published. I want once again to thank Mrs. Philip C. McLaughlin, my resourceful and always encouraging editor of the original edition at Harvard University Press, and to thank Sharon Yamamoto of the University of Hawaii Press for guiding this new edition into being with skill and dedication. One of my main motives in translating kabuki plays was to create

x

Preface to the Paperback Edition

stageworthy texts for English-language performance. While one scholarly critic was moved to call the English in the metrical "seven-five" passages "barbaric," actors have found the stylized rhythmic patterns are effective and fun to work with on stage. The truth is you need to feel the rhythm and the flow of emotional energy in Sukeroku's famous name-saying speech in order to appreciate its verbal gymnastics. I want especially to thank my colleagues at the University of Hawaii who for decades have been the strongest supporters of English-language kabuki performance. I include some photographs of University of Hawaii Kennedy Theatre productions of Sukeroku (1970), Narukami (1973 and 1987), and The Scarlet Princess of Edo (1974). JRB Honolulu, 1992

xi

Preface to the Paperback Edition

Preface

Kabuki is one of the world's great stage arts. The Western spectator f o r t u n a t e enough to sit in a kabuki audience during even a single performance is almost certain t o be swept away by the dynamic theatricality of the experience. The translations in this volume are an a t t e m p t t o recreate, as best as can be d o n e with words and photographs, five plays f r o m the standard repertory as they might be seen and heard in performance. Of the three h u n d r e d or so plays in the current repertory, scarcely half a dozen are available in English translations (see Bibliography). Some scholars have shied away from translating kabuki because it is not a " l i t e r a r y " f o r m , and others have been deterred f r o m translating text alone because of the very importance of c o n t r i b u t o r y theatrical elements—music, song, dance, spectacle, acting. The problems of translating kabuki plays are considerable. Some are discouragingly long ( t w e n t y , even thirty, times the length of a no play). The original texts of many early plays are no longer e x t a n t , and we are forced to choose among later versions. Since it was the rule to revise the script each time a play was revived, precisely those favorites of the repertory which have stood the test of time and which merit translation are the ones which exist in the most variant versions. Kabuki dialogue is liberally sprinkled with puns and word play, and many passages are composed in meter, posing difficulties to the translator. Published scripts contain scant stage directions, so the translator must go to current p r o d u c t i o n s , to prints, and to commentaries and must speak with p e r f o r m e r s to search out p r o d u c t i o n details. Some plays, interesting when perf o r m e d , lose too much in transition to the printed word to warrant translation. Still, there are several score of plays which are superior drama and which exemplify the remarkable nature of kabuki

xiii

theatrical art. I have tried t o choose f r o m among these f o r this volume. Four of the five plays are regularly staged and might be seen at any time; the f i f t h , less o f t e n staged, is a recognized masterpiece of one of kabuki's most highly regarded playwrights, Tsuruya N a m b o k u IV. T h e y represent basic dramatic types (history, domestic, " t r u e " domestic, and dance plays) and p e r f o r m a n c e styles (the bravura style of Edo [ T o k y o ] , the soft style of K y o t o , and the puppet-derived style of Osaka). The plays are from the years 1 7 1 2 1817, the first h u n d r e d years during which complete kabuki scripts have been preserved. Within this time span, I have chosen more plays f r o m the earliest period ( G e n r o k u : 1 6 8 8 - 1 7 3 0 ) , because this was when characteristics basic to kabuki were being f o r m e d . Space limitations make it impossible t o include m o r e plays; translations of some of the extremely interesting plays of the following century ( 1 8 3 0 - 1 9 3 0 ) could well make up another volume. On the basis of current popularity, it might be argued t h a t more than o n e p u p p e t adaptation deserves inclusion, for p u p p e t plays account for perhaps a third of the twentieth-century repertory. It seems appropriate in a collection of kabuki drama, however, to concentrate on those plays which were created by kabuki artists. Performance of texts, rather than texts themselves, have been translated. I made a preliminary list of a b o u t f i f t y plays in the repertory that might, I felt, be profitably translated. A m o n g these some thirty were staged while I was in J a p a n ( 1 9 5 8 - 1 9 6 1 and 1 9 6 6 - 1 9 6 8 ) . Performance tapes were made of those productions and included simultaneous c o m m e n t a r y and stage directions. When translating, the published t e x t was compared with the p e r f o r m a n c e tape so that details of the p r o d u c t i o n could be taken f r o m the tape. There are difficulties with this approach of course. It is o f t e n hard to distinguish between staging practices which are c o n t e m p o r a r y and those of the original p r o d u c t i o n , or at least of earlier periods. When a distinction could be made, in general I have chosen the earlier of the possibilities. Many kabuki plays are p e r f o r m e d in abridged versions, presenting a perplexing problem of selection. The principle I have followed has been to translate either long plays in their entirety (or near to it), or abridgments which have b e c o m e recognized classics in that f o r m over the years. In other words, abridgments m a d e for reasons of passing convenience have not been used. Translating the text of a play differs f r o m translating a p o e m or a novel. The words of dialogue spoken by a character in a play cannot be the focus of translation; they are only the surface mani-

xiv

Preface

festation of underlying thoughts, motives, and e m o t i o n s t h a t should be the major concern of the translator. Authenticity of translation lies in faithfulness to the broad intent of an act, a scene, or a passage of dialogue, and only secondarily in faithfulness to the surface words. The translations here have been written with the aim of faithfully recreating the " s u b t e x t " of h u m a n relationships the kabuki texts imply. This does not mean the plays have been freely translated; no deliberate a t t e m p t has been made to depart f r o m either the spirit or the basic content of the texts. It is hoped the English text will suggest the differences in emotional m a k e u p and social status of characters which are clear in the Japanese texts. When a playwright consciously uses metrical lines (usually in alternating phrases of seven and five syllables), abrupt or incomplete sentences, or long and intricately composed lines, these stylistic features are maintained as much as possible in English. I have sought English equivalents for the p u n s and word play, so important to the spirit of kabuki. Technical terms f o r acts, scenes, and p e r f o r m a n c e and language techniques that are discussed in thé introduction are identified by marginal n o t e where they occur in the text. (Verbal play occurs so extensively t h a t only some examples are indicated by marginal notes.) Descriptions of stage settings, costuming, makeup, stage m o v e m e n t , dance, names of musical selections, and sound effects in the texts are taken f r o m Japanese texts and f r o m performance tapes. My aim has been to write translations that are performable. At the University of Hawaii three of the translations have been staged in recent years: Sukeroku: Flower of Edo (1970), Narukami the Thunder God (taken f r o m Saint Narukami and the God Fudo) (1973), and The Scarlet Princess of Edo (1974). 1 am indebted to a n u m b e r of scholars and artists for their advice and generous assistance: Onoe K u r o e m o n , the actor w h o first guided my tentative f o o t s t e p s along kabuki's labyrinths; Professor Gunji Masakatsu, scholar and director of The Scarlet Princess of Edo; Tobe Ginsaku, who directed Saint Narukami and the God Fudd; Professor Kawatake Toshio, colleague and m e n t o r at Waseda University; Ariyoshi Sawako, for sharing her detailed n o t e s on N a m b o k u ; the management and staff of the National Theater of Japan and of the Kabuki-za in T o k y o , for allowing me c o m p l e t e access to their facilities; the actors Nakamura Matagorô II and Onoe Baikô VII; the musicians Kineya Rokuriro, Mochizuki Tasaku, Nozawa Matsunosuke, and Tanaka Denzaemon; Nakamura Tokichi, w h o instructed me in sound effects; Bandô Yaenosuke, m y tate instructor; my dance teacher Fujima Kanshino; Sekiguchi Masao for

xv

Preface

translation assistance; Professor Kishibe Shigeo; Sasaki Einosuke; Ôki Yasushi; Mrs. Maki Y u k i k o ; and Professors William Ross, Hideya Kumata, and Earle Ernst for their encouragement of this study. T h e translations were begun while holding a Fulbright-Hays research grant, 1 9 6 6 - 1 9 6 8 , at Waseda University in T o k y o . I wish to express my appreciation f o r this financial support and for supplementary grants f r o m Michigan State University International Programs and f r o m the University Research Council and the Asian Studies Program of the University of Hawaii that made possible the completion of the study. JRB Honolulu

xvi

Preface

Introduction

T h e earliest complete kabuki play scripts that survive d a t e f r o m the Genroku period ( 1 6 8 8 - c a . 1730). T h e y represent a m a t u r e drama, f o r kabuki had already been in existence a century. Reading t h e m , or seeing productions based on t h e m , certain characteristics immediately strike us. Plots are strong and muscular, complexly developed over four, five, or six acts. Their stories concern intrigue, love, and struggles for power. Characterization is vivid and compelling. Events f r o m history or legend mix with scenes of everyday life. T h e plays share with ukiyoe wood-block prints, like kabuki a popular art and of the same time, boldness of artistic f o r m and a love of sensuous, colorful display. Some elements can be traced back to no and to kyôgen, the aristocratic dance-drama and the comic theater of J a p a n ' s medieval period. And borrowings f r o m c o n t e m p o r a r y jdruri p u p p e t drama can b e , f o u n d . Yet the plays of early kabuki differ notably f r o m their predecessors in spirit and in f o r m . Above all, they introduce into Japanese d r a m a a new spirit of vitality, even brashness, and a t r e m e n d o u s sense of theatrical élan. These are qualities of popular theater, which kabuki has been since its inception. The first kabuki performances t o o k place around 1600. In 1603 it is recorded that a y o u n g w o m a n named Okuni, calling herself a priestess of the Izumo Shrine, danced the kabuki odori, or " k a b u k i d a n c e , " on a temporary stage set up in the dry bed of the K a m o River in K y o t o . She and her t r o u p e sold tickets f o r stage p e r f o r m ances during the day and, it is presumed, sold their favors to customers at night as prostitutes. O k u n i ' s new dance was lively and sensuously appealing. Though perhaps not explicitly licentious it was so unusual that it attracted great a t t e n t i o n . (Kabuki means "strange," "inclined," " f a r o u t . " )

1

Introduction

The early seventeenth century saw the rapid growth of major cities in Japan; a distinctive middle-class, urban, moneyed culture was emerging. The rising wealthy merchant, the town wit, and the dandy alike were seeking new entertainment. Kabuki very quickly developed into an urban fad as scores of professional troupes adopted Okuni's style of performance, mirroring the manners of town dandies (kabukimono). Before long, kabuki was to become the pivotal art form of Japanese urban culture. Many of the first troupes to perform in kabuki style were composed mostly of professional prostitutes. As a result, the earliest kabuki is termed "women's kabuki" (onna kabuki) or "prostitutes' kabuki" ( y u j o kabuki). Actually, comic roles (saruwaka) were always played by men, as were other roles at times. Some troupes were made up of boys between the ages of about ten and thirteen, chosen for their attractiveness. Though young, they too were professionals who, like the women, performed during the day and sold sexual favors at night. When the Tokugawa Shogunate, the military government of Japan, banned women from the public stage in 1629, the only troupes remaining to perform kabuki were these. "Boys' kabuki" (wakasbu kabuki), as it was called, continued for another twenty-three years, until in 1652 young boys as well as women were forbidden by the Shogunate to act in kabuki. According to traditional accounts, after a year had passed in which no kabuki was allowed, theaters were given permission to reopen on condition that all performers would be adult males and that productions would be "fully acted plays" (monomane kyogen zukushi), instead of the previous variety shows of independent songs, dances, and sketches. Theater managers accepted these conditions and the period of "adult male kabuki" (yard kabuki) began. Naturally we need not believe that thereafter sodomy ceased to be part of the actor's profession, that full-blown drama instantly appeared, or that artistic standards magically improved, as is sometimes suggested. But favorable conditions now existed for the creation of a serious dramatic art. The yaro period (1653-1688) is often overlooked, but it was during this time that many of the significant features of mature kabuki evolved. Already during the wakashu period standard scenes were the assignation at a brothel (keiseigai), swaggering through the streets by the dapper hero (tanzen roppo), and the flight of lovers (micbiyuki). In 1655 a commentator noted that fighting scenes (tacbimawari) were being so skillfully done at the Yamamura Theater in Edo that people were talking about nothing else. 1 Performers of female roles, onnagata, were distinguished from 1. Ihara T o s h i r o , Kabuki 1956), I, 6 9 .

2

Nempyo

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

( C h r o n o l o g y of K a b u k i ; T o k y o : Iwanami S h o t c n ,

performers of male roles ( o t o k o g a t a ) on playbills as early as 1644; during the 1660s and 1670s female impersonation became an art. Prior to 1664 kabuki programs consisted of unrelated, short items: in 1662 the program at the Kodennai Theater in Edo contained seventeen separate pieces in the f i f t h m o n t h , and at the Inishie Theater fifteen in the eighth m o n t h . 2 But in 1664 dramas of two, three, and four linked acts were p e r f o r m e d in Osaka and Edo. A b o u t the same time stage settings came into use and the act curtain made its appearance, probably to facilitate changing the various sets being called for in the new multiact plays. Playwriting became a specialized profession, as the inclusion of the a u t h o r ' s name on kabuki playbills after 1680 indicates, and the first illustrated playbooks (em kyogenbon) containing excerpts of dialogue and summaries of action began to be published in K y o t o in 1688, the first year of Genroku (and about ten years later in Edo). Thus, by the beginning of the Genroku era basic characteristics of kabuki playwriting had been established that would persist for t w o h u n d r e d years—until Japan was opened to contact with the West in 1868. A townsman's art, kabuki was viewed with grave suspicion by Japan's ruling samurai warrior class. In the first place, its performers were social pariahs, "beggars of the riverbed," scarcely higher than outcasts in the social system. The authorities accepted the fact that the townsman (artisan or merchant, collectively called chomn) required entertainment, but they feared social disruption and possible contamination of their own class if such entertainments were not carefully regulated. So the two chief entertainments of the great cities, kabuki and prostitution, were licensed and placed in segregated areas where they could be closely watched. The immediate reason for the ban on w o m e n in kabuki was a violent brawl that erupted between rival samurai at a performance by the prostitute Yoshino of a no play in K y o t o in 1629. Spectators were injured and the stage demolished. The resulting government regulation prohibited women f r o m performing no, joruri p u p p e t plays, and kabuki. 3 T h e ban on w o m e n in kabuki, therefore, can be seen as part of the government's larger policy of separating prostitution from performing and confining each profession in its own area. (Yoshiwara, the main quarter set up for prostitution in Edo, was completed in 1626, or just three years before public stages were closed to prostitutes.) In the second place, kabuki was hardly an art at all in the eyes of the samurai. It is true that individual government officials, including some of the highest rank, became enamoured of 2. I b i d . , p p . 8 7 - 8 9 . 3. I h a r a q u o t e s f r o m t h e e d i c t s i s s u e d in N o v e m b e r 1 6 2 9 in b o t h K y o t o a n d in K d o ; i b i d . , p. 4 9 .

3

Introduction

kabuki, but as a class the samurai patronized austere and restrained no drama and could see in kabuki's direct action and high-spirited acting little more than frivolous vulgarity. It must have been profoundly disturbing for Shogunate officials to realize that every day tens of thousands of spectators at theaters in Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo were being exposed to plays that glorified the commoner. The mere existence of plays about the daily lives of the lower classes conferred on these lives a value which the authorities wished to deny. Plays about contemporary urban life go back to the earliest days of kabuki. Okuni acted the role of a young samurai, foppishly dressed in the latest fashion, who goes to a public house of assignation, meets a prostitute, dallies with her, and joins in singing and dancing to popular tunes of the day. An account from the Genroku period says, "Lately it has become the rage to stage, the following day, adulterous affairs and scandal which occur in the city the preceding day. Not even the names of the people are changed and the audience finds this very interesting." 4 Plays of current events were called "living newspapers" ( k i w a m o n o ) or, in the slang of the day, "overnight pickles" (ichiyazuke). The many accounts of plays appearing on the stage a single day after a murder or suicide probably cannot be taken literally, but it is said that Chikamatsu Tokusan dashed off his famous overnight pickles play of multiple and gory murders, Sounds at he and the Sleeping Sword of Love, in just three days.5 Kabuki playwrights continued to dramatize current events through two and a half centuries, which helps explain why there is no "typical" kabuki play. Rather, half a dozen general types of plays evolved at different times in response to different dramatic materials and social conditions. The Shogunate rulers looked askance at plays that dramatized current events for the obvious reason that the dramatists' views of these events were bound to differ from the official view. Eventually plays about two types of contemporary events were banned as being particularly disruptive to society: lovers' suicides and scandals in important samurai families. Both were extremely popular in early Genroku. In 1722, plays dramatizing recent love suicides (sbinju), or that had the word shinju in their title, were banned on the grounds that seeing them would incite spectators to commit suicide themselves. There was no way to evade this regulation. The fact that this prohibition was enforced for many years undoubtedly 4. Quoted in Gunji Masakatsu, Kabuki no Hasso (Formation of Kabuki; T o k y o : Kobundo, 1959), p. 193. 5. F.ngeki Hyakka Daijiten (Encyclopedia of Theater; T o k y o : Heibonsha, 1960), 1, 145.

4

K a b u k i : Five C l a s s i c P l a y s

hastened the decline of kabuki in Osaka and K y o t o , where love suicide plays formed an i m p o r t a n t part of the repertory. Current happenings within samurai feudal houses were of intense interest to kabuki's plebian audiences, but their dramatization, too, was forbidden, probably as early as 1703. This ban proved uninforceable, however, for playwrights simply altered characters' names and placed events in an earlier period, usually Kamakura ( 1 1 8 5 - 1 3 3 3 ) or Ashikaga ( 1 3 3 6 - 1 5 6 8 ) . In time a whole system of conventional parallels between places, situations, people, and events f r o m past and present developed. This " m a t c h i n g " of present and past, which became an important part of kabuki dramatic practice, is called mitate. O f t e n a major figure first appears "in disguise" (yatsushi), only to reveal himself in a crucial m o m e n t t o be "in r e a l i t y " (jitsu wa) a person f r o m a different historical period (Sukeroku, f o r example, in Sukeroku. Flower of Edo). Mitate was a transparent device, and the audience easily identified the actual c o n t e m p o r a r y event f r o m its historical parallel, b u t the letter of the law was n o t broken. Because of the restricted social environment in which k a b u k i artists worked, J a p a n ' s isolation f r o m outside contacts, and oppressive government restrictions, kabuki plays developed m a n y characteristics of a game played by audience and performers. Like a game it had certain rules, such as mitate, yatsushi, and jitsu wa, and playing according to the rules became in itself an i m p o r t a n t source of e n j o y m e n t and pleasure f o r an audience. U n d o u b t e d l y the game approach stimulated writers and actors to perfect kabuki's artistic qualities and helped sustain the f o r m ' s delightful spirit of playfulness. THE PLAYS THE GENROKU PERIOD

By the beginning of the G e n r o k u period, in the late seventeenth century, three m a j o r divisions of kabuki drama were recognized: sewamono, or plays a b o u t the lives of c o n t e m p o r a r y c o m m o n e r s ; history plays, k n o w n as jidaimono-, and dance pieces, called shosagoto (keigoto in K y o t o and Osaka). Dances (which will be discussed later) and sketches of c o n t e m p o r a r y life were among the earliest kabuki pieces. T h e most i m p o r t a n t topical situation was t h a t of the y o u n g t o w n dandy visiting a courtesan in the licensed quarter. Three generations continued the situation, first p e r f o r m e d by Okuni, in h u n d r e d s u p o n h u n d r e d s of plays, until it evolved in

5

Introduction

Genroku into the so-called " p r o s t i t u t e " or " p r o s t i t u t e - b u y i n g " (keisei or keiseigai) play. T h e prostitute play is particularly characteristic of K y o t o (and Osaka) kabuki, and it was the K y o t o actor, Sakata T o j u r o ( 1 6 4 4 1709), w h o brought the genre t o perfection. T o j u r o was admired as an actor of impeccable taste. T h e story is told of h o w he received a farewell gift f r o m N a k a m u r a Shichisaburo ( 1 6 6 2 - 1 7 0 8 ) , a fellow actor and warm friend, w h o was leaving K y o t o . Thinking it would be t o o mechanical to return the gift immediately, T o j u r o did nothing. A f t e r several m o n t h s p o r t e r s sent b y T o j u r o arrived at Shichisaburo's d o o r in Edo, carrying a great jar in a crate and a letter which read, "I hereby present you with a j a r of water f r o m the River Kamo. Please use it f o r y o u r New Year's tea." 6 In 1678 T o j u r o created the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the play New Year's Remembrance of Yugiri. He played Izaemon as a wealthy and pampered y o u n g man-about-town, drawing gentle laughter with his portrait of the elegantly handsome hero w h o p o u t s childlishly as he awaits Yugiri, the courtesan he loves. T o j u r o ' s unique blend of sensuousness and comic helplessness was called wagoto, literally " s o f t style," acting. A current saying described the wagoto part as " a lover's role played with the heart of a c o m e d i a n . " 7 A sociologist or psychiatrist might wish t o explore w h y , at least in art, the foolish, ineffectual hero was the favorite of courtesans. T o j u r o ' s p e r f o r m a n c e was extremely well received; in order to satisfy public d e m a n d he played Izaemon f o u r times that year and, in all, eighteen times during his acting career. No other kabuki actor b e f o r e or since has been so intimately connected with a single role. T h e r e a f t e r he played similar wagoto leading roles in scores of plays in K y o t o and Osaka; "all things considered, he spent practically his whole life doing keisei pieces." 8 J u s t as the role of Izaemon is taken, even today, as the model for wagoto acting, the Yugiri-Izaemon story, dramatized in Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter (1712), is typical of the m a t u r e prostitute play. T h e basic situation is as follows. Izaemon has squandered a small f o r t u n e on the courtesan Yugiri of the Shinmachi licensed quarter in Osaka. As a result, his wealthy family has disowned him. A f t e r wandering pathetically f o r t w o years Izaemon returns to the quarter, yearning t o meet Yugiri. He is so p u t o u t at having to appear as a virtual outcast in the quarter where his m o n e y used to 6. C h a r l e s J . D u n n and B u n z o Torigoe, The Actors' Y o r k : C o l u m b i a University Press, 1 9 6 9 ) , p. 135. 7. Daijten, VI, 6 5 . 8. D u n n , Analects, p. 102.

6

K a b u k i : Five Classic Plays

Analects:

Yakusha

Rongo

(New

buy him every attention and favor, that when Yugiri finally comes to meet him he p o u t s and pretends he is interested in her n o longer. He accuses her of being u n f a i t h f u l . T h e y quarrel. She tells him she had become so ill worrying a b o u t his safety, she only this day has consented to meet guests. As they tenderly make up, family servants fortuitously rush on carrying chests of m o n e y to pay Izaemon's debts and buy off Yugiri's contract with the brothel. Typical elements of the prostitute-buying genre are f o u n d here: the disinherited hero's return t o the licensed q u a r t e r in disguise (yatsusbi), the lovers' quarrel (kuzetsu), and the love scene (nuregoto). It is difficult now to judge h o w explicitly erotic the love scenes were in Genroku kabuki. Stage directions are few, b u t Tôjiïrô criticized scenes staged at other theaters t h a t showed lovers together in bed. 9 In all likelihood G e n r o k u prostitute plays were more sensual than we might imagine reading present scripts. T h e y were also elegantly stylish, reflecting the urbane sophistication cultivated by habitués of licensed quarters. It has been suggested one reason people flocked t o see prostitute plays was that they instructed the spectator on h o w to carry off with the p r o p e r finesse a visit to the quarter. There is no villain or antagonist role in the typical prostitute play, and conflict, largely limited to the bickering of the lovers, remains on a low level. As we will see, this contrasts markedly with history plays as well as other types of c o n t e m p o r a r y sewamono. T h e typical prostitute play is casual and lighthearted. The role of Yugiri was based on a widely k n o w n courtesan of t h a t name f r o m the Osaka Shinmachi prostitute quarter, w h o died suddenly in 1678. Within a m o n t h T o j u r o had opened in New Year's Remembrance of Yugiri (whether in K y o t o or Osaka is unclear). This can be considered the first important "overnight pickles" play. Its great success encouraged managers to base other plays on the latest town scandal. In the spring of 1683 the Osaka courtesan Y a m a t o Ichinojô and her p a t r o n , Goze C h o e m o n , for u n k n o w n reasons took their lives together. Plays a b o u t this sensational event immediately opened at three m a j o r kabuki theaters in Osaka. Very probably these were the first love suicide, or shinju, plays to be staged in Japan (the word " s h i n j u " appears in a kabuki play title in 1662, b u t the plot of the play is u n k n o w n ) . 1 0 T h e popular actor-manager Iwai Hanshirô I played at his theater in Osaka The Love Suicides at Toribeyama in 1685, and in 1686 The Love Suicides at Mikatsu. T h e latter was such a success it ran one9. Ibid., p. 136. 10. See ihara, Nempyo,

7

Introduction

I, 8 7 - 8 9 , 147.

hundred fifty performances. By the end of the century a dozen similar plays had been staged in kabuki. The love suicide play can be seen as a development of the prostitute play in which the relationship of the courtesan and her patron is carried past the stage of courtship and casual dalliance to its tragic denouement in death. A third type of contemporary sewamono play dramatized recent scandalous murders (satsujinmono). Again, a courtesan and her patron were usually major characters. The murder scenes in The Scarlet Princess of Edo, written more than a century later, are descendents of the Genroku period murder play. Following the immense popularity which kabuki's domestic plays gained in the two and a half decades since Tojuro captivated audiences in New Year's Remembrance ofYugiri, the form was transplanted into joruri puppet drama by Chikamatsu Monzaemon ( 1 6 5 3 - 1 7 2 4 ) , a brilliant playwright of both kabuki and joruri texts. In 1703 a young merchant and a prostitute, who were in love, killed themselves at Sonezaki Shrine in Osaka. Within days kabuki dramatizations of the event were playing at three theaters, and a few weeks later Chikamatsu's puppet play The Love Suicides at Sonezaki11 opened in Osaka. It was the first joruri domestic play. (Before this the puppet repertory had been made up of religious and history pieces.) It was well received and Chikamatsu went on to write many more. By the time he composed The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, Chikamatsu was an old hand at writing sewamono plays. For twenty years he had been a staff playwright for Sakata Tojuro in Kyoto, writing an estimated twenty to thirty kabuki plays, most of which included prostitute-buying scenes. In The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, Chikamatsu recreated in joruri the familiar kabuki prostitute-buying situation and kabuki's wagoto comic-lover hero. In later works he was to move away from the kabuki model and write suicide plays, more somber in mood, emphasizing the family obligations of the hero that would make his love for a prostitute untenable. History plays, or jidaimono, developed in kabuki some decades after contemporary plays. During the 1660s scenes were staged of warriors fighting ( b u d o g o t o ) with spears and swords. These may have been stimulated by warrior or demon plays from the no repertory or by the violent battle scenes typical of "old joruri" (kojoruri), as puppet drama before Chikamatsu's time was called. By Genroku, two kinds of kabuki history plays were identifiable. Contemporary assassinations, vendettas, and power struggles 11. Translated in Donald Keene, Major Plays of Chikamatsu University Press, 1 9 6 1 ) .

8

K a b u k i : Five Classic Plays

(New Y o r k : Columbia

within the ruling samurai class were put on stage as oiemono, or "feudal house" plays. For example, a number of oiemono history plays were based on a famous incident which occurred during the Genroku period. In 1703 forty-seven retainers of Lord Asano of Ako, having illegally slain a high official of the Shogun's court who was responsible for their master's disgrace and death, committed mass suicide by disembowelment (seppuku). No event had so shocked and aroused the nation for a hundred years. The death of the forty-seven occurred on February 4; twelve days later, on February 16, a kabuki play alluding to the incident opened in Edo. Keenly aware that public sympathy lay with the executed men, three days after the play opened the government simultaneously closed it and banned dramatization of contemporary events concerning samurai. After this mitate came into general use, whereby contemporary events were safely placed in the past. Accordingly, when the next play on the Ako incident was written—by Chikamatsu Monzaemon—and staged in 1706, the event was placed in the Taiheiki World of the fourteenth century and Lord Asano was identified as Enya Hangan, a historical figure of that far-off period. Later plays based on the incident, including the famous Chüshingura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers, followed this example. (Strictly speaking, the first oiemono plays about the Ako incident were not "history" plays at all: they were contemporary plays disguised as historical drama.) In January 1664 kabuki theaters were prohibited from performing "Shimabara plays," as plays about prostitutes were often called. (Shimabara was the major licensed quarter in Kyoto.) Also, "the acting of courtesans' roles was resolutely forbidden." 1 2 Henceforth writers in Kyoto and Osaka disguised the prostitute-buying situation by working it into a three-, four-, or five-act oiemono history play. In a very typical oiemono play the young heir to a feudal house is deposed by a scheming clan retainer or relative and forced to escape in the disguise of a commoner. Often wearing a "paper kimono" symbolic of his poverty, he visits the licensed quarter for the usual wagoto love scene with a courtesan. At the end of the play, the evil retainer is defeated by retainers loyal to the house and the young heir is reinstated. Tojüro played scores of wagoto roles of this type. It seems that Kyoto audiences especially appreciated the contrast in oiemono plays between delicate wagoto acting and active samurai scenes. A second type of history play, the ocbomono

or "imperial court"

12. Ihara, Nempyo, I, 9 3 . Similar p r o h i b i t i o n s decreed in 1655 and in 1 6 5 8 seem n o t t o have b e e n observed.

9

Introduction

play, was extremely popular with audiences in Edo. Also called "court history" plays (odaimono), they were set in the days of the ancient Heian court (794-1160) and were acted in a highly exaggerated, bravura style known as aragoto (literally, "rough style"). Aragoto acting is said to have originated with the first stage appearance, in 1673, of Ichikawa Danjuro I (1660-1704). Playing the role of the superhuman Kintoki, one of the Four Guardian Generals, he created a sensation when he entered the stage wearing bold "black and red makeup," 1 3 rampaged up the side of a mountain, and single-handedly demolished a number of opponents. The impress of Danjuro's bravura acting style carried over to some fifty plays which he composed under the pen name Mimasuya Hy6go. Of these, Indestructible (1680), Saint Narukami (1684), Wait a Moment! (1697), The God Fudd (1697), and Pulling the Elephant (1701) are performed today. Originally, each was conceived as a single scene or act in an all-day play. Subsequently they were rewritten and incorporated in other long plays on many occasions. In time they began to be staged as independent one-act plays, the way they are now performed. Wait a Moment! has been produced in several hundred versions, and since early Genroku until the end of the nineteenth century theaters in Edo have traditionally incorporated into each season's opening play its simple situation of the hero saving the lives of the good faction by simultaneously lopping off eight enemy heads. Records substantiate at least ninety-six major productions of Saint Narukami and thirteen of The God Fudd since their premieres. The last two give their names to the all-day imperial court play Saint Narukami and the God Fudd, staged in Osaka in 1742. Ichikawa Danjuro II (1688-1758), son of the first Danjuro, had been paid 2000 gold ryo (between $60,000 and $90,000) to come from Edo to play at the Sadoshima Theater in Osaka that season. Naturally he hoped to attract large audiences by playing aragoto style plays, his family's specialty, in order to justify this unprecedented salary. The opening production was moderately successful; the second, a revenge play concerning the Soga brothers, was poorly received and withdrawn after ten days. The theater manager, Sadoshima Chogoro, describes what happened next: "Then when the dressing-room and the front got around to discussing the third program, and what should be in it, all sorts of things were suggested, but we came to no conclusion. At this point Hakuen (Danjuro) suggested that we put on Narukami next. I said that if we did this 1 3. Most J a p a n e s e w r i t e r s believe this m a r k e d the beginning of the distinctively bold m a k e u p k n o w n as kumadori (e.g., Daijiten, I. 170).

10

K a b u k i : Five Classic Plays

play, there would be no need for a plot to be t h o u g h t up. I joined the old play on to an introduction . . . Reverberations of the ' t h u n d e r g o d ' (Narukami) not only reached the neighboring provinces, as was to be expected, but also there came to Osaka a great number of people even f r o m distant parts especially to see . . . Narukami. It was universally well received, and the crowds were packed so tight that one could not force one's way through them. Many connoisseurs of the art f r o m K y o t o came to Osaka to see his p e r f o r m a n c e . . . What a fantastic genius he had, thus to excel even when n o t in view of the audience!" 1 4 T h e plot suggested by Chogoro included Saint Narukami's death. D a n j u r o objected to playing the role of a hero w h o was defeated, for supernatural strength and invincibility were the essence of aragoto style. But Chogoro prevailed, Saint Narukami and the God Fudd opened as he suggested, and played 170 days, an exceptionally long run at that time. T h e clamor to see D a n j u r o was so great that he was able to take off b u t a single day during the seven m o n t h s the play ran and within a few days of Danjuro's closing, the Mandayu T h e a t e r in K y o t o was ready with its own version of the play under the very same title. 1 5 As the incident a b o u t the play's composition indicates, several casts of characters, originally unrelated, were woven together in a long play intended to last f r o m early morning until dusk. These characters belong to well-defined " w o r l d s " , called sekai in kabuki. First in importance in this play is the Disputed T h r o n e World of the Heian imperial court, set during the time of regent Fujiwara M o t o t s u n e and Emperor Yozei in the ninth century. T h e story concerns Prince H a y a k u m o ' s scheme to depose the infant e m p e r o r , on the p r e t e x t that a mere child is incapable of interceding with the gods t o end a terrible d r o u g h t which is ravaging the land. T h e powerful O n o clan is a firm supporter of the emperor and is the Prince's major o p p o n e n t . H a y a k u m o steals the clan's precious poem card, thereby humiliating the clan and at the same time preventing the card's use to bring rain (immersed in water, it possesses the power t o cause rain t o fall). A n d , because Princess Nishiki of the O n o clan is engaged to Bun'ya T o y o h i d e , another supporter of the emperor, H a y a k u m o has an accomplice cause her hair to mysteriously stand on end in order to force an end to their relationship. Both of these intrigues are exposed by Kumadera Danjo, a retainer 14. D u n n , Analects, p. 155. 15. A successful play could always be counted on to have its imitators and rivals at other theaters. The poster at the Mandayu Theater in K y o t o specifically referred to D a n j u r o ' s seven-month run, adding that "since so m a n y people wanted to see the play, f o r t u n a t e l y the actor Iseburo was able to play i t " in K y o t o (see Ihara, Nempyo, II, 285).

11

Introduction

of Toyohide, in the "Whisker Tweezers" scene. In amusingly exaggerated aragoto fashion, Danjo threatens to send the poem card thief "to hell," and he discovers that a magnet in the ceiling is drawing into the air iron ornaments in the princess's hair. A second world is that of Saint Narukami and Lady Taema, a legendary world set in India. Narukami holds the Dragon Gods of rain captive with a magic spell and so causes the drought. Taema undertakes to seduce him in order to break the spell and release the rain-making Dragon Gods, on the condition that she will be allowed to marry Toyohide, whom she loves. A third world is that of the God Fudo. In the play's final scenes Fudo defeats Prince Hayakumo, the Ono clan's position is secured, Taema marries Toyohide, and Danjo kills Narukami, thus assuring Taenia's safety and the freedom of the Dragon Gods on whom the prosperity of the realm depends. Saint Narukami and the God Fudo is an appealingly innocent play. Worlds are joined together loosely, with important scenes and acts virtually independent plays. It evokes a simple and distant age from the past. Evil and good engage in epochal struggle for mastery of the nation, with the imperial throne itself the prize. It seems natural for the emperor to assume that his authority derives directly from the Sun Goddess. Many scenes are theatrically powerful. Pious Narukami transforms himself into a raging thunder god. Fudo makes an awesome descent from the heavens to resolve the play—a literal deus ex machina. It is easy to see how broadly stylized aragoto elocution and movement techniques were created for plays conceived on such a grand scale. Saint Narukami and the God Fudo could be pompous and boring were its grandiloquent scenes not tempered with delightful, straightforward humor. Danjo attempts to seduce the boy Hidetaro and Makiginu, a lady-in-waiting, with such zest and good humor that we are totally disarmed. While Lady Taema's seduction of Narukami is one of kabuki's most explicitly sexual scenes, it is also exceptionally witty and entertaining. We find the business of the magnet lifting Princess Nishiki's hair and then the tweezers and the knife, in the "Whisker Tweezers" scene, good fun and little more. Danjo's lines are enlivened by word play, and even Prince Hayakumo, the villain of the piece, puns that his henchmen's plot to take control of the Ono clan is "a play" that is " t o o small, too small," while his scheme to depose the emperor is "a grand masquerade." Kiyoyuki, the white-haired sage buried alive by Prince Hayakumo, laughingly attributes his survival to gluttony: after a hundred days in the ground "the delicious smell of rice cakes roused me and I followed my nose to the surface."

12

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

A n u m b e r of qualities are shared by G e n r o k u plays regardless of their place of origin, yet Japanese c o m m e n t a t o r s have always remarked on the differences between plays written for K y o t o and for Edo audiences. T h e playwright Namiki Shozo II (d. 1807) w r o t e in the early nineteenth century: " T h e spirit of K y o t o is gentle and f r o m ancient times six-tenths of the plays that please are love stories, lacking in vigor and too softly compo. ed. T h e y have the heart of a w o m a n . They are like a person's 'ski^.' T h e spirit of E d o is violent and seven-tenths of the plays that please are prodigious imperial court plays, packed with action, strong in plot, unsuited to a w o m a n ' s taste. T h e y have the heart of a samurai. T h e y are like a person's 'bones.' " 1 6 In practice, the styles of the two cities o f t e n mingled. Perhaps the most successful blend of Edo bravura and K y o t o comic-eroticism is f o u n d in the Genroku period play Sukeroku: Flower of Edo (1713). It was written for D a n j u r o II, w h o in addition to carrying on the bravura acting tradition of his f a t h e r was also well acquainted with the soft acting tradition of Kyoto-Osaka. When y o u n g , D a n j u r o certainly had seen Nakamura Shichisaburo play w a g o t o roles in Edo with a skill rivaling that of T o j u r o . T h r e e years after Sukeroku: Flower of Edo was written, D a n j u r o himself played the w a g o t o role of Hanshichi in The Love Suicides of Hanshichi and Sankatsu at the N a k a m u r a Theater in Edo to great acclaim. 1 7 In some ways Sukeroku, the play's hero, is a strutting, quarreling otokodate, or "chivalrous c o m m o n e r , " of the type t h a t Edo audiences loved. T h e o t o k o d a t e was a manifestation of c o n t e m p o r a r y life in vigorous Edo. Young townsmen would parade by the bathhouses where cheap prostitutes w o r k e d , swaggering, bragging, and showing off. T h e bravest might challenge samurai to a fight. But S u k e r o k u is also part wagoto lover. Instead of wearing the vast, padded g a r m e n t s of an aragoto hero, D a n j u r o played Sukeroku wearing first a chic black k i m o n o and later a " p a p e r k i m o n o " such as Izaemon wears in Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter. As a c c o u t e r m e n t s of a dashing lover, he tied a luxurious purple h e a d b a n d of silk around his hairdo and tucked a flute into his sash. His m a k e u p of narrow black and red lines over a delicate white base was the softest aragoto type. In the character of Shimbei, S u k e r o k u ' s gentle and humorously self-effacing brother, we have a pure wagoto role. The play begins as 16. From Kezairoku (ca. 1 8 0 1 - 1 8 0 4 ) , q u o t e d in Urayama Masao and Matsuzaki llitoshi, ed., Kabuki Kyakuhonshu (Collection of Kabuki Plays; T o k y o : Iwanami S h o t e n , 1960), I, 8.

17. Ihara, Nempyo,

13

Introduction

I, 4 6 4 .

a prostitute-buying sewamono, set in Edo's Yoshiwara licensed quarter. Sukeroku and the courtesan Agemaki quarrel during their love scene, as in every prostitute-buying play. But with Sukeroku's revelation that he is "in reality" Soga Goro, a famous warrior from the twelfth century, only pretending to be a commoner in order to find a stolen sword and to avenge his father's murder, historical and contemporary worlds come to exist simultaneously. Shinbei is then shown to be Soga Juro, Goro's elder brother, and the enemy samurai Ikyu suddenly reveals himself in a spectacular costume change (miarawashi) to be none other than the Heike general Heinai Zaemon. Edo audiences loved to play the mitate game of matching worlds from the present with those of the past. Sukeroku : Flower of Edo is one of kabuki's most scintillating plays. Its costuming and staging are colorful. It contains magnificent procession scenes, active sword fights, and a scene in which Sukeroku plunges into a brimming vat, sending water cascading onto the floor. Its long speeches are famous, among them Agemaki's scathing put-down (akutai) of Ikyu and Sukeroku's nonstop "name-saying" speech (nanori). Sukeroku and Shinbei provide twenty mintues of outrageous slapstick when they force passersby to crawl between their legs. Because this scene is ad-libbed (sutezerifu), it varies from production to production, even from performance to performance. Sukeroku: Flower of Edo is unique; there is no other play like it, yet it sums up the characteristics of Genroku kabuki—sensuality, vitality, optimism, and good-natured fun.

PUPPET ADAPTATIONS

Plays written through the Genroku period are called " p u r e " (junsui) kabuki. Written for kabuki by kabuki playwrights they are different in many ways from the puppet play adaptations (marubonmono, dendenmono, o r g i d a y u kyogen) that came to occupy an important place in the kabuki repertory from the Horeki period (1751-1764) on. Puppet and kabuki theaters had existed side-by-side in the entertainment quarters of the three cities since the early 1600s. In the hundred years following, neither joruri nor kabuki borrowed extensively from the other. Occasional instances can be noted, as when Danjuro I based some of his portrayal of the aragoto hero on Kimpira joruri, a knockabout puppet play popular in Edo in the mid-1600s. Considering the physical proximity of kabuki and joruri theaters in the entertainment quarters and the fact that their audiences were almost the same, it is surprising that so little inter-

14

K a b u k i : Five C l a s s i c P l a y s

change between them took place. One probable reason is that kabuki and "old j o r u r i " were q u i t e d i f f e r e n t art forms. Kabuki was a dialogue and dance drama, joruri was not so much a first-person play as a narrative epic, incidentally illustrated by actions of hand puppets. But gradually during the G e n r o k u period, joruri became "kabuki-ized." Although it never completely abandoned its distinctive narrative style, the a m o u n t of narrative decreased significantly f r o m Chikamatsu's time onward, while the a m o u n t of first-person dialogue increased proportionally. Between 1720 and 1735 revolutionary changes occurred in the type of p u p p e t used and in manipulation technique. The simple one-man hand p u p p e t was replaced by a complex doll, three-quarters life-size, that had movable eyes, eyebrows, m o u t h , hands, and fingers and required three m e n to operate. In the past a single chanter (singer) had p e r f o r m e d a scene; now a scene was divided into sections and a d i f f e r e n t chanter took each. By the mid-1700s half a dozen chanters appeared simultaneously in some scenes, each, like an actor, taking a single role. Audiences were entranced by this new type of p u p p e t performance. T h e y j a m m e d the p u p p e t houses, marveling at the realism with which the dolls of w o o d , paint, and cloth were able to recreate scenes of daily life, dusting, pouring tea, eating, playing a musical instrument, or sobbing piteously in a m o m e n t of high e m o t i o n , as chanters placed in the characters' m o u t h s moving dialogue and fused the whole together with soaring passages of sung narration. Earlier plays, including Chikamatsu's, n o longer suited the new performing style, and scores of new ones were composed for the versatile, lifelike puppets. Over a span of just six years, f o u r highly acclaimed joruri plays were written: The House of Sugawara (1746), 1 8 Yosbitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees (1747), Chiishingura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers ( 1 7 4 8 ) 1 9 — the "Three Great Masterpieces" of joruri—and Chronicle of the Battle of Icbinotani (1751). Their popularity was so instantaneous that within m o n t h s they were being staged by kabuki actors also. Not only were new themes and d r a m a t i c materials thereby introduced to kabuki, but the singing style, the T a k e m o t o (or Gidayu) shamisen music, and the p u p p e t m o v e m e n t techniques of joruri theater were deliberately taken over as well. T h e transposition of complete p u p p e t plays into the kabuki repertory is said to have 18. Translated in Earle Ernst, ed., Three Japanese Plays (New York: O x f o r d University Press, 1959). 19. Donald Keene, trans., Chushingura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers (New Y o r k : Columbia University Press, 1970).

15

Introduction

begun with Yosbitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees at the Nakamura Theater in Edo in May 1748, when a chanter, three shamisen players, and six puppeteers were invited from the Takemoto Puppet Theater in Osaka to direct rehearsals. 20 The kabuki version played to full houses for seventy days, establishing a pattern of direct borrowing that continued for several decades. The period 1750-1770 therefore marks a radical departure from kabuki's previous history. Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani takes place in the second month of 1184, when Genji armies, under the command of Minamoto Yoshitsune, are defeating the Heike and wresting from them control of the nation. Of the play's original five acts, two are still performed. On the beach of Suma Bay, Kumagai, a Genji general, unhorses and beheads a young enemy warrior, described as the ex-emperor's son and Heike heir, Prince Atsumori. The next scene is at Kumagai's battle camp. He is attacked by Atsumori's mother, Lady Fuji, who has been driven wild with grief by the death of her son. Kumagai is able to calm her by recounting each step of the boy's noble death, in a moving narrative (monogatari). Yoshitsune appears and demands to see Atsumori's head. When Kumagai presents it for verification (kubijikken), his wife, Sagami, gasps with astonishment. The head is not that of Atsumori, but of their own son, Kojiro. Knowing it was Yoshitsune's wish that the child of the emperor be spared, Kojiro willingly substituted himself for Atsumori during battle so that Kumagai would behead him in place of Atsumori. Husband and wife struggle to maintain their composure and protect the secret of the head's identity, as Sagami lovingly cradles Kojiro's head to her breast in a bitter, suppressed scene of lamentation (kudoki). Lady Fuji also sees the head and joins their weeping. The act (and the play in its present form) ends as Kumagai strips off his armor to reveal beneath it a monk's garb. He renounces his rank and begins a wandering life dedicated to praying for the repose of Kojiro's soul. Not all history puppet plays written at this time are set during the bloody Heike-Genji conflict, but a similar quality of emotional torment and anguish runs through them, setting them apart from the majority of kabuki plays. Perhaps the most descriptive term would be "feudal war" plays (usually they are called simply jidai, 20. Ihara, Nempyo, 111, 10; the names of t h e artists invited to E d o d o n o t appear on the original joruri playbill (see T o k y o Ongaku G a k k o , Kinsei Hogaku Nempyo: Gidayu Bushi no Bu ( T o k y o : R o k u g o k a n , 1 9 2 7 ) , p. 104), indicating either that they had not p e r f o r m e d in Osaka or that their parts there had been minor, which o p e n s up the possibility that the kabuki version was less a u t h e n t i c than is usually t h o u g h t .

16

K a b u k i : Five Classic Plays

or " p e r i o d , " plays). Typically there is a prolonged scene of physical suffering followed by death. In Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani, after Princess Tamaori is w o u n d e d , she clings to life for m a n y minutes, blinded and in great pain, before she finally succumbs. Such scenes are almost certainly related to " w o u n d e d " ( t e o i g o t o ) scenes in budo fighting plays of pre-Genroku kabuki. More important, a " s i n c e r e " hero (jitsugoto) is featured in a moving scene of sacrifice. T h e hero commits suicide or, as in Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani, he causes or is forced to endure the death of a beloved family member. This climactic scene usually occurs at the midpoint of the five-act play: in the final section (kiri) of the third act (sandan). Although it is part of a " h i s t o r y " play, Japanese consider the sandan no kiri suicide or family sacrifice a sewa, or " d o m e s t i c , " scene. In it the p o m p of history is laid aside, and characters bare their hearts as husband and wife, parent and child. In Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani, d u t y (giri) impells Kumagai to kill his son, although his human feelings (ninjo) rebel against the act. The conflict is intensely dramatic and might be handled in a n u m b e r of ways. Kumagai might unblinkingly follow the dictates of giri, in which case he would kill his son w i t h o u t hesitation and in the a f t e r m a t h would show n o outward sign of remorse or grief (although he might feel both). Ideally, this is w h a t the samurai code calls for. In fact, both Kumagai and Sagami fail to control their emotions. T h e y act like middle-class parents. He vacillates for ten minutes b e f o r e Hirayama's taunts compel him to behead Kojiro. (Kojiro on the contrary dies with perfect composure, in accordance with the code.) Sagami weeps openly and at length. It is h u m a n and understandable that they would give way to their deep grief over the loss of their son; but these are not the actions of noble, historical figures, solely motivated by samurai codes of c o n d u c t . In general, the feudal war play, especially its sandan no kiri climax, represents a kind of bourgeois domestication of samurai ethics. The typical scene of lamentation in joruri reaches its culmination in a flood of anguished tears and is called a "great conclusion" (dotoshi), thus distinguishing it f r o m other standard endings of scenes. Significantly, no term in kabuki drama identifies a crying scene. Several explanations have been advanced for the prevalence and the importance of tearful scenes in p u p p e t drama. It may be that a narrative art, with its c o m m e n t a r y and description, is especially effective in creating m o o d s of melancholy and of pathos. Or, perhaps p u p p e t s that are nearly, b u t n o t quite, human can only be brought fully to life by projecting into them the most intense

17

Introduction

emotions. We can imagine that the joruri audience of merchants and townsmen found comfort in seeing their samurai betters dissolve into tears of grief, as they themselves would do. Osaka is the home of joruri puppet theater. Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani and the other great puppet dramas were written and performed for Osaka audiences. It is often suggested that, for unexplained reasons, these audiences have been particularly susceptible to tearful stories. Namiki Shozo, who was born in Osaka, concluded his comparison of plays in the three cities with the sardonic observation that, "the spirit of Osaka is logical to a fault, and eight-tenths of the plays that please are concerned with duty (giri), filled with boring explanation, and designed for the heart of the chivalrous townsman. They are like a person's 'flesh.' " 2 I The relationship between kabuki and joruri drama was considerably more complex than this brief outline may suggest. When Danjuro I appeared on stage for the first time, in 1673 at the age of thirteen, his role of Kimpira's father, Kintoki, already had been popular with puppet audiences for at least two decades. In the Kyoto Mandayu Theater's 1694 production of Five Roads and the Official of Death scenes of miraculous resurrections and roles for three villains reflect borrowings from old joruri. 2 2 Chikamatsu's highly successful puppet play The Battles of Coxinga (1715) 2 3 inspired kabuki playwrights to write similar plays. At about this time, the actor Otowa Jirosaburo refused to play in pieces "which used the chanting that goes with the puppets," 2 4 indicating that puppet performing techniques were being borrowed at least occasionally by kabuki. As often as not a play was staged first as kabuki and later adapted to the puppet stage. (A kabuki play about the battle of Ichinotani was performed in Kyoto as early as 1691, sixty years before Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani was written.) But sometimes it was the other way around. Other plays, like the famous Incense of Loyalty for a Late Master, passed back and forth between kabuki and joruri so often that it is impossible to attribute them to one form or the other. With the adaptation of Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees to kabuki, joruri chanter and shamisen teams (chobo) became a part of every kabuki troupe. While actors took over the lines of dialogue, the joruri chanter sat to the left of the stage, as in the puppet theater, and delivered the narrative sections. Numerous changes occurred, such as the reduction of the 21. Urayama, Kyakubonshu, I, 8. 22. Kawatake Shigetoshi, Nihon Gikyokushi N a n ' u n d o , 1964), pp. 3 4 4 - 3 4 6 . 23. Translated in Keene, Chikamatsu. 24. D u n n , Analects, p. 112.

18

K a b u k i : F i v e Classic Plays

(History of Japanese Drama; T o k y o :

a m o u n t of T a k e m o t o music to meet the requirements of kabuki acting, but the basic joruri style of p e r f o r m a n c e was carried over o n t o the live stage. Maruhon plays, as p u p p e t adaptations in kabuki are usually called, are excellent theater pieces and their incorporation into the repertory enriched the drama. But joruri has a " t h i c k n e s s " of style; it emphasizes emotionalism and contains little h u m o r , and the p u p p e t s depend u p o n small, realistic m o v e m e n t s (furi) for e f f e c t . Such qualities are f u n d a m e n t a l l y antithetical to kabuki artistic style. Because t e x t , chanting (or singing), music, and m o v e m e n t in joruri fuse into a single pattern, the kabuki actor lost some of his f r e e d o m to improvise. But audiences enjoyed seeing actors p e r f o r m drama written for puppets, and the best plays soon became part of both repertories. It is o f t e n said that kabuki acting style changed under joruri influence, and it would be interesting to have this subject studied in detail. We can note, however, that kabuki writers d e m o n strated no interest in following joruri dramatic f o r m . With b u t one exception during the next hundred years, no kabuki playwright composed new works using joruri narrative technique. (The exception was Namiki Shozo whose father was one of the a u t h o r s of Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani.) DANCE P L A Y S

This remarkable period of creativity in joruri writing ended almost as suddenly as it had begun and by the end of the Horeki period kabuki had returned to its own resources for new drama. T h e center of kabuki activity shifted f r o m K y o t o and Osaka, and thereafter almost all important new plays came f r o m Edo playwrights. T w o new directions in Edo kabuki are n o t e w o r t h y . During t h e T e n m e i period ( 1 7 8 1 - 1 7 8 8 ) playwrights such as Horikoshi Nisoji ( 1 7 2 1 - 1 7 8 1 ? ) and Sakurada Jisuke I ( 1 7 3 4 - 1 8 0 6 ) created a new style of dramatic dance play (buyd geki). Prior to this time a michiyuki "travel d a n c e " was an integrated scene within the main play ( h o n kyogen)-, otherwise kabuki dance tended to be nondramatic. T h e very important solo dance piece (shosagoto or buyo) by the onnagata actor was designed to exhibit the physical attractiveness of the actor and to display his skill in portraying feminine elegance. If p e r f o r m e d at the end of the program it was called "final piece," kiri kyogen, and might be given a title separate f r o m the main play. The other main t y p e of dance, dodori, was a lively group dance performed by the entire c o m p a n y . As a rule oodori were n o t given titles but were simply announced to the audience at

19

Introduction

the conclusion of the main play. An interesting account of one such informal dance is found in the illustrated play book for the four-act history play The Biography of the Genji-Heike Thunder God, written and performed in 1698 by Danjuro I. This play marked the retirement at the age of forty-two of the troupe's lead onnagata, Ogino Sawanojo. At the end of the last act the text continues: "And now Danjuro announced to the audience, 'At this time Sawanojo resumes his manhood. This, then, is his farewell appearance.' With the entire cast urging him on, Sawanojo made a swaggering entrance (roppo) dressed like a man with his hair done in masculine fashion. At this point Sawanojo performed an active entrance dance, looking the height of male handsomeness in his final appearance. Crying 'How difficult,' the entire cast without exception began a group dance (oodori) as encouragement for him to continue. It was a never-to-be-forgotten sight, child actors decorating themselves with flowers, male leads doing the Ten Thousand Bushels Dance, others saying 'Me too, me too,' as they danced Edo's famous Straw Bag Dance. The actor Yanaginosuke, too, did the Straw Bag Dance and to 'Congratulations, congratulations,' all joined the auspicious group dance." 2 5 Almost a century would pass before casual nondramatic dances yielded gradually to danced plays in which the leading man as well as the onnagata would take major dance roles. When this occurred dance-dramas with plots and conflicts became possible. Horikoshi established the custom of each full-length play's containing a dance scene or act. New types of music created especially for dance plays combined the narrative qualities of Takemoto music (the music of joruri puppet drama) and the lyric qualities of kabuki's usual Nagauta music. Tokiwazu, Kiyomoto, and Tomimoto were the most important of these new musical styles. A craze for dance plays swept kabuki that continued through the nineteenth century. While some wholly new ones were created, many favorite plays were adapted to dance. To mention just one example, dance sequences were added to Narukami when it was performed as an independent play by Danjuro VII and VIII in the mid-nineteenth century. Taema's scenes especially were accompanied by various styles of music: Kiyomoto music for Danjuro VII's production in 1836, Tokiwazu and Takemoto music for Danjuro VIII's production in 1843, and Kiyomoto and Takemoto music eight years later in 1851. The dance play translated here is Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter, staged for the first time under that title in 25. T a k a n o Tasuyuki and Kuroki Kanzo, eds., Genroku Kabuki Kessakusbu (Masterpieces of G e n r o k u Kabuki; T o k y o : Waseda Daigaku S h u p p a n b u , 1939), I, 150.

20

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

1780. It is a dance adaptation of the well-known Yugiri-Izaemon story from the Genroku period. It is an unusual dance play in that the first scene is dialogue drama while the last half of the play is dance; it is sometimes called a han-buyo, "half-dance," for this reason. In other respects it contains typical elements of mature kabuki dance-drama. The story is well developed and is enacted by several characters; dialogue sections alternate with sections of dance; and variety of musical effect is achieved by the use of more than a single type of music (Takemoto and Kiyomoto or Tokiwazu). Although the dramatic content of the piece is of considerable interest, it is not the sole focus of attention. An important aim of the piece is to produce aesthetic delight through the beautiful sounds of music and singing, elegant costuming, and pleasing patterns of dance movement. Two groups of musicians are seated in full view of the audience in order to add color and weight to the visual composition. The play lasts about an hour in performance. Staged as the last piece (kiri kyogen) of a long day's program, it restores the spectator to a pleasant and relaxed frame of mind before he leaves the theater. TRUE DOMESTIC PLAYS A second new type of play evolved in the city of Edo beginning in the Kasei period (1804-1830). 2 6 Called kizewamono, "true sewamono," plays dramatizing a dark substrata of violence and immorality that lay beneath the outward opulence of the period began to be written. In the early nineteenth century the fabric of Tokugawa feudal society was beginning to unravel: powerful samurai were deeply in debt to the very merchants they despised; natural disasters and oppressive taxation caused futile peasant uprisings; the number of masterless, wandering samurai (ronin) grew dangerously large. Sakurada Jisuke 1 and Namiki Gohei I (17471808) had put peasants and low-ranking commoners on stage, but it remained for Tsuruya Namboku IV (1755-1829) to create a new form of drama in which thieves, murderers, pimps, swindlers, renegade monks, and street whores played central roles. Namboku was typical of kabuki playwrights in that he spent his whole life in the theater. At the age of twenty-two he was accepted as a "see and learn" (minarai) apprentice on Sakurada Jisuke's writing staff at the Nakamura Theater. During the next thirty years he worked his way up from Third Assistant Playwright to Second 26. T h e t w o eras, B u n k a ( 1 8 0 4 - 1 8 1 7 ) and Bunsei ( 1 8 1 8 - 1 8 3 0 ) , t a k e n t o g e t h e r are called Kasei.

21

Introduction

Assistant Playwright at Edo's major kabuki houses, the Ichimura Theater, the Morita Theater, and the Kawarazaki Theater. By the time he achieved the rank of Chief Playwright at the age of fiftythree, he knew the art of kabuki intimately. He w r o t e every type of play prolifically. In the last t w o decades of his life he was chief a u t h o r of 125 scripts. Like most playwrights of his time, N a m b o k u seems t o have had little formal education, yet he reveals an intuitive understanding of the society of his time. A m a j o r Japanese criticism of N a m b o k u ' s writing has been that it lacks delicacy and at times is almost brutal. Critics call his plays "overripe," because he mirrored the reality of late feudal times when corruption and venality were seen everywhere and traditional loyalty seemed a rare virtue indeed. Whatever qualms one may have regarding N a m b o k u ' s unsavory materials, as a dramatist and a humorist he has n o equal in kabuki. N a m b o k u w r o t e The Scarlet Princess of Edo in 1817. It is an allday, jidai-sewamono, or " m i x e d history-domestic p l a y " (actually jidai-kizewamono would be m o r e exact). In the history part of the play, plots f r o m t w o worlds intertwine. F r o m the Sumida River World he has taken the story of A k u g o r o ' s scheme to usurp control of the House of Yoshida. And f r o m the Sakura-Seigen World, he has taken the story of Priest Seigen's unrequited love f o r Sakura. N a m b o k u makes Sakura b o t h the object of Seigen's love and a princess of the House of Yoshida, thus joining together the t w o worlds. T h e second part of the play moves into the kizewamono world of Tsurigane G o n s u k e , a callous scoundrel w h o seduces Princess Sakura, sells her into p r o s t i t u t i o n , and fathers her illegitim a t e child. N a m b o k u ' s inventiveness and virtuosity are apparent at every turn in the way he infuses new life into standard situations. An import a n t concern of kabuki writers of every period was h o w t o interweave historical and c o n t e m p o r a r y materials. We have seen—in Sukeroku: Flower of Edo, for example—how a c o n t e m p o r a r y figure may reveal himself t o be a f a m o u s historical personage, following the fanciful game of mitate. In The Scarlet Princess of Edo, Namboku turns the game into shocking reality: he dramatizes the descent of his main characters, Princess Sakura and the priest Seigen, f r o m exalted aristocrats to outcasts. No theatrical trick or convention is involved. In N a m b o k u ' s society thieves and samurai d o not live in isolated worlds; they r u b shoulders. He gives the usually insipid "scarlet princess* (aka hime) role unusual range and interest. It is w o n d e r f u l l y inventive t o have Gonsuke send Princess Sakura out t o be vulgarized (the opposite of Shaw's Pygmalion). When she returns, she has been, as G o n s u k e laughingly remarks,

22

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

" c h o p p e d down the middle, half princess, half b i t c h . " Such a character had never been seen in kabuki before. T h e usual place for a lovers' suicide j o u r n e y is well into a play, b u t N a m b o k u dared open The Scarlet Princess of Edo with Seigen and his boy lover traveling t o the cliffs at Enoshima to die together. A n d instead of the usual romantic ending, with the lovers tearfully dying in each others' arms, N a m b o k u m o r d a n t l y sends the boy to his death alone. Seigen decides to live. He is afraid to die! The scene in which Nagaura and Zangetsu are kicked o u t of the temple by G o n s u k e and prepare to depart is a very f u n n y spoof of the standard, pathetic michiyuki j o u r n e y . "Gunjibei's Village S c h o o l " scene is a deliberate takeoff ( m o d o k i ) of two f a m o u s joruri plays: the opening is like the "Village S c h o o l " scene ( " T e r a k o y a " ) in The House of Sugawara, and it concludes with a double child-sacrifice modeled on A Woman 's Sacrifice on Mount Imose (1771). N a m b o k u does not make the moral disarray of his times a topic of discussion, but we see clear evidence of it in The Scarlet Princess of Edo. Characters pray and observe traditional Buddhist pieties, b u t the appearance of Seigen's ghost is made a joke, presumably because m a n y in the audience did not take this Buddhist idea seriously. T h e h u m o r , black and bitter and rising f r o m a m o o d of pessimism, is totally unlike the sunny h u m o r of G e n r o k u drama. In earlier times t h e f t s or murders in sewamono plays were presented as aberrations in the c o n d u c t of otherwise normal t o w n s m e n . In contrast, G o n s u k e is a cold-blooded professional criminal, w h o murders and steals as a way of life. T h e scenes of brutal m u r d e r (koroshiba) and of blackmail or extortion (yusuriba) in the play are typical of kizewamono. G o n s u k e strangling a maid, kicking her body into the moat, and then h u m m i n g a snatch of a no song as he saunters away, is a chilling portrait of h u m a n behavior. It would be wrong to think that N a m b o k u was writing here a "realistic" drama. N a m b o k u was a master of kabuki art. His aim, even in seemingly " r e a l " scenes, was to create a sense of beauty irrespective of subject matter. T h e extended murder scenes in which Seigen tries to kill Sakura and when Sakura kills G o n s u k e illustrate this. In print they may seem sordidly real, but in p e r f o r m a n c e they are eerily beautiful. Delicately lyric music accompanies actions that are executed in artfully choreographed dance patterns. N a m b o k u pioneered using the Japanese poetic form of alternating phrases of seven and of five syllables (shichigocho) for long passages of kabuki dialogue. It is impossible to take realistically a scene like G o n s u k e ' s audacious blackmailing of Oju and Sentaro when we hear their three voices rising and falling in cadence as they argue and challenge each

23

Introduction

other in regular seven-five phrases. The long section of shichigochô which opens the scene in which Seigen and Sakura pass in the night, contributes much to that scene's beauty. Unfortunately for Namboku's reputation as a playwright, shortly after his death Japan's feudal system collapsed and the nation was opened to the West. His plays concerned a disreputable period which most Japanese earnestly wished to forget. And, with the importation from the West of Victorian standards of art and taste their eroticism and irreverent humor came to be considered offensive. Namboku has been out of fashion for many years. However, it appears that his works are being rediscovered and that a réévaluation of his reputation is under way. What once struck observers as Namboku's "realism" is now seen as a return to kabuki's original concern for contemporary events. Perhaps Namboku's greatest contribution to kabuki drama is that he applies the stylized vision of the history play (influenced by Edo aragoto) to current events, events which often concerned people from the depths of society, thereby creating a new and beautifully stylized yet contemporary play, the kizewamono. THE PLAYWRITING SYSTEM The typical kabuki performance began around three in the morning and continued until dusk. Consequently, playwrights had to create fourteen- to fifteen-hour programs. It was possible to do this because writers worked within well established frames of reference. To begin with, the day's program was divided into parts. A ceremonial dance play, Sanbasô, opened the bill, followed by one of a theater's two or three standard "house plays" (wakt kyôgen), usually a comic dance or sketch adapted from the kyôgen comedies that are associated with no. Because everyone in the company knew these plays, they required no preparation. Then followed one or two short practice plays (jobiraki or futatateme), written by apprentice playwrights and performed by young actors as part of their training. These preliminary plays were of little importance and few spectators came to the theater at such an early hour. The main play was the hon ky5gen, written by the chief playwright and his top assistants and performed by the stars of the troupe. Hon kyôgen began around seven in the morning and continued through the day until the theater closed. Depending upon the circumstances, there could be several main plays, but for the most important programs of the year it was usual to write a single multiact play that would run ten to twelve hours in playing, called toshi kyôgen (literally, "straight-

24

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

through p l a y " ) . Saint Narukami and the God Fudo and The Scarlet Princess of Edo were written, and are translated, as toshi kyogen. A t the beginning of each theater season, worlds (sekai) t o be used f o r main plays t h r o u g h o u t the year were decided on by the chief playwright of a troupe in consultation with the actor-manager (zagashira), the theater owner, and sometimes other actors. A world was a well-known situation with an established set of characters; it was rarely invented by a playwright. Precisely because a world was already significant in legend or history, or in the case of s e w a m o n o through public scandal, it was considered appropriate for the stage. Many historical worlds encompass the great events and figures of Japanese history f r o m the time of the Heian emperors in the ninth century down to the years immediately preceding kabuki's f o u n d ing. 27 An imperial court play could be set in the Disputed T h r o n e World, with the f a m o u s poets O n o Komachi or Ariwara Narihira or the regent Fujiwara M o t o t s u n e as m a j o r characters; in the Ise World of Narihira's brother the courtier Yukihira and the sisters Matsukaze and Murasame w h o love him; or in the Pre-Great Peace World, which included such i m p o r t a n t figures as the F o u r Guardian Generals and Yorimitsu (Raiko), w h o were instrumental in suppressing the revolts of Taira Masakado. All are set in the ninth and tenth centuries. T h e Heike World, largely based on the epic, The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari), is one of the most wideranging. T h e period covered is barely thirty years, 1 1 5 6 - 1 1 8 5 , b u t during t h a t time the total destruction of the Heike clan by the Genji occurs, giving ample material f o r several cycles of plays featuring the Heike Prince A t s u m o r i ; Heike generals Kagekiyo, Shunkan, Shigemori, Sanemori, and Kiyomori; and the Genji general Kumagai. T h e melancholy nature of the Heike World derives chiefly f r o m the fact that the defeated Heike more than the victorious Genji are made central dramatic figures. M i n a m o t o Yoshitsune, the Genji general most responsible for defeating the Heike, naturally appears in m a n y plays of the Heike World as a fearless and brilliant warrior. But there is also a separate Yoshitsune World devoted to incidents in his personal life, involving especially his retainer Benkei and his mistress Shizuka, in such plays as The Subscription List, Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees, Benkei at the Bridge, and Benkei in the Boat. The most popular of all worlds in E d o was the Soga World, whose perennial heroes are the p o w e r f u l Soga G o r o and his gentle elder brother Soga Juro. 27. See Izuka T o m o i c h i r o , Kabuki Saiken (Survey of Kabuki Drama; T o k y o : Daiichi S h o b o , 1926). Some six thousand kabuki plays are classified according t o worlds and sub-worlds.

25

Introduction

In 1193, in the first decade of the Kamakura era, the brothers avenged the m u r d e r of their father which had occurred eighteen years earlier; this incident inspired u n c o u n t e d h u n d r e d s of revenge plays with G o r o and J u r o as their heroes. T h e World of the Hojo Regents is set in the Kamakura period, ca. 1 1 8 5 - 1 3 3 3 , while the World of Great Peace is set in the period of the N o r t h e r n and Southern Courts immediately following (ca. 1 3 3 6 - 1 3 9 2 ) , when ironically the Shogunate rulers in Kamakura were engaged in constant battle with supporters of the emperor in Kyoto. These t w o worlds are of particular interest. When c o n t e m p o r a r y events concerning samurai had t o be hidden through mitate they were usually placed in these periods, which were safely "historical" yet not t o o remote. Less n u m e r o u s b u t still i m p o r t a n t were worlds based on early m y t h s and legends: the World of Narukami the T h u n d e r G o d , the World of the God F u d o , the World of the Angel's Robe, the Dojo Temple Maid World, and others. When a once current event became staple dramatic material over a period of years, it, t o o , was called a world. There are scores of sewamono worlds, including the World of Yugiri-Izaemon. Each world had a special emotional quality and tone which was carefully m a t c h e d to suit the season of the year in which a play was produced. A theater staged five or six p r o d u c t i o n s annually: the November kaomise, "face-showing," p r o d u c t i o n which opened the new theatrical season; J a n u a r y , the New Year's p r o d u c t i o n ; March, the spring p r o d u c t i o n ; May; the late summer production in July or August; and sometimes a special fall p r o d u c t i o n in September. T h e first production of the new season was in the eleventh lunar m o n t h . An imperial court world was appropriate, f o r it gave members of the newly f o r m e d t r o u p e an o p p o r t u n i t y t o introduce themselves (kaomise) t o their audience in impressive scenes. In Edo, the New Year was a gala season t h a t called invariably f o r a play set in the Soga World, while in K y o t o and Osaka a prostitute-buying world was traditional. T h e spring p r o d u c t i o n , during the Girls' Festival, required a play centering on love ( T h e Scarlet Princess of Edo is a spring play). Revenge plays were suitable during the Boys' Festival in the f i f t h m o n t h , considered o n e of the less important productions of the year. T h e late summer p r o d u c t i o n was second in importance only t o New Year's, and was scheduled during the Bon Festival, honoring souls of the dead; worlds concerned with love suicides, murders, the return of a vengeful spirit, or child sacrifice were appropriate to this season (Bon was a favorite season for p u p p e t play revivals). Before disbanding in early a u t u m n , a

26

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

t r o u p e might stage a special " f a r e w e l l " (nagori) p e r f o r m a n c e in h o n o r of an actor w h o would be g o n e next season. In the earliest days of kabuki the actor created his o w n plays, first through improvising dialogue during p e r f o r m a n c e ( k u c b i d a t e ) , and then by writing o u t his dialogue in advance of p e r f o r m a n c e . During the G e n r o k u period the playwright emerged as a specialized artist in the theater troupe. His f u n c t i o n was to provide scenes suitable to the talents of a k n o w n g r o u p of actors w h o were under contract for the year. T h e actors numbered f r o m f o r t y to sixty; each was a specialist in a certain t y p e of role: leading man (tacbiyaku), leading female ( t a t e o y a m a ) , m a t u r e or elderly w o m a n (kashagata), villain ( k a t a k i y a k u ) , comic ( d o k e y a k u ) , adolescent boy (wakashugata), fighters and acrobats (yoten), and others. T h e writer's script was not an end in itself; it was considered just one part of the process of achieving a satisfactory p e r f o r m a n c e . The following remarks by the playwright Kaneko Kichizaemon, w h o collaborated with Chikamatsu M o m z a e m o n in the writing of Second Sequel to Buddha in the Field (1699), suggest h o w much a writer depended u p o n the actor to adapt a text in p e r f o r m a n c e . " T h e various ways in which he ( T o j u r o ) tried unobtrusively to waste time were very comic and d o n e with many actions. On the opening day, the f i f t e e n t h day of the seventh m o n t h , the audience were bored with this by-play, and there were various shouts of 'Get on with it,' 'Pack it in,' and this act finished in confusion. However, when the p e r f o r m a n c e came to an end I went to express my thanks to T o j u r o and said, 'In that comic bit you do, Chikamatsu and I wrote the words between us, b u t the audience does not understand it. There's nothing else for it but for you to cut out half the lines.' On the sixteenth I went to see him play again. There were m o r e people in the audience than I had expected, and they were greatly amused by the comic passage. There were m a n y shouts of ' T o j u r o , keep it going, d o n ' t stop y e t ! ' T h a t evening T o j u r o came up to me and . . . I said, 'What a difference f r o m yesterday! A f t e r all, you added m o r e words and spun it o u t even more, and yet they wanted more. Audiences in the seventh m o n t h are different f r o m w h a t they are in the rest of the year, and it is very difficult to find o u t w h a t they w a n t . ' " 2 8 Kabuki is o f t e n criticized for placing such great emphasis u p o n the actor, b u t in fact this is a characteristic c o m m o n in Japanese performing arts. (Zeami admonished the no actor always to suit his p e r f o r m a n c e to the occasion and to the nature of the 28. Dunn, Analects,

27

Introduction

pp. 8 2 - 8 3 .

audience, and he, to a greater degree than any other well-known actor in the long history of Japanese theater, both composed and performed in his own plays.) As a rule several writers collaborated in composing an all-day play. The chief playwright of the troupe was responsible for the entire work; he would develop an outline of the action in conjunction with the theater manager and the leading actor and would write the most important acts (sewamono and dance) himself. The second and third ranking playwrights on the troupe staff would rough out dialogue for the rest of the play under his supervision. Because a single writer held ultimate responsibility over the whole play we find somewhat greater unity in even the longest kabuki texts than in comparative joruri texts, where each act is the work of a different author. As a consequence, it is easier to pull a single act out of a joruri play and perform it as an independent piece than in kabuki. An all-day play consisted of a long (four- to six-act) jidai or history section and a shorter (one- to three-act) sewa or contemporary section. On the face of it this division appears to be concerned with content or subject matter. It is also closely related to the artistic principle of great antiquity in Japanese performing arts that mood, emotional quality, and tempo must be varied constantly in the course of performance in order to maintain audience interest. The concept finds formal expression in the jo-ha-kyu (introduction, development, climax) organization ofgagaku music and no drama. Consequently, the kabuki writer did not have to rely solely on plot or thematic connections to knit his play together. He also linked acts and scenes in terms of color, atmosphere, tempo, and even variation in style of acting. The audience perceived the succession of scenes and acts through the full day's performance as components of an overall artistic progression. The playwright could establish a basic mood for a section of the play through his selection of type of history or domestic play. An imperial court play would be austere and impressive, normally containing an audience scene in the imperial palace (goten). A feudal war play engendered a melancholy atmosphere through scenes of warfare (shuraba), suicide by disembowelment ( s e p p u k u ) , child sacrifice (migawari), head verification (kubijikken), or lamentation (kudoki). A feudal house play, concerned with a struggle for clan succession or revenge, seemed closer to the audience's lives and would have a revelation scene (jitsu wa) and possibly the wounding of a hero (teoigoto). Variety was possible in the contemporary section as well. The prostitute-buying play was erotic and humorous,

28

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

with a love scene (nureba) and lovers' quarrel (kuzetsu). The mood of a love suicide play was set by the romantically sad journey (michiyuki) and double death (shinju) scenes. Murder (koroshiba) and extortion (yusuriba) scenes made the " t r u e " domestic play a corrosive experience. Other types of scenes might appear in a play, regardless of whether it was a history or domestic piece. Since the audience was at the theater all day and often straggled back to their seats many minutes after an intermission was over (an intermission could last an hour), acts began with unimportant "filler" scenes featuring characters with only small parts in the main story. A good deal of recapitulation was considered necessary in all-day plays because of the long intermissions and because a spectator might come in to watch only an act or two. Both introductory filler scenes and recapitulated exposition are noticeable in The Scarlet Princess of Edo, the longest play in this book. Each time Seigen reappears he recalls the reasons for his downfall and stresses anew how sad it is that he and Princess Sakura had passed in the night at Mimeguri Shrine. Repetition tends to make these scenes more lyrical in quality than they ordinarily would be. As the characters reminisce about their past, they become increasingly vulnerable and sympathetic. To heighten the poetic quality of such scenes, dialogue may be written in metric lines that call for elegant delivery. Humorous stories taken from professional storytellers (rakugo) were often inserted. Told with lively gestures and mime, these stories, called shikatabanashi in kabuki, were especially popular in the Kasei period. Major entrances (deba or de) and exits (hikkomi) were developed into important scenes for stars of a troupe; Sukeroku's entrance and Saint Narukami's exit are famous examples. Other familiar scenes include those in which the hero is forced to endure a beating (chochaku) or accept harsh criticism (iken). In Kyoto and Osaka the history and the contemporary sections of a program might be written as independent main plays. The contemporary section, or sewamono, was then called kiri kyogen, "final play." Apparently the first time a play was so styled was in 1684, when Chikamatsu wrote Seventh Anniversary of Yugiri's Death as a two-scene kiri kyogen to follow the three-act Komacbi and the Hundred Nights, an imperial court play set in the Disputed Throne World. 29 Plot and characters of the two plays were not related to each other. Seventh Anniversary of Yugiri's Death is purely sewamono, a play having no connection with a historical 29. See Kawatake, Gikyokushi,

29

Introduction

pp. 354-355, and Takano, Kessakushu,

II, 1-3.

world. Tojüro's six earlier Yügiri-Izaemon plays may have been of the same type but, lacking scripts for them, we cannot be sure. In Edo it was usual to write one all-day play which contained related history and domestic sections for the important productions of the year: the season opening, New Year's, and spring. In 1796 the playwright Namiki Gohei I introduced to Edo the Kyoto-Osaka system of writing separate history and contemporary main plays. It was not generally adopted there, however, and until the Meiji era Edo playwrights continued to link the two sections under a single title. For example, Namboku's The Scarlet Princess of Edo, an all-day play containing history and contemporary sections, was written in Edo two decades after Gohei's introduction of the Kyoto-Osaka system. Traditionally, the main play, although important, was thought of in relation to the entire program. All the acts written especially for a program were numbered consecutively. Sanbaso and the house play (waki kyogen) were fixed pieces, not newly composed and therefore not numbered, but the new jobiraki and futatateme which followed were identified as the first and second pieces ("futatateme" means literally "second piece"). Since the main play came next, the "third piece" imítateme) on the program was the first act of the main play, the "fourth piece" (yontateme) of the main play was the second act, the "fifth piece" (gotateme) was the third act, and the "sixth piece" (rokutateme) was the fourth and usually final act. The acts of Saint Narukami and the God Fudd are numbered this way. In the early nineteenth century the system began to change. The preliminary pieces became less important and numbering began only with the acts of the main play: jomaku ("introductory act"), nimakume ("second act"), sanmakume ("third a c t " ) , y o n m a k u m e ("fourth act"), and so on. Acts of The Scarlet Princess of Edo are numbered this way. The first act of the main play was given special names: in Edo jomaku, in Kyoto and Osaka kuchiake ("opening"), and for joruri puppet plays daijo ("great opening"). The writer who could work with freshness and originality within these several frames of reference was eagerly sought after. No playwright became famous by repeating clichés of past generations. It is true that the worlds did have fixed casts of characters, but within worlds a writer had wide latitude to invent whatever plot ( s h u k d ) he wished. Writers have written plots portraying Sukeroku, for example, as Tahatanosuke from the Temple of the Highway, as a commoner, as an outcast, as Soga Goro, and as a lover who commits suicide. The historical facts of the Heike-Genji conflict tell us that Atsumori was slain on Suma Beach; this did not prevent the authors

30

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

of Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani from allowing him to live. In fact, sacrificing one's child for one's lord is dramatic fiction; there is no historical instance of it in Japan. Nor was it a restriction on a writer's imagination for worlds to be clearly demarked and understood. The number of possibilities, after all, was enormous: twohundred and seventy-five worlds and sub-worlds have been described by the kabuki scholar Izuka Tomoichiro. 3 0 If a writer wished, he could compose plays all his life without repeating worlds. (The fact that certain worlds were repeatedly dramatized suggests that they were rich in dramatic possibilities, not that a writer was restricted to them.) Similarly, the elaborate system of classifying role types was scarcely a factor limiting creativity (at least during the time under consideration in this book). The choice within categories was a large one, Forty-two distinct role types are identified by one scholar. 31 Among villain roles Ikyu is a villain striving for power (jitsuaku), Prince Hayakumo a court villain (kugeaku), and Gengo a comic villain (bando). The courtesan is one of the half-dozen types of leading woman's role, and the nature of the courtesan is different in Kyoto-Osaka and in Edo: Yùgiri is gentle, loving, and comic in the style of Kyoto and Osaka; Agemaki is strong-willed, fiercely protective, independent, clever, and adept in public display. Sembei is a comic role, as are Black Cloud and White Cloud, yet they bear no particular resemblance. Among the seven or eight kinds of tachiyaku, or leading male role are wagoto, aragoto, and jitsugoto roles. It would be hard to imagine two more dissimilar characters than Izaemon, a wagoto role, and Kumagai, a jitsugoto role. Kumadera Danjo, Saint Narukami, and Fudo all are classified as aragoto leading roles. Yet how different they are! Danjo is clever, brash, and devil-may-care; Narukami is naive and emotional (we cannot imagine Lady Taema tricking Danjo as she does him); Fudo is an implacable, powerful god. These few examples could be multiplied many times. Furthermore, nothing prevented a playwright from creating a character quite unlike any before, though in fact it would have to be classified within one of the standard categories of roles. Sukeroku, Gonsuke, and Princess Sakura are such sui generis roles; they were intended to be unique and their uniqueness undoubtedly accounts for much of our interest in the plays in which they appear. Like Shakespeare and Molière, who also wrote for specific actors, the kabuki author tried to capitalize on each performer's special abili30. I z u k a , Saiken. 31. G u n j i Masakatsu in Kabuki pp. 1 7 9 - 1 9 1 .

31

Introduction

(Palo Alco, Calif.: K o d a n s h a I n t e r n a t i o n a l , 1969),

ties. Knowing that Iwai Hanshiro V would play Princess Sakura, it is said that Namboku purposely created an extremely complex role to take advantage of Hanshiro's unusual versatility. 32 Finally, the fact that ad-libbing was normal in kabuki contributed to creativity of play composition. Even today group scenes and many lines spoken as a character enters or exits are ad-libbed. Major speeches as well might be contributed by the actor. This is especially true of plays in aragoto style, where some speeches were rewritten (by the actor or by a writer for the actor) for each new production. As an extreme case, one edition of Wait a Moment! includes forty-two versions of the hero's name-saying speech delivered on different occasions. 33 RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND Because kabuki has been a secular and commercial theater for so long, its roots in religious beliefs and practices are easy to overlook. Kabuki's bimonthly productions were timed to open in celebration of native Shinto seasonal festivals: New Year's; the Doll Festival for girls (third day of the third lunar month); the Boys' Festival (fifth day of the fifth month); the Star Festival (seventh day of the seventh month); and the Bon Festival for the Dead, a Buddhist festival falling between the thirteenth and sixteenth days of the seventh month. In the Sanbaso ritual performance we can see a survival of Shinto shrine dances dating back a thousand years prior to kabuki. Many of the dances Okuni performed were secularized versions of Buddhist and Shinto dances of worship and of prayer (;nembutsu and ennen) as well as folk dances of a less religious cast. A number of dramatic situations cannot properly be understood except in terms of popular religious beliefs. It was assumed that gods and spirits could manifest themselves to the living on earth. This manifestation could take a number of forms. A god, such as Fudo, appears of his own volition. Through powers derived from esoteric Buddhism, Saint Narukami transforms himself into a demonic thunder god. The soul of a person who has died in torment remains tied to the earthly object of his desire in Buddhist belief, hence Seigen's soul appears before Sakura, whom he loves. Lady Fuji hopes that through prayers she can meet the spirit of her dead son one last time. The soul of a powerful human who has died in 32. See Takeshiba Sotaro et al., ed., Tsuruya Namboku Zenshu (Complete Plays of Tsuruya Namboku; Tokyo: San'ichi Shobo, 1971), VI, 497. 33. Kawatake Shigetoshi, ed., KabukiMeisakusbu (Famous Kabuki Plays; Tokyo: Kodansha, 1936), II, 9 1 3 - 9 3 3 .

32

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

t o r m e n t remains b o u n d to earth, o u t of hatred for an e n e m y w h o survives him. He is k n o w n asarahitogami ("violent m a n - g o d " ) , and can assist those w h o worship him. A f t e r Soga G o r o died, he came to be worshiped as an arahitogami, a fact that helps explain the Soga brothers' phenomenal popularity as dramatic heroes. Connected with this belief was the custom in medieval times of propitiating p o w e r f u l and violent spirits through dance (goryoe).34 F r o m this evolved the practice of performing a play a b o u t a deceased person as a means of honoring and placating his spirit. T o j u r o p e r f o r m e d Yugiri-Izaemon plays in h o n o r of Yugiri's death, on the first, third, seventh, thirteenth, and seventeenth anniversaries of her death. Chikamatsu wrote his joruri, Yugiri and the Straits of Naruto, in h o n o r of the thirty-third anniversary of her death. It has even been speculated that the name G o r o is a contraction of gory d, the generic term for p o w e r f u l spirits of the departed. It is probable t h a t the k u d o k i lamentation scene of joruri plays derives f r o m the Buddhist confession (sange), in which one's carnal sins are recalled and thereby expiated. Characters in the plays express belief in concepts of popular Buddhism: salvation after death through the invocation of A m i d a Buddha ( N a m u Amida Butsu) in the Pure Land sect or of the Lotus Sutra ( N a m u Myo Ho Renge Kyo) in the Nichiren sect, reincarnation, and the chain of causation (karma or inga) whereby a person's present condition in life is seen t o be the result of his actions in previous lives. Shiragiku, the boy page in love with Seigen (in The Scarlet Princess of Edo), willingly kills himself believing they will be reunited in their next lives. Kumagai renounces the world saying, " F r o m this m o m e n t let me take the m o n k ' s name R e n s h o and turn my steps toward Amida B u d d h a ' s Western Paradise, where Kojiro, embarked before me u p o n the Nine Stages of Bliss, and I shall one day sit together on the same lotus. N a m u A m i d a Butsu, N a m u Amida B u t s u . " Seigen pleads with Princess Sakura t o recognize " o u r ties of love, ordained by k a r m a , " adding that, if she cannot, at least they should die together so "bliss will be ours together, sharing the same lotus l e a f " in the next life. We can n o t e that Princess Sakura does n o t accept either argument and refuses to d o what Seigen wishes. It might be thought that characters believing in karma would lose the will to act and, imbued with fatalism, would allow the present to be passively shaped by the past. Obviously this is n o t the case. 34. Sec Gunji, Hasso, pp. 4 1 - 4 6 , and Ogasawara K y o k o , Kabuki Kabuki; T o k y o : Meiji Shoin, 1972), pp. 13-23.

33

Introduction

no Tanjo (Birth of

Perhaps because characters cannot k n o w w h a t their karma will be they have t o act as if there were no karma. Certainly Sukeroku does not resign himself to misfortune, saying it is " d e s t i n y " that his f a t h e r was killed; he searches f o r his f a t h e r ' s murderer until he is successful. Prince H a y a k u m o does n o t take being passed over for accession to the t h r o n e as a sign of past misdeeds. Although he eventually fails, t h r o u g h o u t the play he a t t e m p t s to wrest the t h r o n e f r o m the emperor. G o n s u k e and Zangetsu in The Scarlet Princess of Edo, scramble tenaciously t o change their lot, even in the face of continued adversity. Perhaps the most t h a t can be said is t h a t belief in karma is a consolation in final extremity, when every possibility of success is gone. O n e f u r t h e r interesting dramatic c o n c e p t derives f r o m Buddhism. O f t e n characters will m e e t u n e x p e c t e d l y , saying, "This is a f o r t u n a t e m e e t i n g . " T h e Western reader will be t e m p t e d to call this mere coincidence and conclude t h a t the playwright lacks skill. These meetings occur in kabuki because it is believed that people are drawn together by their past associations in this or previous lives. Thus, it is n o t strange t h a t twice G o n s u k e unexpectedly meets Princess Sakura in The Scarlet Princess of Edo. T h e y are lovers, drawn t o each other. T h e y are fated to meet. THEMES Obligation to fulfill o n e ' s d u t y (giri), the struggle f o r power, love, and the search f o r m o n e y are recurring t h e m e s in the plays. Minor characters leap to obey the call of giri, and just as quickly may lose their lives. Since we d o n o t k n o w t h e m , we cannot grieve. T h e y provide a m o m e n t of action and are gone. Heroes of the early history plays enthusiastically carry o u t the dictates of giri. Invariably they are successful: D a n j o happily and easily ferrets o u t the enemies of the House of O n o ; Sukeroku relishes the task of finding and avenging the murderer of his father. But G u n s u k e the umbrellamaker in The Scarlet Princess of Edo dies protecting the h o n o r of his clan, and his death is touching. It is heartbreaking to watch Kumagai, or Gunjibei and Hanbei (in The Scarlet Princess of Edo) kill a son, a daughter, or a younger brother, f o r although they d o as d u t y d e m a n d s the act conflicts with ninjo, or h u m a n feelings. As already n o t e d , it is a special characteristic of p u p p e t d r a m a to place a hero in a giri-ninjo conflict and then resolve the conflict in favor of giri. This is n o t characteristic of kabuki drama, however. The f a m o u s giri-ninjo conflict in the kabuki play The Subscription

34

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

List35 is resolved in favor of ninjo: Togashi, a samurai, deliberately disobeys his lord's orders to capture Yoshitsune and, o u t of h u m a n s y m p a t h y , allows him to escape. In a situation more typical of kabuki than of joruri, Seigen follows h u m a n feelings when he accepts the blame f o r dispoiling Princess Sakura, although he is not at fault. His act contains a good bit of self-interest, b u t it also springs f r o m ninjo, for it is natural, spontaneous, and in part generous, n o t the result of social rules or obligations. In kabuki, d u t y conflicts with other motives more than with h u m a n feelings. Prince H a y a k u m o is obsessed by a will to power that overrides his obligations of loyalty to the emperor. It is said that audiences admired a strong figure with a will to power. Perhaps the c o m m o n people, themselves subjected to oppressive d e m a n d s of giri in daily life, f o u n d vicarious pleasure in seeing a p o w e r f u l figure like Prince H a y a k u m o flaunt his c o n t e m p t for d u t y . In any case, the conflict between a villain's egoistic will t o power and a hero's dedication to fulfilling the demands of d u t y t o one's lord provided kabuki writers with a strong dramatic situation. Saint Narukami and the God Fudo is the only play in which the morality of giri's d e m a n d s is debated. H a y a k u m o and Narukami b o t h present a well-reasoned defense f o r disloyalty t o the emperor. (Despite the fact t h a t it is m o n s t r o u s t o ask Kumagai to sacrifice his son o u t of loyalty, no one questions Yoshitsune's moral right t o d o so.) Izaemon has an obligation to his family and he disregards it. Yet obligations of giri are scarcely m e n t i o n e d in Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter. T h e dramatic issue presented is "will he get the m o n e y he needs?"—not "should he get i t ? " Sexual love motivates the actions of many characters. ( A m o n g the five plays in the book only in Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani is love n o t a motive of major importance.) Affairs and liaisons are passed off w i t h o u t moralizing. T h e f a c t that Lady T a e m a makes love t o Narukami in order to marry T o y o h i d e , with w h o m she is currently having an affair, arouses n o c o m m e n t . Danjo's peccadilloes are passed off as jokes. Surprisingly, only N a m b o k u , supposedly a " d e c a d e n t " playyvright, suggests t h a t dire consequences m a y result f r o m illicit sexual adventures: The Scarlet Princess of Edo graphically attributes to lust the fall of five people—Shiragiku, Sakura, Seigen, Zangetsu, and Nagaura. M o n e y is perhaps the overriding t h e m e in domestic or c o n t e m p o r a r y plays. Izaemon's difficulties are resolved instantly when m o n e y is received f r o m his family. 35. T r a n s l a t e d in J a m e s R. B r a n d o n , ed., Traditional Wang, 1972).

35

Introduction

Asian Plays (New Y o r k : Hill and

G o n s u k e kills f o r m o n e y ; he blackmails and swindles, adopts a child, and sells t w o w o m e n , including his wife, into prostitution for it. In contrast, m o n e y is n o t even m e n t i o n e d in most history plays, for it was held in c o n t e m p t b y m e m b e r s of b o t h the warrior class and the imperial aristocracy. T h a t Akugoro, a high-ranking samurai, hires a c o m m o n killer and promises t o reward him with gold in The Scarlet Princess of Edo provides a telling insight into the confused morality of the time in which N a m b o k u lived. And there is little h o n o r left to the warrior class when Akugoro can be slain by this same wretched gangster. T h e daily concerns of the urban audience that a t t e n d e d kabuki centered on earning a living, seeking o u t pleasure and love, and being part of the exciting and ever-changing bustle of activity t h a t was life in the great cities. A t the same time, people were curious a b o u t the m o m e n t o u s events which occurred in worlds inhabited by their samurai rulers and a distant imperial aristocracy. It is this dual reality of the audience which the plays of kabuki reflect, a duality which in the plays consists on the one hand of a highly particular depiction of the actuality of daily life of the urban c o m m o n e r and on the other of a fanciful, r o m a n t i c approach t o history and t o the nobility. LANGUAGE Kabuki scripts are w r i t t e n in vigorous, conversational prose. A character's social status and relation to o t h e r characters is indicated by the "level of politeness" of the Japanese he speaks. Prince H a y a k u m o ' s language is elegant, G o n s u k e ' s is vulgar. (The a t t e m p t has been made t o mirror these levels in translation.) A great deal of attention is devoted to the e f f e c t s of language in kabuki. One example of this is the scene in which Princess Sakura, returned f r o m the prostitute's quarter, switches in mid-sentence f r o m formal palace speech t o the argot of a w h o r e and back again. In an imperial court play complete, carefully balanced sentences create an impression of dignity. In the c o n t e m p o r a r y sections of a play like The Scarlet Princess of Edo broken phrases suggest incomplete thoughts, and a line will be left incomplete to engender suspense or create a feeling of informality. A stylistic device especially c o m m o n in history plays is q u o t i n g f r o m a classical p o e m . Members of the court were skilled in p o e t r y composition so it was not strange f o r a character t o recite a p o e m . Most are waka (tanka), in 31 syllables, divided into phrases of 5 - 7 - 5 - 7 - 7 syllables. Lady T a e m a draws o u t Narukami by pretending to have f o r g o t t e n the last t w o phrases of

36

K a b u k i : F i v e Classic P l a y s

a waka she quotes. As she hopes, he supplies the missing line. The poem Kohina writes on the umbrella is a waka. The intricately composed major speech, consisting of numerous interconnected phrases that gradually build to a climax, is a special feature of kabuki drama. It is often called tsurane, a term that refers to the forceful style of elocution. 36 A speech for a hero, heroine, or villain can be extremely long. Such extended speeches do not exist in no drama and seldom are found in joruri (where even a major speech like Kumagai's monogatari will be broken up into short segments by narration). The final line of Sukeroku's name-saying speech in Japanese consists of ten interlocking phrases, of 125 syllables (in translation, nine phrases of 100 syllables). Agemaki, in the same play, reviles Ikyu in a famous speech, made up of twelve phrases of 143 syllables, all linked together in a single sentence. One of the longest speeches in kabuki is Narukami's condemnation of Taema (the longest sentence in it runs 249 syllables). Playwrights used numerous poetic devices to enhance the complexity and beauty of these set-piece speeches. A major speech may be divided among several characters. When a group of people each take a portion of one speech in sequence, with all joining in on the final phrase, it is called watarizerifu, "passed-along dialogue." Essentially an arbitrary artistic device, for each character knowingly speaks part of a common thought, connected dialogue produces a pleasing, formal effect when spoken. It has been part of the kabuki playwright's technique at least since the yaro period. 3 7 Similar to passed-along dialogue, and perhaps even more effective when heard in the theater, is "divided dialogue," warizerifu (also kakeai, "exchange"). A section of divided dialogue is written for two characters only. It might be described as a joint soliloquy in which two characters alternately speak t h t r thoughts out loud. Neither is aware of the other's presence. Gradually, however, their thoughts converge until by the last line they are the same and they speak the final phrase in unison. Princess Sakura and Seigen speak divided dialogue when they pass in the night without meeting. The poetic and rhythmic qualities of both passed-along and divided dialogue are enhanced when they are composed of lines of seven 36. T s u r a n e is m o s t o f t e n applied to o n e p e r s o n ' s long speech, b u t " d i v i d e d " or " p a s s e d - a l o n g " dialogue of several p e r s o n s (see Daijiten, Jiro et al., Kabuki Jiten [Dictionary of K a b u k i : T o k y o : J itsugvo n o p. 2 5 0 ) . 37. Watarizerifu is m e n t i o n e d as being used in the play The Ronin p r o b a b l y staged a r o u n d 1665 ( D u n n , Analects, p. 38).

37

Introduction

it can also refer t o IV, 4 4 , and Y a m a m o t o N i h o n s h a , 1972 I , and the Sake

Cup,

and five syllables. Songs and joruri narrative passages normally are written in this "seven-five" poetic f o r m , also. It is considered banal, however, to force lines t o fit the meter exactly, so a line may consist of thirteen syllables (eight and five or seven and six), or fourteen (eight and six or seven and seven), or occasionally more. In the translations in this b o o k shichigocho lines are given in English with the same syllable count as in the original (a semi-colon marks the end of a line). This is d o n e so t h a t in English-language p e r f o r m a n c e r h y t h m i c e f f e c t s similar to those in Japanese can be achieved. In The Scarlet Princess of Edo, Act V, Scene 1, Seigen is given a long m o n o l o g u e mostly written in shichigocho which shows d i f f e r e n t line lengths. " J u s t a few m o m e n t s ago / while I was sleeping; I saw in a dreaming state / y o u Princess Sakura; toward w h o m my deep bitterness welled / as if to cry o u t ; when the crying of the infant / aroused consciousness; m y eyes slowly opening / to look on this r o b e . " (Ima shibaraku mo / modoromisbi;yume no kokoji ni / mamiesbi bime; urami no take o to J omo ucbi; kono ko no sewaru ni /kokorozuki; mezamete mireba / kono kosode.) The five lines in the sentence contain: twelve syllables (seven-five), thirteen (seven-six), thirteen (eight-five), thirteen (eight-five), and twelve (seven-five). Some narrative passages in Chronicle of the Battle of lchinotani are also in shichigocho. T h e y are delivered in a chanting style that makes t h e seven-five syllable p a t t e r n almost indiscernible, and are translated in u n m e t e r e d prose. A n o t h e r r h y t h m i c p a t t e r n o f t e n used by kabuki writers is called kuriage, "raising u p . " When o p p o n e n t s challenge each other, they build a scene to a high pitch, o f t e n shouting alternately to each other, "Sa! Sa! S a ! " meaning, roughly, "Well? Well? Well?" The lines accelerate until the characters are speaking in unison. Or, at the end of a long speech a character will demand of his o p p o n e n t , "Well? Well? Answer me! Answer m e ! " t o raise the emotional level of the scene suddenly. These writing techniques are either u n k n o w n or little used in other Japanese drama. T w o other poetic devices—engo, "related w o r d s , " and kakekotoba, "pivot words"—are c o m m o n to traditional d r a m a and other literature as well. It is n o t necessary t o discuss t h e m in detail, for they are described in w o r k s on Japanese literature. 3 8 Briefly, related w o r d s are s y n o n y m s or words with suggestively similar meanings and a pivot word is a single word, a h o m o n y m , with o n e meaning w h e n read with the phrase preceding it and another meaning w h e n read with t h e phrase following it. 38. E.g., Keene, Chikamatsu,

38

pp. 2 7 - 2 9 .

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

When Lady T a e m a is describing her nighttime visit to her beloved, she purposely says "river," "splash," " d a m p , " " m o i s t n e s s , " and " d e w , " all engo or words related t o wetness and hence connoting lovemaking. T h e word " b o u n d " is a pivot word in the phrase "lustrous black hair was b o u n d to be alluring," meaning either " t i e d " or "certain to b e " depending on which phrase it is related to (The Scarlet Princess of Edo, Act V). A two-word phrase, omoiiri Enoshima, f r o m the same play illustrates some of the allusive complexities that are possible. Omoiiri means " d e e p in t h o u g h t " while Enoshima is the name of a f a m o u s ocean cliff near Kamakura. T h e literal meaning of the t w o words, then, is " d e e p in t h o u g h t [at] E n o s h i m a . " But iri and e can also combine to make irie, becoming a kind of pivot w o r d , which, since it means " c o v e " of a seacoast, is also a related word with Enoshima. (A new related word is created in English if the phrase is translated "sunk in t h o u g h t at Enoshima.") T h e difficulty which some passages present suggests that audiences were not necessarily expected to grasp each allusion or play on words. Verbal h u m o r is a striking feature of kabuki scripts, taking the form of innumerable puns, rhyming games, and wordplay of o t h e r kinds. Since puns {share) are based on sound similarity, they seldom can be directly translated f r o m Japanese into English. Similar p u n s in English, therefore, have been sought in order t o preserve the playful spirit of kabuki in these translations. Nonsense r h y m e s (goroawase) such as Shinbei's exclamation "Sukenari, kaminari!" are in a play for the sheer f u n of sound, much as we might say "Middletown, d i d d l e t o w n . " Shinbei also uses front-and-end r h y m e (shiritori monku, literally "end-taking phrase") in which the last word or syllable of a phrase is repeated as the first word or syllable of the next phrase ("anger the wielder of this stave, stave off my blows as you will, willingly will 1 slice you t h r o u g h " ) . A f a m o u s "running p u n " (nani-nani zukushi) occurs in Sembei's challenge to Sukeroku. He repeats the word sembei six times with different meanings. In the same play Ikyu and Agemaki j o u s t with puns in several scenes. In response to Agemaki's request t h a t he count the stars in the sky, Ikyu retorts, "While I am counting y o u r stars, will you be counting on your star-crossed lover?" A few writing techniques of the p u p p e t theater are f o u n d in kabuki adaptations of joruri plays. A special section of narrative (makura, literally " p i l l o w " ) describes the setting, time, and circumstances at the opening of each new act. The concluding speeches (dangiri) of a scene which draw the threads of the action together

39

Introduction

are composed of deliberately dense, forceful phrases. Pent-up emotions may burst forth in a single impassioned line (tatekotoba), as in the conclusion of Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani. PERFORMANCE The five plays translated here are intended to be performed within certain acting and stage conventions. They were written for a playhouse with a small stage (thirty feet or so in width) and with the audience close by. Even when relatively lavish scenery was used the actor was the undisputed center of attention. (Today's kabuki stages are so large the actor's presence is diminished considerably.) A main curtain was pushed to the side to open and to close an act. A scenery curtain, released from above and falling to the floor, could suddenly reveal a new scene (Saint Narukami and the God Fudd, Act II, Scene 2, for example). An important character could with stunning effect enter (de) or exit (hikkomi) directly through the audience on an extension of the stage running to the rear of the auditorium, called the hanamichi, "flower way." Sukeroku's entrance is the longest and most beautiful in kabuki; he dances on the hanamichi for fifteen minutes before continuing onto the main stage. Six times in The Scarlet Princess of Edo grand processions move down the main hanamichi stage right; three times processions appear simultaneously on the main hanamichi and a second, temporary hanamichi stage left. Entering or exiting, characters pause for effect at a point seven-tenths the distance from the back of the auditorium to the stage, the "seven-three" (shichisan) position. Here they can be seen by everyone in the house. Posed in the midst of the audience, their actions or words are particularly effective. 39 The kabuki actor brings to a play three abilities, indicated by the old saying, "first, voice; second, movement; third, physical attractiveness." 40 It is not strange that the skill most prized in the actor is elocution. Many writing techniques make extraordinary demands upon the actor's voice. Unfortunately vocal techniques cannot be very satisfactorily described in words, but some important ones used by the actor are indicated in these translations. One is ippon choshi, "continuous pattern." Primarily an aragoto technique, it is 39. Up until the Meiji period the "seven-three" position was seven-tenths the distance from the stage toward the rear of the house, placing the actor deep in the auditorium. After Western-style, projecting balconies came to be built, the actor was moved closer to the stage in order to remain visible to everyone in the theater. 40. The source of the saying is unclear but it is constantly quoted in slightly varying ways (see, e.g., Daijiten, III, 381, and Yamamoto, Jiten, p. 249).

40

K a b u k i : F i v e Classic P l a y s

used to build a m a j o r speech to a f u r i o u s climax. A p p a r e n t l y it was part of the actor's technique f r o m early in the G e n r o k u period. Words are delivered at machine-gun speed, w i t h o u t a break and w i t h o u t m a j o r inflection. It is used by the actor playing Sukeroku, in the name-saying speech beginning "A headband of purple . . . , " and again "All Edo's eight-hundred-and-eight districts . . . " Ippon choshi requires breath control beyond the ability of all b u t the finest actors. A n o t h e r technique, borrowed f r o m the p u p p e t theater, is called nori, or "riding" the r h y t h m of the shamisen. It is used f o r brief passages—seldom more than a single line—in Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani. In sections where the original joruri t e x t is marked "riding dialogue" ( k o t o b a noru), the actor imitates the joruri chanter, speaking in regular, m e t r o n o m e l i k e r h y t h m , each syllable timed to a chord of shamisen music. Last is the vocal technique used by actors when delivering sections of shichigocho dialogue. T h e voice follows a cadenced p a t t e r n , gently rising and falling within each seven or five syllable phrase. T h e superior actor avoids making either r h y t h m or melody t o o obvious. He suffuses his lines with emotional w a r m t h , purposely introducing small variations of r h y t h m and inflection. When a long section of seven-five dialogue is properly delivered, it is only after a time that the spectator gradually begins t o notice the lines' subtly lilting cadences (see, for example, the entrance of Sakura and Seigen in The Scarlet Princess of Edo, Act IV, Scene 1). This style of delivery in a long seven-five speech by a m a j o r character is sometimes called yakuharai. Perhaps because of difficulties posed by language, Western observers have been more conscious of m o v e m e n t techniques than of vocal techniques, and as a consequence m u c h has been written a b o u t them. Three basic m o v e m e n t techniques are identified in the translations. T h e mie highlights a crucial m o m e n t in a scene. It is a pose that f u n c t i o n s as a kind of visual exclamation point. T h e actor moves into a powerful stance, rotates his head with a snap at the end of the m o v e m e n t , and freezes, glaring strongly ( o f t e n with one eye crossed over the other, nirami) t o magnify the impression of strength which lies at the heart of the mie's meaning. A mie may p u n c t u a t e the end of a line of dialogue. Sukeroku executes a powerful mie as he concludes his name-saying speech, saying, " S c u m ! Bow before this face! Worship . . . i t ! " Or it may p u n c t u a t e the end of a m o v e m e n t phrase. No dialogue is spoken while Narukami fights the m o n k s ; mie p u n c t u a t e the end of each m o v e m e n t sequence. All fighting scenes (tachimawari) follow this pattern. In reading the

41

Introduction

plays, one should imagine a scene rising t o a climax in a mie, pausing as the mie is held, dropping in tension as the action once more resumes, then building again to a n o t h e r high point and another mie. A second m a j o r m o v e m e n t technique, called tate, identifies the some two hundred specific m o v e m e n t s used in fighting with sword, spear, or lance and in hand-to-hand c o m b a t . It is beyond the scope of this b o o k t o identify each m o v e m e n t by name b u t fighting scenes choreographed using sequences of these movements are identified as tate scenes. O t h e r fighting scenes which d o not use the conventionalized tate movements—such as Seigen's a t t e m p t to murder Princess Sakura—are identified in marginal notes by the general term tachimawari. Great attention is paid to visual effect in tachimawari scenes through formalized movements and mie poses. Third is the entrance and exit technique k n o w n as r o p p o , meaning "six directions" and indicating a highly stylized, masculine, dancelike m o v e m e n t d o w n the hanamichi. According to one, possibly apochryphal, account, the actor Nagoya Sanza did the first r o p p o dance during Okuni's time. 4 1 Certainly swaggering entrances and exits were i m p o r t a n t to male acting m a n y decades before the G e n r o k u period in Kyoto-Osaka and in Edo. R o p p o were used f o r major danced entrances during G e n r o k u , as can be seen in Danjuro's 1698 p r o d u c t i o n of Narukami, already described. In time the term came to apply almost exclusively to exits by an aragoto hero. T h e raging hatred Narukami feels f o r Lady T a e m a finds expression in a fierce and p o w e r f u l "flying r o p p o " ( t o b i roppo) as he pursues her d o w n the hanamichi at the end of the scene. T h e personal attractiveness of the actor is a factor in any theater f o r m , b u t the audience-actor relationship in kabuki has a special dimension. It is part of the " g a m e " of kabuki for the spectator to see the actor-as-actor as well as a character in a drama. This attitude finds expression in several unusual conventions. A stage assistant (koken) moves unobtrusively a b o u t the stage (dressed either in black or in formal costume). He is a pupil of a m a j o r actor. It is he w h o hands D a n j o his tweezers, takes away S u k e r o k u ' s clogs and fixes the flute in his sash, or gives Princess Sakura the dropped incense box. A stage assistant helps Ikyu t o remove his k i m o n o to reveal himself "in reality" as Heinai Zaemon. T w o assistants help Narukami change his costume as he t r a n s f o r m s himself, before the eyes of the audience, into a t h u n d e r god. When the actor playing Danjo finishes his first big scene, a stage assistant will bring out a cup of tea t o slake the actor's thirst. 4 1 . D u n n , Analects,

42

p. 138.

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

Recognition of the actor-as-actor is m a d e explicit when Narukami says h e will change his name to " t h e lecher, Ichikawa D a n j u r o ! " T h e heroine of a ghost story is described by G o n s u k e as "a dead ringer f o r the kabuki actor Hanshiro," the actor just ten feet away on stage playing the role of Princess Sakura. Sukeroku says there is a snake running loose in Yoshiwara t h a t " m a k e s a fierce face, has white hair, a beard, and looks exactly like the actor Y a m a n a k a H e i k u r o , " describing the actor playing the role of Ikyu. Of course it is a j o k e for an actor to refer to himself or another actor by name, b u t the Japanese spectator considered it a perfectly reasonable j o k e . A f t e r all, an actor is an actor, even when playing a role. (The Western "realistic" convention of pretending t h a t actors d o not exist on stage b u t only characters d o is m u c h m o r e fanciful.) Formal announcements, kojo, to the audience are part of most plays. T h e troupe's leading actor (called zagashira or z a t o , literally " t r o u p e h e a d " ) o f t e n addressed the audience to introduce a child actor and ask f o r the audience's support through the years or to c o m m e n t on special circumstance of a p r o d u c t i o n . Or the k o j o could be m a d e by the theater's Stage Manager, a n o t very i m p o r t a n t position (called todori). T h e main play would be introduced b e f o r e the opening scene {Sukeroku: Flower of Edo) or within an early scene (Saint Narukami and the God Fudo). A shorter play might not be introduced at all (Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter). Each day's program ended with the conventional words, "With this we conclude t o d a y ' s p e r f o r m a n c e . " We note that the final kojo in The Scarlet Princess of Edo warns that the day's program is n o t yet over and that a dance scene follows the main play. T h e k o j o , wherever it occurs, breaks o u t of the b o u n d s of the drama proper by calling attention to the play as an event, to the audience as spectators, and t o the actors as artists performing for the audience's e n j o y m e n t . Regardless of the role they were playing, actors wore costumes decorated with their acting family crest, thereby reinforcing their dual identity. When a spectator was pleased he would call o u t encouragement to the actor: "Best in J a p a n ! " or "We've waited for this!" or "Like your f a t h e r ! " It would be pleasant to believe t h a t all the ringing shouts coming from the balcony were spontaneous, but this was n o t the case. To encourage the audience, actors sent their pupils and employees into the gallery as a professional claque (koeban), with precise instructions of where and what to cry o u t . We know that actors controlled the claque, for N a m b o k u writes in a stage direction just before Hanjuro is beheaded in The Scarlet Princess of Edo-. "There should be n o calls f r o m the claque."

43

Introduction

Three sources of musical accompaniment are identified in the translations: Nagauta style music of t h c g e z a ("offstage") ensemble, dance music, and Takemoto music taken from the puppet theater. The standard kabuki music is that of the geza ensemble of musicians and singers who perform offstage right. These musicians watch the action of the play and provide appropriate background music. Geza music plays quietly during dialogue, sets the mood for a scene as the curtain opens, accompanies actions, or "fills" time while a character makes a long entrance or exit (for example, Agemaki's first entrance in Sukeroku: Flower of Edo). Instruments include stringed instruments, of which the three-stringed shamisen is most important, several types of flutes, and drums, gongs, and bells in a score of kinds and sizes. Music is selected to match the emotional quality of play and scene. The Imperial Palace is introduced in Saint Narukami and the God Fudd by the austere strains of Goten, "Palace," played by drums and flute. Sugagaki, a sensuous shamisen melody heard in daily life in the prostitutes' quarters, accompanies the entrance of courtesans in Sukeroku: Flower of Edo. Battle scenes of Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani are heralded by crashing cymbals and beating drums of Toyose, signaling the army's "Approach." The song Jizokyo, "Saint Jizo's Prayer," is sung by four or five singers because a powerful effect is required during the fight between Princess Sakura and Seigen. A hauntingly beautiful mood is created when Doku Gin, "Solo Air," is sung by a single voice from behind the geza blinds to underscore Princess Sakura's melancholy entrance on the hanamichi in the Mimeguri Shrine Scene. (This type of delicate solo, which accompanies the many touching scenes of female mime in kabuki, is called meriyasu.) Of special interest are the various atmospheric patterns beat out on kabuki's unique large drum ( o d a i k o ) . AmaOto, "Rain Pattern," is a light tapping pattern. A crescendo of rapid beats suddenly falling off is Nami Oto, "Wave Pattern." Kaminari Oto, "Thunder," booms out in rolling beats. There are a dozen such patterns. In all, over four-hundred geza melodies and rhythms are used in kabuki. Names of compositions called for in performance are given in the text, and where possible they have been translated. The system of musical cuing for the geza is given in Appendix C. The second type, dance music, is found in the translations in Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter, where a Tokiwazu ensemble sings and plays instrumental interludes to accompany dance and mime portions of the play. The Tokiwazu shamisen players and the singers sit on stage in view of the audience.

44

K a b u k i : Hive C l a s s i c P l a y s

The third type of music, Takemoto, accompanies all of Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani and parts of Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter. In terms of musical style, instrumentation, and singing technique the Takemoto music is the same in both plays, but its function and effect upon the audience are different: narrative and supplementary in the history play, lyric and continuous in the dance play. This difference is explained by the dissimilar patterns in which the two original joruri texts were adapted for kabuki. To recapitulate, a joruri text consists of narrative, almost entirely sung to shamisen accompaniment, and dialogue, which is accompanied only in part by shamisen music. Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani was brought into kabuki as a dialogue drama. Narrative passages were mostly retained as is, but dialogue sections were given to actors to be spoken and whatever shamisen music was originally called for usually was eliminated. That is, sung dialogue accompanied by shamisen was replaced by spoken and unaccompanied speech. This occurs throughout the play but a particularly striking example is the dangiri, or final section, of Act III. In joruri this section is intended to build an act musically to a vigorous climax. Almost all words, dialogue and narrative, are sung at a furious rate to cascades of shamisen notes tumbling over each other. But when the play is given as kabuki the dangiri is performed largely as spoken dialogue without music. In short, compared to the joruri performance, the performance of Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani in kabuki contains less Takemoto singing and less Takemoto shamisen playing. Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter, on the other hand, has been made into a kabuki dance play and contains more music than does Chikamatsu's original joruri. Geza songs in Nagauta style and Tokiwazu singing have been added. If we look at Yugiri's final long monologue we find that some of it was to be spoken, some sung in joruri. The monologue could be spoken by the kabuki actor, and if the play were being adapted as a straight domestic dialogue drama it would be spoken. In Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter, however, the entire monologue is sung by the Takemoto singer to melodic shamisen accompaniment, and Yugiri merely dances and mimes the action, thereby encouraging the audience to respond less to the story and more to musical and dance effects in the scene. 42 4 2 . T h e s t a n d a r d s t r u c t u r e of a k a b u k i d a n c e play—musical i n t r o d u c t i o n ( o k i ) t e n t r a n c e (de) and travel scene ( m i c b i y u k i ) , female l a m e n t a t i o n ( k u d o k i ) , m a l e narrative ( k a t a r i ) , lively d a n c e o f t e n b y a g r o u p ( o d o r i j i ) , and closing d a n c e w h i c h m a y be a fighting scene (cbirashi or dangiri)—is n o t f o u n d in either play. Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter

45

Introduction

Two types of sound effects are indicated in the translations. Sharp and penetrating clacks of hard wooden clappers (ki or bydsbigi) provide stage cues. A single loud clack signals actors to begin, the stage to revolve, or a curtain to fall; two loud clacks signal music to begin; and continuous clacking (kizami) accompanies opening and closing of the act curtain. Two, somewhat smaller, wooden clappers (tsuke) are beat on a flat board placed in view of the audience on the stage by the left proscenium arch. Tsuke beats emphasize movements of the actors: for falling, a double beat (batan); to "fill" a mie with sound, a triple beat (battari); to accompany a running figure, continuous rapid beats (bata-bata)\ and a furious crescendo of rapid beats (uchiage) leads up to a tableau preceding a final curtain. Ki patterns are analyzed and described in more detail in Appendix A and tsuke patterns in Appendix B. CONCLUSION How are we to evaluate the plays of kabuki? At the turn of the century and for several decades thereafter they were consistently underrated by such scholars as Tsubouchi Shoyo, who, while cherishing much that he found, judged kabuki by the criteria of realistic Western dramaturgy and found the native form wanting. Today we are more fortunate. We know the futility of applying to the art of one culture artistic standards derived from another. We can see that the best kabuki dramas are superb examples of the playwright's art. They are straightforward, gripping, very largely eschewing the sentimentality found so often in popular arts. Historical conditions, which included government control and often suppression, precluded the kind of direct discussion of issues found in Western drama. But the experience of the urban commoner is presented on the stage with understanding and honesty. Without moralizing, the kabuki author allows actions to speak for themselves. The plays of kabuki are painted in rich hues. They lack the mystic allusiveness of no drama and share little of the intense and searing emotional power of joruri. But compared to no the dramatic range is broader and there is greater flexibility and variety of form, mood, and character development than in puppet drama. It is a remarkable artistic achievement to have created, within the space is not a full dance play and only the kudoki section can be clearly identified. In a multiact puppet play it is never possible to follow the musical structure intended for a relatively short dance piece. In puppet drama the terms kudoki and monogatari indicate the type of scene.

46

Kabuki: Five Classic Plays

of a little more than a century and a half, the formal b e a u t y and marvelous storytelling qualities of Saint Narukami and the God Fudd, the gentle eroticism of Love Letter from the Licensed Quarter, the irresistible vitality and brilliant h u m o r of Sukeroku: Flower of Edo, and the frighteningly real castoffs of society f o u n d in The Scarlet Princess of Edo. For t o o long the dexterity with which the kabuki writer has handled his dialogue has been overlooked; the dialogue of most Western plays is palid, indeed, beside the richly suggestive wordplay f o u n d in kabuki. Minor characters tend t o stereotype, b u t major characters are drawn with refreshing humanness. We sense immediately the truth of S u k e r o k u ' s vanity, Gonsuke's total self-interest, or Izaemon's weakness of character. When the dramatic elements of the texts are combined with dance, music, mime, and song and are p e r f o r m e d within kabuki's richly stylized acting techniques, the plays represent one of the w o r l d ' s great examples of " t o t a l t h e a t e r . " At its best kabuki drama is dazzling in its virtuosity; at its worst it can be p o m p o u s , hollow, a mere show of effects. Increasingly f r o m the middle of the nineteenth century, plays became r o u t i n e works, drawing on the ideas and techniques of earlier times. But during the period of these five plays kabuki was still boldly original and the spirit of creativity ran strong. In their various ways the plays translated here celebrate an overriding sensuous j o y of existence that rises above restraints of society and imperfections of the h u m a n spirit.

47

Introduction

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo S U K E R O K U Y U K A R I NO E D O

ZAKURA

b y T s u u c h i J i h e i II a n d T s u u c h i H a n e m o n

First performed in March-April 1713 at the Yamamura Theater in Edo as the second or domestic part (sewamono) of an all-day play (toshi kyogen) with the fanciful title Protection of the Cherries of Flower Mansion, this play was written for Ichikawa Danjuro II, who played Sukeroku. The exact circumstances of its authorship are unclear, but it is believed that Tsuuchi Jihei II, son of Danjuro I's favorite playwright, was consulted about the script and that most of the writing is the work of Tsuuchi Hanemon, the Yamamura Theater's chief playwright. Jihei is credited with establishing the four-act form in kabuki and the two-part, history-domestic form of play. We do not know what the entire play was about, but the world of Agemaki and Sukeroku had been used for plays for thirty years. Conflicting accounts say a courtesan, Agemaki, and her lover, Sukeroku, killed themselves in Osaka in either 1673 or 1709. Regardless of the historical facts, several Agemaki-Sukeroku love suicide plays were played on Kyoto and Osaka kabuki stages in 1675 and others were to follow. The 1713 production in Edo abandoned the suicide plot popular in Kyoto and Osaka for a new one telling how Sukeroku, with the help of his brother Shinbei, kills Ikyu, a samurai rival. Jihei rewrote the play for Danjuro three years later, keeping the basic story but setting it within the world of the Soga brothers. Danjuro added the long danced entrance with the umbrella and played Sukeroku closer to soft wagoto style than in 1713. At the age of sixty-two, Danjuro revived the play once more (1749). He further refined the acting (and presumably the dialogue as well), and changed the original Itchu Bushi music to Kato Bushi style music for his first entrance. Cherry trees, once associated with gardens of the aristocracy, were planted in Yoshiwara for the first time that spring, and Danjuro lined the hanamichi

51

S u k e r o k u : F l o w e r o f Edo

with chcrry trees in full bloom. Fujimoto Tobun, the chief playwright, placed the story within another all-day play (Story of the Brothers Named Soga). The Kato Bushi music heard in performances today was composed for the 1761 production in which Danjuro IV played Shinbei. Shortly after that Sukeroku: Flower of Edo began to be performed as an independent one-act play. For the 1832 production, Danjuro VII called it one of the "Eighteen Favorite Plays" (jubacbiban) of the Ichikawa family, the first of this group of famous plays to be so designated. Onoe Kikugoro V, an extremely popular actor, replaced the Kato Bushi music with Tokiwazu music when he played Sukeroku in 1870, and his son, Kikugoro VI, performed the role to Kiyomoto music in 1915. Either Kato Bushi or Kiyomoto music can be heard in current productions. Because the play has been performed by every generation since 1713, it maintains many elements of its original Genroku style. It seems likely that Sukeroku's long entrance dance was created to take advantage of the recently created hanamichi (probably for the play's second or third production). The play shows close connections with life in old Edo. The Kato Bushi musicians were well-to-do merchants who were avid patrons of kabuki and of Danjuro. Amateurs, they vied for the chance to appear on the kabuki stage. (This was what prompted Kikugoro to switch to professional Kiyomoto musicians.) Houses of assignation in Yoshiwara sent Danjuro gifts of sake and costumes, and decorated the theater with lanterns advertising their establishments. The Sugagaki melody heard throughout the play was familiar to the audience as the music which accompanied real courtesans when they promenaded through the streets of Yoshiwara. Sugagaki is used in a unique way. Instead of being played quietly in the background during speeches, a single chord is played in the pause between phrases. The effect is unusually formal and sophisticated. A cast of over one hundred actors is generally employed to create a sense of color and spectacle. The many long speeches call for accomplished elocution. Comic scenes can be improvised as much as today's actor dares; in the role of the Dandy especially, actors include contemporary references (a popular dance, exiting with a hula hoop, using the baseball term "doubleheader" to describe the experience of going between the legs of first Sukeroku and then Shinbei). The longest versions of the play today may last three hours, but it is usually reduced to two hours by cutting a superfluous opening scene of exposition between Agemaki, Shinbei, and Manko (as in the translation). The love scene between Agemaki and Sukeroku, although no longer performed, is included in the translation.

52

S u k e r o k u : F l o w e r of E d o

The play has a simple sequential construction for the most part, and several situations are repeated. It is essential to the plot that Sukeroku and Ikyu be in disguise and that they reveal themselves later to be "in reality" (jitsu wa) other people. But when the disguise device is repeated by Manko, Shinbei, and even the Samurai, it is obvious that it is being done for mere theatrical effect. Sukeroku and Shinbei have three encounters with passersby, but this could be reduced to two or to one or all could be eliminated without changing the plot (although the scenes are the funniest in the play). The play may end as it does in the translation—with Sukeroku emerging from a vat filled with water (the ending favored today by Nakamura Kanzaburo XVII)—or the vat scene may be cut and the play end immediately after Ikyu is killed (favored by the late Danjuro XI). The text for Sukeroku: Flower of Edo exists in many versions, but the variations among them are not significant. The oldest extant text is that attributed to Sakurada Jisuke used for the 1779 production. The translation is based primarily on the annotated text in Gunji Masakatsu, ed., Kabuki Juhachibansbu (Collection of Eighteen Favorite Plays; Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1965). Also consulted were texts in Toita Yasuji, ed., KabukiMeisakusen (Selected Kabuki Classics; Tokyo: Sogensha, 1956), vol. 15;Atsumi Seitaro, ed., Nihort Gikyoku Zenshu (Complete Japanese Drama; Tokyo: Shunyodo, 1931), vol. 1; and Kawatake Shigetoshi, ed., Kabuki Juhacbibansbii (Collection of Eighteen Favorite Plays; Tokyo: Asahi Shimbunsha, 1952); and the text, as performed by the late Danjuro XI in 1962, published as a brochure with Victor Record set SJ3001-3. Stage directions are taken from performances of the play by Nakamura Kanzaburo XVII (Kabuki-za, Tokyo, May 1967) and by Ichikawa Ebizo X (Kabuki-za, Tokyo, November 1969).

53

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

SCENE 1 [Deep beats of the large drum and sharp notes of the flute playing Tori Kagura, "Shrine Dance Procession, "drift through the striped kabuki curtain. Two sharp ki clacks signal the curtain to open ] CHORUS [ o f f s t a g e , sings Dote no Chochin, "Lanterns on the Embankment, " to shamisen accompaniment, as drum and flute continue Tori Kagura] : Rows of paper lanterns glow, Yoshiwara's nighttime brillance, bright as the moonlight; The pleasure quarter beckons, angling, drawing men; Alluring, luring, luring, to Yoshiwara. [Accelerating clacks of the ki accompany the opening of the curtain. Music and ki fade to silence. The scene is the front of the Three Harbors, a fashionable house of prostitution in the licensed quarter of Yoshiwara, in Edo (Tokyo). Heavy grillwork covers most of the building exposed to the street, except stage left where a divided curtain covers the entrance. The building is painted bright red and is decorated with black and gold designs. Masses of lighted paper lanterns, alternately red and green, form a brilliant display on either side. A huge vat marked "For Fire, "topped by a pyramid of wooden buckets, occupies a corner stage right. Sprigs of spring cherry blooms hang across the width of the stage. A number of simple benches, covered with crimson cloths, face the street. The STAGE MANAGER in dark kimono and formal outer garments, enters from the right and kneels center stage. He places his fan before him and bows ceremoniously. J STAGE MANAGER: Hear ye to the east and to the west! May 1 respectfully introduce as our play "Sukeroku: Flower of Edo," first performed by Ichikawa Danjuro II in 1713—the third year of Shotoku—and now a classic of the Edo stage. 1 [ B o w s deeply ] May you all, east and west, find pleasure and enjoyment in this, our spring play! [Glancing back ] Kato Bushi musicians, will you please begin! 1. T h e stage a n n o u n c e m e n t ( k o j o ) was changed f o r each p r o d u c t i o n . T h i s o n e dates from s o m e t i m e a f t e r the 1 7 1 3 p r o d u c t i o n , b u t which p r o d u c t i o n is n o t clear.

55

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

watarizerifu

shichigocho

[He bows low, rises, and exits right. The blinds center roll up, and seen seated inside the house are a dozen Kato Bushi shamisen PLAYERS and a CHORUS of as many singers. ] KATO BUSHI CHORUS [singing to shamisen music] : In springtime hazes, Blooms pink as Mount Yoshino fill Yoshiwara. Tender shoots and gentle buds flourish in our view; Of the Mountain Entrance House and the Three Harbors; Where the bursting cherries of Edo flower. [A distant temple bell tolls. As the CHORUS continues, a WATCHMAN enters from each direction, striking a metal staff on the ground to warn residents of the ever-present danger of fire at night. Each is nattily dressed in a dark blue happi coat and light blue, snug-fitting trousers, and carries a lighted lantern. They meet center, bow in greeting, and pass in opposite directions. The temple bell tolls in the distance. ] KATO BUSHI CHORUS [continuing1 : Fragrance of the evening drifting on the winds. Is the tolling temple bell that of Ueno-, Or Asakusa famous for the Flower of Edo? [The blinds drop. The bell tolls. Offstage, large drum and no flute play stately Tori Kagura and shamisen play Sugagaki, a special melody associated with the licensed district. Black-robed and hooded STAGE ASSISTANTS hold back the entrance curtain of the Three Harbors and five luxuriously dressed COURTESANS enter. The richly brocaded silk robe and hanging sash of each is of contrasting color and pattern. Their hair is piled high, in an elaborate style indicating they are courtesans of high rank. Each rests a hand on the shoulder of a young ATTENDANT to help maintain balance while sweeping forward regally on foot-high lacquered clogs. Two younger PROSTITUTES follow each courtesan. They stop center and pose. They speak with calculated elegance, in phrases of seven and five syllables, their voices first rising then trailing off insinuatingly. A quiet chord of Sugagaki punctuates the end of each phrase. ] FIRST COURTESAN: Ahh, ahh, everyone, gaze upon the view. Yoshiwara's cherry pink petals opening; is it not a wonderous thing, our springtime beauty? SECOND COURTESAN: Another spring's fresh blossoms bursting wide with love; another season's dewy beautiful young buds . . . THIRD COURTESAN: . . . the buds of Yoshiwara flower before man's eyes; softly bloom then fade away scattered in the wind. FOURTH COURTESAN: Men's hearts steeped in spring's pleasures cherish your spring love . . . FIFTH COURTESAN: . . . dwell well upon the beauties . . . ALL [in unison] : . . . of Yoshiwara! FIRST COURTESAN [looking down the hanamichi] : Ahh, ahh. The pride of Yoshiwara. SECOND COURTESAN: I see a lantern . . .

56

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

wa

wa

T H I R D C O U R T E S A N . . . m a r k e d with t h e T h r e e H a r b o r s crest! F O U R T H C O U R T E S A N : It is . . . A L L [greatly prolonging

the word]

: . . . Agemaki!

C H O R U S [sings Yami n o Yo, "The Dark of Night, "from paniment

of shamisen,

offstage

to

accom-

as large drum and no flute play Tori Kagura, and

stick drum and hand bell play slow Watari Byoshi, "Crossing

Over"] :

In a m o o n l e s s night only Yoshiwara shines; As bright as t h e m o o n . . . the m o o n , t h e m o o n . [During the song AGEMAKI, a courtesan hanamichi

with her retinue,

A T T E N D A N T holding upon whom

consisting

a large parasol

of the highest

over her head, another

she rests her hand as she walks, several younger

two C H I L D M A I D S in bright red kimonos trays with drinking in deep purple different

and smoking

kimono,

six adolescent

M A L E A T T E N D A N T S bringing wide-sweeping

ments

betray

the audience quietly watarizerifu

her condition.

carry

a FEMALE ATTENDANT with two

up the rear. A G E M A K I walks steps of a first-rank

She has been drinking

She stumbles

and poses elegantly.

in the background.

ATTENDANT COURTESANS,

C O U R T E S A N S in pastel kimonos

"figure-eight"

style both elegant and provocative.

the

with trailing sleeves who

implements,

colors, an elderly C H A P E R O N in black kimono,

undulating,

rank, enters

of a L A N T E R N B E A R E R , a M A L E

Offstage

slightly.

with courtesan,

and her

At seven-three

shamisen

continue

of

more a

moveshe

faces

Y a m i no Yo

]

F I R S T C O U R T E S A N [gently

chiding]

: My, look at Agemaki, h o w can she

manage . . . shichigocho

S E C O N D C O U R T E S A N : . . . listing like a sail b o a t in a gusty w i n d ? T H I R D C O U R T E S A N : For shame, a reeling courtesan, leading her p a r a d e . F O U R T H C O U R T E S A N : Agemaki, w h e r e did you . . . F I F T H C O U R T E S A N : . . . when did y o u . . . F I R S T C O U R T E S A N : . . . get so . . . A L L : . . . i n t o x i c a t e d ? [Prolonged.] A G E M A K I [grandly]

Ehhhh?

: Indeed, such an elegant assemblage greets m e on m y

return. [She catches her balance.

Though

inebriated,

poise which make her the most sought-after

she still shows the wit and courtesan

in the

quarter.]

Where did I, w h e n did 1, b e c o m e i n t o x i c a t e d did you say? F r o m t h e y o u t h at the Pines, f r o m a f o u l - m o u t h e d samurai, f r o m every corner h a n d s thrust u p o n m e b r i m m i n g cups of wine w h e n I pass through t h e streets of Yoshiwara. [Mimes receiving

cup and drinking.]

My m e r e a p p e a r a n c e p u t s

to flight t h e greatest sots of Edo, with a " p a r d o n m e , I m u s t g o . " [Delicately covering

her mouth.

1 Ha, h a ! F o r Agemaki, pride of t h e H o u s e of

T h r e e Harbors, d r i n k s b u t does not . . . b e c o m e i n t o x i c a t e d . [She lurches. ] MAID [tiny, high voice] : Mistress. T a k e care. A G E M A K I [kindly]

: I hear a small o n e ' s large o p i n i o n . Little o n e , d o not fear.

I am n o t incapacitated. watarizerifu

F E M A L E A T T E N D A N T [respectfully b u t t h e cherry's pink blossoms . . .

57

S u k e r o k u : Flower of Edo

bowing]

: You m a y say, t h a t , Mistress,

shichigocho

F I R S T Y O U N G C O U R T E S A N : . . . are seen in y o u r face . . . S E C O N D Y O U N G C O U R T E S A N : . . . a blushing shadow of t h e . . . T H I R D Y O U N G C O U R T E S A N : . . . night-flowering cherry. F O U R T H Y O U N G C O U R T E S A N : We can clearly see you are . . . ALL: . . . intoxicated. C H A P E R O N [ s t e r n l y ] : Child, bring m e d i c i n e f o r y o u r mistress. CHILD (holding up tray) : Mistress. May t h e Plum Blossom Sleeve brush y o u r illness away. A G E M A K I [idly] : Isn't there a p o e m . . . "Whose sleeve stirs t h e fragrance of plum b l o s s o m s ? " 2 C H I L D : Medicine, Mistress, called . . . A G E M A K I : Plum Blossom Sleeve. H o w amusing. T h a n k y o u , Child. [Music tapers o f f . The female A T T E N D A N T mimes pouring water, then powder from a packet into the cup held by the C H I L D . She politely offers the cup and holds tissue to cover A G E M A K I ' s mouth as she drinks.) CHAPERON: And now, Agemaki . . . A L L [ b o w i n g ] : . . . let us go. A G E M A K I [with great dignity and formality] : Children . . . we go! C H I L D R E N [high, prolonged] •. Aiiii! C H O R U S [repeats Yami no Y o with different lyrics, to Tori Kagura and Watari Byoshi accompaniment] •• Where are t h e y floating, delicate pink mists of spring? On M o u n t M i y o s h i n o . . . t h e flowers, t h e flowers. [AGEMAKI crosses onto the stage. At the bench center she turns upstage and poses as her robe is lowered by a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T and her attendants. The women follow A G E M A K I ' s lead, facing front and sitting as she does. The five C O U R T E S A N S sit in a row at the back and the lesser P R O S T I T U T E S on benches to the side. Music ends. WOMAN comes out of the Three Harbors to fast Sugagaki shamisen music.] W O M A N : Mistress Agemaki, S u k e r o k u ' s m o t h e r sends this letter. [Surprised, A G E M A K I takes the letter, gives the envelope to a STAGE A S S I S T A N T , scans a few lines, and poses. The bell tolls. ] A G E M A K I : Because of S u k e r o k u , a quarreling son, a m o t h e r ' s life is black. [She reads more. ] Because of S u k e r o k u , m y quarreling lover, m y life, t o o , is black. H o w p i t i f u l is w o m a n ' s f a t e . [She poses. The bell tolls. The curtain at the end of open. The blinds upstage center are raised revealing shamisen P L A Y E R S and C H O R U S of singers. They samurai IKYU and his retinue enter.] K A T O BUSHI C H O R U S [to shamisen accompaniment] M u l t i t u d e s t h r o n g u p and d o w n in Y o s h i w a r a ;

the hanamichi is flicked a dozen Kato Bushi sing as the wealthy :

Floating, d r i f t i n g with n o aim b u t j o y and pleasure. Men of wealth and p o w e r , t o o , parade in s p l e n d o r ; 2. " W h o stirs t h e p l u m b l o s s o m s with their sleeve?" in t h e Shinkohin ( 1 2 0 5 ) , and similar p o e m s , p r o b a b l y inspired t h e n a m e of this h a n g o v e r medicine which was a big seller in Yoshiwara in t h e early 1700s.

58

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

It is a transient world of passing pleasure. [First to enter is IKYU, old, bearded, cream, and white embroidered on his shoulder, costume

walks the high-ranking

and elaborate

in a magnificent

courtesan,

and stops.

an umbrella

R E T A I N E R S , dressed in blue and white summer tobacco

in color.

kimonos,

moves

Six

carry his long

box, and incense stand. No one on

The blinds fall. Offstage

quiet

of dialogue. ]

phrases

With a

and turns.

stage is aware of their presence. Sugagaki between

gold,

resting

high over her head, she

IKYU stops at seven-three

sword, sword rack, armrest,

robe of

S H I R A T A M A . Her

wig are like A G E M A K I ' s except

M A L E A T T E N D A N T holding past seven-three

dressed

silk. By his side and with her hand

watarizerifu

F I R S T R E T A I N E R : Master Ikyu, noble lord . . .

shichigocho

S E C O N D R E T A I N E R : . . . have y o u chosen her . . .

shamisen

play

T H I R D R E T A I N E R : . . . w h o will b e t h e lucky w h o r e . . . F O U R T H R E T A I N E R : . . . to share y o u r bed . . . ALL [ p r o l o n g e d ] : . . . t o n i g h t ! IKYU [heavy, insinuating

voice] : T h e w h o r e Agemaki is a treasure a m o n g a

t h o u s a n d pillows b u t u n f o r t u n a t e l y will n o t be swayed b y the strength of China nor lured by gold. Each time she r e b u f f s m e . [ Vilely. ] T o n i g h t will m y a r d o r b e d a m p e n e d by t h e rain or q u i c k e n e d by Yoshiwara's dewy petals? [S^es the group

onstage. ] Ha, ha! See t h e o n e in back. Is she the

new o n e you were speaking of? R E T A I N E R [leans forward,

poses]

: Boss! T h e y say she's like a virgin!

I K Y U : Splendid! I have an urge t o s p e n d s o m e time with her. S H I R A T A M A [haughtily,

not looking

at him] : Ikyu, Agemaki will despise y o u ,

if y o u are fickle. Or is y o u r interest in her gone? IKYU | u n c t u o u s l y ] : Shiratama, r e n o w n e d in t h e five districts of Y o s h i w a r a , plead m y suit with Agemaki. S H I R A T A M A : Are y o u sincere? IKYU: C o n s t a n t l y she m e e t s a n o t h e r p a t r o n w h o is never seen. [Turns furious.

front,

] I will n o t have it!

S H I R A T A M A : Dear Ikyu, n o t h i n g I can say will help, b u t if y o u wish I shall. I K Y U : Yes. Speak with her. [She nods coolly ] R E T A I N E R S [in unison] IKYU [poses haughtily] [The procession

: T h e n Master . . . ? : We go!

moves majestically

on stage, as shaimsen

play

Sugagaki

and the large drum and flute play Tori Kagura. IKYU ponderously himself

on a bench stage left, sitting

on a white silk cushion

brought

settles out of

the Three Harbors by a C H I L D MAID. His sword rack, pipe, armrest, incense stand are placed around bench left. He casually smokes

a beautiful

for A G E M A K I to acknowledge

him. When she does not, he

furtively

in her direction.

and they gently

taunt

and

him and his R E T A I N E R S retire to a side filigreed

silver pipe as he

waits

glances

The C O U R T E S A N S have been waiting for

this

him.]

F I R S T C O U R T E S A N : Great Ikyu . . . A L L : . . . is in our presence. I The end of each phrase is punctuated

59

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

by a chord of Sugagaki music, j

IKYU [with heavy sarcasm ] : Kind whores, m y n a m e is k n o w n . . . by some, I see. S E C O N D C O U R T E S A N ( g e n t l y baiting him] •. N o t k n o w Lord Ilcyu, greatest samurai of E d o ? T H I R D C O U R T E S A N : Even I, insignificant sparrow of a courtesan, k n o w w e a l t h y m a s t e r Ikyu. IKYU [leering, hut facing front]

: Y o u please m e , w h o r e s . L a t e r we shall m e e t .

F O U R T H C O U R T E S A N : O h , Lord Ikyu . . . F I F T H C O U R T E S A N : . . . t o n i g h t is y o u r favorite occupied? I K Y U : My favorite? F I F T H C O U R T E S A N : You k n o w her name. IKYU [slaps pipe on bench) : Agemaki, d o y o u m e a n ? A G E M A K I [ c o l d l y ] : Ehh? A L L [giggling] : Ikyu is in y o u r presence! A G E M A K I [looks obliquely been waiting f o r y o u .

at him] : Indeed? A n o s t e n t a t i o u s c u s t o m e r . I have

IKYU [sneering] : E h h ? Me! Y o u wait, you m e a n , f o r S u k e r o k u ! [Poses.) S H I R A T A M A : T r u l y , Ikyu, y o u are churlish. S p i t e f u l ways d o n o t persuade. IKYU [catches himself] : Y o u are right—"we carve Buddha's s t a t u e and give it no s o u l . " 3 [Nods slightly in her direction.] I beseech y o u . S H I R A T A M A : S o f t w o r d s reach m y h e a r t . [To A G E M A K I . ] Dear Agemaki, let m e as a f r i e n d gently ask—meet with Lord I k y u . His generosity is legend in t h e q u a r t e r . H o w can his w o r d s o f f e n d ? If y o u d o n o t wish t o sleep with h i m , deign at least t o m e e t and d r i n k in private. A G E M A K I [with haughty superiority] : Indeed. N o t t h a t I deign n o t to m e e t privately, Lord I k y u , b u t . . .

aku

IKYU [face ugly with rage] : . . . b u t , in t r u t h , you wait for S u k e r o k u ! A G E M A K I [feigning

disinterest]

: S u k e r o k u , y o u say?

I K Y U : Do y o u think I d o n o t k n o w the o n e y o u see is S u k e r o k u ? A G E M A K I : I m e e t w h o m I please. I K Y U : T a k e care, w h o r e . I have t h e m o n e y t o m e e t you w h e n I please. [Strongly, drawing out his words. ] I h a t e this S u k e r o k u ! [Speaking front, contemptuously.] Y o u k n o w , whores, d o n ' t y o u , this S u k e r o k u is a p e t t y thief? A G E M A K I [poses in surprise] : E h h h ? IKYU: Watch him w h e n he fights, if y o u can call it a fight t h e way his hand slides r o u n d t h e o t h e r f e l l o w ' s hip searching o u t his wallet. A p i c k p o c k e t is w h a t he is. Tell me, Agemaki, h o w long will a great courtesan relish t h e c o m p a n y of a vagabond? A G E M A K I [sadly, to herself] : T r u l y , h e d o e s n o t bring happiness. And y e t f o r all t h a t , S u k e r o k u . . . IKYU [sneering]

: . . . charms you?

A G E M A K I [poses, serenely] IKYU [bursting out angrily]

•. He is m y c h a r m e d f a t e . : Y o u are b e w i t c h e d b y t h e devil you m e a n ! Will

3. We f o r g e t w h a t is m o s t i m p o r t a n t . A m a x i m in Kefukigusa of p o e m s , b y Matsue Shigeyori.

60

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

( 1 6 4 5 ) , a collection

sha

y o u keep him as y o u r lover, Agemaki, until y o u ' v e been stripped n a k e d ? 4 It will be p i t e o u s t o see! A G E M A K I : Y o u m a y say I jilt w e a l t h y p a t r o n s to m e e t m y lover. Y o u m a y say I am a f o o l . But to say m y S u k e r o k u is a thief, Ikyu, is i n s u p p o r t a b l e ! [She glances haughtily I K Y U : What? [Mocking.)

at him and poses. ] Insupportable? The whore that's fool enough to

love a g u t t e r rat will end u p in t h e g u t t e r with h i m . Love a thief and you will learn to love his light-fingered ways. Before y o u k n o w it y o u ' l l be lifting p a t r o n s ' wallets while t h e y sleep. A n d when y o u are t h r o w n i n t o t h e street, t h e t w o of y o u beggars, d o y o u think y o u r heart will care f o r S u k e r o k u then? [Poses, sneering.]

I n s u p p o r t a b l e , indeed. U n s u p p o r t a b l e ,

you mean! A G E M A K I [regally] : Y o u are a t i r e s o m e old m a n , I k y u . Do y o u t h i n k I fear y o u r anger because I give m y love secretly t o S u k e r o k u ? Do y o u w a n t t o strike m e here, b e f o r e everyone? D o y o u w a n t t o cut m e d o w n with y o u r sword? Y o u m a y , b u t I will n o t t a k e y o u as m y lover. I am Agemaki, of t h e H o u s e of T h r e e Harbors. I love a m a n — S u k e r o k u ! [S(y/jy.] Since I am p a r a m o u r to t h e devil, possessed by his spirit, as y o u say, 1 shall revile y o u with a devil's t o n g u e . 5 [Music stops. She stamps and poses, holding slips o f f the robe to reveal a brilliant

akutai

her robe grandly

red inner kimono.

open.

She

She gestures

her long silver pipe held vertically

in her right hand to indicate

her left index finger disparagingly

indicates

I K Y U . Sugagaki

with

SUKEROKU; resumes.)

C o m p a r e S u k e r o k u and I k y u , side by side. Here is the o n e , a y o u n g stag, h e r e is t h e o t h e r , an old crab. White and black, like snow and ink. O n e the t h e b r o a d ocean, o n e a mire of m u d ; o n e deep, o n e shallow, as t h e courtesan's beloved and the p r o s t i t u t e ' s c u s t o m e r . Black is t h e c o u r t e s a n ' s life b e r e f t of h e r beloved, b u t in her blackest life, in t h e blackest night, she could n o t mistake S u k e r o k u f o r I k y u ! Ha, h a ! Ha, ha, h a ! [Enraged, speaking

IKYU partially rapidly,

draws. Music stops. She faces him

disdainfully,

caustically.]

A h , will y o u strike me? Kill m e if y o u wish, b u t I will n o t give u p m y S u k e r o k u . [He hesitates.

] C o m e , c o m e , great I k y u . Strike me! Kill m e , if

you dare! IKYU [furiously

slams the sword back in the scabbard)

: Go!

A G E M A K I : Where? share

IKYU: T o . . . t o t h e devil! A G E M A K I : Y o u d o not m i n d , great Lord Ikyu, t h a t I go t o m e e t m y S u k e r o k u ? IKYU [roaring) : Get o u t ! [He poses,

one hand inside his kimono

sleeve, the other resting on the

of the sword in his sash. She looks at him contemptuously

a moment,

4. F r o m the saying t h a t a w o m a n d e e p l y in love cares n o t h i n g f o r herself, even t o giving the c l o t h e s off h e r b a c k f o r h e r lover. 5. Q u o t e d as a folk saying b y M o t o o r i N o r i n a g a ( 1 7 3 0 - 1 8 0 1 ) in Tamakatsuma, a collection of essays, t h o u g h it m a y have b e e n c u r r e n t earlier than this. Literally, " t h e y say t h e w i f e of the devil should be a devil h e r s e l f . "

61

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

hilt then

turns upstage so her ATTENDANTS can lift and secure her voluminous robe preparatory to walking. Offstage shamisen play Sugagaki and the large drum and no flute Tori Kagura. AGEMAKI turns and moves regally, provocatively onto the hanamichi followed by her retinue. When she reaches seven-three, SHIRATAMA rises and steps forward.] SHIRATAMA: Please stop, Agemaki. | The procession stops. Shamisen continue playing Sugagaki quietly in the background. ] You are leaving rashly. Can you tell what your misfortune may be, or that of the one you care for, if you go this way? Like a younger sister, I speak out of turn, but say it still—please return, Agemaki. For all our sakes. AGEMAKI [looking out at audience] : Joyfully I go to my dear love, yet I will not disregard the words of a friend. SHIRATAMA: You will return? AGEMAKI; Aiii. [The procession music resumes, AGEMAKI turns and moves back to the stage followed by her retinue. She stops before IKYU. The music tapers

watarizerifu

off\ Ikyu, we shall not meet again. Shiratama. SHIRATAMA: Agemaki. AGEMAKI: Children. BOTH [flaunting their disdain for IKYU1 : We . . . go! CHILDREN: Aiii! CHORUS [sings Yami no Yo offstage, to shamisen accompaniment as large drum, and noh flute play Tori Kagura and stick drum and hand bell play Watari Byoshi] : In a moonless night only Yoshiwara shines; As bright as the moon . . . the moon, the moon. [AGEMAKI sweeps past IKYU, pauses, casts him a withering look over her shoulder, and enters the Three Harbors, followed by her retinue. SHIRATAMA and her retinue follow. The offstage music stops and the clear notes of a bamboo flute are heard at the end of the hanamichi. \ FIRST COURTESAN: The sound of a flute . . . SECOND COURTESAN: . . . could it be a wandering monk . . . THIRD COURTESAN: . . . or a passerby? FOURTH COURTESAN: Ah, indeed . . . [Rising, they flick their left arms inside voluminous kimono sleeves, and pose expectantly. ] ALL [looking down the hanamichi] : . . . he comes! [Single ki clack. The distant temple bell tolls. The blinds covering the interior of the Three Harbors roll up again to show the Kato Bushi ensemble. They begin a lively instrumental prelude to SUKEROKU's entrance. The COURTESANS sit. A RETAINER hands IKYU his silver pipe, which he smokes complacently.] KATO BUSHI CHORUS: Hear the shamisen sounding bright Sugagaki;

62

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

deha

Arousing our memories in the gay quarter; When a bird returns homeward he is called lover; Is it not so in the midst of flowering grasses? [The curtain at the end of the hanamichi flies open and SUKEROKU swiftly enters. He strides to the seven-three position, wearing high clogs, half-crouching under a partially closed paper umbrella. He stops, stands boldly erect, flourishes the umbrella overhead, and poses. He is dressed in a solid black kimono piped in red and pale blue. An elaborate brocade sash is figured with the Ichikawa acting crest ; from it dangles a lacquered tobacco pouch and a bamboo flute is tucked in it at the back. A purple headband holds his stylish hair in place. Thin but bold lines of red and black highlight the pure white makeup of his face. The audience applauds his entrance. ] KATO BUSHI CHORUS (continuing\ •. Impregnated kimono crest of Five Seasons; Symbol of year's waiting, steeped deeply in love; [SUKEROKU flicks his right arm in his sleeve, and looks at the crest dyed in the fabric. He plants his right foot forward, holds the umbrella overhead, and looks toward the audience, shifts position and poses looking in the opposite direction. He holds the umbrella in his other hand, and strides away from the stage, stops, looks back, and poses elegantly ] Waiting for their time to come, sleeping moist with love; Dampened by the quarter's rain, the spring's bitter cold. [He closes the umbrella and poses with it held under his chin as if sleeping. He flicks the umbrella open and poses with it overhead, gazing up at the rainy sky, first in one direction then another. ] FIRST COURTESAN: Dear Sukeroku . . . ALL: . . . your headband . . . ? SUKEROKU: Ah! Is it strange? KATO BUSHI CHORUS [continuing] : A headband such as this one in times long ago; Spoke through its purple color of abiding ties; 7 [He stands with the umbrella held overhead, and slowly points with pride to his headband. He pivots and looks intently toward the Three Harbors, indicating his tie is with AGEMAKI.] This colored band if you permit, shall be seen by all; [He folds the umbrella closed, holds it up reverently to his forehead, and bows slightly to the COURTESANS. Then he straightens and poses with the umbrella open overhead. ] In changed times like the unchanged needles of the pine; [He rests the umbrella shaft on his left shoulder, leans back, and gazes upward as if looking at a tall pine; he shifts the umbrella to the right shoulder and poses in the other direction. 1 6 . T h e lyrics c o n t a i n a n u m b e r of k a k e k o t o b a and engo. 7. Alluding t o a p o e m in the Kokinshu ( 9 0 5 ) , t h a t describes p u r p l e as the color which indicates ties of love.

63

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

Binding up a spray of hair dangling at the back; Blown by the breezes of the wind, on the dike of cherries; The eye falls on the willow, snowfalls of blossoms; IStamping twice as if halted on the dike, he looks in the direction of the Three Harbors, points toward it with the open umbrella, strikes his chest with his fist, and poses in a powerful mie to battari tsuke beats.] Piling on the umbrella, in Yoshiwara; [He bows his head beneath a kimono sleeve, as if heavy-laden with snow.] Lying in the spot between Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba; The grass lies silently though parted by his clogs. [Closing the umbrella, he leaps with legs spread widely apart. Looking up to the left at Mount Fuji, he straightens up slightly; shifting the umbrella to the other hand, he looks up to the right at Mount Tsukuba and stands erect. He pivots, scuffing nonchalantly with his clog. A STAGE ASSISTANT takes the umbrella.] A stylish tobacco pouch, double kimono; [Turning his back to the audience, he places his hands on the tobacco pouch at the back of his sash. He faces front and adjusts the lapels of his kimono with a fastidious gesture. ] Do not hurry, do not rush; The world is transient, a wheel that turns; Time passes by day by day as expected. [Assuming a soft wagoto pose, he places the umbrella on its edge, halfcovers his face, and gently rocks the umbrella back and forth. Reverting to his usual swaggering self, he flicks the umbrella over his shoulder and poses strongly. ] It is to be expected that lovers quarrel; That sweet words of endearment will follow harsh words. [Miffed, he turns and struts away from the stage. He stops, poses, then strides back to the seven-three, gazing at the stage. ] You are charming! You are marvelous! [He poses elegantly, with the umbrella slanted overhead.] SUKEROKU: It is for you! For you! KATO BUSHI CHORUS [continuing] •.

tanzen roppo

watarizerifu

Agemaki of Three Harbors, passionate sincerity ; Thus Sukeroku passes by lined-up courtesans; With a dashing air! [SUKEROKU swaggers onto the main stage. One-handed he snaps open the umbrella and, with a flourish, flicks it over his head. He thrusts his left fist through his kimono breast, and poses in a vigorous mie. The audience applauds and shouts. The blind falls, concealing the Kato Bushi ensemble. SUKEROKU relaxes the mie, passing the umbrella to a STAGE ASSISTANT. He preens. The COURTESANS flutter about him. Though he does not look at IKYU he is acutely aware of his presence. ] FIRST COURTESAN: Sukeroku . . . SECOND COURTESAN: . . . rapturously, we . . .

64

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

ALL: . . . welcome you! T H I R D C O U R T E S A N : S t a y with us! [They tug him by the sleeves first one way, then the other, as they

ad-lib,

"Stay with me, " "With me, " "No, with me. "j S U K E R O K U [gallantly]

•• What a lineup of b e a u t i f u l faces. [Women

titter.\

1

s u p p o s e I can squeeze in s o m e w h e r e ? A L L : Please d o . S U K E R O K U [expansively] [Shamisen

offstage

: Move over, girls, m a k e way f o r a m a n .

play rapid Sugagaki as S U K E R O K U strides to the

right and sits with a flourish. upturned

hands full of pipes, ad-libbing

Sukeroku, between share

bench

C O U R T E S A N S sweep past him, piling "Here Sukeroku,

" "No, take mine. "He chuckles.

" "Take

Sugagaki chords

both mine,

continue

dialogue phrases. ]

This b e a t s m y wildest pipe d r e a m . Be careful, girls, m y h e a r t m a y go up in s m o k e ! Ha, ha! [He slaps the pipes down on the bench,

then nonchalantly

takes up one

to smoke. 1 A L L [laughing in unison] [1KYU frowns, IKYU [ominously] watarizerifu

: Ah-ha! Ah-ha!

for it is a sign of affection

to pass a man a lighted

pipe. ]

: Whores, I'll have o n e of y o u r pipes,

F I R S T C O U R T E S A N [ s w e e t l y ) : We should like t o , noble Ikyu . . . S E C O N D C O U R T E S A N : . . . e x c e p t o u r pipes . . . A L L : . . . are g o n e . IKYU [reacts] : Y o u r pipes are gone? T H I R D C O U R T E S A N : Indeed, they all have been taken. IKYU [ominously]

: All? T a k e n , by . . . ?

S U K E R O K U [brusquely,

not looking]

: . . . b y me. Why d e n y it, 1 a t t r a c t t h e

w h o r e s . Their hearts beat faster w h e n I show up at Y o s h i w a r a ' s Great Gate. Up and d o w n t h e q u a r t e r t h e y c o m e running. Pipes shower d o w n on me like t h e falling rain. [Strongly.]

I am f l o o d e d with t h e m ! [ L i g h t l y again ]

Why, last night in f r o n t of the Pines, I hardly sat d o w n b e f o r e t h e pipes piled up till they looked, so help m e G o d , like a d a m n e d t o b a c c o display. If y o u c a n ' t get a trivial sign of a f f e c t i o n f r o m t h e whores, w h a t ' s the pleasure playing in the pleasure quarters? Ha, ha, ha! No titled n o b l e , no f a t m o n e y b a g s can begin t o b u y what t h e w h o r e s of E d o give m e for free every d a y . So, did s o m e o n e say he w a n t s a pipe? I'm the o n e t o give it t o him. [He slaps his pipe down and picks he crosses to the bench center. bench, IKYU's

slaps the pipe between

up another.

Kicking

With studied

nonchalance

o f f one clog, he plops down

his toes, and thrusts

on the

his leg insultingly

in

direction.]

Y o u say y o u w a n t a pipe? Here! S m o k e it! [ S U K E R O K U brings his left fist out of the breast of his kimono, back on his right hand, and poses belligerently.

Music stops.

word IKYU reaches out for the pipe, cannot find it and slowly he sees S U K E R O K U ' s foot.

65

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

He reacts, then quickly

leans

Without turns

catches himself;

a until he so

akutai

despises S U K E R O K U he pretends to be unperturbed by this gross insult. He looks front without moving. ] IKYU [low, grating laugh] : Ha, ha! Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! H o w sad, has this splendid fellow no arms? D o his h a n d s stink of fish paste t h a t h e hides t h e m in shame? Has he e d u c a t e d feet like a wine-presser? 8 I see low trash m a s q u e r a d e as chivalrous y o u t h . T h e spirit of chivalry p r o t e c t s justice, is moral, is r e s p e c t f u l , and . . . is n o t q u a r r e l s o m e . A man of f a s h i o n cultivates r e f i n e m e n t as a m a t t e r of pride. He w h o c a n n o t discern p r o p e r d e c o r u m f r o m ill-bred b e h a v i o r is a w r e t c h b e n e a t h c o n t e m p t . T h e q u a r t e r is filled with buzzing idlers. [Derisively. 1 When a m o s q u i t o irritates with its buzz, buzz, buzz, clap y o u r h a n d . . . [He stamps forward with his right foot between his palms. ] . . . and it is g o n e ! Ha, ha, ha!

and gestures

squashing

a

mosquito

(Poses in a strong mie to loud battari tsuke beats. S U K E R O K U drops his pose and passes the pipe to a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T . He sits center unperturbed. ] S U K E R O K U [easily] : It is w r i t t e n in t h e warrior's code, tactics s h o u l d be flexible. Suit t h e m e t h o d t o t h e o b j e c t , t h e style t o t h e m a n : reason with a wise m a n , b u t kick a m u l e in t h e ass. I d e f l a t e t h e p o m p o u s braggart with a t o u c h of m y clog. O n l y w h e n t h e brave resist d o I d r a w m y s w o r d . N o t b i r t h , n o t training mark t h e c o u r a g e o u s f r o m t h e weak. T h e test of t h e chivalrous simply is—once d r a w n , d o e s y o u r sword cut t h r o u g h ? [Roaring. ] What d o y o u t h i n k I a m ? Senile old f o o l ! [He plants his right foot forward and poses in a mie, to battari tsuke beats. IKYU motions to his R E T A I N E R S . They serve him a cup of rice wine which he drinks as S U K E R O K U continues.] By t h e w a y , w h o r e s , have y o u h e a r d ? A great snake is running loose in Yoshiwara. A L L [drawing

back in fright]

•• E h h ?

S U K E R O K U : O h , he's a harmless e n o u g h snake girls. He m a k e s a fierce face, has w h i t e hair, a beard, and l o o k s exactly like t h e actor Y a m a n a k a H e i k u r o . 9 A very q u e e r snake, h e never tires of being reviled. He crawls back nightly t h o u g h every slut in t h e q u a r t e r despises h i m . A n d t h e creature has lice in his b e a r d , did y o u k n o w t h a t ? So bad he f u m i g a t e s it. O t h e r w i s e p e o p l e c o u l d n ' t stand t o be near h i m . G o d , t h e reptile stinks! [ S U K E R O K U rises, scuffs his clog derisively in IKYU s direction, and crosses right. He sits facing upstage, closed out of the ensuing scene. IKYU trembles with fury and indignation, but does not move. Offstage shamisen play rapid Sugagaki and drum and flute play Tori Kagura. MOM BE I, a blustering bully, stamps out from the Three Harbors, to alternating batan and battari tsuke beats. He wears clogs and carries a small towel in one hand. With the other, he holds closed his flapping cotton bath kimono, for in his rush he has forgotten a sash. He is raging, and nothing the WOMAN of the house can do will calm him.] 8. Literally "skilled f e e t of a fu ( w h e a t - f l o u r cake) m a k e r . " 9. T h e n a m e of the a c t o r p l a y i n g l k y u ; Y a m a n a k a H e i k u r o played the p a r t in 1713.

66

S u k e r o k u : Flower of Edo

M O M B E I : W h e r e are t h e y ? Where are t h e y ? [ S h e tugs at his sleeve.}

No!

Bring m e t h o s e sluts! W O M A N : T h e r e , t h e r e , M o m b e i , s i m m e r d o w n . W h a t will p e o p l e s a y , h e a r i n g all this noise? IKYU I a n n o y e d ] : Mombei. What's the grumbling a b o u t ? M O M B E I [surprised]

: O h , it's y o u , Boss. Listen t o this s t o r y .

[Sugagaki continues

between

phrases.

M O M B E I appeals

to I K Y U . ]

D o y o u see t h a t old w i t c h t h e r e ? S h e t h i n k s I ' m g o i n g t o p a y f o r t h e s a m e w o m e n t w i c e . [Glares at her.) W O M A N [joshing

I w o n ' t , I w o n ' t ! Hag!

him] : O h , M o m b e i , y o u g e t t o o e x c i t e d . Y o u m a k e t h e girls

s h y . W i t c h , hag, o r virgin, y o u g r a b us all. H o , h o ! [Hiding

her laughter

behind

a sleeve,

she retreats

right. ]

M O M B E I : E h h h ? Y o u ' d b e t t e r n o t f o o l with a s a m u r a i , w h o r e . [Drawing

himself

up, he tells his tale, alternately

bombastic

and

whining.)

I, e x a l t e d K a n p e r a M o m b e i , d r a n k t o o m u c h , a n d so I w e n t i n t o t h i s w h o r e h o u s e f o r a b a t h . S e n d in t h e girls t o s c r u b m y b a c k , I said. Of c o u r s e , as y o u w i s h , at o n c e , y o u said. S o I w e n t o n a h e a d , g o t i n t o t h e b a t h alone, and alone I waited and waited and waited, w i t h o u t a d a m n e d w h o r e in sight. I half m e l t e d in t h e h e a t ! | Wipes face with

towel.

Thundering.}

H a s s o m e o n e b o u g h t u p all t h e w o m e n in t h e q u a r t e r ? Y o u ! T h r o w t h o s e r o u n d - h e e l s in m y b a t h ! E v e r y o n e ! I'll f e a s t o n slut s o u p ! watarizerifu

F I R S T C O U R T E S A N [with sweet

disdain]

: My, my, dear angry M o m b e i , d o

y o u t h i n k y o u a r e t h e o n l y c u s t o m e r in Y o s h i w a r a ? S E C O N D C O U R T E S A N : Control y o u r passion . . . T H I R D C O U R T E S A N : . . . let p a t i e n c e be y o u r g u i d e . . . F O U R T H C O U R T E S A N : W h y , M o m b e i d e a r , y o u r f a c e is p u r p l e . . . F I F T H C O U R T E S A N : . . . seeing it, m a k e s u s . . . A L L [in unison]

: Ah-ha! Ah-ha!

F I R S T C O U R T E S A N : . . . laugh! [They MOMBEI [whining]

break

into peels

of laughter.

|

Noisy bowlegs, pay m e s o m e respect.

S E C O N D C O U R T E S A N [mocking]

: Y o u r face . . .

A L L : . . . l o o k s so d r e a d f u l ! M O M B E I [insultingly] •. M a s t e r s , h a u l o u t y o u r sluts! Tie a r o p e a r o u n d t h e i r bellies a n d lead t h e m i n t o t h e c e n t e r of Y o s h i w a r a w h e r e I can tick t h e m o f f as I r e c i t e a million " N a m u A m i d a B u t s u s " ! F I R S T C O U R T E S A N : D o y o u t h i n k y o u ' l l so easily g e t t h r o u g h a r o s a r y of courtesans? M O M B E I : Y o u d a r e laugh at m e ? We'll see h o w m u c h y o u laugh w h e n I'm through with y o u ! 1 0 [Offstage

shamisen

play fast Sugagaki and large drum

K a g u r a . M O M B E I flicks

the towel

over his shoulder

and flute

grabs the W O M A N and tries to drag her into the Three Harbors. women

try to prevent

V E N D O R trots down

this and in the melee

which

the hanamichi,

no way through,

finds

play

follows

All

S u k e r o k u : F l o w e r of E d o

hand the

a NOODLE and, to

10. Instead of saying barai kiyomeru (ritual purification), he says the nonsensical warai kiyomeru, "laughing purification," as a pun.

67

Tori

and with his free

batan

tsuke

beats, accidently

bumps

MOMBEI. They stagger apart. MOMBEI

holds his head. 1 Owww! Owww! V E N D O R [ b o w s briskly]

: Sorry a b o u t t h a t .

[Music slows and shamisen

continue

to play quietly

in the

background.

The N O O D L E V E N D O R wears a dark blue happi coat. A red sign of affectation wrapped

for a commoner—falls

around

waistcloth-a

to his knees. A small towel

his head. A black lacquered

box of noodles

is

sways

from

one end of a pole which he carries over the shoulder. ] MOMBEI [belligerently1 : What d o y o u m e a n , " s o r r y " ? Y o u smashed into m e with a b o x of noodles. [With each epithet

he moves a step closer. ] I d i o t !

Fool! Noodle-brain! Use y o u r eyes! V E N D O R [smartly

puts box down]

towel, and bows briskly

: 1 said it once, I say it again. [Takes o f f

] I am sorry a b o u t t h a t . Girls, tell him it was an

accident. F I R S T C O U R T E S A N : Dearest M o m b e i , forgive him . . . A L L : . . . please. M O M B E I : Never. V E N D O R : Ehh? Never? [Challenging

] A n d so?

M O M B E I : So? V E N D O R : Do as y o u d a m n please! [He flicks floor.11

up his happi coat and with a flourish

Offstage

Sugagaki accelerate.

but S U K E R O K U moves between hand, bending

them and effortlessly

it back to loud batan tsuke

V E N D O R moves stage

sits cross-legged

on the

MOMBEI raises his hand to

strike,

grasps MOMBEI's

beats. Sugagaki quiets.

The

right.]

MOMBEI: Oww! Oww! S U K E R O K U [casually forcing MOMBEI [outraged

him left] •. Forgive h i m . Eh?

but helpless]

: Forgive him? Eh?

S U K E R O K U : Yes, yes, Do it, eh? MOMBEI [ i m i t a t i n g ] : D o it, eh? [ S U K E R O K U releases his hand.] sticks in m y craw. [Looks

S U K E R O K U over.]

"Do it"

Y o u look like y o u ' v e been

a r o u n d , friend, h o w is it y o u d o n ' t k n o w me? S U K E R O K U [lightly]

: N o t k n o w y o u ? In Y o s h i w a r a , in all E d o , is there

someone w h o does not know you? MOMBEI [happily]

: H o , h o ! You k n o w me?

S U K E R O K U (turning

casually away] : I never heard of y o u .

M O M B E I : H e picks a man up t h e n h e lets him d o w n . S U K E R O K U [back to M O M B E I ] : Who w o u l d k n o w trash like y o u ? nanori

MOMBEI [makes a face of impotent

rage] •. Villain! Blackguard! H m m . Since

y o u d o n ' t k n o w w h o I a m , it's clear this is y o u r baptismal trip t o Yoshiwara. So, little b a b y , listen t o w h a t I have t o say and it will b e y o u r inoculation against . . . the p o x ! 11. In s o m e versions of the play t h e N o o d l e V e n d o r h e r e delivers a clever uirouri speech (salesman's p i t c h ) . T h e p u n n i n g and rapid-fire b a n t e r of t h e E d o b a r k e r w e r e o n c e very p o p u l a r with k a b u k i audiences.

68

S u k e r o k u : F l o w e r of E d o

[Gestures gesture

broadly

toward

I K Y U : lifts both open palms and bows in a

of respect. ]

First, this is m y revered Master, t h e illustrious warrior l k y u . T a k i n g t h e Kan of my n a m e f r o m K a n ' u , the Chinese general of t h e T h r e e K i n g d o m s whose flowing Cloud Beard r e m i n d s us of Lord l k y u , and the Mon of my n a m e signifying a treasured t e m p l e gate, I am t h e samurai Kanpera M o m b e i , w e a l t h y p o w e r f u l Kanpera M o m b e i ! [He rubs his fat

belly.]

Take off t h a t insulting p u r p l e h e a d b a n d w h e n y o u stand b e f o r e m e . [Stamps forward his raised fist.]

with his right foot

and makes a threatening

gesture

with

On y o u r knees! Bow d o w n three times!

S U K E R O K U [ b l i t h e l y , not looking]

: T h a n k s f o r t h e h i s t o r y recitation, f r i e n d .

Y o u m u s t be famished a f t e r such a speech. A n d , as luck would have it, here's a n o o d l e vendor. I t h i n k y o u should eat. [MOMBEI looks amazed No, no, d o n ' t say n o ; I'm buying. [Crossing.] V E N D O R [with a professional

flourish,

]

M a k e it o n e .

heaps noodles

onto a small

wooden

box] : O n e noodles with fish, coming up. S U K E R O K U [sniffs them as he crosses to MOMBEI] : Fish or no, I w o n ' t g u a r a n t e e , b u t here, M o m b e i I serve y o u . [Strikes noodles

a pose and thrusts

the

under MOMBEI's nose. ] Have s o m e noodles.

MOMBEI [plaintively]

•. Who? Me?

S U K E R O K U [lightly mocking]

: Yes. Y o u .

MOMBEI: I d o n ' t like t h e way y o u ' r e . . . it's n o t p-p-proper . . . S U K E R O K U : He says h e w a n t s p e p p e r . [He flicks

pepper from

the lid of the

box into MOMBEI's face. ] MOMBEI [sneezing]

: I d o n ' t w a n t noodles, I tell y o u !

S U K E R O K U [pushing

the box under M O M B E I ' s nose again] •. S h o u l d I help

you? M O M B E I : I h a t e noodles! I h a t e t h e m ! S U K E R O K U : T h e n I'll serve t h e m t o y o u ! [Offstage

shamisen

play fast, loud Sugagaki as the large drum and

play Tori Kagura. S U K E R O K U brings the noodles back, where he cannot

see them, and dumps

head. MOMBEI falls, shocked, that taper o f f into silence. S U K E R O K U motions

nothing

had happened.

Three Harbors. tucked-up

to series of double

A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T removes

the V E N D O R to

trousers,

the

M O M B E I ' s lackey

SEMBEI enters from

bench as if inside

hose, green

over the shoulders,

and makeup

edged with black. He walks with a little

wrapped

subservient

bow. SEMBEI carries MOMBEI's long

in his regular kimono.

Music stops. [

SEMBEI: Master, Master! MOMBEI [groaning]

69

: I'm dying! I'm dying!

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

the

socks, of

hopping

gait and when he stands he bends his knees and cocks his head forward, if in a perpetual

beats

box.

: Spectacular!

o f f left. S U K E R O K U sits on the center

stiff outer garment

on his tsuke

leave.]

He is dressed as a comic villain: yellow

red and white markings

flute

MOMBEI's

the box upside-down

to the ground

V E N D O R [passes MOMBEI, stops, and turns] [ V E N D O R trots briskly

up behind

as

sword

SEMBEI: What is it? What happened? MOMBEI: How badly am I wounded, Sembei? Look. SEMBEI [horrified] •. Wounded? (Peers from one side then the other. From behind MOMBEI, he picks apart the noodles and inspects his head.] There's no wound here, Master. MOMBEI [lip quivering] : The blood is dripping, dripping, dripping. [Puts his hand up and feels the noodles. He almost weeps ] My brains are . . . [Brings down a handful and sees them for the first time.] 1 thought 1 was mortally wounded, but . . . noodles! SEMBEI [front, covering a smile] : It is killing. [MOMBEI throws the noodles over his shoulder; they are removed instantly by a waiting STAGE ASSISTANT. A dozen RUFFIANS, part of MOM BE I's gang, force their way on from the right. Their clothes are dirty and disheveled. They carry long poles and some have one shoulder bared, ready to fight. ] MOMBEI [seizing his sword and kimono] •. Annihilate him! RUFFIANS [brandishing their poles] : We will! [Offstage shamisen play rapid Sugagaki and large drum and flute Tori Kagura. Bata-bata tsuke beats accelerate as SEMBEI gestures the swaggering MOMBEI into the Three Harbors, then follows him o f f . The RUFFIANS advance in formation on SUKEROKU. Music softens.] SUKEROKU: Striplings! What are you doing with those poles? Touch me and they'll build a mountain in Yoshiwara with your corpses! [Strikes a fierce pose. 1 RUFFIANS [cowed] •. Ehhh?

Sembei zukushi

[The RUFFIANS fall back, then one by one slip away. Casually SUKEROKU sits. SEMBEI reenters, expecting to see SUKEROKU beaten. He is amazed to see the men retreating. He collects himself, crosses center, and begins a challenging speech, emphasizing each phrase with exaggerated posturing and rhetorical tricks. 1 SEMBEI: Ahem, ahem. [Steppingforward on each word.] You are a rascal. Your father was a rascal. Your father's father was a rascal and obviously made the original mistake. Ahem. Ahem. [Bends his knees and leans forward. ] 1 do not recall any rascal who has opposed my patrician master Mombei. [Cocks his head at SUKEROKU.) And now, sir, you, sir, heap insults upon his head, sir, in the form of noodles. Cheap noodles. [Points to his head, then to SUKEROKU's. ] You are a rascal! Apologize! [He strikes a pose, fists doubled and left leg thrust forward. When SUKEROKU ignores him, the pose wilts.] Apologize? Ahem, ahem. [Runs hand up and down kimono collar, straightening it. ] My name, sir, is Morning Glory Sembei. Some days some pay Sembei—for their insolence. Today, sir, you pay Sembei, sir, for yours. Pay today to Morning Glory Sembei. Prepare to be pummeled by a man! 1 2 12. T h i s f a m o u s passage c o n t a i n s m a n y plays on w o r d s , t h e m o s t e l a b o r a t e of w h i c h is a sixfold p u n o n S e m b e i ' s n a m e , a h o m o n y m f o r rice crackers.

70

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

Agemaki: "Indeed, such an elegant assemblage greets me on my return." Agemaki poses on the hanamichi at the seven-three position accompanied by her retinue of Lantern Bearer, Umbrella Bearer, Male Attendant, Courtesans, and Child Maids. English-language production, Department of Drama and Theatre, University of Hawaii, directed by James R. Brandon (1970). (Agemaki: Jo Diotalevi) Page 57 Shiratama, surrounded by her retinue, poses in front of the House of Three Harbors before she sits. (Shiratama: Nakamura Shikan; Attendant: Nakamura Shosaburo) Page 59

Sukeroku enters on the hanamichi: Flicking his arm in the sleeve of his kimono to show the peony crest dyed in the fabric, he plants one foot forward and leans back, glancing up under the opened umbrella. The Chorus sings: "Impregnated kimono crest of Five Seasons, symbol of year's waiting, steeped deeply in love." (Sukeroku: Nakamura Kanzaburo) Page 63 He holds the closed umbrella before him. "Sleeping moist with love, dampened by the quarter's rain, the spring's bitter cold." (SukerokuIchikawa Danjuro) Page 63

Stamping loudly with his wooden clogs, he flicks the umbrella under his arm, strikes his chest with his fist, and poses in a powerful mie, glaring at Ikyu. " T h e eye falls on the willow, snowfalls of blossoms piling on the umbrella in Yoshiwara." ( S u k e r o k u . Ichikawa Danjuro) Page 6 4 He strides o n t o the main stage and poses proudly, umbrella overhead and left fist thrust out o f the breast o f his k i m o n o . T h e actor's Stage Assistant watches, ready to take the umbrella. K i y o m o t o Chorus b e h i n d the blinds sings, " T h u s Sukeroku passes by lined-up courtesans with a dashing air!" (Sukeroku: Nakamura Kanzaburo) Page 6 4

" I f you can't get a trivial sign o f affection from the whores, what's the pleasure playing in the pleasure quarters? Ha, ha, ha! No titled noble, no fat moneybags can begin to buy what the whores of Edo give me for free every day. So, did s o m e o n e say he wants a pipe? I'm the o n e to give it to him." (Sukeroku: Ichikawa Danjuro) Page 65

Challenged by Mombei, the Noodle Vendor sits defiantly. " D o as you damn please!" (Noodle Vendor: Ichimura Takenojo; Mombei: Jitsukawa Enjaku)

Sembei demands an apology from Sukeroku. "I do not recall any rascal who has opposed my patrician master Mombei. And now, sir, you, sir, heap insults upon his head, sir, in the form of noodles. Cheap noodles." (Sembei: Ichikawa Nedanji; Sukeroku: Nakamura Kanzaburo) Page 70 Sukeroku insultingly places his left foot on the hilt of Ikyu's sword. English-language production, Department of Drama and Theatre, University of Hawaii, directed by James R. Brandon (1970). (Sukeroku: Ken Frankel; Ikyu: Peter Chariot) Page 72

The effeminate Samurai is shocked that Shinbei orders him to crawl through his legs. A Stage Assistant watches behind the bench. "Pass between your legs too?" (Shinbei: Nakamura Ganjiro; Samurai: Sawamura Gennosuke) Page 77 Dandy places a white handkerchief on his head as he prepares to crawl between Sukeroku's legs. (Sukeroku.• Nakamura Kanzaburd; Dandy: Sawamura Tossho) Page 79

Discovered by Ikyu, Sukeroku is about to draw his sword. Agemaki restrains him. (Agemaki: Nakamura Utaemon; Sukeroku.- Ichikawa Danjuro, Ikyu: Bando Mitsugoro) Page 86 Ikyu strikes Sukeroku on the head and shoulders five times with his heavy closed fan, each blow accented by batan tsuke beats. Sukeroku grasps Ikyu's wrist and they pose in a mie. (Agemaki: Nakamura Utaemon; Sukeroku: Ichikawa Danjuro; Ikyu: Bando Mitsugoro) Page 87

For their final battle Sukeroku and Ikyu strip down to white kimonos. Ikyu is tricked by Sukeroku into believing his opponent is wounded and so drops his guard. At that moment Sukeroku plunges his sword into Ikyu's side. He twists the blade cruelly in the wound. Ikyu gasps, his fingers claw the air. (Sukeroku: Nakamura Kanzaburo; Ikyu: Ichikawa Danzo) Page 90

Sukeroku hides from Constables by leaping into a huge vat o f water. Water cascades onto the stage. He knocks the b o t t o m out of a bucket that he will place over his head so that he cannot be seen. A crouching Stage Assistant watches. ( S u k e r o k u . Nakamura Kanzaburö) Page 9 0

[After striking

a ridiculous

pose, he strides up to S U K E R O K U and

his collar on both sides. He tugs but S U K E R O K U does not budge. flick

of the hand, S U K E R O K U sends him sprawling.

buttocks padded

He lands on his

to loud battari tsuke beats. SEMBEI holds bis head and

MOMBEI reenters, kimono.

having changed from

his bathing

seizes With a

kimono

to a

howls. brown

He runs over to SEMBEI.]

SEMBEI [ r h y t h m i c a l l y ] •. O h h ! O h h ! MOMBEI: Sembei, Sembei? SEMBEI: M o m b e i , M o m b e i . MOMBEI: Well? Well? SEMBEI: I tripped, 1 tripped. Over a r o o t . [Points MOMBEI [kneeling to look]

down.]

: T r i p p e d ? Over a r o o t ? T r u l y , Sembei?

SEMBEI: T r u l y , M o m b e i . [They look at each other, nod in agreement,

rise, and strut to either side of

SUKEROKU.] MOMBEI [fiercely]

: Who d o you think y o u are? [Stamps

and poses threateningly.] SEMBEI [same business] BOTH [stamp]

: Yes, yes, w h o d o y o u think . . .

[ They strike identical

poses, ludicrously

of sight inside his kimono

nanori

leaning forward,

fists

S U K E R O K U does not look in their direction.

casual pose: right fist resting lightly deceptively

out

•. . . . y o u are!

threateningly.

effrontery

his right foot

Arrogant wretch!

bouyant of such

sleeve.

on the hilt of his sword,

When he begins speaking

and casual. But inwardly,

raised

He sits in a left arm

out

his voice is

S U K E R O K U rages at the

fools.]

S U K E R O K U : N o o n e b u t an ass sets f o o t in Yoshiwara n o t k n o w i n g m y n a m e . So hear it well. [MOMBEI and SEMBEI, enraged,

strain forward.

sword hand slightly;

with fear. S U K E R O K U smiles. ]

they tremble

S U K E R O K U moves

his

K n o w i n g m y n a m e should cure y o u r malarial shakes. [MOMBEI and SEMBEI subside

] Write it three times on t h e palm of y o u r h a n d as y o u

pass t h r o u g h t h e q u a r t e r ' s Great G a t e and no w h o r e can r e f u s e y o u . Do I appear t o y o u small? My exploits are legend, talked a b o u t by e v e r y o n e f r o m t h e charcoal-selling hags of Hachioji to t o o t h l e s s rustics in t h e fields. In t h e gay q u a r t e r s I am t h e t o p i c of gossip over pickled p l u m s a n d tea. I spend w i t h o u t limit and t h e hell with t h e price, i p p o n choshi

[Rapid,

strong, rhythmic

speech gradually

builds to a

climax.]

A h e a d b a n d of purple, the pride of Edo, d y e d in E d o , binds m y hair, t h e strands of which as you look t h r o u g h t h e m f r a m e a face which, if it graced an u k i y o e print, would m a k e t h a t p i c t u r e f a m o u s in J a p a n ! Who d o e s n o t k n o w this dragon in the w a t e r , growing stronger as his enemies increase? F r o m t h e carousers at t h e pleasure h o u s e s of G o l d e n Dragon M o u n t a i n 1 3 to t h e grim image of t h e f e r o c i o u s god F u d o in Meguro, all E d o ' s eighthundred-and-eight districts do n o t hide t h e man w h o does n o t k n o w this 13. A n allusion t o A s a k u s a T e m p l e , near Y o s h i w a r a .

71

S u k e r o k u : F l o w e r of Kdo

wearer of the crest of peonies, this dweller among the cherry blossoms of Yoshiwara, this youthful Sukeroku, Agemaki's Sukeroku! Scum! Bow before this face! [5ft// sitting, he stamps loudly with the right foot, to batan tsuke beats, and brings his right hand, spread wide, up past his face and over his head in a ferocious gesture. MOMBEI and SEMBEI collapse in fright.] Worship . . . it! [During the phrase, he executes a powerful mie to battari tsuke beats: left hand under the right elbow, right fist pressed against the chest, weight forward on the right foot.] MOMBEI and SEMBEI [awed, each holding up a hand to ward him o f f ] : Ehhh! SUKEROKU [rising] : Blockhead! Beanpaste brain! Outhouse ass! Get out of here. Get . . . out! MOMBEI: Take him, Sembei! SEMBEI [drawing his sword] : En garde! [They draw their swords. Offstage shamisen play fast Oimawasu, "Chase Around, "fighting music and the large drum and flute Tori Kagura. A STAGE ASSISTANT pulls empty benches upstage. Batan and battari tsuke beats punctuate SEMBEI's and MOMBEI's attack. They strike alternately right and left. SUKEROKU seizes their wrists at the same instant. He looks at SEMBEI's blade, then throws him to the ground, stepping on SEMBEI's sword. He pulls MOMBEI forward to inspect his blade, kicks SEMBEI into a heap, and sends MOMBEI sprawling prostrate across SEMBEI. He strikes MOMBEI's back three times with the flat of MOMBEI's sword. Again RUFFIANS appear and advance on SUKEROKU. Music stops. 1 SUKEROKU [poses in a mie, MOMBEI's sword over his head, as he speaks] : Move and I will cut them through! RUFFIANS: Ehh! [They slip away rather than face SUKEROKU.) FIRST COURTESAN: Sukeroku . . . ALL: . . . wonderful! Wonderful! SUKEROKU [throws the sword down disdainfully] •. Yattoko, totcha!! [Stamps out with his right foot, sweeping the right hand, palm open, up and out, then does the same to the left.] Untoko na!! 1 4 [Sirs with a flourish on the bench, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He poses. Then dropping the pose, he turns rudely to IKYU.) Old man, if you want me d o it yourself. Look at your fools. Well? Well? [Taunting.] Draw! Draw! [IKYU does not respond. SUKEROKU leaps up and throws his benchhelped by the STAGE A S S I S T A N T - i o t i W IKYU. MOMBEI and SEMBEI crawl away right. SUKEROKU plants himself on the bench beside IKYU, and puts his left foot on IKYU's sword hilt, an incredibly insulting action.] What about it white beard? Hey, samurai, can't you speak? Are you deaf? 14. A p o w e r f u l e x c l a m a t i o n , w i t h o u t literal m e a n i n g , u t t e r e d b y an a r a g o t o h e r o to express great strength and anger.

72

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

Dumb? [Pushes lightly, insolently with his foot.) Hey, draw, draw. He's as quiet as a rat chased by a cat. [fli's^s, briskly.] It looks like the old fool's dead. Someone should perform the last rites for him then. I'll donate a candle for the corpse's head. [Removes a clog and puts it on IKYU's bead, where it is held by a STAGE ASSISTANT. He carefully arranges his kimono, kneels facing IKYU, claps his hands three times, and with closed eyes intones a prayer. ] "Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu." Oh, Great Beggar King of Hades receive your own.

tate

[In silence IKYU slowly reaches up, grasps the clog, and lowers it into view. He is enraged: he throws the clog over his shoulder, stamps, seizes his long sword, and begins to draw to batan tsuke beats.] Now things are getting interesting. Kill me, kill me, kill me! [SUKEROKU leaps up, slides the kimono from his right shoulder to free bis arm for action, and pivots in toward IKYU with small sliding steps.) Draw, Ikyu! Draw! [SUKEROKU leans toward IKYU, exposing his neck as a target. The RUFFIANS sidle on from both sides of the stage. | IKYU [hesitates a moment, then slams the sword back in its scabbard) : I will not! MOMBEI [on his haunches piteously] : Don't be a coward, Boss, it is discouraging! SEMBEI: We are losing our samurai pride. MOMBEI: What miserable warriors . . . BOTH: . . . we . . . are. IKYU [grandly] : You do not slit a rooster's throat with a sword. He is not worth my time. [/?is«. ] Mombei. MOMBEI: Boss? IKYU: Sembei. SEMBEI: Boss? IKYU [archly] : Watch for . . . pickpockets. [SUKEROKU strides over to IKYU's bench, takes his arm rest, and places it on the floor. With a flick of the sword he slices it through. To battari tsuke beats, the two halves fall apart. He strides back to his bench center. ] SUKEROKU [returning the sword to its scabbard] : And that could be you. [IKYUgestures to his RUFFIANS to attack, turns on his heel, and exits into the Three Harbors. MOMBEI, SEMBEI, and all the women follow. Offstage shamisen play very fast Oimawasu and the large drum and flute play Tori Kagura. SUKEROKU kicks off his clogs, ready to fight. The RUFFIANS face him in two rows of ten each, poles ready. To single, regularly spaced tsuke beats they attack, moving from stage right to left, striking and passing in front of SUKEROKU alternately to right and left, as SUKEROKU moves through them. They turn, form two lines again, all pose in a mie. Again they attack, two by two, moving from stage left to right. SUKEROKU casually moves between them in the opposite direction Using only the flute as a weapon, SUKEROKU glowers, forcing them

71

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

back. To loud bata-bata tsuke beats, the RUFFIANS rush onto the hanamicbi and SHINBEI, SUKEROKU's meek elder brother slips unnoticed among them. He is dressed in a wine-seller's light blue leggings, kimono, vest, and bead cloth. He carries a thin staff. A white kerchief hides his face. He drops to his knees, head low. The RUFFIANS flee pellmell down the hanamicbi. SUKEROKU, not seeing his brother, poses in a mie, flute brandished in the air. ] SUKEROKU [laughing1 : They can't speak and they cannot fight. [He turns upstage and a STAGE ASSISTANT helps him put on his clogs and slip his arm back into his kimono sleeve. He turns front and the STAGE ASSISTANT returns the flute to its place in his sash. He adjusts his kimono. ] And now for a cup of wine in Agemaki's bed. [Turns and struts away.] SHINBEI [softly] •. Please don't go, Brother. SUKEROKU [stopping] : Brother? Here's a joker if I ever heard one! [Over his shoulder ] Don't " b r o t h e r " me. I am Agemaki's Sukeroku and knight protector of Edo's Great Temple of Buddha. On your way, fellow! [Scuffs his clog at him and begins to go. ] SHINBEI [softly, rapidly] : Agemaki's Sukeroku and knight protector of Edo's Great Temple of Buddha, wait a m o m e n t , Brother. SUKEROKU: Again? [Turns to see who it is. SHINBEI flattens himself even more. ] Fool with me, fellow, and you'll end up in a ditch with a houseboat up your nose. Hear me? [Scuffs his clog at SHINBEI, thrusts his fist derisively out his kimono breast, and struts away. ] SHINBEI [ s o f t l y , as before] •. Please wait, Brother. SUKEROKU [annoyed] : Again " b r o t h e r . " I warned you. [Strides onto the hanamicbi. Seizes his collar, and hauls him, like a young puppy, center stage. ] Now, who calls me "brother"? SHINBEI [kneels, takes off kerchief] •. It is I, Brother. SUKEROKU [amazed] : Elder Brother. Juro! [He is immediately respectful.] SHINBEI [sadly] : Goro! I do not think you see me as your elder brother. 1 5 SUKEROKU: I did not know you, dressed like a wine peddler. What are you doing in Yoshiwara? SHINBEI [pouting] : You should know why I'm here. I'm here because someone was pushed in a ditch. I'm here because someone had a houseboat shoved up his nose. I'll tell you why I'm here dressed like Shinbei, a wine peddler. [SUKEROKU looks contrite. He quietly sits on a small stool brought forward by a STAGE ASSISTANT. Offstage shamisen play melancholy Tada Aikata, "Plain Melody, " in the background. SHINBEI puts away bis kerchief and composes himself] 15. Soga J u r o Sukenari and Soga G o r o T o k i m u n e are the full names of t h e brothers. Within the family the final names would be used, b u t J u r o and G o r o are used here f o r simplicity.

74

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

iken

E v e r y d a y m o t h e r a n d I h e a r d s t o r i e s of y o u r f i g h t i n g in Y o s h i w a r a . W h o p u s h e d t h e m a n in t h e gravel p i t ? S u k e r o k u . W h o laid t o rest t h e m a n

share

b e f o r e t h e T e m p l e of E t e r n a l Peace? S u k e r o k u . W h o c u t d o w n t h e c u t - u p of T a k e c h o ? 1 6 S u k e r o k u . T h e d a y t h e c r o w s d o n ' t c a w is t h e d a y S u k e r o k u d o e s n ' t f i g h t in Y o s h i w a r a , t h e y say. S h e c o u l d n o t believe t h i s w a s t r e l called S u k e r o k u w a s h e r s o n , G o r o . S o s h e sent m e t o t h e q u a r t e r t o see a n d I s a w — G o r o d u m p i n g n o o d l e s , G o r o placing a clog o n a w a r r i o r ' s h e a d . [His lip trembles;

be is close to tears.]

For eighteen years we have waited

t o avenge f a t h e r ' s m u r d e r at H a k o n e M o u n t a i n , b u t n o w t h a t t h e t i m e has c o m e , y o u disgrace y o u r s e l f w i t h q u a r r e l i n g a n d d e b a u c h e r y . H o n o r y o u r p a r e n t s is t h e first p r e c e p t of m o r a l i t y , h o n o r y o u r elder b r o t h e r is t h e s e c o n d . Y o u e s t e e m n e i t h e r . T h e b o n d b e t w e e n us is b r o k e n . Y o u a r e n o l o n g e r m y b r o t h e r G o r o . [Covers bis face with his hands

] I cannot

i m a g i n e t h e d i v i n e r e t r i b u t i o n y o u r u n f a i t h f u l n e s s will b r i n g . S U K E R O K U [quietly,

respectfully]

: M y q u a r r e l i n g is r e p r e h e n s i b l e , B r o t h e r ,

I k n o w . Please believe I a m d o i n g it w i t h a p u r p o s e , f r o m d e e p filial obligation. S H I N B E I [sniffing]

•• Y o u b r a w l in t h e q u a r t e r . . .

S U K E R O K U [head bowed]

•. . . . o u t of filial o b l i g a t i o n . 1 q u a r r e l t o f i n d

f a t h e r ' s s t o l e n s w o r d , T o m o k i r i m a r u . I t a k e t h e n a m e of S u k e r o k u t h a t I can r o a m disguised, b i c k e r i n g , i n s u l t i n g m e n t h a t t h r o n g t h e q u a r t e r , f o r c i n g t h e m t o d r a w so I can see if t h e y are w e a r i n g T o m o k i r i m a r u . Is t h i s it, o r this? [He turns away.]

B u t since I a m r e p r o a c h e d b y m y m o t h e r and

m y e l d e r b r o t h e r f o r f i g h t i n g , h e r e b y I r e n o u n c e it. I will s h u n all q u a r r e l s a n d b e c o m e a m o n k . [Closes his eyes and clasps his hands

in

prayer.]

Deign f o r g i v e m y sins, o h h o l y B u d d h a s a n d B o d h i s a t t v a s . " N a m u A m i d a Butsu, N a m u Amida Butsu." S H I N B E I [slaps his knee delightedly]

: I k n e w it w a s s o m e t h i n g like t h i s . I t a k e

b a c k w h a t I said, G o r o . I Shyly.] [ S U K E R O K U turns away, faces front

Forgive me, Brother.

mumbling

and slaps his mouth.

prayers.

S H I N B E I is contrite.

He

]

Y o u ' r e a b a d m o u t h . Why did y o u say t h o s e things? Y o u w e r e w i c k e d , w i c k e d , w i c k e d . [He pinches [ S H I N B E I rises and crosses the

his lip as punishment.] behind

Ouch!

S U K E R O K U to face his brother

from

left.]

I w a s w r o n g , B r o t h e r . Forgive m e ? [ S U K E R O K U , pretending scurries

around

coldness,

pivots

right to turn away.

to stage right to face him in this new position.

SHINBEI ]

G o r o , please listen t o m e . I a p o l o g i z e . [ S U K E R O K U turns left, and

again

S H I N B E I / o / / o u > s . ] D o n ' t b e a n g r y w i t h m e , please, G o r o . [ S U K E R O K U turns away, front

S H I N B E I glances

at S U K E R O K U ' s back,

looks

and poses. ]

H m p h ! H o w inelegant. "In Yoshiwara, y o u have t o worship B u d d h a ' s b a c k s i d e . " 1 7 [Crosses right and kneels facing

S U K E R O K U . ] Please f o r g i v e

me, Brother. 16. A pun on takecho (Bamboo Ward) and takewari (cut in two down the middle). 17. The famous Asakusa Kannon statue faces away from Yoshiwara.

75

S u k e r o k u : F l o w e r of E d o

S U K E R O K U [slyly looking

up] : You w o n ' t be o f f e n d e d if I quarrel?

S H I N B E I : Quarrel all you w a n t . Wear a k i m o n o with "I w a n t to f i g h t " written on it. [Mimes

writing.]

S U K E R O K U : I will fight, if y o u allow it. S H I N B E I : Make a meal of y o u r quarrels. [Mimes eating. ] S U K E R O K U : Ho, h o ! [Drops his contrite

pose and stands

] 1 will eat o u r

enemies u p ! S H I N B E I : T a k e s e c o n d s if y o u w a n t ! [Laughs delightedly.

Music

stops.]

S U K E R O K U : A h , y o u set m y heart at ease, J u r o . S H I N B E I : A n d y o u mine, G o r o . [Rises. Pause, then looks shyly at SUKER O K U ] B r o t h e r , d o y o u s u p p o s e I could help y o u find T o m o k i r i m a r u ? S U K E R O K U [amused]

: You, Juro?

S H I N B E I : Do y o u k n o w w h e r e it is? S U K E R O K U : Ikyu w o u l d n o t d r a w , even when I t a u n t e d him. S H I N B E I : He has a wicked face. [Hopefully.)

I could fight by y o u r side. I

could back y o u up. S U K E R O K U [gently]

: Dressed like t h a t ?

SHINBEI [realizing his peddler's

dress is not suitable for a warrior's

vendetta]

:

Oh . . . well . . . [To look more masculine do, and thrusts

he ties a kerchief

around

his head, as

fighters

the staff into his sash like a sword. ]

T h e r e we are. Will . . . will this do? S U K E R O K U : O h , yes, t h a t is q u i t e . . . excellent, J u r o . SHINBEI | n e r v o u s and excited]

: All right, n o w teach m e w h a t to d o .

S U K E R O K U [seeing his brother

is serious,

a formal

he suppresses

a smile and stands in

pose] : V e r y well, let m e instruct y o u in t h e traditional art of

fighting. S t e p o n e : f u n d a m e n t a l s of t h e f e e t . Place y o u r right f o o t firmly f o r w a r d . [He does so.] S e c o n d , strike a pose with y o u r a r m so. [He his right arm into his sleeve and brings the fist out the kimono T h i r d , t h e challenge. [Bellicose.]

flicks

breast.]

H e y ! S a m u r a i ! D o n ' t shove me! I'll t h r o w

you in a d i t c h ! I'll ram a h o u s e b o a t u p y o u r nose! Hear me? [Stamps with his right foot,

hard

poses, and roars a challenge. ] Well?! [He drops the

and turns respectfully

S H I N B E I : T h a t looks h a r d . [Sig/?s.] Well, let m e t r y . F o o t o u t . [He puts foot

out gingerly.

Though

pose

to S H I N B E I . ] T h a t ' s w h a t y o u d o , Brother.

] A r m in sleeve. [He has trouble

he tries to be fierce,

his voice remains

doing it. He

meek and soft.]

his

poses. Hey,

samurai, d o n ' t shove me, I'll t h r o w y o u in a d i t c h , I'll ram a h o u s e b o a t u p y o u r nose. Hear me? [He tries to stamp,

the clog slips, and he

almost

falls. ] Well . . . ? S U K E R O K U [gently]

•• Y o u ' r e doing this to p r o v o k e him, J u r o . Anger h i m .

Do it m o r e strongly. [ D e m o n s t r a t i n g . ] H e y ! Samurai! D o n ' t shove m e ! I'll t h r o w you in a d i t c h ! I'll ram a h o u s e b o a t u p y o u r nose! Hear me? [Stamps

and poses fiercely.]

Well?! [He bows respectfully.

] T h a t ' s t h e way

to d o it, J u r o . S H I N B E I : I think I have it. Here. [He does speak louder,

76

unchanged.

but his

remains

gestures.]

H e y , Samurai. D o n ' t shove me. I'll t h r o w y o u in a ditch. I'll ram

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

S U K E R O K U encourages

gentle

demeanor

him with

empathic

a houseboat up your nose. Hear me? [Stamps and his clog slips again. The last line trails o f f helplessly. ] Well . . . ? [Smiling happily. ] Was that good? SUKEROKU [bows to hide his smile] : It was very good, Brother. [Sees someone coming o f f left. ] Ah, here's luck, Jurô. "A wandering crow is blown our way by the wind." [SUKEROKU and SH1NBEI turn upstage to prepare for an encounter. SH1NBEI continues practicing. ] CHORUS [sings Kyo no Shiki, "Four Seasons of Kyoto, " to offstage accompaniment of shamisen and hand bell] : Soft symbol of spring; Come, come see the pink blossoms on Eastern Mountain; Color and fragrance combine, night-blooming cherry. Man of mode or bumpkin; Both are intoxicated by spring's soft beauty. [During the song a SAMURAI enters. He wears the elegant long-sleeved kimono of a youth, with cloak and divided trousers over it. A wicker hat covers his face. A closed fan dangles from his fingertips. SUKEROKU confronts him, yanks his sword from its scabbard, inspects it, and contemptuously throws it to the ground. The terrified SAMURAI retrieves it and tries to pass. SUKEROKU spreads his legs, blocking his way. Music stops. )

sutezerifu

SUKEROKU: Hey, samurai! Pass between my legs! [He lifts his kimono slightly. ) SAMURAI [timid, cultivated voice] : What's that? Pass between your legs? Not since I came from my mother's womb have I, at a gentlemen's insistence, passed between someone's legs. But if I must . . . [Offstage shamisen, stick drum, flute, and hand bell play spirited, humorous Gion Bayashi, "Gion Melody. "He carefully prepares himself. He removes his hat, and we see he is not young as expected, but a heavily rouged and powdered middle-aged roué. He gets to his knees and pushes through first the hat, then his sandals, and finally bis swords. Opening his fan and fanning himself, he crawls through on hands and knees. He picks up his things and turns to go, but SHINBEI blocks his path standing on tiptoe, knees quaking. Music stops.] SHINBEI [quavering voice] : Hey, samurai. Pass between my legs. SAMURAI: Pass between your legs too? [He is about to protest, but sees SUKEROKU's glare, and subsides. Gion Bayashi melody resumes. The SAMURAI looks suspiciously at SHINBEI and decides to back through clutching everything in his hands. He escapes onto the hanamichi. At seven-three he carefully arranges his clothes, fans himself, and poses. ] "I hear lovers quarreling; how embarrassing to pass between your legs; how embarrassing to pass between your legs." [He looks archly at SHINBEI and exits fanning himself. ] CHORUS [sings Kyo no Shiki to offstage shamisen and hand bell accompaniment] : Soft symbol of spring,

77

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

sutezerifu

Come, come see the pink blossoms on Eastern Mountain. SUKEROKU [laughing] : There's a strange one, Juro. CHORUS [sings Ryukyu Bushi, "Song of Okinawa, " in country accent, to shamisen accompaniment and rollicking folk rhythm, Fushi Mawashi, "Playing Music, "played on the large drum and hand bell| : Rikyu 1 8 and Kagoshima. Ah! Where's the land connecting you? [A loutish, gawking COUNTRY SAMURAI enters with his SERVANT. They wear thick kimonos of country design. The SAMURAI's hair is done up in a high, awkward style. A ruddy complexion is visible beneath black stubble of an unshaven face. It is obvious he and his SERVANT have never been to the big city before, let alone a licensed quarter.) SERVANT: Master, look. I never seen so many cherry blossoms. [Eagerly. J Should we go inside Yoshiwara? [The SAMURAI nods happily.) [SUKEROKU suddenly blocks their way, yanks out their swords, inspects the blades, then throws them down. The two look at each other in blank amazement. They pick up the swords.) SUKEROKU: Hey, samurai! Through my legs! [He stamps and hikes his kimono. ] SERVANT: It may be the custom here, Master. [In dumb rage the COUNTRY SAMURAI begins to draw. 1 No, Master, no! [Offstage shamisen, flute, and stick drum resume Gion Bayashi. The COUNTRY SAMURAI allows himself to be led by his SERVANT up to SUKEROKU, and with his assistance passes between SUKEROKU's legs after mumbling a short prayer. The SERVANT slides along on his belly, but even so SUKEROKU kicks him as he goes through. 1 SHINBEI [legs quaking] : Through my legs, samurai. [Again the COUNTRY SAMURAI reaches for his sword. The SERVANT sees SUKEROKU glaring at them, he tugs his master's sleeve, and gestures for him to look at SUKEROKU. Shaking his head in bewilderment, the uncomprehending COUNTRY SAMURAI falls to his knees and goes through, accidentally tickling SHINBEI as he passes. The SERVANT follows. They rush onto the hanamichi and stop at seven-three. Music ends. The SERVANT thinks. 1 SERVANT: Master, we've been had. [He reaches for his sword, but this time the SAMURAI stops him. As the offstage CHORUS sings, they look at each other, sigh with resignation, turn and strut o f f down the hanamichi. | CHORUS [repeating Ryukyu Bushi) : Rikyu and Kagoshima. Ah! Where's the land connecting you? SUKEROKU [chuckling] : He's a brave samurai, Brother. CHORUS (sings Yo Zakura, "Night Cherry," to brisk shamisen accompaniment as stick drum plays Sawagi] : 18. Dialect for R y u k y u ( O k i n a w a ) .

78

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

Night-blooming cherry, T h e light-hearted w a n d e r e r , while dancing, dancing; In t h e shade of t h e blossoms, see there is s o m e o n e ; T h e r e is s o m e o n e there. [A rich young

DANDY enters. He wears no swords,

dressed in pastel green kimono

sutezerifu

with matching

handsomely

white. He carries a half-open

background.

1

and is

modishly

cloak. His makeup

fan. Shamisen

is

continues

in the

D A N D Y : H o w smashing to f l o a t a b o u t this wild place, taking it all in. I'll never tire seeing t h e t e n d e r beauties of t h e q u a r t e r go by. T h e y ' r e so with it. T h e y swing. C H O R U S (repeats Y o Z a k u r a to same accompaniment, open his fan and ambles

as the D A N D Y

flicks

on] :

Night-blooming cherry, T h e light-hearted w a n d e r e r , while dancing, dancing . . . S U K E R O K U [blocking his way] : Pass through here! D A N D Y : Wh?t is that? What did y o u say? I am to pass through there? Y o u m u s t be putting m e on, vulgar m a n . Even here in this paradise of t h e senses, you ask t o o m u c h . [He sees S U K E R O K U ' s relentless

altitude

and

sighs. ] Well, if I m u s t , at least I shall travel in style. [ L o o k s archly at the audience.

] H e r e a f t e r this voyage shall be k n o w n as " T w e n t y T h o u s a n d

Leagues Under the S e a t . " Let us begin. [Gion Bayashi resumes. himself

sandals and carefully

pushes

them through.

He unfolds

chief which he places on his head to protect from

He

prepares

as if for a night out. He puts his fan away, then takes o f f his

his kimono

breast and scents himself

arranging his clothes,

he fastidiously

a white

handker-

his hair. He removes

a sachet

here and there. After

crawls through

carefully

on hands and

knees.

Rising, he sighs. ] I t h o u g h t I'd seen everything, b u t this is t h e end. SHINBEI [full of courage\

: Pass t h r o u g h here.

DANDY ( s h o c k e d ] : Again? N o t again, not again through there? You c a n ' t m e a n it, y o u terrifying people, y o u ' r e t o o m u c h . I mean really, see J a p a n first, b u t y o u ' r e o u t of y o u r minds! [He turns and sees S U K E R O K U looking

steadily

at him.]

Ohh. This is o u t of sight. [He looks at SHINBEI and sighs wearily. He pushes clothes.

sandals through,

Approaching

Again he fastidiously

With elegant nonchalance

upstage.

the air but that doesn't

he dangles the sachet before

SHINBEI's legs. Then, holding

teeth, he crawls through, him flying

his

SHINBEI on his knees, he sniffs and makes a wry

face. He holds a sleeve to his nose to filter the scent between

prepares.

places the cloth on his head, and adjusts

bumping

the sachet between

SHINBEI in the process

He crosses to seven-three

work.

SHINBEI and and

on the hanamichi.

fans his

sending Music

stops.] Really, look at me. My clothes are f i l t h y , my hair ruined. H o w can I ever face t h e girls this way? Well 1 m u s t , even if they spurn me.

79

S u k e r o k u : Flower of Edo

[Brightens.]

Who k n o w s , I might just start a new f a s h i o n ! [He flicks

his fan open as a signal to the musicians.

popular

song, chosen from

himself

to a brief dance in contemporary

and the musicians

return

he dances gracefully

among current

style. Another

to Y o Z a k u r a . Instantly

down

They play a lively

hits, and the D A N D Y

the hanamichi

flick

reverting

abandons

of the fan

to

character,

and o f f . ]

C H O R U S | r e p e a t i n g original lyrics) : Night-blooming cherry, T h e light-hearted w a n d e r e r , while dancing, dancing . . . S U K E R O K U [laughing] : He's a f u n n y o n e , J u r o . A G E M A K I [ o f f ] •• T a k e care, traveling in t h e night. S U K E R O K U [bristling1 : Agemaki? Seeing o u t a c u s t o m e r ? "I wait f o r y o u , " she said. I k n e w t h a t w h o r e was u n f a i t h f u l . S H I N B E I : You tell her, Brother! C H O R U S [sings F u m i n o Tayori, "A Letter's bell accompaniment]

Message, "to shamisen

and

hand

:

Let us m e e t this evening, She e n t r e a t s in her letter. [ A G E M A K I , no longer wearing

her outer robe, politely

Three Harbors,

who is dressed

her "customer"

and wears the two swords covers the customer's mother

of a samurai.

face.

ushers out of the

in the severe black

A deep wicker

There is no way to know

hat

this is MANKO,

o / S U K E R O K U and S H I N B E I . S U K E R O K U blocks

outstretched background.

arms. Offstage

shamisen

continues

kimono

completely their way

with

F u m i no T a y o r i in the

]

S U K E R O K U [viciously] A G E M A K I [protecting

: S t o p w h e r e y o u are, samurai! M A N K O ] : S u k e r o k u , d o n ' t be rash!

S U K E R O K U : D o n ' t m e d d l e , slut! A G E M A K I : Y o u abuse m e , S u k e r o k u . S U K E R O K U : What if I do? S H I N B E I : Yes, yes, w h a t if h e does? [Hurt, A G E M A K I , moves away. S U K E R O K U stands belligerently M A N K O ' s way. She hesitates foot.

a moment,

S U K E R O K U grabs her swords,

then deliberately

but she holds them

stamps

blocking on his

fast.]

S U K E R O K U [roaring) : Samurai! T h e street is wide b u t you step on my toes! [Stamps foot

out1

Lick t h e m clean!

A G E M A K I : Y o u will regret this, S u k e r o k u . S U K E R O K U : O u t of m y business, w h o r e . S H I N B E I : Yes. A G E M A K I : I can see f r o m y o u r face y o u h a t e me. S U K E R O K U [bitterly]

: With good reason. [Turns to M A N K O . ) Speak,

samurai! Are y o u deaf, are you d u m b ? S H I N B E I : D e a f y . D u m m y . Speak . . . S U K E R O K U [strongly] [He poses before

: S h o w y o u r f a c e ! S h o w it or I'll . . .

M A N K O . Music stops. He seizes the brim of her

lifts it, and sees his mother's

80

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

face. 1

hat,

A G E M A K I : Yes, lift t h e hat, S u k e r o k u . T h e n will you scar t h e f a c e y o u see? IHe falls back, speechless. ] SH1NBEI: My, m y , w h a t ' s this? Is t h e carnival over? Let m e take m y turn then. [ S U K E R O K U tugs bis sleeve to dissuade brushes

him, but SH1NBEI

blithely

him o f f . )

Release me. I will d o it. [Struts

over to M A N K O . ) Hey, samurai! See this

f o o t and this f o o t ? (Hikes his kimono.)

This f o o t is f o r b o o t i n g b o t t o m s

of b o y s w h o d o n ' t o b e y . This f o o t is f o r s t u f f i n g in y o u r eye, an idea I share

think I like very m u c h . So, samurai, d o n ' t play footsie with m e . [He stamps,

trying to strike a powerful

pose, and falls to the ground,

clutching

his foot. I O u c h . A gallant must n o t say o u c h , so in silence I bear m y pain. (/?i'ses, and poses with his hand on the little staff.) shiritori

1 am the m a s t e r of

Agemaki's S u k e r o k u . S h o u l d you anger t h e wielder of this stave, stave off m y blows as you will, willingly will I slice you through t o the soles of y o u r f e e t . So h a t s o f f . Pay m e s o m e respect . . . 1 9 [He lifts the hat, sees his mother.]

A h , ah, ah! 1 die!

[SHINBEI falls weakly

to his knees.

and kneels facing his mother, M A N K O [removes

S U K E R O K U has removed

his gaze

his clogs

downcast.)

hat and speaks sadly to S U K E R O K U 1 : H o w heroic is

Agemaki's S u k e r o k u . G o r o , m y son, will you strike m e , kick me? [She turns to SHINBEI, who is crawling away on his hands and hidden

under a red cloth from

one of the benches

thrown

S T A G E A S S I S T A N T . M A N K O passes her hat to another T A N T and seizes SHINBEI under the

knees,

over him by a S T A G E ASSIS-

cloth.)

Who is this c o n t e m p t i b l e o n e w h o helps y o u ? S h o w y o u r face. [She takes the cloth o f f and falls back

amazed.]

J u r o , m y eldest son! share

SHINBEI [a tiny voice] : S u n or m o o n , I'll never shine again. 2 0 M A N K O : You too. H o w pitiful. [She removes

her cloak and hands it to a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T and poses. ]

S H I N B E I : Where is there a hole I can crawl in? M A N K O [sits bench center as offstage iken

Aikata in the background]

sbamisen

plays melancholy

Tada

: V i r t u o u s sons would be taking vengeance on

their f a t h e r ' s slayer. My sons t a k e aliases and brawl in public places. So u n u t t e r a b l y ashamed am 1, a w o m a n , unable t o strike m y h u s b a n d ' s e n e m y , remiss in t h e upbringing of his sons. It is p u n i s h m e n t f o r the sins c o m m i t t e d in a previous life. 1 shall beg y o u r f a t h e r ' s forgiveness by giving m y life in apology. [ S U K E R O K U and SHINBEI half rise to stop her, then S U K E R O K U hangs his head in shame. ] S H I N B E I : Wait, M o t h e r . Please let m e explain f o r G o r o . W i t h o u t f a t h e r ' s 19. S h i n b e i ' s speech is filled w i t h w o r d p l a y . H e says, for e x a m p l e , sori ashi ( b e n t toes) w h e n he m e a n s O s a k a ' s sori bashi (arched bridge). T h e w o r d ashi m e a n s three things in t h e phrase Awaji no ashi ka omoi: " r e e d s of A w a j i " (Awaji no ashi), a c o n t r a c t i o n f o r " 1 " (washi) in "1 t h i n k " {ashi ka omoi,), and " f o o t . " 20. T h e p u n in the t e x t is on S u k e n a r i , his n a m e , and kaminari ( t h u n d e r ) .

81

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

s w o r d , T o m o k i r i m a r u , even G o r o c a n n o t d e f e a t f a t h e r ' s e n e m y . All the p o w e r of t h e great n o b l e Y o s h i t s u n e resides in it, for it was a gift f r o m him. Purposely G o r o hides his t r u e i d e n t i t y . Purposely h e fights in t h e h o p e of finding T o m o k i r i m a r u . M A N K O : G o r o , is it t r u e ? S U K E R O K U [still bowing

low] : It is, M o t h e r . T o m o k i r i m a r u will lead us t o

o u r e n e m y . I swear f a t h e r ' s spirit will b e avenged. S H I N B E I : Forgive us, M o t h e r . [ B o t h bow.] M A N K O : It lightens m y heart t o k n o w you remain f a i t h f u l t o y o u r obligations. [ G e t s kimono

from

S T A G E A S S I S T A N T . ] G o r o , as you search f o r

T o m o k i r i m a r u , y o u m u s t n o t quarrel. Wear this robe of p a p e r . Its fragility will counsel y o u in p a t i e n c e . F o r m y sake, bear humiliations. For y o u r f a t h e r ' s sake, e n d u r e even blows. (She and SHINBEI move downstage, S T A G E A S S I S T A N T removes identical

to that brought

tation

in a soft, silk kimono

the latter with writing

of a kimono

revealing

view as the

beneath

out by M A N K O . They separate and the

sees S U K E R O K U dressed sections,

hiding S U K E R O K U from

his outer kimono,

patched

on them.

together

of dark purple

it one audience

and

This is the conventional

from

love

lavender represen-

letters.]

S H I N B E I : This is a marvelous p r e c e p t of f o r b e a r a n c e . M A N K O : It is t i m e t o go. A g e m a k i . ( L o o k s at her significantly. for y o u r help.

] I am i n d e b t e d

\Bows.)

A G E M A K I [returning the bow] : T h e night wind g r o w s strong. T a k e care. M A N K O : J u r o , let us go. [SHINBEI gets M A N K O ' s hat, his hat and cane from

a S T A G E ASSIS-

T A N T . M A N K 5 moves past S U K E R O K U , then turns back.]

Goro.

S U K E R O K U [head low still] •• O n e thing remains b e f o r e I join y o u , M o t h e r . M A N K O : I shall be waiting. [Music stops. Silence. position

M A N K O and SHINBEI move to the

on the hanamichi.

rises and nods reassuringly.

M A N K O looks appealingly

seven-three

at A G E M A K I ,

who

M A N K O turns away and poses. 1

S H I N B E I : D o n ' t delay, Brother. C H O R U S [siwgs T a d a Uta, "Plain Song, "to shamisen

accompaniment]

:

Ahh! Breezes b l o w i n g t o w a r d t h e pine. [ M A N K O slowly melancholy

music.

and with great dignity SHINBEI follows.

moves down the hanamichi S U K E R O K U does not

A G E M A K I crosses to his side and gently

touches

to the

move.

his shoulder. ]

A G E M A K I : P u t y o u r worries aside. S u k e r o k u . Since y o u ' v e promised to n o longer quarrel, t o n i g h t we shall be t o g e t h e r f o r as long as you wish. [He does not respond.

She becomes

coquettish.

] I must tease y o u t h o u g h ,

at least a tiny bit. Imagine, n o t k n o w i n g w h o y o u r m o t h e r was! H o , h o ! [She leans against him provocatively. kuzetsu

S U K E R O K U [coldly]

]

: F o o l . T w o swords and a h a t d o n ' t m a k e a samurai. I

k n o w my o w n m o t h e r . [/?isis, she falls slightly

off-balance.

center. ]

82

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

He crosses and sits on the

bench

Y o u ' r e a two-faced w h o r e , Agemaki. A G E M A K I [turns away in surprise]

: In spite of y o u r m o t h e r ' s w o r d s , y o u are

d e t e r m i n e d t o quarrel, I see. [Offstage

shamisen

background.

play Asazuma, "Asazuma

Pleasure Boat, " in the

]

It d o e s n ' t m a t t e r w h a t I say, you d o n ' t listen t o m e , b u t really, S u k e r o k u , t a u n t i n g every samurai t h a t passes b y is childishly absurd. S U K E R O K U [reacts] : Y o u deliberately b r o u g h t m y m o t h e r here t o get m e o u t of the q u a r t e r . Lying w h o r e . A G E M A K I : I? What lie have I told y o u ? S U K E R O K U : Do you think I d o n ' t k n o w ? Old w h i t e beard has been inside y o u r k i m o n o . [Acting hurt. 1 N o w you w a n t m e o u t of t h e way. D a m n e d faithless slut. [He poses ] A G E M A K I [her lower lip trembles,

but she puts up a brave front]

: It m a k e s

m e laugh—I, in b e d , with Ikyu? Ha, h a ! S U K E R O K U : Laugh, b u t I k n o w he c a m e t o you and you slept with h i m . A G E M A K I [ p o u t i n g ] : N o , I w o n ' t have y o u say t h a t . [ S l a p s the floor hand for emphasis.]

with

her

Where did y o u hear this? Where?

S U K E R O K U [ u n c o m f o r t a b l e ] : Never m i n d where I heard it. A G E M A K I [ c r o s s « and sits beside him, wheedling]

: N o , tell me. Where did

you hear it? S U K E R O K U : I, u h , heard it in m y ear. A G E M A K I [flounces]

: Oh! Who told y o u ?

S U K E R O K U : T h e o n e w h o told m e . . . A G E M A K I : . . . w h o told y o u is . . . ? S U K E R O K U : Well . . . A G E M A K I : Well? S U K E R O K U . N o one. A G E M A K I [pouting] •. S u k e r o k u . W i t h o u t proof y o u believe this. Did y o u not say, in bed t h a t time, " A s long as I live I shall b e g r a t e f u l t o Agemaki, t h e truest person I have ever k n o w n ? " S U K E R O K U : I did. A G E M A K I : Y o u lied. N o w y o u say A g e m a k i is a faithless slut. [Looks gently.]

I swear I despise Ikyu. ( S U K E R O K U does not react. She

at him looks

away and speaks with pride. | I see y o u have g r o w n tired of me. You w a n t t o say g o o d b y w i t h o u t saying it, so y o u bring u p this wild story a b o u t Ikyu. Or d o y o u h o p e I will lose interest in y o u , and so save y o u t h e t r o u b l e of leaving me? Is that w h a t y o u w a n t ? Is it? It is cruel of y o u , Sukeroku. S U K E R O K U [covering

his discomfiture]

: I will not press the p o i n t , if w h a t

y o u say is true. L o o k at m e , Agemaki. A G E M A K I [rises coldly and sweeps

right] •. It was said I have t h e a p p e a r a n c e

of a slut. S U K E R O K U : You heard me. If there's nothing t o this Ikyu business, d o n ' t fuss so. A G E M A K I [taking a pipe from a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T and pointedly offering it to him] : I am a lying w h o r e .

83

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

not

S U K E R O K U : I'll say n o t h i n g m o r e a b o u t I k y u . C o m e over here. [She tinues smoking.]

con-

F r o m t h e beginning I have treated you well, b u t it's clear

y o u ' r e just t o o conceited t o a p p r e c i a t e m e . C o m e , or I leave. And 1 will n o t b e b a c k . [ H e rises, and poses.) expects

I am leaving t h e q u a r t e r f o r g o o d . [He

her to stop him. When she doesn't,

he glances at her.] Y o u ' r e a

fool, Agemaki. This is the e n d . [He draws himself to the hanamichi.

up and crosses

grandly

]

A G E M A K I [sadly, to herself] have said . . . [Lightly.

•. T o cry in regret is useless, y e t t h e things y o u

] Sit d o w n .

S U K E R O K U : Sit d o w n ? Aha! [He struts back and sits, thinking A G E M A K I [sweetly]

he has won ]

: F r o m w h a t y o u n g courtesan did y o u receive the

umbrella with t h e p e o n y crest? S U K E R O K U [startled]

: Eh? I b o u g h t it. A t N i h o n Bridge.

A G E M A K I : O h , d o b e silent. S U K E R O K U [huffing]

•. D o n ' t speak like a b o o r t o S u k e r o k u .

A G E M A K I : Y o u are t h e b o o r , S u k e r o k u , and I am bored with y o u . Leave m e [She turns her back on him. ] S U K E R O K U : You twist everything I say! [Sigta.] I was w r o n g in everything. It was m y f a u l t . A G E M A K I : All y o u said b e f o r e ? SUKEROKU: A mistake. AGEMAKI: Truly? S U K E R O K U : I swear it. [Music stops ] A G E M A K I [savoring her victory] S U K E R O K U [meekly] A G E M A K I [suddenly

: Y o u were h a t e f u l .

•. I was h a t e f u l . feminine

again, she tenderly

sits beside him] : Y o u were,

dear S u k e r o k u . S U K E R O K U [amorously

embracing

her] •. Dear, dear Agemaki!

[He slides his hand into the breast of her kimono. 1 IKYU [ o f f ] : Agemaki? Agemaki? SUKEROKU: Ikyu! [ S U K E R O K U leaps up, hand on sword hilt. Offstage Sugagaki in the background.

A G E M A K I restrains the bench.

shamisen

play

S U K E R O K U and

gestures

for him to hide behind

whirling

the trailing end of her robe over him. A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T

He does. She sits on the

holds the robe over S U K E R O K U ' s head. IKYU enters followed C H I L D MAIDS. One places a white an incense stand in front

cushion

on the bench,

by

the other

bench, two places

of it. IKYU sits. ]

I K Y U : A h , here y o u are, A g e m a k i . A G E M A K I [coolly]

•. A h , I k y u .

I K Y U : I said b e f o r e inside, w h a t h a p p e n e d earlier is w a t e r u n d e r t h e bridge. N o w , it is r u m o r e d y o u will sleep with m e t o n i g h t . Is it true? A G E M A K I : Sleep with Ikyu? I K Y U : Y o u will n o t ?

84

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

A G E M A K I [ c a r e f u l l y ] .• T h e lie t h a t A g e m a k i will sleep w i t h I k y u . . . | I K Y U reacts angrily. ] . . . is n o lie. I K Y U [grandly

takes her band1 : T h e n t o b e d , w h o r e .

AGEMAKI: No. IKYU: No? A G E M A K I : I h a v e d r u n k t o o m u c h a n d n e e d fresh air. Y o u go o n t o b e d b e f o r e m e . Night air s t i f f e n s old b o n e s . I K Y U : T h e n I shall w a i t in t h e n i g h t air w i t h y o u ! [He laughs evilly.)

H o w it

w o u l d i n f u r i a t e y o u r r u f f i a n f r i e n d S u k e r o k u t o see u s h e r e . E h , A g e m a k i ? [He laughs and starts to slide close to A G E M A K I . The cloth S U K E R O K U pinches

shakes.

I K Y U ' s leg.1

O u c h ! S o m e b o d y p i n c h e d m y leg. A G E M A K I : C h i l d r e n , y o u are b e i n g n a u g h t y . C H I L D : Mistress, u n d e r y o u r r o b e . . . A G E M A K I [silencing

them]

: I will h e a r n o e x c u s e s .

CHILD: But . . . A G E M A K I : Silence. C H I L D R E N : Aiii! [ S U K E R O K U stirs under A G E M A K I [under

her robe. 1

her breath]

: Don't come out.

IKYU: Don't come out? A G E M A K I | m e a n i n g f u l l y ] : I was saying t o t h e m o o n , d o n o t c o m e o u t . . . : T h e p u r e light of t h e m o o n ? S h i n i n g in Y o s h i w a r a ? 2 1

I K Y U [mocking]

AGEMAKI: . . . from behind the clouds. IKYU: Ah. The clouds . . . A G E M A K I : . . . are hiding . . . I K Y U : . . . t h e m o o n ? [He shrugs.]

T h e m o o n is easily c l o u d e d , t h e f l o w e r

easily s c a t t e r e d , t h e y say. E h , A g e m a k i ? Ha, ha, h a ! [He reaches for his pipe. reach, filches suspiciously,

the pipe,

S U K E R O K U slides the tobacco and casually

smokes

it himself.

box out of his I K Y U looks

about

j

Who moved m y tobacco b o x ? Where's m y pipe? A G E M A K I : T h e c h i l d r e n are n a u g h t y again. G o inside at o n c e . C H I L D R E N : Aiii! [Sugagaki music dialogue

speeds

up as they exit,

then continues

quietly

between

phrases. ]

I K Y U : N o , A g e m a k i , this t i m e it w a s n o t t h e c h i l d r e n . It w a s . . . [He begins

to slide close to her. She stops him, pointing

to the sky. ]

A G E M A K I [ q u i c k l y ] : A h , m y , m y , I k y u , l o o k . L o o k . . . t h e stars a r e o u t tonight. I K Y U : A n d w h a t is so i n t e r e s t i n g a b o u t t h e stars t h a t c o m e o u t every n i g h t ? A G E M A K I [pretending

to pout]

: B u t t o n i g h t t h e r e a r e so m a n y . I k y u , c o u n t

them for me. I K Y U : W h a t ? C o u n t t h e stars f o r y o u ? 21. A sarcastic reference to the well-known saying, "The moon will shine in its ebb quarter as soon as prostitutes are truthful and eggs have square corners."

85

S u k e r o k u : F l o w e r of E d o

A G E M A K I [ c o q u e t t i s h l y ] : Yes. IKYU [with a wicked

smile]

: A n d while I am c o u n t i n g y o u r stars, will y o u be

counting o n y o u r star-crossed lover? C o u n t on t h e n , c o u n t on. Ha, ha! [Pointing.]

T h e bright o n e t h e r e is t h e M o r n i n g Star. Above t h a t is t h e Big

Dipper. A h , and there is a falling star, b u t y o u k n o w a b o u t t h e m . D o n ' t y o u , Agemaki? AGEMAKI: No. IKYU [ d a r k l y insinuating)

: A star t h a t flashes brightly t h r o u g h t h e q u a r t e r ,

streaking in at night t o rob a p a t r o n of t h e w o m a n h e has p u r c h a s e d , is a falling star. 2 2 [ E n j o y i n g the game, he points

again.]

A n d t h e r e is t h e

Weaving Maid, longing f o r her C o w h e r d lover t o join her in t h e s k y . 2 3 But t h e great Milky Way, called Ikyu, sits i m m o v a b l e b e t w e e n t h e m so t h e y c a n n o t m e e t ! E h , Agemaki? Ha, ha, h a ! [ S U K E R O K U pinches

his leg again. ]

O u c h ! S o m e o n e pinched m y leg. A G E M A K I : T h e children, I k y 5 . . . IKYU [ o m i n o u s l y ] : . . . are g o n e , Agemaki. A G E M A K I : If n o t t h e children, then a m o u s e . IKYU: A mouse? A G E M A K I : Yes. I K Y U : A rat, y o u m e a n . A sewer rat, Agemaki. T h e r e he is. A G E M A K I : Where? [Music stops.

IKYU rises, pushes

A G E M A K I behind

him, and points

with

his sword. ] IKYU: There! S U K E R O K U [leaping out] : I k y u ! IKYU: Sukeroku! [To loud batan tsuke beats, S U K E R O K U and I K Y U face each other, to draw. A G E M A K I restrains

ready

SUKEROKU.)

A G E M A K I : Wait! [She gestures

commandingly

robe protectively

around

for IKYU not to draw and sweeps her S U K E R O K U , stamps,

and poses.

sword with both hands, but does not draw. S U K E R O K U , his promise,

falls to his knees, struggling

to suppress

tense group mie to battari tsuke beats. Offstage melancholy

R o k u d a n , "Six Part Melody.

IKYU [scathingly]

trailing

IKYU seizes his remembering

his anger. All pose in a

shamisen

and flute

begin

"

: Behind t h e skirts of t h e street slut Agemaki, hides the

g u t t e r rat S u k e r o k u , while t h e wise-beard old cat Ikyu sees it all! S u k e r o k u , y o u slink a b o u t like a t h i e f . Is this t h e spirit in which you plan y o u r great deed? [Sneering.]

Soga G o r o t h e c o w a r d !

22. A p u n on yobai (secretly slipping in t o see a girl at night) miyobai bosbi (falling star). 23. In J a p a n e s e m y t h o l o g y the b r i g h t n e s s of Vega and A l t a i r on either side of t h e Milky Way in m i d s u m m e r is explained b y t h e s t o r y of t h e C o w h e r d w h o is able to cross t h e river of the Milky Way t o m e e t his beloved Weaving Maid each y e a r on t h e seventh day of t h e seventh m o n t h .

86

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

S U K E R O K U [surprised, turns to face IKYU] : If y o u k n o w m y n a m e , you k n o w I am n o coward. IKYU | d i s d a i n f u l l y faces front)

•• Y o u r f a t h e r perished ignominiously. While

you w i t h o u t t h e spirit t o avenge him d e b a u c h with drink and w h o r e s , y o u r f a t h e r ' s m u r d e r e r , S u k e t s u n e , lives in p o m p at c o u r t . Do y o u think he is u n t o u c h a b l e ? Bah! C o w a r d , m u s t I beat s o m e warrior's courage into y o u ? chochaku

[ M u s i c stops.

IKYU strikes S U K E R O K U on the head and shoulders

times with his heavy closed fan, each blow accented

five

by batan tsuke

beats

S U K E R O K U grasps IKYU's wrist and they pose in a mie to battari

tsuke

beats.) S U K E R O K U [bitterly]

: I k y u — f o r t u n a t e m a n ! H o w I envy y o u ! For eighteen

years 1 have searched o u t o u r family's e n e m y to strike him d o w n . A n d now it is y o u w h o strike m e ! H o w bitter f a t e is. Revile m e , beat me. I wear m y m o t h e r ' s r o b e and will n o t d r a w ! [He releases IKYU's wrist, turns and clasps his hands together

in agonized

prayer.]

front,

Strike, I k y u ! S t r i k e

me down! I K Y U : H m m . T o h o n o r a p a r e n t ' s w o r d s shows you are n o t wholly lacking in resolution. Soga G o r o , listen. [Music resumes.

He looks at S U K E R O K U craftily,

then places the

incense

stand center stage. ] In achieving o n e ' s great a m b i t i o n , y o u c a n n o t b e swayed by p e o p l e ' s hatred or their love. Trifling with whores, p e t t y squabbles e r o d e y o u r will. But join three wills together, Soga Goro—you, y o u r b r o t h e r , and . . . o n e another—these three wills united b e y o n d h a t e or love could achieve a f a t h e r ' s m u r d e r e r ' s d e a t h , t h e S h o g u n ' s fall, even t h e rule of t h e n a t i o n itself! T o g e t h e r , n o t h i n g could s t a n d against such strength. [Indicates stand. Meaningfully.]

the

N o weight could crush t h e two Soga b r o t h e r s if,

like this incense stand, there were t h r e e pillars of s u p p o r t . But, lacking o n e you will fall like this. [Music stops.

IKYU suddenly

slashes one leg from

draws his sword and, to batan tsuke

the stand, which falls to the floor.

IKYU's hand and looks at the blade. Quickly replaces the sword in the scabbard about

The men glare fiercely

They pose in a group mie to battari

he has erred,

seizes IKYU

to batan tsuke beats. S U K E R O K U is

to draw. A G E M A K I comes between

hand gesture.

realizing

beats,

SUKEROKU

them.

She restrains

each with a

at each other, hands on their

swords.

tsuke beats. ]

C H O R U S | o f f s t a g e repeats T a d a Uta to shamisen

accompaniment]

:

the Three Harbors.

He

Ahh! Breezes blowing t o w a r d t h e pine. [IKYU turns and walks ponderously slowly pivots,

toward

and looks at S U K E R O K U with contempt

music speeds up as he quickly

and hatred.

exits. ]

A G E M A K I [noticing] : Y o u r robe, S u k e r o k u , is torn. S U K E R O K U [rising, with a laugh] : Ha, ha. T h e n his f a t e is decided. A G E M A K I : Is it . . . ?

87

S u k e r o k u : Flower of E d o

stops, The

SUKEROKU | t r i u m p h a n t l y ] : It is Tomokirimaru! (She reacts, then moves close and whispers a question into his ear. He nods emphatically.) Tonight I wait for . . . [He rushes onto the hanamichi to fast bata-bata tsuke beats. At seven-three he stops, steps out with his right foot to a sharp ki clack. He leans forward in an aggressive mie, both hands on the hilt of the sword, as he speaks.) . . . Ikyu!! [To fast tempo Kyokubachi, "Drum Stick Rhythm, "—played by the large drum, stick drum, and flute—and bata-bata tsuke beats, SUKEROKU runs down the hanamichi and o f f . AGEMAKI poses center stage, watching him. The curtain is run closed to gradually accelerating ki clacks. The large drum immediately begins beating Kaza Oto wind pattern. House lights remain low as the dance floor is removed. The interval is short. Kaza Oto becomes louder and with a single ki clack signal, offstage shamisen play fast Sugagaki. The curtain is run open to accelerating ki clacks. There is a moment of silence.] SCENE 2

mi;

[The scene is the same, except that the huge water vat stage right has been moved downstage, the benches have been removed, and a slatted night gate now covers the entrance to the Three Harbors. It is night. Pale blue light comes up on the hanamichi. The large drum booms out Kaza Oto and to fast bata-bata tsuke beats, SUKEROKU rushes on. He wears a simple white kimono, tied with a pale blue sash, and white leggings. Hair falls about his shoulders wildly. At seven-three he stops, peers into the darkness, and poses in a mie, naked sword held behind him, to battari tsuke beats. To softly ominous Kaza Oto drum beats, SUKEROKU moves stealthily on stage. A time bell tolls in the distance. He slips behind the water vat.\ CHORUS [softly sings Fukete, "Nightfall," to quiet, offstage shamisen accompaniment] : Our slumbers in the evening are quickly broken; By regrets of past summers knocking at the door. (During the song, SEMBEI, a MALE SERVANT of the Three Harbors, IKYU, and two young COURTESANS enter through a small door set into the front gate. SEMBEI hands a lighted lantern to the SERVANT. Offstage shamisen play Fukete Aikata in the background. ] FIRST COURTESAN [bowing politely] : Tonight you're leaving so early. SECOND COURTESAN: Every night it's someone different, Ikyu. FIRST COURTESAN: Come again, noble Ikyu. [They bow politely. He takes his sword from the FIRST COURTESAN.] IKYU: It will be light soon. (To SEMBEI.] Come. Come. SERVANT: I will go with you as far as the river bank. SEMBEI (snatching the lantern back] : What good is that? Never fear. Sembei, a warrior, will lead the way. Come.

88

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

tati

COURTESANS [bowing] : Good night, then. [The time bell tolls. The COURTESANS go inside. The men move right ] CHORUS [repeats Fukete] : Deep slumbers in the evening are quickly broken; By regrets of past seasons knocking at the door. [The time bell tolls.] IKYU [stopping] : What time is it, Sembei? SEMBEI: Three o'clock, Master. IKYU [glances about] •• Hurry, hurry.

miarawashi

tate

[Kaza Oto swells. SUKEROKU creeps forward in the dark. As the men move past him, SUKEROKU knocks the lantern to the ground to batan tsuke beats. The lights do not dim, but the scene is played as if in complete darkness. ] What thief attacks without a word? SUKEROKU: No thief, Ikyu! IKYU: Sukeroku! Coward, sneak-thieving in the dark! SUKEROKU: To avenge the honor of the Sogas I lie in wait for you, Ikyu. [Straining forward in the dark. ] Give me Tomokirimaru! [Offstage shamisen play Yachio Jishi, "Ageless Lion. "] IKYU [strongly] •. I shall never part with this sword which belonged to Minamoto Yoshitsune, for the Minamoto clan are my hated enemies. I take the name of Ikyu, but now know who 1 really am: Ika Heinai Zaemon, general of the Taira! [A STAGE ASSISTANT helps him remove his robe and sash, revealing beneath a kimono of white tied with a soft purple sash. He stands, heels together, in a powerful mie, to battari tsuke beats.) SUKEROKU [snarling] : Tomokirimaru! IKYU: With its strength I shall depose the usurping Minamoto from power and restore to rule once more the Taira clan! No power on earth will make me part with Tomokirimaru! [A STAGE ASSISTANT helps him tie a blue cloth around his head, as a sign he is prepared to fight. ] SUKEROKU: I shall. Give it here! IKYU: Draw, Sembei! SEMBEI: Yes, Master! [Yachio Jishi music becomes faster, Kaza Oto rises and falls, and alternating tsuke patterns of batan and battari accompany the fighting scene which follows. SEMBEI takes his right arm out of his sleeve, and rushes at SUKEROKU. He strikes awkwardly right and left. SUKEROKU easily pushes him away with the flat of his sword. SUKEROKU and IKYU move center, where they strike and parry. They pose facing each other in a mie. The tempo becomes more deliberate. The flute adds its haunting sound to the shamisen. SUKEROKU holds offlKYV's determined thrusts, until SUKEROKU steps aside and IKYU is pushed stage right. SEMBEI attacks and is forced to the ground. He holds his sword horizontally over his head: IKYU and SUKEROKU rest their sword tips on it and the three pose in a

89

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

group mie, to battari tsuke beats. SEMBEI rises, is slashed across the neck by SUKEROKU, staggers, and falls dead behind a lantern stand left. A head appears on the stand, as if the force of SUKEROKU's blow had sent it flying through the air. SUKEROKU and IKYU stand back to back, fall apart, and glare at each other. With sword tips touching, they pose in a mie, to battari tsuke beats. A STAGE ASSISTANT holds a black cloth in front of SEMBEI, and he goes off unseen. The two simultaneously slash at each other, IKYU screams, both clutch the base of their necks and fall. Loud Kaza Oto. They struggle to their feet and we see gashes of red on each, running from the top of the shoulder to the breast. IKYU, sensing where his opponent is, desperately jabs his elbow into SUKEROKU's stomach. SUKEROKU absorbs the blow with his hand, but pretends to have the wind knocked out of him and staggers, whirling stage left where he falls prostrate on his back. IKYU, at the hanamichi looks back, sees SUKEROKU fallen, and poses in a mie. Face contorted with pain, IKYU forces himself across the stage to where SUKEROKU has fallen. Thinking SUKEROKU is safely unconscious, he takes his time straddling his opponent and raising his sword in both hands for the final blow. Bata-bata and Kaza Oto crescendo. Suddenly SUKEROKU thrusts his sword up into IKYU's unprotected side. His ruse has worked. Holding his sword in place, SUKEROKU rises and forces IKYU center, turning him around and around. He twists the blade cruelly in the wound. IKYU gasps, his fingers claw the air. Staggering helplessly, he is slashed down the length of his back. IKYU groans, and falls. Music stops. In silence, SUKEROKU straddles his foe, and plunges his sword into IKYU's throat. Several TOWNSPEOPLE slip on and, in the dim light of lanterns they are carrying, witness the killing. They silently slip away to sound the alarm. IKYU's hand, still clutching Tomokirimaru, trembles violently. SUKEROKU twists the blade in IKYU's throat. His arm falls, the sword clatters to the ground. IKYU is dead. SUKEROKU holds Tomokirimaru high.] SUKEROKU: Tomokirimaru! [ IKY U goes o f f unseen behind a black curtain held in front of him by a STAGE ASSISTANT. Booming drum beats o/Mitsu Daiko, "Triple Beat," sound the alarm. From far o f f come cries of "Murder!" Startled, SUKEROKU holds the sword reverently to his forehead. Then he rushes to escape down the hanamichi. Cries of "Murder" from that direction force him back onto the stage. He moves left, then right; each time new shouts of "Murder" force him back. He falls weakly to one knee. Renewed shouts and ever louder and faster drum heats rouse him. Desperately, he looks for a way of escape. He sees the water vat and strikes at its pyramid of buckets with his sword. The buckets fall with a crash. He picks up one, knocks out the bottom with the hilt of his sword, and heaves it up into the vat. He climbs a ladder on the outside of the vat, poses for a moment on the edge, then plunges in causing a great wave of water to cascade onto the stage. He places the bucket over his head and disappears from sight. Mitsu Daiko drum beats pound unrelentingly. Several CONSTABLES, in

90

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

dark blue jackets and trousers and carrying short metal rods of office, rush down the hanamichi carrying a ladder. Shouting instructions and encouragement to each other, they raise it and one runs nimbly up to look about. He points to the Three Harbors. They rush onto the stage and raise the ladder against the side of the Three Harbors. The same CONSTABLE runs up and looks again. This time he points off right. Shouting loudly, they run o f f , leaving the ladder in place. Drum beats become soft and ominous; the shouting fades. The bucket moves, water splashes down. SUKEROKU rises slowly out of the water holding the bucket over his head. He poses in a mie, as the time bell tolls. The audience applauds and shouts in appreciation. Offstage shamisen and flute play quiet Kono Ha, "This Leaf. " Three times SUKEROKU tries to pull himself out of the vat, each time he falls back, causing a wave of water to cascade onto the floor. Finally he heaves himself over the edge, staggers to the center of the stage, and there falls unconscious, still clasping Tomokirimaru. Music stops. The alarm drum begins booming again and shouts are heard offstage from all directions. Rushing from the Three Harbors in her sleeping kimono, AGEMAKI takes in the situation at a glance. As TOWNSPEOPLE swarm on, she covers SUKEROKU with the long train of her kimono.] YOUNG MAN: What's this, a woman? SECOND YOUNG MAN: Whore, out of the way! ALL: Stand aside! [They brandish sticks and poles. ] AGEMAKI: I shall not move. YOUNG MAN: Is he inside? SECOND YOUNG MAN: Where is he? THIRD YOUNG MAN: He's here somewhere! ALL: Bring him out! AGEMAKI: Agemaki, pride of the House of Three Harbors, does not lie. YOUNG MAN [frustrated] : I know she's hiding him. SECOND YOUNG MAN: Tell us where he is. ALL: Tell us! Quick! [They raise their poles and sticks threateningly.] AGEMAKI [haughtily] : Stop. Let one of your poles mar the beauty of Agemaki, beware—darkness will descend on Yoshiwara. [Men mutter ] If you oppose Agemaki, Agemaki will oppose you. [She strikes a regal pose and looks away disdainfully. ] CONSTABLE [coming on] : In the dark, he could be anywhere. Spread out and look. [To booming Mitsu Daiko, they run off in different directions. When they are gone, the drum shifts to faint, ominous Kaza Oto. AGEMAKI kneels beside SUKEROKU, sees his wound, takes o f f her robe and covers him. Then she climbs the side of the vat, wets her sash, returns, and squeezes a few drops of water into his mouth. He revives and clutches her. ] SUKEROKU [painfully sitting up] : Ah, Agemaki. The water was turned red with my blood. My strength drained away until for a moment 1 fell unconscious. [He stands, holding himself up with his sword.]

91

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

AGEMAKI: Then you have found . . . ? SUKEROKU [holds sword high] : Tomokirimaru! AGEMAKI [hands clasped| : How grateful we all are. SUKEROKU: And now to find Suketsune. AGEMAKI: The quarter is filled with men searching for you. There is no way out. SUKEROKU [sees ladder} •. I'm in luck! I'll go across the roofs. AGEMAKI: And I will wait by the great gate, near the river bank. Be careful, Sukeroku. (He climbs painfully to the top of the ladder. He looks back at her as she kneels right and faces him.} SUKEROKU: Agemaki! AGEMAKI: Sukeroku! BOTH [prolonged] : Until . . . we . . . meet! [A sharp ki clack signals lights to come up full. Uchiage tsuke beats rise to a furious crescendo, fade, then swell again: he raises Tomokirimaru over head and clasps his wounded shoulder; she rises on her knees and looks intently at him. They pose in a final mie. ] STAGE MANAGER [enters quickly and kneels stage right] : With this, we conclude today's performance! [The STAGE MANAGER bows low. SUKEROKU and AGEMAKI pose. The curtain is slowly walked closed to accelerating ki clacks as offstage shamisen play Shinnai Maebiki, "Shinnai Prelude, "and the large drum Mitsu Daiko. A single ki clack signals the large drum to beat out Uchidashi, indicating the day's performance is over. ]

92

Sukeroku: Flower of Edo

Saint Narukami and the God Fudö NARUKAMI FUDÖ KITAYAMA ZAKURA by Tsuuchi H a n j u r ö , Yasuda A b u n , and N a k a d a Mansuke

This all-day (toshi kyogen) imperial court play ( o c h o m o n o or odatmono) was performed J a n u a r y through July 1742 by the Sadoshima Chogoro t r o u p e at the Onishi Theater in Osaka. The play's great success is attributed to the skill with which favorite scenes of the visiting guest star f r o m Edo, Ichikawa Danjuro 11, were melded with new materials. T h e first kabuki play a b o u t the seduction of a p o w e r f u l ascetic by a court lady, the basic plot of Saint Narukami, was written and acted in by D a n j u r o 1 in 1684. But the legend is ancient. It is f o u n d in the Nalinika Jataka stories in India and these were translated into Chinese around the f o u r t h century. Erotic accounts of the story are included in the Japanese Konjaku Monogatari (eleventh century) and the Taibeiki (fourteenth century). A no play on the subject ( I k k a k u Senin, translated by Frank Hoff and William Packard, in Traditional Asian Plays) is austere and elliptical. D a n j u r o returned to the graphic approach of the earlier chronicles in which the seduction was made central. To this he added the low comedy of the m o n k s White Cloud and Black Cloud. In 1697 D a n j u r o I also w r o t e and played the lead in The God Fudo, astonishing the audience with his portrayal of this fearsome deity. He and his son, D a n j u r o II, revived Saint Narukami seven times and The God Fudo three times during the following half-century. F o r the 1742 p r o d u c t i o n these t w o well-known plays were worked into the Disputed T h r o n e World of the Heian court. A n o t h e r act of the long play was The Whisker Tweezers, which capitalized on the discovery of lodestones in Japan in 1717. The three were revived f r e q u e n t l y , usually as acts within long plays. D a n j u r o VII included all three as independent, one-act plays in his selection of "Eighteen Favorite Plays." A f t e r the time of D a n j u r o VIII ( 1 8 2 3 - 1 8 5 4 ) the plays fell into disfavor: Saint Narukami was

95

Saint Narukami and the G o d F u d o

not p e r f o r m e d f o r a period of 4 9 years (185 1 - 1 9 0 0 ) , The Whisker Tweezers for 59 years ( 1 8 5 0 - 1 9 0 9 ) , and The God Fudo for 131 years ( 1 7 8 0 - 1 9 1 1 ) . During his long career, Danjuro IX ( 1 8 3 8 - 1 9 0 3 ) refused to p e r f o r m any of t h e m . It is said t h a t the suicide of Danjuro VIII in 1851 while performing the title role in Saint Narukami made him shun the play as unlucky. It also seems probable that he hesitated to p e r f o r m Saint Narukami or The Whisker Tweezers because in the prudish atmosphere of turn-of-the-century Japan the eroticism of the plays was unacceptable. Morally offensive lines were expurgated in an i m p o r t a n t edition of Saint Narukami published in 1936. We know the plays t o d a y through revivals (based on the 1742 text) staged by Ichikawa Sadanji II between 1909 and 1911. Saint Narukami is particularly popular with m o d e r n audiences and has been produced more than f i f t y times in the past four decades. It is probable that the a u t h o r s chose the world of Fujiwara M o t o t s u n e ( 8 3 6 - 8 9 1 ) because he was a f a m o u s historical figure, the first of the p o w e r f u l Fujiwara regents w h o controlled the government during the Heian era. This was a period.of unprecedented natural disasters, and M o t o t s u n e was well k n o w n historically for his s u p p o r t of incantations and rituals t o placate the vengeful spirits believed t o have caused the famines and floods t h a t plagued the c o u n t r y . T h e period t h u s provided a natural setting f o r the story of the drought in Saint Narukami and the God Fudo. At the same time audiences would have been familiar with many settings in the play: images of the God F u d o were venerated at a grotto in the m o u n t a i n s near the Arashiyama River, north of K y o t o , where Saint Narukami was said t o have trapped the rain gods; the Shinsen Temple and its adjoining lake into which the O n o family poem card was t o be immersed can still be seen on the imperial palace grounds in K y o t o ; Tree Island Shrine stood outside the capital on the road to Osaka; and the remains of the ancient inner palace could probably still be identified. T h e bravura style of the Ichikawa family is exemplified in the heroic roles of Danjo, Narukami, and F u d o (all played by Danjuro II in 1742) and by the court villain (kugeaku) H a y a k u m o . Typical of the exaggerated style of aragoto, Danjo roars as he prepares to expose the spy in the ceiling, "Yattoko totcha, untoko na/" It is a made-up phrase that is intended to sound imposingly fierce (the same phrase is used in Sukeroku: Flower of Edo, and other aragoto plays). T h e play is sometimes described as the last i m p o r t a n t " c o n v e r s a t i o n " play of " p u r e " kabuki, b e f o r e the influence of the

96

Saint Narukami and the G o d F u d o

p u p p e t theater. Except f o r short sections of Òzatsuma narrative music when Saint Narukami enters and when he t r a n s f o r m s himself into a T h u n d e r G o d , music is entirely offstage atmospheric geza music. (The dance-mime sections accompanied by narrative music of onstage T a k e m o t o , Tokiwazu, Nagauta, or T o m i m o t o ensembles seen in current productions of Saint Narukami as a one-act play were added between 1773 and 1843, and are not part of the 1742 text.) T h e present translation is based on an abridged version of the 1742 text of Saint Narukami and the God Fudd, prepared for p r o d u c t i o n at the National Theater of Japan in 1967. T o b e Ginsaku was adapter and director. Narukami's death at the hands of D a n j ò was not included in the p r o d u c t i o n , and other smaller cuts were made. Many independent versions of Saint Narukami, The God Fudd, and The Whisker Tweezers have been published. A n n o t a t e d texts in Gunji Masakatsu, ed., Kabuki Juhachibanshù, were consulted as well as in Toita Yasuji, ed., KabukiMeisakusen (vol. 15, 1956), and Kawatake Shigetoshi, ed., Kabuki Juhachibanshu. Most stage directions are from the production of Saint Narukami and The God Fudd, National Theater of J a p a n , T o k y o , J a n u a r y 1967.

97

Saint Narukami and the G o d F u d o

mi

Saint Narukami and the God Fudö

mitateme

ACT I SCENE 1 THE IMPERIAL PALACE [Two sharp clacks of the ki signal the MUSICIANS offstage right to begin Goten, "Palace, " drum and flute music associated with the court. Regular beats of the stick drum alternate with clacks of ki as the curtain is slowly pushed open; drum and ki accelerate, ending in two loud beats. The scene is an audience hall of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, a simple raised room with connecting passages on either side. The restrained elegance of court taste is apparent in the stark black, pale green, and gold color scheme of pillars, beams, and bamboo blinds, now lowered, covering the room and passageways from view. A sign reading "Saint Narukami and the God Fudo "is hung on a pillar stage left, and on a similar pillar, stage left, a sign indicates that the scene is The Imperial Palace. A dark blue curtain decorated with the theater's crest, covers an exit into the garden, downstage left. Through vertical slits in the scenery, stage right, the offstage MUSICIANS follow the play. No one is onstage. Two sharp clacks of the ki signal the MUSICIANS to begin Odaiko Soban, "Drum and Gong, " music played on the large drum, bells, and shamisen to accompany rain prayers. From behind the curtain at the end of the hanamichi come wailing cries, "Rain, rain, let it rain!" "Great Dragon Gods of Rain, hear us!" "Bring rain, Dragon Gods!" A group of FARMERS and their WIVES enter from the rear of the hanamichi and dance along the hanamichi through the audience. They wear plain blue and brown cotton kimonos, the hems of which are tucked up out of the way. Some wear straw rain cloaks or hats, others wear towels over their heads. The women strike Buddhist prayer bells, the men beat small tambourines. They perform an animated rain dance, crouching, rising, turning, as if in a frenzy.) CHORUS [offstage, sings a prayer for rain, accompanied by shamisen, large drum, stick drum, flute, and bells playing Amagoi Daiko, "Rainmaking Drum "] :

99

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

Pray for springs of pure water, pray for falling rain; Go to the Emperor's palace, the palace of rain; Pray for rain at the palacc of the Emperor. Rains deluge! Rains fall! Rains pour! Oh, Great Dragon Gods of rain! [They are whirling wildly through the palace garden when an imperative voice calls out from the blinds, "Silence! Silence! Cease your clamor!" Shocked by the realization they have trespassed on imperial grounds, the FARMERS gasp and fall to their knees in terror. They whip off their headgear and press their faces to the ground.] FIRST FARMER [voice quaking] : My Lord, allow us to present . . . ALL [bowing in unison] : . . . our petition. MOTOTSUNE [behind the blind] : Raise the blinds that a petition may be received. RETAINERS (behind the blind] : We shall. [Large drum and flute play impressive Sogaku, "Court Music, "as the blinds, running the full length of the stage, are rolled up to reveal the audience room. A huge spreading pine tree is painted on the gold background of sliding doors, at the rear center. A silk curtain, striped in white, purple, black, and red, covers the entrance to the inner chambers. Four court ministers, identified as imperial nobles by their voluminous robes with Chinese-style round collars, sit regally on the soft straw matting which covers the floor. MOTOTSUNE, regent and eldest adviser of the infant Emperor, wears an elegant robe of peach-colored silk and holds in his right hand the small Cyprus wood symbol of his office. He wears a high curving black hat. ONO HARUMICHI, the Emperor's chief minister, sits immediately to his right, wearing a chaste black and gold robe. Two younger nobles, TOYOHIDE and HARUMICHI's son HARUKAZE, sit some distance to the right of their elders. Their robes are bright and youthful: T O Y O H I D E ' j is apple green, HARUKAZE's is powder blue. They, like HARUMICHI, wear low, rounded hats of gold cloth, tied under the chin with a purple cord. Faces and hands are made up white, indicating their refined natures. They do not wear swords. Two samurai RETAINERS, wearing conservative-colored kimonos and stiff outer garments, kneel on either side of the nobles, a short sword in each sash. TOYOHIDE raises his fan slightly and glances over it at the FARMERS. He speaks delicately but imperiously. ] TOYOHIDE: You are in the presence of Regent Mototsune. State your business instantly. FARMERS: [bowing, terrified] : Ahh! FIRST FARMER [stammering] I-I-I will speak. I . . . FIRST WIFE [edging forward] : Don't shilly-shally. Then I'll tell them. [Others ad-lib support. Offstage shamisen play Seki Dera, "Barrier Temple,' in the background. Though frightened, she speaks strongly ] As your Lordships know, the rain doesn't fall and doesn't fall. We don't know the reason, but we farmers are at our wits' end.

100

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

S E C O N D F A R M E R [gaining courage]

: It's t h e t r u t h , Sir. Our rice fields are

cracked and d r y . T h e r e ' s n o use thinking a b o u t watering t h e m . T h e rivers are dry, t h e lakes are e m p t y . It m u s t be heaven's p u n i s h m e n t . S E C O N D WIFE [glaring at S E C O N D F A R M E R ] : T h a t ' s a d r e a d f u l thing t o say. [To the nobles.]

My Lords, we have b e a t d r u m s and bells praying t o

t h e Dragon G o d s f o r rain, b u t n o m a t t e r w h a t we d o , n o t a single d r o p falls. [Overcome,

she

weeps.]

O L D WOMAN ( p i t i f u l l y 1 : F a r m e r s weep, m y Lords. Please, help t u r n o u r tears i n t o rain. [They weep loudly

and prostrate

T H I R D WIFE [desperately]

themselves.

1

: O u r Majesty t h e M i k a d o is called t h e S o n of

Heaven. We beg y o u , ask His Majesty to have t h e great Sun G o d d e s s bring us rain! T H I R D F A R M E R [bowing] A L L [bowing

: Grant this favor . . .

low] : . . . we h u m b l y pray!

T O Y O H I D E [gently]

•. Indeed, y o u r L o r d s h i p , this t i m e of d r o u g h t is just

cause f o r their p e t i t i o n . [Music ends. M O T O T S U N E speaks grandly, mundane

problems.

easily, as one who is above

]

M O T O T S U N E : Do n o t t r o u b l e yourselves, for, k n o w i n g t h a t d r o u g h t has fallen u p o n t h e land, though Mars has n o t entered t h a t c o n j u g a t i o n of t h e heavens usual f o r this c o n d i t i o n , t h e M i k a d o himself and all m e m b e r s of his c o u r t , stricken t o the heart with c o n c e r n , o f f e r prayers t o S h i n t o and Buddhist deities of every shrine and t e m p l e in this Land of t h e Sun. Rest c o n t e n t . In time t h e G o d s and B u d d h a s will b e s t o w their p r o t e c t i o n o n c e again. [The F A R M E R S are dismayed

by bis casual attitude.

H A R U K A Z E tries

to reassure them. ] H A R U K A Z E [strongly]

: F a r m e r s ! T h i n k of t h e favor Regent M o t o t s u n e has

b e s t o w e d , ordering t h e Imperial Council t o c o n c e r n itself with n o o t h e r m a t t e r than this. As it deliberates, raise unceasing S h i n t o and Buddhist prayers. F I R S T WOMAN [protesting]

: You say o u r Mikado, w h o is higher than t h e

Gods, c a n ' t move t h e heavens? Surely then no o n e ' s going t o listen to o u r prayers! [The nobles frown

with displeasure

H A R U M I C H I [not deigning H A Y A K U M O [offstage

to look]

] : Do not speak nonsense. G o h o m e . G o !

left] : T h e f a r m e r s ' w o r d s are reasonable! Listen to

them! [All react with astonishment

]

H A R U K A Z E : It is His Imperial Highness . . . H A R U K A Z E and H A R U M I C H I : . . . t h e Prince! [With a crash of cymbals

the curtain

left is flicked

H A Y A K U M O strides on to the portentous Beat, "played emphasize makeup

101

by large drum, stick drum, and flute.

the prince's accent

imposing

menacing

features.

open and P R I N C E

music, Midare T a i k o , High black

"Agitated clogs

size. Heavy black and blue lines on

white

A huge mane of black hair sweeps

over

Saint N a r u k a m i and the God F u d o

his shoulders farmer's

to below his waist. He wears a straw rain cape and carries a

straw hat in one hand and a sickle in the other. Music

H A R U M I C H I [ s h o c k e d almost

speechless]

stops.]

: Y o u r Imperial Highness, a f t e r t w o

years' absence, w h a t explains y o u r presence here . . . dressed in peasant's clothes? H A Y A K U M O [grandly, facing front]

: I address Regent M o t o t s u n e only!

Receive m e ! [ With crashing cymbals,

Midare T a i k o resumes.

H A Y A K U M O removes

his

cape, which a R E T A I N E R hangs over the veranda railing, revealing a magnificent white

gold, blue, and cream-colored

inner kimono

R E T A I N E R , he deliberately black-robed

silk outer robe, which

and gold and black trousers. mounts

the stairs and moves to a tall stool a

S T A G E A S S I S T A N T places in the center

of the room.

stops with a loud crash as H A Y A K U M O sits. His voice, when he shows his regal disdain

covers a

Passing clogs and hat to a

of even those high nobles of the

Music speaks,

court.]

I, b o r n t h e son of t h e late Mikado, rightful heir of the Seat of T e n Virtues, 1 was passed over by t h e Council of Nobles, w h o placed instead an infant, Y o z e i , 2 on t h e Imperial T h r o n e ! A n d so I l e f t t h e capital, t o m i x with t o w n s m e n and peasants, with w h o m I shared in recent d a y s t h e misery of their lives, suffering t h r o u g h this d r o u g h t . [ With flattering

politeness

]

Worthy f a r m e r s , I h e r e b y c o n s e c r a t e myself t h r o u g h p r a y e r and m e d i t a t i o n t o bring, f o r t h e b e n e f i t of t h e w h o l e w o r l d , t h e rains you seek. Place y o u r trust in Imperial Prince H a y a k u m o and r e t u r n t o y o u r h o m e s . [The F A R M E R S are

overjoyed.]

F I R S T F A R M E R : We are g r a t e f u l , Y o u r Highness! T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r kind words! S E C O N D F A R M E R [pleading] A L L [bowing]

•. Please, Y o u r Highness . . .

: . . . answer o u r plea!

F I R S T F A R M E R : C o m e , we can go n o w . C o m e . C H O R U S [siwgs offstage

to A m a g o i Daiko music] :

Rains deluge! Rains fall! Rains p o u r ! O h , Great Dragon G o d s of rain! [Bowing

repeatedly,

the F A R M E R S rise and go o f f happily

The music ends with a crash of cymbals

and drums.

during the

song

H A Y A K U M O glares at

MOTOTSUNE.) H A Y A K U M O : M o t o t s u n e ! Listen! [The prince's

entrance

music, Midare Taiko, plays ominously

in the

back-

ground. ] Incapacity of t h e i n f a n t E m p e r o r causes this disaster! If he c a n n o t address t h e heavens to bring t h e blessings of rain, t h e r e will be f a m i n e t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y . S o o n t h e fields will g r o w wild and corpses of t h e dead will 1. O n e of t h e E m p e r o r ' s d u t i e s w a s t o o f f e r p r o t e c t i o n against the T e n Evils described in B u d d h i s m , h e n c e t h e t h r o n e w a s called t h e Seat of Ten V i r t u e s . 2. A s c e n d e d t h e t h r o n e in 8 7 6 at t h e age of eight and d e p o s e d b y M o t o t s u n e eight years later as being criminally insane. In t h e play M o t o t s u n e is a loyal s u p p o r t e r of the Emperor.

102

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

m a k e a m o u n t a i n ! Wearing w o o d e n clogs to p r o t e c t m y feet f r o m frost and a peasant's straw hat to ward off t h e h e a t of t h e sun, 1 myself c u t the parched grass with this sickle, to discover the t r u t h of o u r land's disaster. (Gestures

with the sickle. 1 Is the Son of Heaven u n c o n c e r n e d with his

subjects' misery? M o t o t s u n e , s h o u l d n ' t y o u i n f o r m h i m ? M O T O T S U N E [ c o l d l y ) : Y o u r Highness speaks absurdities. T o suggest t h a t the Son of Heaven is i n c o m p e t e n t shows i n c o m p e t e n c e itself. T h e S o n of Heaven c o m m a n d s total respect which is b e y o n d most p e o p l e s ' understanding. H A Y A K U M O [slyly] •. Who said otherwise? Who? But 1 ask: Is t h e w o r l d n o t suffering miseries because the rains no longer fall? H A R U M I C H I [ t e m p o r i z i n g ] : It is as Y o u r Highness says, yet d r o u g h t s of several years d u r a t i o n have been recorded n u m e r o u s times in t h e past, w i t h o u t casting d o u b t o n an E m p e r o r ' s capacity to rule. H A R U K A Z E : When snow fell during t h e sixth m o n t h of t h e year, d u r i n g t h e reign of E m p e r o r T e m m u , 3 n o n e dared say this act of heaven w a s t h e fault of t h e E m p e r o r . T O Y O H I D E : In t h e past w h e n inexplicable events o c c u r r e d , the G r e a t Council of S t a t e bore responsibility. Y o u r view is unnecessary. H A Y A K U M O [haughtily1 : T h e n tell m e , illustrious m e m b e r s of t h e Great Council of S t a t e : H o w will you appeal to t h e G o d s to bring rain? H o w will y o u end y o u r subjects' misery? H o w ? H o w ! T O Y O H I D E [turns to the prince,

unable

to suppress

his anger] : Saint Naru-

k a m i and t h e scholar A b e K i y o y u k i have been s u m m o n e d t o t h e palace. N o o n e is m o r e skilled in n a t u r e ' s secrets than K i y o y u k i . When N a r u k a m i directs his i n c a n t a t i o n s t o t h e heavens rain will fall, t h e land will prosper! H A Y A K U M O [pretending

to be overjoyed]

: A h ! T h e n b o t h seers are in t h e

palace? T O Y O H I D E [hesitates] [Knowing

: T h e y are s u m m o n e d . . . t h o u g h n o t y e t arrived.

they will not come,

runs onto the hanamichi kimono

is tucked

H A Y A K U M O smiles. A M E S S E N G E R

and respectfully

drops to one knee. His dark

up at the thighs for easy movement.

M E S S E N G E R [bowing

briskly]

]

: I beg t o r e p o r t the m o n k White C l o u d ,

acting as messenger for Saint N a r u k a m i , arrived, stated t h a t his master would n o t c o m e and would n o t m e e t y o u r L o r d s h i p , rose, and d e p a r t e d , m y Lords. T O Y O H I D E [rising on one knee, surprised1

: What? Saint N a r u k a m i . . .

T O Y O H I D E , H A R U K A Z E , and H A R U M I C H I [prolonged]

•. . . . will not . . .

come? M O T O T S U N E : Dispatch a n o t h e r messenger. At once. M E S S E N G E R [bowing]

: Yes, m y L o r d . [He hurries o f f right ]

H A Y A K U M O : Of course, of course. N a r u k a m i is n o fool. N o t h i n g will persuade him to enter t h e palace. T O Y O H I D E [furious]

: H o w dare you say that?

H A Y A K U M O : Do y o u r m e m o r i e s fail y o u , courtiers? T h e n listen. 3. Reigned 6 7 3 - 6 8 6 .

103

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

I Offstage shamisen continues quietly H A Y A K U M O speaks eloquently.1

in the background.

Eyes

flashing,

When, at t h e t i m e E m p e r o r Anjin was conceived as a girl child in his m o t h e r ' s w o m b , Saint N a r u k a m i , t h r o u g h his great Buddhist merit, o f f e r e d p r a y e r s which altered t h e child's sex to t h a t of a b o y , requesting as reward f o r his m i r a c u l o u s deed t h a t a t e m p l e be ordained f o r him. And in response, w h a t was the E m p e r o r ' s c o m m a n d ? M O T O T S U N E [ s o m b e r l y ) : Indeed, the blessing of imperial favor was removed. T O Y O H 1 D E : Regardless of t h e m e r i t s of N a r u k a m i ' s act, t h e three thousand priests of Heizan would have pillaged t h e city in outrage if a t e m p l e had been ordained t o him. For the c o u n t r y ' s s a f e t y , N a r u k a m i ' s request was denied. H A R U K A Z E : T h e r e f o r e , s h o r t l y a f t e r , N a r u k a m i was i n f o r m e d t h a t any o t h e r request at all would be g r a n t e d . H A Y A K U M O 1 contemptuously] : Promised a n y desire if he could assure the birth of an imperial prince, he fasted and e n d u r e d the severest austerities in w i n t e r ' s bitter cold to gain t h e t e m p l e he desired. At last a prince was auspiciously b o r n , b u t t h e t e m p l e was n o t built f o r h i m . No w o n d e r N a r u k a m i raged w h e n you begged h i m m a k e " a n y other request at all!" He is s t u b b o r n . N o t h i n g will change his h a t r e d . And if he b e n t his prayers for rain it would not m a t t e r , f o r this d r o u g h t is an act of heaven, and even t h e wizardry of N a r u k a m i c a n n o t bring Heaven's intercession during the present E m p e r o r ' s rule! [ M e a n i n g f u l l y . | M o t o t s u n e , there will have t o be s o m e way o t h e r t h a n o f f e r i n g p r a y e r s t o eliminate t h e suffering of t h e p e o p l e and their distress! [Music ends. ] M O T O T S U N E : T h e r e is A b e K i y o y u k i . He has p o w e r to divine t h e secrets of the earth. [They glare at each other. Just then a voice calls out from hanamichi. |

the end of the

RETAINER I o f f s t a g e ) : Announcing Abe Kiyoyuki! T O Y O H I D E : A h h ! A f t e r long waiting . . . H A R U M I C H I and H A R U K A Z E : . . . Kiyoyuki is here! I They look down the hanamichi as stick drum, flute, and bells play J o no Mai, "Slow Dance, " and Shamisen play T a m a n o Gozen, "Jewel Princess, " announcing the entrance of a princess. P R I N C E S S T A E M A moves slowly to the seven-three position and stops. Over a kimono of pink silk held at the waist by a brilliant red sash, she wears a magnificant court robe of cream and pink silk, embroidered in flower and bird patterns of gold, silver, blue, and red. Her long sleeves almost trail on the floor. Her hair bangs down her back in a thick black strand, and on her head is a threetiered tiara of silver flowers. T A K I N O , her chief lady-in-waiting, stands behind her. Her robe is sober blue and black and her hair is done up in matronly fashion. A M A I D stands respectfully to her rear. She is dressed in a simple kimono of peach-colored silk, fastened with a large slanted bow at the waist. Their makeup is pure white, with eyes lightly marked in black and lips in red. Shamisen continues T a m a no Gozen in the background. |

104

Saint N a r u k a m i and the God F u d o

M A I D [looking about disappointed)

: It's not true. T h o u g h they call it t h e

G r e a t Inner M o u n t a i n , the o n l y scenery a r o u n d is r o o f t o p s . T A K I N O [severely]

: D o n ' t be silly, child. T h e palace is t h e Great I n n e r

M o u n t a i n because it lies at the heart of t h e capital and stands as t h e pinnacle of all w i s d o m . L o o k t o t h e hills west of K y o t o if it's m o u n d s of earth y o u w a n t t o see! T A E M A [demurely)

: Although I was n o t told t h e reason m y m a s t e r Kiyoyuki

is s u m m o n e d to the palace, I have c o m e willingly. M A I D 1 slyly]

: All you can talk a b o u t is wanting t o meet Lord T o y o h i d e .

T A E M A [blushing]

: A h h ! Here, here, d o n o t speak rashly.

[The M A I D giggles and covers her face. J o n o Mai and T a m a no G o z e n T A E M A turns and crosses to the stage followed

music resume. attendants. the folds

by her

A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T takes their sandals. Carefully of her dress, T A E M A kneels at the foot

and the M A I D knee! behind

her, taking care they do not look at the

august nobles seated above them. and bow respectfully. HARUMICH1 [startled]

arranging

of the stairs. T A K I N O

They place their fingertips

to the

floor

J : What? It is n o t A b e K i y o y u k i . . .

H A R U K A Z E : . . . b u t Lady T a e m a ? T A E M A : Yes, T a e m a of t h e Clouds, g r a n d d a u g h t e r of Oe K o r e t o k i and disciple of K i y o y u k i . I a t t e n d y o u m o s t respectfully in K i y o y u k i ' s place. T O Y O H I D E : But why? T A E M A [feigning glance,

surprise]

: A h , my Lord T o y o h i d e . [She gives him a

then bows coquettishly.

lingering

| We have n o t m e t for a long t i m e . S o m e

d a y s ago, Master Kiyoyuki vanished f r o m his house. When the imperial s u m m o n s was received people were dispatched in every direction to find him, b u t his w h e r e a b o u t s remain u n k n o w n . On his behalf I have hurried t o t h e palace. T O Y O H I D E [frowning]

•. P e r h a p s K i y o y u k i ' s disappearance p o r t e n d s s o m e

heavenly disaster. It is a f o r e b o d i n g sign. H A Y A K U M O : Y o u r Prince u n d e r s t a n d s t h e sage K i y o y u k i p e r f e c t l y ! Disturbed by the turmoil in the realm, he has retired f r o m the w o r l d ! [Fixing her a fierce gaze.]

with

So, T a e m a ! Y o u r arrival is m o s t gratifying. I have s p o k e n

of my f o n d n e s s f o r y o u and urged you to join m y service m a n y times. Y o u always refused. Ha, ha! Do you c o m e t o accept m y proposal t o d a y ? T A E M A [protesting]

: No, no. I have c o m e to meet Lord T o y o - . . . I mean, I

c o m e as K i y o y u k i ' s disciple. HARUM1CHI [facing her) : Lady T a e m a , he m u s t discover, by p o w e r of divination, the reason d r o u g h t grips the world. T A E M A [surprised]

: Eh? My Master? You have s u m m o n e d him h e r e . . .

T O Y O H I D E : . . . yes, t o bring rain through his great spiritual powers, Lady Taema. M O T O T S U N E : F r o m the E m p e r o r d o w n t o t h e lowest subject, all s u f f e r hardship. Lady T a e m a , you say the seer is g o n e . Find him, let him cause rain to fall, and y o u and y o u r d e s c e n d a n t s shall o c c u p y the highest place of h o n o r at c o u r t . T A E M A ]sbe gasps, and places a hand to her breast] •. You say the House of Oe

105

Saint N a r u k a m i and the God F u d o

will be restored t o h o n o r , if 1 f i n d K i y o y u k i and he e n d s this d r o u g h t ? [She looks about

agitated,

gazes at T O Y O H I D E , then bows to MO'l'O-

T S U N E . ] R a t h e r than r e s t o r a t i o n of o u r h o u s e , grant . . . a n o t h e r h e a r t f e l t desire. M O T O T S U N E [ g r a n d l y ] : S p e a k . A n y desire whatsoever shall b e g r a n t e d . T A E M A (realizing her temerity,

she hesitatesj

: Should I t h e n , perhaps, tell

you? M A I D [saucily] : Tell t h e m , m y Lady, w h a t it is y o u w a n t . T A K I N O : If it shames y o u , I can speak, m y L a d y . T A E M A : No, I will. I will speak. [She gestures for T A K I N O to remain seated. Shamisen "Blooming

Flowers,

"quietly

in the

play Chigusa,

background.]

I would be m o s t g r a t e f u l t o receive as m y h u s b a n d , Lord T o y o h i d e , w h o sits b e f o r e me. [The three women

bow. The nobles react with amazement

audacious

H A R U M I C H I turns coldly

request.

to T A E M A ' s

to her. 1

H A R U M I C H I : N o ! Y o u r love is f o r b i d d e n ! T o y o h i d e is b e t r o t h e d t o Nishiki, m y d a u g h t e r . You c a n n o t be T o y o h i d e ' s wife, nor he y o u r h u s b a n d . T A E M A [softly,

yet undaunted]

: An imperial edict could sanction our

marriage, since t h e y are merely engaged. [ H A R U M I C H I is scandalized. to

T O Y O H I D E looks away, too

embarrassed

speak.)

M O T O T S U N E : And yet, t o bring rain would be an act of rare merit, perhaps justifying . . . [TAEMA looks up expectantly. situation

and he quickly

H A R U M I C H I sees a way to recover

the

turns to his son. 1

H A R U M I C H I : H a r u k a z e , o u r House possesses t h e precious p o e m card of o u r ancestor, O n o K o m a c h i . 4 If it is immersed in t h e waters of Shinsen G a r d e n while earnestly praying for rain, w h e t h e r K i y o y u k i o r Saint N a r u k a m i are f o u n d or n o t , rain m u s t fall. [ H A R U K A Z E blushes,

the poem

was entrusted

to him, but he no

longer

has it.) H A R U K A Z E : But, surely, w e c a n n o t d e p e n d . . . M O T O T S U N E [pleased[

: What an excellent idea: T a e m a will enlist K i y o y u k i ' s

aid and O n o K o m a c h i ' s p o e m shall be immersed in t h e Shinzen Garden pool. D o n e t o g e t h e r , surely rain will fall. All shall be r e p o r t e d t o his Majesty t h e E m p e r o r ! H A Y A K U M O [scathingly]

: Do you think y o u r p u n y e f f o r t s will d r a w d o w n

rain f r o m heaven? Ha! Pray as m u c h as you w a n t , you c a n n o t bring rain! [He looks commandingly ground

at TAEMA. She places her fingertips

to the

and bows. |

4. O n o K o m a c h i , a legendary b e a u t y of the Heian c o u r t and the s u b j e c t of several n o plays. She was f a m o u s f o r h e r cleverness at p o e t i c c o m p o s i t i o n , a good e x a m p l e of which is this p r a y e r for rain, in w h i c h the pivotal w o r d ama, " h e a v e n , " is also a h o m o n y m for " r a i n . " T h e p o e m o n t h e card goes, " I n the Land of t h e S u n , it is reasonable t h a t the sun shines, yet being u n d e r t h e a m a . . . "

106

Saint N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o

Taenia, you are not like most women. You would do well to submit to my heart's demands. TAKINO [quickly interrupting| : No, my Prince. Lady Taema will cause magnificent rain. She and Lord Toyohide . . . HARUMICHI [interrupting her] : Toyohide is promised in marriage to the House of Ono. You shall not break your oath, Toyohide! TOYOHIDE [glancing covertly at TAEMA] : That is a private matter. If state duties require it . . . TAEMA [looks longingly at TOYOHIDE, then bows] Please grant my request. MOTOTSUNE [temporizing] : Hmm. We cannot decide until the rain falls. [Rapid bata-bata tsuke beats. The curtain left flies open and KANZO, an underling of the prince rushes on. He wears a dark padded kimono which reaches to the knee. His face is deep, reddish-brown, indicating his base nature. Kneeling stage left, he bows to HAYAKUMO.) KANZO [roughly] : Prince, I must speak. HAYAKUMO: Yes? KANZO: The heat has become so fierce farmers are now collapsing with fever. [The nobles look at one another helplessly. HAYAKUMO smiles contemptuously. ) HAYAKUMO: Ah, then you see it is as he says. The regime is incompetent. [/?ises and poses. He speaks in a lightly mocking tone. ] Mototsune. Great Lords. Consider this well. [A sharp clack of the ki. Large drum, stick drum, flute, bells, and shamisen play Goten, "Palace. "All move into a tableau: TAEMA rises on her knees and looks at HAYAKUMO; HAYAKUMO glares at TOYOHIDE; TOYOHIDE edges forward to gaze at TAEMA; the others face front. All pose. Another sharp ki clack signals the stage to revolve. TAEMA and HAYAKUMO look at each other, then turn sharply away and face front. HAYAKUMO steps forward and poses with the sickle held over his head. The tableau moves out of sight and the next scene comes into view. ] SCENE 2

T R E E ISLAND SHRINK

[Kaza Oto drum pattern rises and falls, indicating wind blowing over a desolate scene. The entrance to Tree Island Shrine. All that can be seen in the dim light are heavy stone walls and tall archway of the shrine's outer courtyard to the left, and clumps of shoulder-high grass and a few small pine trees right, marking the open fields surrounding the shrine. A full moon, haloed by clouds, drops into place to two sharp clacks of the ki. A STAGE ASSISTANT changes the sign on the pillar left indicating the scene and hurries o f f . Offstage shamisen begin playing the plaintive melody Yachio, "Eternity. "Suddenly loud bata-bata tsuke beats alert us to the hurrying figures o/MAMBEl, a farm youth, and his pretty sister, KOISO, slipping furtively out of the shrine grounds. He wears an ordinary country kimono of dark color, pulled up at the sides to show that he is

107

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

wearing black traveling leggings, and he carries a plain straw hat. She has been a maid in the Ono household. She is dressed in a pale green kimono, the sash of which raises the hem for easier walking. Both wear straw sandals. He leads her forward by the hand. She cradles a small box wrapped in purple cloth to her breast. Frightened, they stop and peer into the windswept fields.) KOISO [agitated] : I'm sure he was a h i g h w a y m a n . He f r i g h t e n e d m e so, trying to slip his hand inside m y b o s o m . [She looks softly at MAMBEI.l Dear Brother, I k n o w y o u d o u b t Lord H a r u k a z e ' s intentions, b u t he has given m e t h e O n o f a m i l y ' s precious p o e m card t o k e e p until o u r child is b o r n . MAMBEI [worried] : It must b e valuable. T h e r e was such c o m m o t i o n at t h e shrine just n o w . And t h e y say t h e road is d a n g e r o u s a t night. Shall I carry it f o r you? KOISO [folding it to her breast1 : No. No. When we p a r t e d , my L o r d H a r u k a z e placed it in m y h a n d s as a m e m e n t o of his a f f e c t i o n . I shall carry it n e x t to m y h e a r t . [Music stops. Kaza O t o wind pattern swells ominously. A menacing figure steps out of the shadows by the shrine wall dressed in a brown padded kimono and wearing a gangster's black cloth over his head and face. It is SEIHEI, one o / H A Y A K U M O ' x men.] SEIHEI [harshly] •. Hey! Y o u t w o ! What luck we m e e t here! [Poses, front. ] Eh, girl? KOISO [moving man!

behind

MAMBEI for protection]

insolently,

: H o w terrible! T h a t ' s t h e

[MAMBEI calms her and turns politely to S E I H E I . Seeing a samurai's swords in the stranger's sash, he bows respectfully. ]

two

MAMBEI: 1 am t h e f a r m e r , M a m b e i , and this is my sister, Koiso. We are respectable people living in O h a r a . Please help us, sir. SEIHEI [sneering] : Help y o u ? I'll help myself to t h e p o e m card t h e w o m a n ' s carrying. I saw y o u sneaking a look at it in t h e shrine. It's t h e O n o K o m a c h i treasure, isn't it? [Kaza O t o wind pattern swells. Loud batan tsuke beats. He easily MAMBEI aside. He holds out his hand imperiously and poses. ] Hand it over! Wretch! KOISO [covering the poem

pushes

card with her sleeve] : N o , I have n o t h i n g like that.

SEIHEI: Give it t o m e ! KOISO: N o thief will ever take it! (SEIHEI tries to snatch it from her, but she slips out of his grasp. MAMBEI rises and takes her hand. 1 MAMBEI: Quickly, Koiso. R u n . [Drum beats swell. They try to escape right, but at that moment KAZUMA, another o / H A Y A K U M O ' s men, swaggers on and blocks their path with outstretched arms. He is powerfully built and his coarse nature is evident in his reddish-brown makeup and a head of bushy black hair. Hoping to make himself look important, he wears clothes in shocking colors: brilliant orange and gold outer garment, bright green kimono, purple sash, and yellow socks. ]

108

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

KAZUMA | d e e p , harsh voice] : Seihei! Well? SEIHE1 [bows slightly to his superior) : I was just a b o u t to take it.

tachimawari

KAZUMA [malevolently looks at MAMBE1 and KOISO] : Hand it over quietly, or slash them through, Seihei! Slash them through! SEIHEI [delighted] : 1 will! 1 will! [The large drum plays slow, booming Midare, "Agitation, " indicating the arrival of an aristocrat. Loud tsuke beats accent the action. KAZUMA holds MAMBE1, as SEIBE1 tries to wrest the poem from KOISO. MAMBEI breaks loose and hurries to help his sister. Irritated at the delay, SEIHEI pulls out his sword and forces the weaponless young man o f f right. For a time KOISO eludes KAZUMA. Finally she backs up to a small tree for protection. He forces her against a tree. She pushes him away. Suddenly a sickle flashes out from the tall grass around the tree and impales her in the stomach. A temple bell tolls in the distance. A shamisen plays Shinobi Sanju, "Stealthy Melody": a single note plucked repeatedly, suspensefully, tapering o f f to silence. KOISO screams and struggles but she is held in a viselike grip. Her assailant, dressed in gray robe and hood, slowly emerges from hiding. The bell tolls. Shinobi Sanju begins again. The assailant cruelly twists the sickle in KOISO's abdomen. Her scream gradually weakens. She dies and falls to the ground. The bell tolls. The man in gray removes his hood revealing himself as HAYAKUMO. The black and blue lines of makeup are stronger than before. He lifts the sickle above his head and poses in a triumphant mie to battari tsuke beats. KAZUMA is amazed to see the prince. He kneels respectfully. | KAZUMA: Ah, you, my Prince! HAYAKUMO: Kazuma. Remove the poem card f r o m her breast. H m m . She's unusually pretty for a village girl. HAYAKUMO [Kaza O t o wind pattern plays softly in the background. passes sickle, robe, and hood to a STAGE ASSISTANT. KAZUMA removes the poem card case from KOISO's arms and also finds, to his surprise, a letter in her bosom. He passes the letter to HAYAKUMO, who reads it silently, but with evident satisfaction. The letter unfolds until it reaches the floor. Without a word, HAYAKUMO folds the letter and returns it to its envelope as KAZUMA holds up the poem card for the prince's inspection. SEIHEI trots on from the right, carrying a naked sword in one hand and MAMBEI's kimono in the other ] SEIHEI [noticing KOISO) : Ah, g o o d , good! [He kneels. ] My Prince, 1 chased that clod, Mambei, and caught him. With one stroke 1 cut the clothes off his back. To show him what a highwayman's made of, I snatched them up and sent him off naked! HAYAKUMO [strongly, facing SEIHEI) ; Ishihara Seihei, I place t h e poem card and this letter in y o u r care! [SEIHEI kneels before HAYAKUMO and reverently receives the poem card in its case. HAYAKUMO points to the letter and smiles. ) Using these, we will destroy the proud House of O n o and bring the world under our sway! T h e issue awaits us! We go to the O n o mansion now! [SEIHEI looks blankly at the prince. HAYAKUMO points to the letter, to

109

Saint Narukami and the God F u d o

MAMBEI's kimono, to SEIHEI, and finally down the hanamichi. SEIHEI glances at the kimono he is holding. A look of understanding crosses his face. He nods delightedly and takes the letter.) Pass the poem card to Gemba. SEIHEI: Yes, my Prince. HAYAKUMO [significantly] : As for the letter . . . ! SEIHEI [smiles broadly, delighted to play apart in HAYAKUMO's ruse] •. 1 will do it, my Lord! [Kaza Oto wind pattern swells. ] HAYAKUMO [calling toward the shrine] : Gunnai! Gunnai! [GUNNAI leaps onto the stage from the archway stage left. He is a spy, dressed from head to foot in black, a black cloth covering his face as well. He carries a large object under his arm. He darts forward and kneels before the prince. ]

share

kojo

As you were told, take the object you carry to the Ono mansion. GUNNAI [bowing briskly] : I will not fail. HAYAKUMO [to KAZUMA) : It is fortunate you came, Kazuma. Let us visit your father now. KAZUMA [facing front] : We will crush the House of Ono! Then, my father, Yatsurugi Gemba . . . SEIHEI [facing front] : . . . will seize the House as feudal lord! KAZUMA: The daughter Nishiki will be my wife! SEIHEI: We owe everything to our Lord, the Prince! KAZUMA: [grandiloquently] : We'll seize the House . . . SEIHEI and GUNNAI: . . . through a little play! HAYAKUMO [Smiling wickedly] : Too small, too small! We'll seize the world in a grand masqueraded Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! [A sharp clack of the ki: the black drop falls, the moon disappears, and lights come up full on a scene of green hills and fields. The actors drop out of their roles. A STAGE ASSISTANT takes their sandals. They kneel in a row facing the audience ] HAYAKUMO [deferentially, but with strong projection] •. Honored spectators, east and west. May you take your ease and attend our play with pleasure, we pray! [The four actors look out into the audience to the right, to the left, and up to the balcony, then bow very slowly, very low. Stick drum and flute play slow formal Kata Shagiri, "Half Shagiri, " curtain music. The audience applauds and shouts approval as the curtain is pulled closed ]

ACT II yontateme

ONO HARUMICHI MANSION ("WHISKER TWEEZERS" SCENE) [Two loud ki clacks. Offstage shamisen play a variation of "Eternity, " lively Yachio Kuzushi, while small drum, stick drum, and flute play Haya 5. T h e play on w o r d s , hitoshibai or plot (literally, " o n e p l a y " ) and osbibai or great plot (literally, " g r e a t p l a y " ) , w o u l d have been especially a p p r e c i a t e d b y the audience because shibai was t h e usual w o r d f o r a k a b u k i play or p e r f o r m a n c e .

110

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

tat

Mai, "Quick curtain

Dance, "from

is quickly

Mansion

pushed

Scene"and

the no theater. open.

one left,

Ki clacks accelerate

The sign right reads "Ono "Whisker

of H A R U M l C H l ' s magnificent

Tweezers

residence

as the

Harumichi

Scene. " The main

in Kyoto,

raised o f f the

faces an open garden. A small pine tree and low gate are right. blinds cover the interior brother

KAZUMA

of H A T A MIMBU, an Ono retainer,

swords drawn.

H I D E T A R O is a delicate

a pale blue kimono tate

of the room.

and darker divided

boy of twelve

or thirteen.

to alternating

battari tsuke beats. They cross swords above and below. mie to battari tsuke beats. They strike simultaneously is about family,

to strike, sweeps

in a mie. K A Z U M A forces

signal batan

and pass, turn of the

the left. She wears a conservative

black

mie to

The three pose in a group dialogue

they hold the

KAZUMA, sword held over his head; H I D E T A R O , kneeling held back protectively; continue

M A K I G I N U , arms outstretched.

Yachio Kuzushi in the

and

kimono

apart with a commanding

the following

back,

Ono

the two

battari tsuke beats. Through

and

H I D E T A R O to the ground

and her hair is done up over her head. She kneels and forces gesture.

their

He wears

They pose in a

when MAK1GINU, chief lady-in-waiting

on from

young

with

Two sharp ki clacks

action to begin. They break the tableau and fight

and cross swords

Lowered

and H I D E T A R O ,

stand in the garden

skirt.

room ground,

men tableau:

with

sword

Shamisen

background.]

M A K I G I N U [ d i s a p p r o v i n g l y , as if to two small boys] : Here, here n o w , stop this instant. H I D E T A R O [earnestly, in a child's

voice) : Lady Makiginu, please let m e go.

K A Z U M A [harshly) : Move o u t of t h e w a y ! You'll be h u r t ! M A K I G I N U : Can y o u r e n m i t y be so d e e p y o u will n o t s t o p until I am w o u n d e d ? Tell m e t h e reason, b o t h of y o u . K A Z U M A : It was like this: in the m i d d l e of archery practice, H i d e t a r o burst o u t laughing and said no m a t t e r h o w m u c h 1 strove f o r excellence, " t h e w a r p e d moral character of y o u r f a t h e r , G e m b a , m a k e s y o u r striving useless!" H I D E T A R O : E v e r y o n e in t h e clan k n o w s G e m b a is wicked. Under his warping influence n o arrow of y o u r s will fly straight. Y o u insult my elder b r o t h e r , w h o is t h e most loyal O n o retainer. Y o u call him a coward. You say he has lost our H o u s e ' s m o s t precious h e i r l o o m . A n d y o u would steal t h e Princess! I w o n ' t allow it! Draw y o u r sword and fight m e ! Fight me! M A K I G I N U : It s h o w s little consideration for y o u r lord t o b e dueling over a personal m a t t e r . You shall n o t . Y o u shall n o t ! [They all pose. Music stops. 1 GEMBA [from inside an anteroom

left] : Y o u shall n o t stop t h e m , Makiginu.

K a z u m a , cut d o w n t h e traitor's little b r o t h e r . C u t him d o w n . [Sliding doors open and GEMBA, elder adviser to the House of Ono, out into the garden. over a lustrous disposition.

He wears magnificent

tan kimono.

His reddish-brown

A short sword is thrust

his left hand. He stops center. fully

111

before

gold embroidered makeup

outer

indicates

steps garments

his evil

in his sash, he carries the long sword

M A K I G I N U hesitates,

then kneels

him. At the same time, H A T A MIMBU enters the

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

respectgarden

in

unseen from the right. His light kimono and outer garments and white makeup indicate his virtuous character. He stands by the gate listening. ] M A K I G I N U : My noble G e m b a , are you urging t h e m t o fight?

kuriage

[Shamisen music resumes. | G E M B A : I am justified t o say t o my son "slay h i m . " T h e elder b r o t h e r , Mimbu, e n t r u s t e d with p r o t e c t i o n of the H o u s e of O n o ' s precious rainmaking p o e m , is negligent in searching f o r it, b u t the b l o c k h e a d hasn't t h e stomach t o disembowel himself! So, let H i d e t a r o die in his place! [GEMBA nods decisively to KAZUMA, but before anyone can move, MIMBU hurries in through the gate. A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T removes his sandals. He holds a long sword ready to draw.) MIMBU [ f i r m l y hut politely] : N o . An inch of fault in o n e ' s self b e c o m e s a f o o t in a n o t h e r . We should set aside o u r m u t u a l feelings of e n m i t y . I d e v o t e myself loyally, night and d a y , t o seeking o u t t h e criminal. What proof have y o u , t o call M i m b u a cowardly samurai? GEMBA [snarling] : T h e p r o o f is o u r h o u s e ' s treasure is lost! It w a s e n t r u s t e d t o you and you allowed it t o be stolen! T h e o f f e n s e is yours, M i m b u ! Loyalty c o m m a n d s you t o d i s e m b o w e l y o u r s e l f ! Why s h o u l d n ' t you be called a coward of a samurai? MIMBU [ a s h a m e d | : Well . . . G E M B A : Slice y o u r belly s p l e n d i d l y ! Well . . . ? MIMBU and GEMBA [alternately, then in unison] •. Well, well, well, well! Well! [ They face each other, strain forward, and are about to draw. 1 H A R U M I C H I [inside the blinds) : Wait, b o t h of y o u . The c o u r t ' s p r o b l e m will n o t b e solved b y M i m b u ' s c o m m i t t i n g self-immolation. [The blinds are rolled up to show H A R U M I C H I seated in the center of a magnificent reception room. Blossoming cherry trees and a misty landscape are painted on the rear wall. A striped silk curtain hangs to the floor before an archway in the center of the room. H A R U K A Z E sits to his father's right and a S W O R D B E A R E R to the rear. Everyone on the main stage kneels and bows respectfully, except GEMBA.) GEMBA [laughs rudely) : Ha, ha! Are y o u getting senile, m y G r e a t Lord? T h e E m p e r o r speaks b u t o n c e : h e has said h e will inspect t h e p o e m card t o d a y . Do y o u e x p e c t him t o c o u n t e r m a n d his o w n order? H A R U K A Z E [lips trembling] : Y o u m a y n o t kill yourself, M i m b u . It is for H a r u k a z e t o beg forgiveness of His M a j e s t y ! " N a m u A m i d a Butsu! N a m u Amida Butsu!" [He rises on his knees and is about to draw his short sword to disembowel himself. MIMBU gestures for him to stop. ] H A R U M I C H I [ s t e r n l y ) : Be calm. Y o u r d e a t h s will mean n o t h i n g . Until t h e p o e m card is discovered, it is rash indeed t o a b a n d o n t h e p r o s p e c t of long life. MIMBU and H A R U K A Z E [contritely bowing] : Yes, my Lord. H A R U K A Z E : I shall follow youf advice with all m y h e a r t . [Looking MIMBU.] We will seek o u t t h e p o e m card i m m e d i a t e l y !

112

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

at

HARUMICHI: Can you do it? MIMBU [strongly 1 : If the time comes that we fail, my young Lord and 1 stand ready to die by the other's sword! GEMBA [vastly amused] •. Do you think sandals made of iron can be found, though you search ten-thousand places in the Nine Mountains and the Nine Seas? Fools! Ha, ha, ha, ha! [A call is heard from the rear of the hanamichi. ] VOICE [ o f f ] : Announcing the envoy of Lord Toyohide of Bun'ya. GEMBA [ f r o w n i n g ] : What? An envoy from Toyohide? I don't understand. HARUMICHI [ l o f t i l y ) : I await His Majesty's command to see the poem card. Therefore, you shall greet this messenger from Lord Toyohide. [He nods slightly to GEMBA and MIMBU. They bow deeply.] GEMBA and MIMBU: Yes, my Lord. [Shamisen play quiet, slow Yachio Kuzushi. The blinds are lowered. KAZUMA looks at MIMBU, laughs, and struts off left. MAKIGINU and HIDETARO follow quietly. Music stops. GEMBA and MIMBU are alone. They kneel by the gate, looking expectantly down the hanamichi.] VOICE [ o f f ] : Receive the envoy! [Shamisen play brilliant Momo no Ki, "Peach Tree," and small drums play spirited Daisho, "Large and Small Drum. " The curtain at the end of the hanamichi flies open. KUMEDERA DANJO strides directly to the seventhree position. DANJO is only a middle-ranking samurai, but he is extravagantly dressed. His multilayered white silk kimonos, piped in pale blue, are covered by stiff vest and split trousers richly embroidered in gold, green, and black patterns The voluminous costume and its vivid colors, the reddish tinge to his otherwise white makeup, and two oversize swords thrust in his sash convey an impression of boldness and strength. DAN JO stands facing the audience, feet planted wide apart. Two RETAINERS and two FOOTMEN kneel behind him.] DANJO [in a powerful, commanding voice] •• Enter and say, "Toyohide's vassal, Kumedera Danjo, waits to present a request from his master." RETAINER [briskly] : I shall, Sir. [He crosses on stage and stands before the gate. Music tapers o f f . 1 A request, my Lords! MIMBU: Inform the envoy he may approach and state his business. RETAINER [facing DANJO] : Enter, Sir. DANJO: Follow me! [Entrance music resumes. DANJO is followed onto the stage by his small retinue. DANJO stands unconcerned outside the gate, his hands tucked casually inside the sleeves of his kimono. Shamisen continue Momo no Ki in the background as elaborate greetings are exchanged. ] MIMBU [bowing] : Ah, noble Danjo, it seems an eternity since we have had the pleasure of last meeting, how distressing that you have been inconvenienced by your journey as envoy today. GEMBA [cautiously] : Indeed, it is noble Kumedera Danjo, as announced. I am

113

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

Yatsurugi G e m b a , vassal t o Minister O n o Harumichi, and of n o i m p o r t a n c e whatsoever. Still, it is m y f o n d e s t wish t h a t we b e c o m e i n t i m a t e s in t h e fu ture. D A N J O [easily] : Well, well, so it's h o n o r a b l e G e m b a , is it? By c h a n c e w e haven't m e t b e f o r e , b u t n o w we should be inseparable. 1 h o p e we'll b e c o m e such friends, gold c o u l d n ' t pry us a p a r t ! G E M B A : T h e s e are grand greetings. [Broadly

gesturing.]

You may enter!

D A N J O : T h e n I will! [Entrance

music resumes.

as be passes through

A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T takes D A N J O ' s sandals

the gate, and another

places a low stool on the

stage left on which he sits. He rests a closed fan on his knee in nonchalance.

His four attendants

bow respectfully

from

a distance

kneel behind

GEMBA [grandly]

in the

him. GEMBA and MIMBU

to the right. Two S T A G E A S S I S T A N T S

carry o f f the gate, as there is no further M o m o n o Ki quietly

main

studied

use for it. Shamisen

continue

background.]

: A n d n o w , D a n j o , I will listen t o y o u r message.

D A N J O : Though uninvited, I am e n t r u s t e d with this message f r o m m y Lord T o y o h i d e : he w a n t s t o k n o w a b o u t the strange illness t h a t has struck Princess Nishiki so soon a f t e r his Imperial Lord Harumichi generously promised her in marriage t o m y Master. T h e p u r p o s e of m y visit is t o m e e t Lord Harumichi, learn f r o m him in detail t h e n a t u r e of the sickness, r e t u r n , and r e p o r t the situation in full t o m y L o r d . (MIMBU, who has been bowing

respectfully,

looks up ]

MIMBU: We a p p r e c i a t e t h e p u r p o s e of y o u r visit. We shall all rejoice when t h e princess is c o m p l e t e l y recovered f r o m illness and the wedding celebrated. GEMBA [laughs roughly]

: Ha, h a ! Why, M i m b u , y o u can turn this world upside

d o w n into t h e n e x t and still t h e Princess w o n ' t recover! [Looks haughtily.]

at D A N J O

Y o u d o n ' t need t o see Lord Harumichi. I can answer you soon

e n o u g h : go back and tell y o u r Master t o forget the wedding which c a n ' t be, divorce her, and t u r n his t h o u g h t s to o t h e r things. [ D A N J O is angered. hopefully.

He stirs, then controls

himself.

GEMBA looks at him

]

A h , has it been w e a r i s o m e for y o u , messenger? I k n o w . N o w y o u ' r e going h o m e . Please d o , if y o u w a n t . G o . Ha, h a ! G o ! MIMBU [shocked]

: G e m b a , b e q u i e t . Y o u g o t o o far when you say he may

not m e e t o u r Lord and w h e n y o u urge him to leave. GEMBA [swelling with pride]

•. T h o u g h Lord Harumichi give his assent, t h o u g h

t h e Sun G o d d e s s 6 show her approval, not even a chopstick may fall if Chief Retainer G e m b a , of t h e H o u s e of O n o , shakes his head n o ! MIMBU: Braggart! As long as M i m b u serves t h e H o u s e of O n o , we will see this wedding celebrated. D A N J O : Restrain yourself, G e m b a . Surely y o u have a reason f o r suggesting divorce. What is it? 6. A m a t e r a s u O m i k a m i , Great Heavenly Bright D i e t y , chief a m o n g S h i n t o dieties and legendary a n c e s t o r of t h e J a p a n e s e e m p e r o r s .

114

Saint N a r u k a m i and the God F u d o

GEMBA (leering) : What would I hide? Y o u r Princess c a n n o t mingle in h u m a n society! D A N J O : H m m . N o m a t t e r h o w strange or terrible her malady, divorce is o u t of the q u e s t i o n . I can't agree with y o u r o p i n i o n . Forgive m e f o r saying so, b u t 1 shall see t h e Princess myself. MIMBU [very distressed]

: Of course, w h a t y o u say is correct, y e t she is

ashamed to m e e t people because of her illness. G E M B A : Ridiculous! We will d o as t h e messenger asks! I C r a f t i l y , to D A N J O . ] It's best t o pay cash: see her yourself and decide on t h e spot. [Calls o f f . ] Makiginu! Makiginu! Bring o u t t h e Princess! WOMEN [inside the blind) : We shall. NISHIKI [faintly, [Sbamisen

from

inside the blind] : N o , please, no. I d o n o t wish to.

play Takara no Saku, "Blossoming

Treasure, " and flute,

drum,

and bells play Midare as the blind is raised. P R I N C E S S N I S H I K I kneels the center

of the room, dressed

in a bright red "Scarlet

A thin clotb covers her head, half-hiding

her lovely,

M A K I G I N U kneels to her right. Six women simple blue kimonos,

kneel behind

D A N J O , GEMBA, and MIMBU

Princess"

delicate

in

kimono.

features.

A T T E N D A N T S , dressed

her in an arc. On the main

in

stage

bow.]

D A N J O : Ah, Princess Nishiki. I am Lord B u n ' y a T o y o h i d e ' s retainer, K u m e d e r a D a n j o . I have c o m e t o t h e palace t o d a y , because t h e wedding has been delayed so long our whole clan awaits anxiously. [Jovially. ] I m e a n , m o r e t h a n t h e whole clan, m y Master is t h e o n e w h o waits a n x i o u s l y , m y Lady. A n d I think t h e Princess, t o o , waits longingly f o r that d a y ! Ha, ha! [NISHIKI raises her head to look at D A N J O . She holds one hand at her breast, the other at shoulder

height,

both modestly

hidden

inside

their

sleeves. ] NISHIKI [faintly] [Shamisen

•. Please listen, D a n p .

resume T a k a r a no Saku quietly

in the background.

J

No w o m a n was m o r e f o r t u n a t e than I, promised to the m o s t a t t r a c t i v e man in t h e world, B u n ' y a T o y o h i d e , w h e n this malignant disease crushed my pride. G E M B A : Since y o u ' r e ill, b e c o m e a n u n ! Wear black clothes and p r a y for a b e t t e r life in t h e f u t u r e ! NISHIKI [feebly protests]

: G e m b a , h o w can you say that? When a w o m a n is

unable to sleep with t h e m a n she adores, w h a t f u t u r e should she pray for? N o , I shall b e c o m e no dreary nun. D A N J O : What you say is u n d o u b t e d l y t r u e , b u t still I've learned n o t h i n g of y o u r illness and I'm no nearer to an answer. GEMBA [delighted]

: T h a t ' s right, t h a t ' s right! See her disease with y o u r own

eyes! M A K I G I N U [protesting] GEMBA [maliciously]

: But, m y Lord . . . : Hah! I'll take off the robe!

[The big drum rumbles the room and pushes covering

115

Doro-doro, "Drum

Roll, "as G E M B A crosses

M A K I G I N U out of the way. He snatches

the Princess' head. A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T holds a swatch

Saint N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o

into

o f f the

robe

of long

hair over her head: it appears as if her hair is streaming They all react with amazement. Princess, " "Look,

The women

ad-lib,

upward

in the air.

"How terrible,

" "Poor

again. " N I S H I K I covers her face and softs.)

N I S H I K I : A h h ! Q u i c k l y , I i m p l o r e y o u , cover m y s h a m e . (MIMBU rushes into the room and takes the robe from

GEMBA.]

MIMBU: Be q u i e t , w o m e n ! Pray as I recite t h e magic i n c a n t a t i o n Saint Narukami mercifully taught. Come! Come! [ The women

take out Buddhist

rosaries which

they fold in their

hands.

MIMBU holds the robe in the air over N I S H I K I ' s head. Drum roll Dorod o r o swells. 1 " O n a b o k i a , o n a b o k i a , beirosha n o m a k a b o d a r a , h a r a h a r i t a y a , sowaka, sowaka!"7 [ N I S H l K I ' s hair subsides, D o r o - d o r o subsides. return

and MIMBU covers her head with the

The Princess

sobs pathetically.

robe.

G E M B A and MIMBU

to their places. ]

G E M B A (gloating) •. Well? What did you see? Was it strange? Was it frightening? T h e reason t h e Princess c a n n o t m i x in h u m a n society is this u n h e a r d - o f affliction! D A N J O : [places both hands on the hilt of his fan, thinking]

•. This is remark-

able. And d o e s h e r hair n o t s t a n d on end w h e n t h e r o b e is placed over her head? MIMBU: It d o e s n o t . A c h a r m , inscribed with t h e I n c a n t a t i o n of Light a n d p r e s e n t e d b y Saint N a r u k a m i , was sewn i n t o a thin r o b e giving it p o w e r , as y o u saw, t o s u p p r e s s t h e m a l a d y . 8 It is a blessing of t h e G o d s and Buddhas. D A N J O : H m m . I ask y o u all t o arrange an a u d i e n c e with y o u r L o r d H a r u m i c h i . Will y o u c o n v e y m y r e q u e s t ? [He bows, as a matter

of formality,

to the higher ranking

GEMBA. ]

M I M B U : It will be d o n e . Please rest while y o u r message is c o n v e y e d t o o u r Lord. G E M B A [ o f f i c i o u s l y ) : M a k i g i n u ! A c c o m p a n y t h e Princess t o t h e inner r o o m ! N I S H I K I [ p a t h e t i c a l l y ] : I am m o r t i f i e d t o have m y i n f i r m i t y seen. H o w can I live? I wish t o die. M A K I G I N U : L e t us retire, m y Princess . . . W O M E N : . . . please. [Shamisen

play T a k a r a n o Saku, and stick drum and flute

M A K I G I N U comforts haughtily

at D A N J O , and swaggers

D A N J O ' s attendants up his long sword, Shamisen

continue

play

Midare.

N I S H I K I as the blind falls. G E M B A rises, o f f left. MIMBU follows,

bow and go o f f right, leaving him alone. he crosses center,

musing

T a k a r a n o S a k u quietly

aloud about in the

looks

crestfallen. Picking

this strange

affair.

background.]

D A N J O : A b a f f l i n g illness. S u f f i c i e n c y or i n s u f f i c i e n c y of b l o o d d e t e r m i n e s m a n y qualities of t h e hair, b u t a case of hair standing o n e n d c a n ' t b e 7. An i n c a n t a t i o n ( d a r a n i ) of t h e S h i n g o n sect of esoteric B u d d h i s m ; used t o cure illness. 8. T h e K o m y o Shingon darani, literally, Light of t h e World, just recited, is w r i t t e n on t h e c h a r m .

116

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

f o u n d even in the Rare Disease section of t h e Medical E n c y c l o p e d i a ! H a h ! T h e r e ' s something strange a b o u t this. I He sits casually

center,

"Seven Flowers, "and "Entrance

bored with waiting.

Shamisen

stick drum, small drums,

play

Nanakusa,

and flute play

Shirabe,

Tune. " From the right H I D E T A R O brings on a tobacco

He places it before

D A N J O and bows. Shamisen

H I D E T A R O ( e y e s modestly

cast down,

continue

tray.

quietly. 1

in a sweet voice] : We have t r o u b l e d

y o u , h o n o r e d e n v o y . I am M i m b u ' s y o u n g e r b r o t h e r H i d e t a r o . My b r o t h e r believes you m u s t be tired f r o m y o u r j o u r n e y . While y o u are waiting t o be a n n o u n c e d in audience t o o u r Lord Harumichi, please rest c o m f o r t a b l y . 1 w o u l d be h o n o r e d t o a t t e n d y o u r desires. D A N J O : My, how nicely y o u speak. [He looks closely and is delighted sparkle with

at H I D E T A R O ' s beauty.

His

eyes

anticipation.]

So y o u are M i m b u ' s little b r o t h e r ? A g o o d - l o o k i n g b o y like y o u will have a g o o d f u t u r e . Ha, ha! Tell m e , d o y o u practice archery and ride horses? H I D E T A R O [modestly,

not looking

up] : I am studying archery of t h e Nasu

school, b u t have n o t yet learned t o ride. D A N J O [feigning

surprise]

: What? N o t ride? A serious oversight in training.

[Edging close, smiles broadly.] H I D E T A R O [flattered

Shall I i n s t r u c t y o u ?

and flustered]

: O h , sir, it would b e an h o n o r t o submit

t o y o u r guidance. D A N J O [waving H I D E T A R O closer] : C o m e closer! It will c o m e easily with t h e right guidance, though there are b o u n d to b e o n e or t w o h a r d p o i n t s along t h e way. Ha, ha! Most i m p o r t a n t are t h e h a n d s and h o w skillfully they hold in their palms . . . t h e bridle! [Sliding up behind

H I D E T A R O , he takes a hand and fondles

it. 1

Here, here. I will teach you h o w to use y o u r hands. A h h , a h h ! H o w s o f t y o u r h a n d is. [He squeezes

it and reaches around

behind

H I D E T A R O to grasp the

other

hand. ] N o w ! Shall 1 teach you my secret art? Do y o u u n d e r s t a n d ? Do y o u understand? H I D E T A R O [tremulously,

he snuggles closer] : Yes. Yes. Y o u r secret art, sir.

D A N J O : Press tightly against t h e flanks of y o u r m o u n t , t h u s . . . [ D A N J O squeezes

H I D E T A R O between

bis thighs ]

. . . f i r m l y grasp the reins, t h u s . . . [He deliberately

folds

the boy in both arms and rocks him back

and

forth] . . . and with y o u r lips i m p a r t the secret art! [He leans his cheek against H I D E T A R O ' s . H I D E T A R O becomes

frightened

He pulls free. ] H I D E T A R O : Y o u are perverted, sir! [He pushes resumes

DANJO, who falls, laughing good-naturedly,

to the floor.

as H I D E T A R O tosses his head and runs o f f left. Music ends. [

D A N J O : He's a stiff-necked y o u n g s t e r ! Ha, ha, ha, ha! [He looks directly

117

at the audience

and bows to them facetiously.

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

]

Music

S h a m e f u l ! S h a m e f u l , isn't it f r i e n d s ! Ha, ha! Waiting f o r an answer is a bore. [Shamisen ground.

play M u s u m e N a n a k u s a , "Maid of Seven Flowers,

A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T , formally

rust-colored

outer garments,

inches long, with which of masculine

bands

dressed

" in the

in black kimono

D A N J O a pair of tweezers,

he begins to pull whiskers

from

backand

perhaps

six

his chin, an act

bravado.]

C a n ' t u n d e r s t a n d h o w h e r hair s t a n d s on end like t h a t . T h e r o b e is slipped off and . . . doro-doro-doro

. . . f o r the life of m e I can't u n d e r s t a n d it.

[ M A K I G I N U brings on a lacquered bows politely.

tea cup, places it beside

D A N J O , and

]

M A K I G I N U : Surely y o u are f a t i g u e d , g o o d D a n j o . S o m e t i m e ago, t h e Princess herself set aside f o r y o u s o m e Virgin Spring tea, and n o w she asks if y o u w o u l d like to taste it. 9 S h e m a k e s it with h e r o w n h a n d s a n d a single d r o p is d e l e c t a b l e . It is m y d u t y t o o f f e r y o u s o m e . [ D A N J O slaps the tweezers Interpreting quickly

down

and turns to look her over

her words as a sexual

to her

D A N J O [broadly)

invitation,

he moves

appreciatively

on his

knees

side.) : Well n o w t h a t s o u n d s like s o m e t h i n g t o w a r m a m a n ' s

h e a r t . [He seizes her hand and caresses it.\ W h y , you k n o w I'd b e h o n o r e d t o t a k e a sip of t h e Princess' royal tea, b u t at t h e m o m e n t I'd r a t h e r try a sip of y o u r s , m y dear. [He embraces

her delightedly.

She struggles

to pull

away.]

M A K I G I N U : I w o n ' t allow y o u t o flirt, Sir. Here. D r i n k , I p r a y , f r o m the Princess' c u p . share

D A N J O [salaciously]

: A h , yes, b u t in a m e r e d r o p of her tea, m y vital tea

stalk c a n ' t s t a n d o n e n d ! 1 0 What I desire is a g o o d swallow of y o u r tea. [/4s he did with H I D E T A R O , he embraces fondle

her from

behind.

He tries to

her. ]

Tell m e , is y o u r tea b r u s h still Virgin Spring? H m m ? Is it? Virgin Spring? [She breaks free and pushes

him over. ]

M A K I G I N U : H o w terrible y o u are! I'm a p r o p e r w o m a n . I d o n ' t k n o w w h a t y o u ' r e talking a b o u t . H m p h ! [He laughs heartily.

She makes a face at him, stamps,

and flounces

out.

He

sits up and looks at the audience. ] D A N J O : Ha, h a ! T h a t ' s t w o c u p s of tea I've b e e n d e n i e d ! [Cries from

the audience,

"Don't

give up, " "Keep

trying. "]

Well t h e n , I m i g h t as well d r i n k this. [ D A N J O turns to the cup and drinks. substitutes

a huge pair of tweezers

As he does, a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T

for the smaller pair. It is fastened

to

9. Hatsumukashi, a select brand of tea (see Keene, Chikamatsu, p. 278) and hence something valuable here, means virginity. But also, in the slang of K y o t o ' s Shimabara licensed quarter, to have " t e a " was to m a k e love to a prostitute. We find in poems of the "Paradise C o l l e c t i o n " ( T o g e n s b u , 1655), " T h e tea was delectable, incomparable," and " T h o u g h it was our first meeting, I had as much tea as I w a n t e d . " 10. When telling f o r t u n e s a piece of stem or stalk floating vertically in a cup of tea is a sign of good luck.

118

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

the end of a pole. The large drum beats Doro-doro. the tweezers rise and hover in the air. DANJO rises on one knee, stamps, holds his long sword in the left hand, glares fixedly at the floating tweezers, and poses in a mie to battari tsuke beats.) What's this? The tweezers float in air? (Large drum, flute, and shamisen play ethereal-sounding Kangen, based on gagaku court music. DANJO presses the tweezers to the floor with his closed fan. Released, the tweezers again bounce and float in the air a few feet off the ground as Doro-doro swells. DANJO glares and poses in a mie to battari tsuke beats. ] Released, they rise! A phenomenon! [The following movements and gestures are deliberately exaggerated for comic effect. DANJO has an idea. With a flourish, he takes the large silver pipe from the tobacco tray and slaps it on the floor. So that be can watch it carefully, he throws himself prone, rests his elbows on the floor, and with open palms mimes holding up his head. He crosses his eyes and poses in a powerful mie, glaring at the pipe a few inches away. It doesn't move. He kneels and takes a small dagger from the hilt of his long sword. When be places it on the floor, another dagger on the end of a long pole is immediately substituted for it: manipulated by a second STAGE ASSISTANT, dressed in formal kimono and outer garments, the substitute dagger rises and floats in the air. Doro-doro crescendoes. DANJO is amazed. Trying to understand what is happening, he steadies himself by pressing the pipe to the ground and looks first at the tweezers on his right and then the dagger on his ¡eft as they float gently in the air. Again, be crosses his eyes and poses in a powerful mie to battari tsuke beats. He nods in understanding and suddenly flips over onto his seat, leans on his arms with his back to the audience, and peers up inspecting the ceiling. In this position, he poses in a mie to battari tsuke beats. Shamisen play Tentsutsu, "Hurried Entrance. "An uproar is heard off the hanamichi. SEIHEI, impersonating MAMBEI, forces his way past two protesting SAMURAI.) SEIHEI: Get out of my way, let me through! FIRST SAMURAI: Wait, wait! SECOND SAMURAI: Ruffian! You can't go in here! DANJO [heartilyJ : Well, well. Isn't this the strangest house! [STAGE ASSISTANTS clear away tweezers, dagger, and smoking tray. The actor playing DANJO drinks quietly from a hot cup of tea which a STAGE ASSISTANT unobtrusively brings out. In the meantime, SEIHEI is stopped at seven-three by the SAMURAI. He is wearing MAMBEI's clothes and carries, booked onto a hoe which is slung over his shoulder, a small bundle and a teapot. 1 SEIHEI: I'm not a man to be stopped, no matter how many samurai try to stop me! Out of my way! [He forces his way past the SAMURAI and swaggers onstage. I I am Ohara Mambei, elder brother of Koiso who served this house. I have business with Lord Harukaze! Where is he? Why doesn't he come out?

119

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

(MIMBU and G E M B A rush on from the left. MIMBU is scandalized SEIHEI's behavior. G E M B A stands in the background, smiling and watching. ]

by

MIMBU: If y o u are Koiso's b r o t h e r , you should behave as e x p e c t e d of a retainer of t h e H o u s e of O n o . Y o u are i m p u d e n t ! T a k e him a w a y ! FIRST SAMURAI: Come! [ S A M U R A I approach and are about to force SEIHEI o f f , when H A R U K A Z E ' s voice is heard from inside the blind ] H A R U K A Z E [ q u i e t l y ] : S a m u r a i , d o n o t molest h i m . [The blind is rolled up to show H A R U K A Z E standing worried expression on his face ]

alone, with a

I wish t o m e e t and converse with this m a n if he is Koiso's b r o t h e r . Y o u m a y leave, samurai. [ The S A M U R A I bows and goes o f f right. SEIHEI puts the hoe down a flourish and stands center, arms defiantly folded across his chest. H A R U K A Z E sits, unsure how to proceed. Music ends.] Tell m e , is Koiso well? SEIHEI [insolently] : H a h ! H a r u k a z e here asks h o w she is! Y o u d a m n e d

with

murderer! H A R U K A Z E : I? A m u r d e r e r ? SEIHEI [faking sadness] : My dear sister Koiso . . . is d e a d ! H A R U K A Z E [blanches] : Koiso? H o w did it h a p p e n ? SEIHEI [sneering] : H o w did she h a p p e n t o die? She was m u r d e r e d . . . by y o u ! [He stamps and poses. H A R U K A Z E , MIMBU, and GEMBA react with shock. DAN J O sits quietly, hands folded over the hilt of his closed fan, so absorbed in thought he seems unaware of what is being said. Shamisen begin melancholy Seki n o K o m a n , "Woman of the Barrier," in the background, to set the mood for S E I H E I ' s tale. SEIHEI pretends to cry. He controls himself and sits deliberately in the center of the stage, with the hoe beside him. ] Listen and u n d e r s t a n d . Y o u , " L o r d " H a r u k a z e , b r o u g h t m y sister i n t o y o u r h o u s e as a c h a m b e r m a i d f o r a salary of o n e and a half gold pieces a y e a r . " She d i d n ' t go as y o u r c o n c u b i n e . This Mambei isn't the kind t h a t sells off his sister to s o m e d a m n e d noble, hoping she'll b e t a k e n t o bed so h e can end his d a y s loafing a r o u n d like a cow in a mansion—like the one at Kotsushinchi t h a t ' s as big as a racetrack—bought with b u c k e t s of cash he's milked f r o m her. 1 2 Why did y o u m a k e love to m y i n n o c e n t sister? Why did y o u g o b b l e u p her virtue on t h e sly? [Shouting. ] Why? Why! H A R U K A Z E [flustered] •. Please, Y o u are shouting. People will hear. S E I H E I : Cats hear m e . People hear me. I say w h a t I have t o say! (SEIHEI hits the ground pose. 1

with the palm of his hand and strikes a bravura

11. A b o u t f i f t y dollars. 12. U n d o u b t e d l y referring t o t h e t e a h o u s e " a s big as a r a c e t r a c k " t h a t a n o b l e ' s new c o n c u b i n e h a d p u r c h a s e d f o r h e r f a m i l y in K o t s u s h i n c h i , Osaka, in 1739, three years prior t o the play. It is an e x a m p l e of h o w c o n t e m p o r a r y events w e r e w o r k e d i n t o even the history p o r t i o n s of k a b u k i plays.

120

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

MIMBU [ t r y i n g to protect

his master]

: R u f f i a n ! You d o n ' t k n o w w h a t y o u ' r e

talking a b o u t . Take this fellow away, samurai! GEMBA [moving forward)

: N o w here's a m a n . Mambei, you say w h a t is hard

to say. Speak f r a n k l y , d o n ' t b e shy. SE1HE1 [with exaggerated

pathos]

: A h h ! Y o u , Sir, are a good m a n . Pitiful

little sister, it wasn't long b e f o r e her belly p u f f e d o u t . [He wipes away a tear and mimes a huge stomach. letter from

his kimono

He takes out a

folded

breast. 1

And t h e n you sent a letter of dismissal f r o m her post. Poor, d e a r sister, w h a t could 1 do? I cared f o r you t h e best I could, b u t . . . was it y o u r karma? [He pretends

to be so overcome

he can't continue.

] T h e n , ah t h e n ,

you s u f f e r e d in labor terribly. You died writhing in agony. A h h ! When I think of it, when I think of it! Wah! Wah! [Music stops. He rises on his knees and pretends come, he covertly

to cry. Since no tears

pours tea on his hands and daubs his eyes.

smiling at his cleverness,

he turns to the others, points

Almost

to his dripping

face,

and wails loudly. ] Wah! Wah! Wah! [ H A R U K A Z E is too embarrassed

to speak. MIMBU is innocently

he wipes away a tear. GEMBA feigns

moved;

outrage.)

G E M B A : What? Why t h a t ' s just as if Lord H a r u k a z e m u r d e r e d her! SEIHEI: Wah! Give m e back m y sister! [In a great show of grief, he weeps and at the same time holds out hand as if expecting

to have her returned.

H A R U K A Z E blinks

his

helplessly.)

HARUKAZE: B u t . . . I . . . MIMBU [naively,

amazed]

GEMBA [ponderously

: R e t u r n y o u r dead sister?

J : A m o s t reasonable consideration.

[SEIHEI drops his sad pose and turns belligerent bundle from

the hoe and starts to unwrap

again. He takes

the

it.)

S E I H E I : Until m y sister is r e t u r n e d , I'll hang on here and wait. I b r o u g h t a soldier's rations and I'll use t h e m ! [To their astonishment,

be opens a lunchbox

picks up a pair of chopsticks

and insolently

of rice and other food. begins

He

eating.]

MIMBU: In t h a t case, I appeal to y o u r reason. [He drops to one knee beside SEIHEI and takes out a packet coins which he places on the

of

wrapped

floor.]

On behalf of o u r y o u n g master, accept this small t o k e n of c o n s i d e r a t i o n . Use it t o o f f e r prayers which will lead y o u r sister along B u d d h a ' s way in t h e afterlife. Please accept these t w o h u n d r e d r y o and leave. 1 3 S E I H E I : What? Mambei is a m a n ! O f f e r a h u n d r e d , t w o h u n d r e d , t i m e s this cheesy bit of cash, w h a t d o y o u t a k e m e f o r ? [He kicks the coins back

to

MIMBU.] R e t u r n m y sister! [ D A N J O casually puts down the tobacco

the pipe he has been smoking,

tray, and turns to the

pushes

aside

others.)

D A N J O : Well, well, M i m b u , f r o m w h a t I can hear, y o u ' r e in great t r o u b l e . 13. Between six and nine t h o u s a n d dollars.

121

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

Shall I look into this for y o u ? MIMBU [with obvious

relief] : We a c c e p t y o u r advice g r a t e f u l l y . Please d o so.

GEMBA [snarling] : And if y o u clumsily bite off m o r e than you can chew, then w h a t ? Hah! We d o n ' t need y o u r help! D A N J O (chuckles] : Why, I can d o this m o r e easily than my hand can touch m y head. [Sbamisen

begin R o k u d a n , "Six Part Melody.

" D A N J O picks up his long

sword and crosses to SEIHEI. He kneels casually eating and glances apprehensively

beside him. SEIHEI

stops

at D A N J O . )

M a m b e i . Y o u ' r e a r o w d y fellow w h o s e rudeness to t h o s e present is unforgivable, b u t , if as y o u say y o u r sister's d e a t h is the cause of y o u r distraction, o u t of consideration for this f a c t I will try t o overlook y o u r behavior. N o w t h e n , M a m b e i . O n c e y o u r sister is r e t u r n e d , you will have n o reason f o r c o m p l a i n t . Is t h a t right? G o o d . T h e n y o u r sister will be returned to you . . . now. SEIHEI [derisively]

: Hah! I'll t a k e h e r ! Give her back . . . here and n o w !

[SEIHEI holds out his hand as if to receive

KOISO .Music

ends.]

D A N J O : Of course, s o m e o n e has t o get her. I k n o w it's t r o u b l e s o m e , b u t will you bring her back, Mambei? SEIHEI [flabbergasted]

: As long as Sister is r e t u r n e d . . .

D A N J O [smiling broadly] SEIHEI [weakly] [Sbamisen

: . . . you'll go? F o r y o u r sister?

•. H e h , h e h ! I'll . . . go.

resume

R o k u d a n . D A N J O holds out his hand nonchalantly.

S T A G E A S S I S T A N T passes him a small writing are pen, ink, and writing paper.

Unconcerned,

table on the top of

A which

D A N J O picks up the pen

and writes. ] MIMBU: D a n j o ! H o w in heaven's n a m e d o you e x p e c t to bring back Koiso, w h o has d e p a r t e d f r o m this w o r l d ? G E M B A : Ha, ha! I can hardly wait t o hear y o u r messenger's pearls of w i s d o m ! [ D A N J O passes the completed

letter to SEIHEI without

deigning

to look

at him. Music fades to silence. ] D A N J O [easily] : N o w y o u r sister will r e t u r n . Because she died in childbirth, she waits f o r y o u in hell's Lake of Blood. 1 4 Here, Mambei. Read this. [No one knows worried glances. he doesn't

what the letter means.

SEIHEI and GEMBA

exchange

H A R U K A Z E looks at MIMBU, who shakes his head

understand.

that

]

SEIHEI [reading] : " F o l l o w i n g is an oral message: first, t h a t t h e said person of Koiso, sister t o Mambei of Ohara, is urgently required on e a r t h ; second, t h a t in consideration of this f a c t she be allowed t o return t o t h e Land of t h e Living t o g e t h e r with t h e bearer of this letter. Respectfully addressed t o his Exalted Majesty E m m a , ruler of Hades. Signed: K u m e d e r a D a n j o . " [Looks

up terrified.

D A N J O [breezily,

He cries out in despair.]

enjoying

himself]

What in hell is this!

: What d o e s it look like? If y o u g o f o r

y o u r sister carrying this letter, you'll have her back in t h e Land of t h e 14. In p o p u l a r B u d d h i s m a w o m a n w h o died in childbirth followed " t h e w a y of b l o o d " a f t e r d e a t h t h a t included dwelling in a Lake of Blood, o n e of t h e stages of hell.

122

Saint N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o

Living in a j i f f y . [ C o n f i d e n t i a l l y . I King E m m a of Hades and I are as close as b r o t h e r s . J u s t this past spring we had a chat b y A m i d a B u d d h a L a k e . l s You k n o w , E m m a ' s aged a lot these last few years. So you set o f f like a g o o d courier and bring back y o u r sister. Quick. On y o u r way. SE1HEI [falls back, terrified]

•. E h h h ?

D A N J O [threatening

•• A b r o t h e r ' s love like y o u r s is so rare in t h e

quietly]

world, m y heart was t o u c h e d . When you see E m m a , ask him, " A r e you well, these d a y s ? " And tell him K u m e d e r a D a n j o has never felt b e t t e r ! [/?!ses on one knee and roars at SEIHE1.] Well? Are you going? Will you share

t a k e this message? Will you go to hell! [SE1HEI rises shakily

to his feet.

pose. He licks his lips, trembling

He and G E M B A exchange from

head to foot.

glances

He grins

and

sheepishly

at DANJO.1 SEIHEI: Heh, heh. It isn't t h a t I d o n ' t w a n t t o go. I d o , b u t even a little t e m p l e sightseeing in K y o t o or Osaka requires an auspicious d a y . If I'm going all the way to visit t h e dead in hades, I have to t u r n m y sandals inside o u t . [Comically,

he points

to his feet]

rosary bag. [He takes the cloth from

around

I have t o sew up a new his head and mimes

sewing

it. ] I have t o get w h i t e m o u r n i n g clothes. [He drapes the cloth over his ar,n. \ T h e r e ' s this and there's t h a t , and 1 d o n ' t k n o w w h a t all t h a t first has to be d o n e . 1 . . . 1 . . . [He breaks down and wails in terror. ] I'm going home! [SEIHEI rises and begins to edge

away.)

D A N J O [ c o m m a n d i n g l y | •. Wait! Wait!! (SEIHEI bolts for safety. throat.

D A N J O flicks

He screams hoarsely

dead. GEMBA rises,

and, clutching

a dirk, which strikes

SEIHEI in the

the dagger in his neck,

falls

furious.]

G E M B A : D a n j o ! Why did y o u kill M a m b e i ? You have no right t o act w i t h o u t permission here! Y o u r c o n d u c t is b e y o n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g ! Would y o u d e s t r o y t h e H o u s e of O n o ? [He puts his hand on the hilt of his sword kuriage

leans forward D A N J O [heartily]

glaring.]

and

Well, D a n j o ? Answer m e ! Answer m e !

: Ha, ha, ha, ha! " W h o needs ask w h y t h e cat burglar sleeps

in t h e d a y t i m e ? " [Suddenly

stern.]

T h a t rogue isn't M a m b e i .

H A R U K A Z E and MIMBU: E h h ? [ D A N J O strikes a pose and leans forward.

He speaks rapidly

and

force•

fully.] D A N J O : He t h o u g h t no o n e would k n o w Koiso's b r o t h e r , b u t the f a r m e r s of Ohara are m y master T o y o h i d e ' s vassals. Early this m o n t h w h e n M a m b e i was w o u n d e d he sought o u t m y lord. " Y e s t e r d a y Sister Koiso was a t t a c k e d and killed in t h e Plain of Pines near Tree Island Shrine and a precious object e n t r u s t e d to her by Lord H a r u k a z e p l u n d e r e d . Investigate the i n c i d e n t , " h e begged. T h e m a t t e r was of grave i m p o r t a n c e to t h e House of O n o , so m y lord gave responsibility f o r investigating t h e m u r d e r t o me. T h e girl's corpse was t h o r o u g h l y e x a m i n e d . T h e b r o t h e r has been t a k e n i n t o 15. A p o n d in t h e g r o u n d s of W a k o T e m p l e in O s a k a was p o p u l a r l y called A m i d a B u d d h a Lake because of a s t a t u e of A m i d a B u d d h a b y its shore, ascribed t o t h e reign of E m p e r o r Kimmei ( 5 3 9 - 5 7 1 ) .

123

Saint N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o

temporary custody. I killed this creature because, from the beginning, it was obvious he had killed Koiso and intended to blackmail you. And there is more, much more. 1 6 [DANJO leaps to his feet and strides over to the body o / S E I H E I . He takes from his breast the poem card wrapped in purple cloth. He kneels before HARUKAZE and folds back the cloth to show the card. ] What do you see, my Lord? Is this not your family's precious poem card, restored to you? [All react.] GEMBA: What? The House of Ono's poem card . . . ! [He moves swiftly to take the card from DANJO, who deftly holds it out of reach. They pose in a mie to battari tsuke beats: DANJO drops to one knee and holds up the card for everyone to see; GEMBA stands commandingly, heels together, sword in his left hand, his right hand grasping for the poem card. ] DANJO [roaring] : A poem for which lives have been given! I will not pass it to you! GEMBA [enraged) : T o whom . . . then! DANJO [lightly] : To you. [He places the poem card on MIMBU's open fan. GEMBA knows he is temporarily stymied; he moves back to the left and kneels. DANJO crosses center and again adopts a casual attitude as he kneels. A formally dressed STAGE ASSISTANT brings forward a cup of tea. Momentarily dropping out of character, the actor playing DANJO drinks a few sips to refresh himself. The actor resumes his role; the STAGE ASSISTANT removes the cup.] Well, you saw how magnificently I carried that off? Though, as usual, no one finds me polite. Now I'll stick my nose into one more affair. [Forcefully.] It's time to be presented to Lord Harumichi. Quickly. Let me see his Lordship. HARUMICHI [offstage] : You shall. [Shamisen play brilliant Takara no Saku and stick drum, bells, and flute play Midare as the sliding doors at the back of the room open and HARUMICHI enters, followed by NISHIKI, MAKIGINU, and four MAIDS. 4 s they enter, a STAGE ASSISTANT holds a black curtain in front of SEIHEI to cover his exit. HARUMICHI and the others kneel in the center of the room. Music ends.] I have heard from within what you have accomplished. What possibly could rival this joy? DANJO [energetically] : The next happy event to follow will be when I settle once and for all the Princess' illness. Now then. Your illness, my Princess . . . [The large drum beats ominous Doro-doro. DANJO strides into the room. He lifts the robe from her head. Her hair streams upward into the air. DANJO and all the others gaze in fascination. NISHIKI trembles, in tears. ] 16. T h i s section of t h e act in p a r t i c u l a r h a s led s o m e J a p a n e s e c o m m e n t a t o r s t o describe it as an early d e t e c t i v e s t o r y .

124

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

Promised restoration of her disgraced clan if she can bring rain, Lady Taema startles the lords with another request, "1 would be most grateful to receive as my husband, Lord Toyohide, who sits before me." {Taema: Nakamura Shikan; Prince Hayakumo. Morita Kanya; Mototsune: Ichikawa Sadanji; Toyohide: Nakamura Senjaku) Page 106

T h e r e v o l v i n g s t a g e t u r n s , t a k i n g Act I , S c e n e 1, o u t of s i g h t . T h e h i g h grass, p i n e t r e e s , a n d tall a r c h w a y of T r e e Island S h r i n e , Act I, S c e n e 2, c o m e i n t o v i e w . Page 107

Kazuma is amazed to see the man in gray is his master, Prince Hayakumo. The two men pose in a mie. ( H a y a k u m o . Morita Kanya; Kazuma: Ichikawa Omezò) Page 109

T h e g a r d e n g a t e , h a v i n g s e r v e d its p u r p o s e o f p r o v i d i n g D a n j o with an i n t e r e s t i n g e n t r a n c e f r o m t h e h a n a m i c h i , is t a k e n a w a y b y t w o Stage Assistants d r e s s e d in b l a c k . O n e o f D a n j o ' s A t t e n d a n t s r e m o v e s h i m s e l f f r o m t h e s c e n e b y facing u p s t a g e . T h e sign b o a r d reads " O n o H a r u m i c h i M a n s i o n S c e n e . " Page 1 1 4

D a n j o is attracted by Hidetaro's y o u t h f u l g o o d looks. He clasps t h e b o y ' s h a n d s a n d e m b r a c e s him, p r e t e n d i n g to give the y o u n g s t e r lessons in h o r s e m a n s h i p . "Press tightly against t h e flanks of y o u r m o u n t , thus, firmly grasp the reins, thus, a n d with your lips impart t h e secret art!" (DanjoO n o e S h o r o k u ; Hidetaro: B a n d o Shuka) Page 117

D a n j o slaps his silver p i p e o n t h e f l o o r , t h r o w s himself p r o n e , a n d p o s e s in a m i e , h e a d " r e s t i n g " o n his h a n d s . H e glares. T h e p i p e d o e s n o t rise. (Danjo: O n o e S h o r o k u ) Page 119 Iron d a g g e r a n d t w e e z e r s float in t h e air, m a n i p u l a t e d b y t w o f o r m a l l y d r e s s e d Stage Assistants. D a n j o c r o s s e s his h a n d s o v e r t h e p i p e , closes his e y e s , a n d c o n s i d e r s t h e s i t u a t i o n . Page 119

S u d d e n l y h e flips o n t o his seat, l e a n s b a c k , a n d g a z e s u p at t h e c e i l i n g , w h e r e G u n n a i , t h e s p y in H a y a k u m o ' s pay, is w i e l d i n g a p o w e r f u l m a g n e t Page 119

Mimbu crosses to give the poem card to Harumichi, w h o enters accompanied by female attendants. Danjô and Gemba bow respectfully. Stage Assistants hold a black curtain to cover Seihei's exit. (Mimbu. O n o e Kikuzô; Danjô; O n o e Shôroku; Harumichi: Sawamura Sôjùrô; Harukaze• Bandô Minosuke; Gemba. Nakamura Fukusuke) Page 124

The actor playing Danjô, momentarily dropping out of character drinks a cup of tea to refresh himself. He is attended b y t w o formally dressed Stage Assistants, lesser ranking actors w h o are his disciples. (Danjô: Onoe Shôroku) Page 124

When Danjo removes the robe, Princess Nishiki's hair streams upward into the air. (Danjo. Onoe Shoroku; Princess Nishiki: Bando Tamasaburo, Harumicbi: Sawamura Sojuro) Page 124

Danjo forces Gunnai to the ground with the butt of his spear. The round object held by Gunnai is the magnet which caused Princess Nishiki's hair to rise in the air. "Now, fellow, someone put you up to this. His name! Quick! Tell me and I'll spare your life." (Danjo: Onoe Shoroku; Gunnai: Onoe Matsutaro) Page 126

H m m ! You wear, dear Princess, elegant pins and o r n a m e n t s in y o u r hair. NISHIKI [faintly] •• I d o . T h e y are silver pins fashioned in t h e latest court styles, m a d e especially b y my ladies for me. D A N J O [starts] : A h ! T h e y are silver, are t h e y ? [He looks closely at the ornaments.

J So! N o w we will see w h e t h e r t h e Princess suffers f r o m a

m a l a d y or n o t ! [ D o r o - d o r o swells. D A N J O pulls out the ornaments; Drumming Keeping kneels.

ceases. GEMBA is about a watchful

to intervene,

the hair falls

then thinks

eye on G E M B A , D A N J O returns

NISHIKI looks at D A N J O gratefully.

instantly.

better

of it.

to the garden

and

|

N I S H I K I : A h . My appearance is n o longer strange, my hair is restored to its p r o p e r place. H o w g r a t e f u l , h o w h a p p y I am. D A N J O [ s t r o n g l y ] : Since t h e Princess is restored to h e a l t h , the royal marriage can be c o n s u m m a t e d ! ( D A N J O pivots

on his knees to face HARUM1CHI and bows ]

GEMBA [insolently]

: No. Her disease c o m e s and it goes. T h e r e will be no

rashly u n d e r t a k e n marriage here! D A N J O (ironically]

N o need to feel a n x i o u s , G e m b a . If I can find t h e cause

of illness and d o c t o r up t h e situation with these unskillful hands, why . . . I shall. GEMBA [sarcastically] prescribe. [Suddenly

: Oh, I can h a r d l y wait t o see t h e t r e a t m e n t y o u furious

D A N J O [glaring fiercely] [Kneeling, yanks

] Show me! Show me!

: Watch t h e n ! Y a t t o k o , t o t c h a , u n t o k o na!

D A N J O stamps his left foot forward

to loud battari tsuke

beats,

up on his trouser leg, and poses. ]

Y a t t o k o , t o t c h a , u n t o k o na! [He does the same with his right leg and poses. Mio Kagura. He stands, his trousers

hitched

Large drum and flute

up high. A formally

S T A G E A S S I S T A N T helps him drop the right kimono action,

he seizes a long spear hanging

With a bravura flourish, stamps forward in a Genroku

tumbles

mie to battari tsuke

the ground

crosses his eyes ferociously,

for

center

stage. hand,

and

poses

beats and three beats of the large direction.

the spear into the ceiling.

down from

sleeve. Ready

on the wall and returns

he whips the spear over his head in his right

with the left foot,

He repeats the mie in the opposite and thrusts

begin

dressed

the ceiling holding

He draws himself

drum.

up,

turns,

With a cry of pain the spy, GUNNA1, the magnet.

D A N J O forces

him

with the shaft of the spear. They pose in a mie to battari

beats. Music D A N J O [rapidly]

to

tsuke

stops.] •• See the cause of t h e Princess' illness. I was m y s t i f i e d

myself at first. Tweezers and dagger stood on end while the silver pipe did n o t . But t h e n , when I saw t h e Princess' hair filled with specially w r o u g h t pins and c o m b s in flower and b u t t e r f l y designs, it came to m e t h e y m u s t be m a d e of iron that would leap into t h e air d r a w n by t h e p o w e r of a magnet secreted in t h e ceiling above! S o m e o n e spread t h e r u m o r t h a t illness caused her hair to stand on e n d , so t h e vow b e t w e e n her and m y master T o y o h i d e w o u l d be b r o k e n . Hating this p e r s o n ' s s c h e m e to steal the

125

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

Princess for himself, I have pierced his m a g n e t hocus-pocus with o n e spear t h r u s t ! N o w , fellow, s o m e o n e p u t y o u u p t o this. His n a m e ! Quick! Tell m e and I'll spare y o u r life. [ D A N J O raises the spear. G U N N A I looks to GEMBA for help. glares back

GEMBA

furiously.)

G U N N A I [petrified]

: A man will say a n y t h i n g t o save his life. I was . . .

hired . . . by . . . [The spy completely

loses his nerve. He jumps

cuts him down from

behind

G U N N A I falls offstage,

up and runs, but GEMBA

as he darts by. Loud batan tsuke

dying.

D A N J O seems not to have

beats. noticed.]

D A N J O : Things have t u r n e d o u t well: the p o e m card f o u n d , t h e House of O n o restored, t h e Princess' health r e t u r n e d . Y o u , m y L o r d , have cause to rejoice. [STAGE A S S I S T A N T S have been helping placeGEMBA exchange

D A N J O put his sleeve back in

wipes the sword blade and returns

glances and kneel at the same time.

it to its sheath.

They

D A N J O bows politely

to

HARUMICHI.] No m o r e felicitous occasion t h a n this can b e e x p e c t e d . Let us then begin felicitous p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r a marriage. H A R U M I C H I [blandly,

not committing

himself)

: Indeed, a w e d d i n g requires

p r e p a r a t i o n . T h e p o e m card has been r e t u r n e d a n d , now if rain does n o t fall, t h e bride shall e n t e r her p a l a n q u i n . [ D A N J O looks up, displeased placate

by the implication.

H A R U M I C H I decides

to

TOYOHIDE.)

In h o n o r of t h e occasion, I request m y f u t u r e son-in-law to accept this valuable sword as a gift f r o m t h e H o u s e of O n o . G e m b a , present the sword on m y behalf. [GEMBA rises and faces H A R U M I C H I , receiving from inlaid sword. scabbard,

GEMBA turns front,

holding

him an

expensively

the sword by the tip of the

hilt in the air. |

GEMBA [ g l o w e r i n g | : As if u n h i n d e r e d , t h e w e d d i n g plans p r o c e e d . I exult for you. D A N J O : He receives t h e gift g r a t e f u l l y as y o u r son-in-law. But m o r e than this, m y Master begs leave t o present t o his father-in-law a wedding g i f t . H A R U M I C H I : And t h a t wedding g i f t is . . . ? D A N J O [ p o w e r f u l l y ] : T h a t w e d d i n g gift is . . . this, m y L o r d ! [ D A N J O leaps up, pulls the sword from

the scabbard

GEMBA is

and to batan tsuke beats, kills GEMBA with one stroke.

holding

/Is G E M B A falls,

a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T covers his head with a black cloth, and a second S T A G E A S S I S T A N T floats through

a prop-head,

the air until it rests on the

on the end of a long

pole,

stage.)

As a w e d d i n g g i f t , m y Lord T o y o h i d e has r o o t e d o u t the disease t h a t a t t a c k e d t h e H o u s e of O n o ! H A R U M I C H I : T r u l y , it is cause . . . H A R U K A Z E and MIMBU: . . . f o r celebration! [ D A N J O sheathes

126

the sword,

kneels,

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

and looks directly

at the

audience.]

DANJO [in a ringing voice\ : Let us offer our congratulations! [DANJO bows his face to the floor. Stick drum and flute play slow, stately Kata Shagiri. DANJO rises, bows to HARUMICHI, takes the gift sword from a STAGE ASSISTANT, and puts on his *andals with the help of a second STAGE ASSISTANT. Holding the sword at the scabbard end, the other hand tucked in bis sleeve, he strides onto the hanamichi. At seven-three he stops and looks back. HARUMICHI rises and places an arm protectively around NISHIKI. HARUKAZE holds out the poem card on an opened fan. MIMBU bows respectfully. A single sharp ki clack: all pose in a strong mie to loud battari tsuke beats. Music becomes lively. The curtain is run closed. Three formally dressed STAGE ASSISTANTS come before the curtain and throw to the audience small souvenir towels on which is printed the name of the play. The audience applauds delightedly. DANJO smiles. ] It's been a big part. I've done my best. Now, allow me to close the act! [He draws himself up, flicks the sword over his right shoulder, throws his left hand out before him, and, to furious uchiage tsuke beats which rise to a crescendo, taper o f f , then swell again, DANJO poses in a powerful mie. The curtain is pulled away from the offstage musicians' room, so they can watch DANJO. Stick drum, large drum, and flute play Miya Kagura, "Imperial Shrine Dance, " and shamisen play Ama no Iwato, "Heavenly Rock Cave. "A STAGE ASSISTANT helps. DANJO tucks the gift sword into his sash along with his other two swords. He tucks his hands inside his kimono sleeves and strides, assured and nonchalant, down the hanamichi and off as ki clacks accelerate. The curtain is fully closed, there is a single clack of the ki: large drum, stick drum, and flute play lively Shagiri, "Curtain Music, "between acts. ]

hikkomi

gotateme

A C T III SCENE 1 THE IMPERIAL PALACE GARDEN [Gradually accelerating ki clacks: the striped curtain is gently pushed open. The scene is a garden in the precincts of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. Trees and shrubs are in the light green colors of spring. Mist softens the distant, airy view of hills behind. A stone footbridge, shaded by a willow, leads from up left across a small pond to a grass-covered mound center. The sign on the pillar right reads "Imperial Palace Garden. " NISHIKI and TAEMA enter on the two hanamichi as the offstage CHORUS sings.) CHORUS [to lyrical shamisen accompaniment] : Scattered clouds cover the moon, flowers in a mountain storm; An eveningtide of troubles though borne is painful. [NISHIKI wears a youthful pink kimono and carries the poem card in her right hand; TAEMA wears a sensuous lavender kimono of brocaded silk and carries a lacquered box. They stop at seven-three and face the audience,

127

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

unaware

of each others 'presence.

T O Y O H I D E , dressed in a powder

kimono

and wearing a lacquered

wicker

removes

the hat and poses. Now that he is away from

situation,

we see he is an exceptionally

delicately

refined.

Music continues

T A E M A [warm, passionate]

blue

hat, enters the main stage. attractive

He

the formal

court

man, handsome,

in the background

suave,

]

: I have been c o m m a n d e d to bring rain, b u t I

c a n n o t find m y Master. A n d , o r d e r e d b y R e g e n t M o t o t s u n e , Lord T o y o hide is n o w fasting in T r e e Island Shrine, cut off f r o m h u m a n c o n t a c t f o r seven days and nights, p r a y i n g to t h e gods. He should be here. H o w h u n g r y he m u s t be. [Clutching the box to her breast tenderly

] I so wish t o be

the o n e t o appease his h u n g e r . NISHIKI [gentle and youthful]

: I h u r r y t o p r e s e n t Lord T o y o h i d e with t h e

p o e m card, recovered by t h e e f f o r t s of retainer D a n j o , so it can cause t h e rain t o fall, and I, as p r o m i s e d , shall be w e d . [She lowers her head modestly.) T O Y O H I D E : D a n j o successfully q u i e t e d t h e t u m u l t in t h e O n o h o u s e h o l d , and y e t did s o m e o n e in t h e s h a d o w s pull t h e p u p p e t G e m b a ' s strings? T o d a y , at t h e end of m y p r a y e r s t o B u d d h a , 1 heard a voice like a revelation saying " D e s t i n y lies in t h e Imperial G a r d e n , east in t h e d i r e c t i o n of t h e Dragon and s o u t h t o t h e S e r p e n t . " I am here, b u t w h a t d o e s it mean? [Music becomes

louder.

He looks about wonderingly,

then turns

upstage.

A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T takes sandals and hat. T A E M A and NISHIKI come onstage. time. Delighted

He turns front

and the three see each other at the

and flustered,

the women

quickly

same

kneel on either side of

T O Y O H I D E and bow prettily. ] T A E M A and N I S H I K I : O u r Lord . . . T o y o h i d e ! T O Y O H I D E [put out] : Lady T a e m a ? Princess Nishiki? Why are y o u here? NISHIKI [ m o d e s t l y ] •. My L o r d . I bring y o u t h e p o e m card. [TAEMA tries to prevent

her from

reaching

She passes the card to him. Opening heirloom.

T A E M A pouts

T O Y O H I D E . He falls

it, he is relieved

and turns away. He returns

away.

to see it is the lost the card to NISHIKI.)

T A E M A I w i n n i n g l y ) : K n o w i n g y o u would b e ravished with hunger, I o f f e r you my . . . [She places the lacquered

box of rice cakes at his feet, forcing

to move away and poses beside him seductively, shoulders.

T O Y O H I D E disengages

himself.

NISHIKI

sleeves draped over his

She moves away and

kneels.]

T O Y O H I D E : Nishiki. T h e p o e m card is f o r Regent M o t o t s u n e . T a e m a . My fast is n o t e n d e d , so t a k e t h e f o o d and r e t u r n h o m e . T A E M A : Cruel Lord T o y o h i d e . . . N I S H I K I : . . . tell us, we pray . . . T A E M A and N I S H I K I : . . . w h a t is in y o u r h e a r t ? T O Y O H I D E [torn between

them]

: A h , if I o n l y could . . .

[To music, he turns to go away, but both of them rush to detail T A E M A tucks his right arm under hers. Alarmed, with his left arm. He gently

disengages

himself

him.

NISHIKI does the

and gestures for them

to go. They shake their heads "no. " T A E M A p u s h e s NISHIKI firmly of the way and takes T O Y O H I D E ' s hand, provocatively

128

Saint N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o

caressing

it.

same both out

NISH1KI kneels and looks imploringly at TAEMA.) NISHIKI: You are too forward. I am his true wife, joined by consent of his parents and mine. TAEMA [sharply] : What are you saying? I am his first wife, joined flesh to flesh, his body and mine. [She smiles at him knowingly. NISHIKI is distraught. She clings to TOYOHIDE. TAEMA tries to pull him away. They tug him first one way, then the other. Losing patience, he pushes them both away and they flutter to the ground. ] TOYOHIDE: I carry a grave responsibility. You must be reasonable and leave here at once. [Both bow and look appealing at him.) NISHIKI: For my Lord Toyohide, I will bring . . . TAEMA: . . . rain without fail! [TOYOHIDE looks at first one then the other. His reply is ambiguous.) TOYOHIDE: Ah, yes, if only rain comes, peace will follow, and I shall rise in the world. [They move to him and kneel at his feet. He places his arms around them protectively. They pose. He gestures for them to go. NISHIKI takes the poem card from a STAGE ASSISTANT and goes off left; TAEMA glances provocatively at TOYOHIDE and moves slowly off right. Ominous Kaza Oto wind pattern, played on the large drum, rises and falls.] There was nothing strange about the garden before, yet the god of Tree Island Shrine appeared as Okina. 1 7 He spoke so vividly, surely he was a manifestation of my prayers. [He notices the mound for the first time ] Hmm. Is there significance to this tomb? And now this box of food, left by Taema. I will offer it and pray. [Booming large drum, bells, flute, and shamisen play Kagura, "Shrine Dance Music, "as TOYOHIDE picks up the box and places it reverently on the mound as an offering. He steps back, kneels, bows, and claps his hands two times in Shinto prayer. HAYAKUMO enters on the footbridge. He is fantastically dressed in a deep blue, silver, and gold no-like costume of richly brocaded silk. The trousers are stiff and pleated. A gossamer outer cloak covers the heavy robe. A no mask of Okina, wrinkled with age, covers his face. Carrying a staff in his right hand, he stands silently in the shadow of the willow tree. TOYOHIDE sees him and is struck dumb with amazement. Music stops. TOYOHIDE bows respectfully. ] Oh, Deity, do you bestow your presence twice in answer to my humble petition? And what is significant in this particular part of the Imperial Garden, august Deity? [HAYAKUMO removes the mask in a grand gesture. His face is cruelly made up in heavy blue and black kumadori lines, suggesting more strongly than before his evil nature. ] HAYAKUMO [ p o w e r f u l l y ] : It is I! Imperial Prince Hayakumo! 17. Literally, " o l d m a n " : a s y m b o l of longevity and t h e title of o n e of the oldest n o and k y o g e n plays.

129

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

T O Y O H I D E [turning away thinking]

: So, it is n o t t h e shrine deity in O k i n a ' s

f o r m , as I t h o u g h t , b u t y o u Prince H a y a k u m o . H A Y A K U M O [ m a j e s t i c a l l y ] : Indeed so, T o y o h i d e ! [Shamisen

play stately

Biwa, "Lute Melody,"

in the background.

]

T h e w o r l d ' s d r o u g h t and t h e suffering of t o w n s m e n and f a r m e r s began f r o m the d a y t h e i n f a n t E m p e r o r was installed and Regent M o t o t s u n e decreed his ineffective policies. T h e p u n i s h m e n t of Heaven visits us because T o y o h i d e , t o o , b e t r a y s the trust of o f f i c e ! T h o u g h you are promised t o Princess Nishiki, y o u are depraved and sleep with Lady Taema of t h e Clouds! Burdened with a w o m a n ' s h a t r e d , y o u r heart is n o t fit for Buddha a n d t h e G o d s . N o m a t t e r h o w m u c h y o u devotedly p r a y , t h e G o d of Tree Island Shrine will never bestow his f a v o r ! T O Y O H I D E [ s h o c k e d ] : Y o u r Highness, w h a t are y o u saying? You c a n n o t be urging t h a t His Majesty t h e E m p e r o r abdicate? H A Y A K U M O : It is t h e E m p e r o r ' s d u t y t o t a k e on himself t h e people's suffering. H u n d r e d s of his subjects have been killed b y this d r o u g h t . Kanzo, e n t e r ! K A N Z O [ o f f ] : Yes, my Prince! [ K A N Z O trots on importantly

from

the left and drops to one knee

before

HAYAKUMO.) H A Y A K U M O [ o m i n o u s l y ] : T h e n u m b e r of stricken f a r m e r s in recent d a y s is . . . K A N Z O : Within t h e last t w o or t h r e e d a y s a h u n d r e d a n d , all told, nearly a t h o u s a n d f a r m e r s have died, Y o u r Highness. [ K A N Z O bows deeply.

T O Y O H I D E is unprepared

for this

fabrication.]

T O Y O H I D E : But, such n u m b e r s have n o t been r e p o r t e d ! H A Y A K U M O [ c u t t i n g l y ] : I n n o c e n t T o y o h i d e ! Responsibility rests with t h e Divine Mikado! Who can f o r g e t t h e teaching of t h e E m p e r o r N i n t o k u ' s 1 8 p o e m , "Seeing s m o k e rising f r o m evening meals, I w o n d e r e d if m y people were h a p p y . " I retired f r o m t h e palace to mingle with t h e people. Their h e a r t s and m i n e are o n e . T h e n u m b e r of dead r e p o r t e d by K a n z o comes f r o m the lips of t o w n s m e n and f a r m e r s s u f f e r i n g a g o n y themselves! T O Y O H I D E [heatedly]

: T h e n , Y o u r Highness, r a t h e r t h a n urge o u r Mikado's

a b d i c a t i o n , step f o r w a r d and lead the search for t h e seer K i y o y u k i w h o s e prayers will surely bring rain. H A Y A K U M O : Ha, ha, ha, ha! T h e p e o p l e ' s pain is t h e E m p e r o r ' s sorrow, you say, b u t a r e n ' t y o u really p r o t e c t i n g y o u r o w n p o w e r ? R u m o r s sweep t h e c o u n t r y t h a t t h e d r o u g h t c o n t i n u e s as Heaven's p u n i s h m e n t . E m p e r o r Yozei, though a child, has himself decided t o a b d i c a t e ! T O Y O H I D E : What? Can it be t r u e ? [A M E S S E N G E R hurries down position

and

the hanamichi.

He kneels at the

seven-three

bows.]

M E S S E N G E R [formally]

: An imperial c o m m a n d , m y Lords. T h e R e g e n t of

His Majesty s u m m o n s you t o a t t e n d him in the palace i m m e d i a t e l y on u r g e n t affairs of state. 18. Reigned 3 1 3 - 3 9 9 .

130

Saint N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o

( M E S S E N G E R hurries o f f . T O Y O H I D E bows to H A Y A K U M O and

turns

to go. 1 H A Y A K U M O ( t r i u m p h a n t l y ] : As I e x p e c t e d ! The E m p e r o r ' s a n n o u n c e m e n t of a b d i c a t i o n ! T o y o h i d e . [ T O Y O H I D E stops.]

You will place m e on the

E m p e r o r ' s t h r o n e . You and M o t o t s u n e will r e c o m m e n d me1. T O Y O H I D E [ p r o u d l y ] : No. We will delay replying t o His Majesty a n d wait . . . f o r rain to fall! |He rushes onto the hanamichi

to rapid hata-bata

three he stops, draws himself tsuke beats. Shamisen quickly

watches

tsuke beats. At

seven-

and poses in a mie to

play A z u m a Jishi, "Eastern

down the hanamichi

malevolence,

up resolutely,

Lion, "as he

battari moves

and out of sight. H A Y A K U M O , shaking

with

him leave. Silence. ]

H A Y A K U M O : T h e d a y 1 m o u n t t h e E m p e r o r ' s t h r o n e , t o r r e n t s of rain will fall! Kanzo! S h o w m e t h e c o m p a c t sealed with their b l o o d ! [ K A N Z O bows deeply.

Rolling

drum and crashing cymbals

H A Y A K U M O moves ponderously the prince's

play

Midare.

center stage. K A N Z O cringingly

takes

mask, thin outer robe, and s t a f f . He hands to H A Y A K U M O

a letter scroll and backs away. H A Y A K U M O slowly

unrolls and

scans

the scroll. 1 T h e lords w h o sign their n a m e s in b l o o d , petitioning me to ascend t h e t h r o n e , are . . . h m m . . . h m m . . . Only M o t o t s u n e , T o y o h i d e , and O n o Harumichi remain t o o p p o s e me. A l t h o u g h t h e H o u s e of O n o n o w seems at peace, their recent t r o u b l e s have destroyed their prestige. When t h e y o f f e r their ancestor's sacred poem—to no avail—they will be laughed f r o m court in shame! K A N Z O : Their p o e m card c a n n o t cause rain, my Prince? [ H A Y A K U M O holds the scroll in the air and strikes a grandiose

pose.)

H A Y A K U M O : Never! Never! Whatever they try, 1 have m y plans! N o single d r o p of rain will fall! K A N Z O [ d e e p l y impressed]

: T h e n , Y o u r Highness' great a m b i t i o n will be

achieved? H A Y A K U M O [ p o n d e r i n g , stalks slowly

to the hanamichi]

: The o n l y obstacles

are M o t o t s u n e and T o y o h i d e . While t h e d r o u g h t continues, I m u s t persuade t h e t w o of the wisdom of my rule. C o m e , we shall visit Regent M o t o t s u n e and his followers. Let us e n j o y their f u t i l e discussions! 1 9 [He stops at the seven-three

position.

K A N Z O kneels behind

him ] Still, w h a t t h e god

a n n o u n c e d to T o y o h i d e t r o u b l e s m e . Ha, ha! N o , the gods in Heaven favor me! [He poses, holding and shamisen

the scroll high over his head. Large drum,

play stately

Midare. H A Y A K U M O picks

arms and strides magnificently KANZO. A moment

of silence.

down

the hanamichi

The stage is empty.

cymbals,

both sleeves over his

and o f f , followed Large drum,

by

stick

19. " L e t us visit M o t o t s u n e ' s ' O d a w a r a C o n f e r e n c e . ' " In 1590 T o y o t o m i Hideyoshi beseiged O d a w a r a Castle. A l t h o u g h the castle d e f e n d e r s discussed his t e r m s of surrender f o r m a n y m o n t h s , t h e y had n o t reached a decision w h e n t h e castle fell to Hideyoshi. Hence, " O d a w a r a C o n f e r e n c e " is a d i s d a i n f u l t e r m for any f u t i l e discussion.

131

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

drum, and cymbals crash, the flute joins Usudoro Abare, "Disordered Rhythm, " and shamisen play Abare, "Disorder. "Sharp batan tsuke beats. The large rock on the top of the mount tips and rises in the air, lifted by an emaciated arm. With great effort KIYOYUKI emerges from the mound. He drops the boulder to the ground, collapsing over it. His formal court robe and trousers are pale blue. White hair falls to his shoulders, emphasizing his deep-etched, shriveled face. He blinks in the sun and shields his eyes. Shaking and half-demented, he searches feverishly until he sees the box. He seizes it, sits, and is about to eat. Music stops. Suspicious that the rice cakes may be poisoned, he looks carefully about. The large drum beats ominous Mizu Oto water pattern. He crawls weakly to the pond and throws in a rice cake. Water splashes as carp—manipulated by STAGE ASSISTANTS—stride and devour it. Drumming stops. He returns to the mound and starts devouring the rice cakes. Shamisen begins Anton quietly in the background. ] KIYOYUKI [between mouthfuls1 : Delicious. Ah, delicious. I've seen no food for a hundred days. How delicious! [He looks about. | It's been a long time since I've paid homage to the sun. How thankful I am! [He kneels and claps his hands fervently in gratitude. TAKINO enters silently on the footbridge and is amazed to see an old man worshiping the sun. | I've completely forgotten the taste of food, but thanks to the Goddess of Heaven, there's a feast before me. Ah, exquisite! Delectable! [He turns happily to the food again but TAKINO moves forward and interrupts him. Music stops ] TAKINO [sternly\ : Do not move. The world is in turmoil and here I find a strange person who has slipped into the depths of the Imperial Garden. Who are you? Answer me. Your life depends on it! [She unties the cord fastening the dirk in her sash. She moves forward threateningly. ] I am a retainer of Lady Taema and Endo Chikara's wife, Takino. 1 have seen you and you shall speak, whether you say you will or whether you say you will not! Well? Speak! [She poses with her hand on the dirk handle. He gestures for her to be calm. Shamisen begin quiet Mochizuki.j KIYOYUKI: Ahh, do not take that attitude. I am a person who has not seen the sun for a hundred days and, finding before me a feast of rice, offers gratitude to the bounty of the Sun Goddess. Truly, what should we be more grateful for than the brightness of the sun? [Clasping his hands together, he bows to the sun ] TAKINO: Ehh? What an incredible thing to say. Day after day blazing heat scorches the earth until not a drop of moisture remains. Do you mock the suffering of the Emperor and the people? [She advances angrily. 1 KIYOYUKI: I do not joke. This is the truth. [Music stops. He draws himself up. His tone changes. ] Takino, servant of Lady Taema! You do not recognize me, for my face has

132

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

changed in t h e h u n d r e d d a y s I lived o u t of sight of t h e sun. I am A b e Kiyoyuki. T A K I N O [falls back] : What? You? K I Y O Y U K I : I t h o u g h t I had already died, b u t f a t e returned m e to life to m e e t you here. I am f o r t u n a t e . I am h a p p y . T A K I N O : Is it really you? [ S h e looks closely. respectfully.

Recognizing

him, she

kneels

j Master Kiyoyuki. It is y o u . But w h a t brings you here, in this

condition? K I Y O Y U K I : T h e world's fate. [He looks about

carefully.

Shamisen

Barrier, " in the background.

begin delicate

Shinseki,

"New

I

T h e d r o u g h t searing t h e land is all t h e work of Saint N a r u k a m i . Filled with hatred f o r t h e E m p e r o r , t h e Saint joined causes with Prince H a y a k u m o , w i t h d r e w to t h e d e p t h s of N o r t h M o u n t a i n , and t h e r e imprisoned t h e Dragon G o d s and Goddesses of Rain so n o d r o p of rain could fall in the T h r e e T h o u s a n d Worlds of t h e Universe. 2 0 Because I k n e w , the Prince detained m e o u t of fear 1 would i n f o r m His Majesty t h e E m p e r o r . When he o f f e r e d f r e e d o m if I would join their plan and I refused, 1 was buried alive. 1 should be dead, b u t Buddha and t h e gods of S h i n t o p r o t e c t e d me. Blessed by the will of heaven, occult p o w e r s enabled m e to lift t h e b o u l d e r f r o m m y t o m b and emerge t o pass this story on to y o u . If I die n o w , I will be c o n t e n t . I am g r a t e f u l , g r a t e f u l ! [He clasps his hands together

fervently,

and bows toward

the

sun.)

T A K I N O [eagerly ] : T h e n divine p r o t e c t i o n enabled you t o lift t h e s t o n e and escape d e a t h so y o u could o f f e r i n c a n t a t i o n s that will bring rain? K I Y O Y U K I [chuckling1 : No, T a k i n o , I did not c o m e o u t to o f f e r prayers. When this K i y o y u k i fell into the bowels of hell, worldly desires of t h e T h r e e Evil Ways—gluttony, b l o o d s h e d , and sexual passion—were f o r g o t t e n . All e x c e p t g l u t t o n y . T h e delicious smell of rice cakes roused m e and I followed m y nose t o the surface. T A K I N O [looking

at the box 1 : Why, t h e crest on t h e b o x is that of o u r house.

These m u s t be t h e rice cakes Lady T a e m a was bringing to t h e garden for Lord T o y o h i d e . K I Y O Y U K I [touched]

•. Can it be these came f r o m T a e m a ?

T A K I N O : T h e y did. And I, searching t h e garden f o r her, m e t y o u . H o w remarkable. K I Y O Y U K I [pondering]

•. T h e tie t o my disciple T a e m a is indeed u n b r e a k a b l e .

[Music ends. ] T A K I N O [ c o n f i d e n t i a l l y 1 : But tell m e , is there a way to placate Saint N a r u k a m i and f r e e the gods and goddesses of rain? K I Y O Y U K I : Yes, there is, there is. [He looks cautiously

about and moves

closer, j

It will n o t be easy, for N a r u k a m i is Buddha's m o n k . . . y e t t h e r e is a way. 20. In B u d d h i s t c o s m o l o g y a t h o u s a n d w o r l d s m a k e o n e Small World, a t h o u s a n d Small Worlds a Middle World, and a t h o u s a n d Middle Worlds a Large World. T o g e t h e r t h e y comprise the universe.

133

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

If Taema . . . TAKINO [stopping him] : Shhh! "A man who emerges from a rock should know a rock has ears." Master, one moment. [Crossing right and calling off.] Monnosuke. Enter. MONNOSUKE \ o f f \ •. Yes, my Lady. | Large drum beats ominous Mizu Oto water pattern. She turns and kneels respectfully beside KIYOYUKI. MONNOSUKE, a young, low-ranking samurai, enters and kneels. Two BEARERS bring on a palanquin and squat beside it. ] TAKINO [looking meaningfully at KIYOYUKI] Go to my Lady's residence. Let master and pupil meet. KIYOYUKI: Thank you, Takino. I must inform Taema before I die. TAKINO [ f o r c e f u l l y ] : Monnosuke. Accompany this honored guest to the very door of the residence. Let no one see inside. MONNOSUKE [briskly] : I will not leave his side until my Lady returns! TAKINO: Be certain you do as I say. MONNOSUKE [bowing] : I obey. TAKINO [gently] : Master, please enter. KIYOYUKI: Good Takino, I will go. [He moves to enter, but he is weak and he staggers. She catches him gently. They exchange looks. A sharp ki clack signals offstage CHORUS.] CHORUS (sings Kago Uta, "Palanquin Song, "to shamisen accompaniment and Mizu Oto drum pattern] : Come, First we shall visit The Princess . . . [TAKINO gestures for him to pass. He crosses slowly to the palanquin and turns back to look at her gratefully. She bows again. They pose. A sharp ki clack signals the end of the scene: a curtain, painted to represent the rock face of a mountain, drops in front of the scene. The large drum plays loud Yama Oroshi mountain storm pattern to hold the audience's attention as the scene is changed behind the curtain ] SCENE 2 A GROTTO ON NORTH MOUNTAIN ("SAINT NARUKAMI" SCENE) [Music changes to lively Haya Tsutsumi, "Fast Drum, "played by the small drums and flute. The young monks WHITE CLOUD and BLACK CLOUD enter, one on each hanamichi. They are dressed in white kimonos covered in front by a black apron. Their heads are shaved and they carry black rosaries. They trot on comically, talking as they go, hands tucked up in their sleeves to ward off the mountain cold ] WHITE CLOUD: Have you heard? Have you heard? BLACK CLOUD: I've heard. I've heard. WHITE CLOUD: Have you heard? BLACK CLOUD: I've heard.

134

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

[ They continue stage. Music

the exchange

until they meet in front

of the curtain

center

ends.]

WHITE C L O U D [delighted to see his friend}

: What have y o u h e a r d ?

BLACK C L O U D ( f o o l i s h l y \ : Everyone in E d o saying " S a i n t N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o " is a great play! 2 1 WHITE C L O U D : D o n k e y . N o t t h a t . I m e a n are p e o p l e talking a b o u t o u r Master N a r u k a m i ' s secret rites? BLACK C L O U D [ b l a n k l y ) : 1 haven't heard a thing. WHITE C L O U D [disgusted] [Shamisen background.

play delicate

: You h a v e n ' t ? What h e d o e s is r e m a r k a b l e . Listen. Haru wa Hanami, "Spring

Flower

Viewing,

" in the

]

T h e E m p e r o r denied Saint N a r u k a m i ' s request t h a t to him a t e m p l e be o r d a i n e d , so, f u r i o u s , he e m b a r k e d u p o n austerities which have c a p t u r e d and b o u n d t h e Dragon G o d s of Rain in all the universe until n o t a d r o p of rain could fall. O n e h u n d r e d d a y s have passed since t h e last single d r o p of rain has b e e n seen. T h e land shrivels f r o m dryness. BLACK C L O U D : It's fine if y o u like y o u r h u m i d i t y low, b u t it m u s t be hard for a f a r m e r t o stick his rice in t h e g r o u n d . WHITE C L O U D : It's awe-inspiring t o imagine Master's p o w e r . BLACK C L O U D : It's the E m p e r o r ' s o w n f a u l t . He told a fib. WHITE C L O U D [scandalized] : S h h ! Being Master N a r u k a m i ' s disciple is a great h o n o r . He is the needle, w e are t h e t h r e a d . [ M i m e s threading

a

needle. ] BLACK C L O U D : Well, I'm w o r n t o a f r a z z l e - u p t h e m o u n t a i n every m o r n i n g to help Master with his austerities, d o w n the m o u n t a i n t o sleep. T h r e e miles each way a n d it's cold up here. WHITE C L O U D [severely]

: If Master freezes, we freeze t o d e a t h with him.

T h a t ' s w h a t spiritual discipline means. BLACK C L O U D : My legs have g o n e n u m b with t h e climbing, u p a n d d o w n , u p and d o w n . WHITE C L O U D : I'm tired t o o , b u t I d o n ' t complain a b o u t it. Y o u ' r e a perfect d u m m y . BLACK C L O U D [snickering] : If m y t o n g u e went n u m b I'd be a d u m b d u m m y . WHITE C L O U D : T h a t would be a blessed relief. BLACK C L O U D [slyly] : I've got m e d i c i n e here t h a t will t a k e off t h e chill. You'll feel fit as a fiddle fast. H o w a b o u t a sip? WHITE C L O U D : And is it g o o d ? I might t r y a d r o p . BLACK C L O U D : It's t h e No-Death-No-Pain-Cures-a-Thousand-ComplaintsPharmaceutical-Preparation. WHITE C L O U D : Well, where is it? BLACK C L O U D : So precious I w o u l d n ' t dream of carrying it u p m y sleeve or in m y sash. [Gestures. ] I'll open t h e gates and bring it o u t . 21. T h e comic r o u t i n e " H a v e y o u h e a r d ? Have y o u h e a r d ? " is f o u n d in m a n y variations in scripts of Narukami. It s e e m s t o have been used first in the 1 6 9 8 p r o d u c t i o n and so w a s a well-established piece of business b y 1 7 4 2 . T w o , t h r e e , or f o u r m o n k s m a y appear.

135

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

WHITE C L O U D : Gates? Y o u ' r e going all t h e way d o w n t o t h e t e m p l e for it? T h e r e ' s no s t o r e h o u s e here. BLACK C L O U D [grinning]

: Yes there is. T o groin a phrase, t h e m e d i c i n e is u p

m y c r o t c h . Isn't t h a t a p e r f e c t hiding place f o r something precious? Besides, crotch heat will hold t h e m e d i c i n e at j u s t the right t e m p e r a t u r e for drinking. [ H e produces

a small bottle

legs ] Here. [Takes a wine cup from

of rice wine from

his sleeve

between

bis

] And here. [Offers

them.]

Here you are. WHITE C L O U D : Dissolute, defiled, c o r r u p t e d , f i l t h y , worldly, dirty m o n k ! BLACK C L O U D : It's just a little wine. WHITE C L O U D : Lord B u d d h a has e n j o i n e d m u r d e r , thetL lust, lies, and d r u n k e n n e s s . In t h e midst of our Master N a r u k a m i ' s strict m e d i t a t i o n d o y o u dare break t h e B u d d h a ' s c o m m a n d m e n t ? BLACK C L O U D : It keeps off t h e d a m p n e s s . WHITE C L O U D [chuckling

in spite of himself]

BLACK C L O U D [raises bottle

•. So it does.

over his head] : Since m y elder o b j e c t s , how-

ever, I'll smash this b o t t l e t o bits on t h e r o c k . WHITE C L O U D : N o , n o ! What a sacrilege it w o u l d be to waste Lord Buddha's b o u n t y , f o r is n o t rice, multiplied a t h o u s a n d t i m e s t e n - t h o u s a n d grains, n a t u r e ' s source of sake? It would b e b e t t e r if w e m u s t eliminate the sake t o d o so . . . by d r i n k i n g it! P e r h a p s I'll have a sip. [BLACK C L O U D pours a cup. WHITE C L O U D downs

it and sighs.

Music

stops. 1 A h h . You k n o w , w h e n I toss off a c u p like t h a t , 1 feel as if I w a s being b o r n in B u d d h a ' s promised paradise. I'll p o u r f o r y o u . BLACK C L O U D [drinks]

: H m m , very g o o d . But t h e r e ' s n o t h i n g t o go with it.

WHITE C L O U D : Yes t h e r e is, yes t h e r e is. [He brings out a dried octopus between

from

his legs. ] I k n e w we'd get f a m i s h e d . I b r o u g h t an . . .

BLACK C L O U D : O c t o p u s ! A m o n k w h o ' d eat flesh is depraved. Every servant of t h e Buddha t a k e s a nip n o w and t h e n , b u t eating m e a t in Master N a r u k a m i ' s place of m e d i t a t i o n ? I'll tell h i m . WHITE C L O U D : You w o u l d n ' t . BLACK C L O U D : J u s t see if I d o n ' t . [Snatches

octopus.)

Master! Master!

White C l o u d ' s eating o c t o p u s ! WHITE C L O U D [snatches

bottle]

•. Black C l o u d ' s drinking wine! Master

Narukami! BLACK C L O U D : White Cloud smells of fish! [WHITE C L O U D raps BLACK C L O U D sharply knuckles whisked Grotto

to a loud ki clack. The rock curtain

away by S T A G E ASSISTANTS. The sign reads "North Scene. " It is the retreat

name means scene.

on the head with

Thunderbolt.

of N A R U K A M I , a Buddhist

Towering

that plunges

from

right, which looks

above into a gorge below.

tied with sacred white papers, spans the waterfall. pavilion

136

roofed

with thatch

Mountain whose out

onto

A ritual straw

Left, a small,

stands on a rock outcropping.

Saint N a r u k a m i and the G o d F u d o

saint

gray and black rock c l i f f s hem in the

Rock steps ascend to a natural platform,

a waterfall

his

drops to the floor and is

rope,

rustic

The large

drum

booms out Yama Oroshi mountain storm pattern. The two monks kneel on either side of a small flight of steps leading up to the pavilion and piously take out rosaries. STAGE ASSISTANTS remove a blue and white striped curtain by the proscenium arch left. We see an Ozatsuma SINGER and shamisen PLAYER seated on a dais.] OZATSUMA SINGER [sings very slowly, in elaborate style, to deep shamisen music) : In the meantime, the great Saint Narukami, Blocks the flight of Dragon Gods and Goddesses, Confining the earth's rain. Going deep into the mountains, He undergoes strict austerities, Before Buddha's altar. 2 2 [During the song NARUKAMI enters on the hanamichi. He is sunk in meditation. Wearing a thick silver-gray kimono, his hair has been uncut for three months and it reaches his shoulders. He holds a large Buddhist rosary before him. He stops at the seven-three position and turns toward the audience. ] NARUKAMI [rumbling voice] : Hmm. Leaves are blown by the wind; in all things there is cause. [Ozatsuma shamisen plays rapidly as NARUKAMI crosses ponderously to the platform. He kneels, facing the waterfall, and clasps his hands in prayer. ] At this waterfall's rock-crushing stream, human impurity washed away, I bend my spirit to achieve perfect meditation. [He faces the altar above which hangs a scroll painting of Fudd.) Praise to Buddha the all-powerful. Praise to the all-powerful Fudo. |He rings a prayer bell. The curtain covering the Ozatsuma musicians is replaced. The large drum beats steady, suspenseful Taki Oto waterfall pattern. A bell is heard from the end of the hanamichi.) CHORUS [sings offstage right to shamisen accompaniment) : Hail great Guardian God Fudo. Hail great Guardian God Fudo. [The sound of a struck prayer bell mingles with the repeated prayer to Fudo and insistent drum beating of Taki Oto waterfall pattern. The hanamichi curtain opens and TAEMA enters dressed in an elegant red kimono patterned with spring flowers. It is pulled off the right shoulder, showing an inner kimono. A black robe is folded over her arm. Though she strikes a prayer bell, her walk is languorous and extremely sensual. TAEMA pivots in a circle at seven-three looking about. She sees the waterfall, then NARUKAMI. She poses. The music ends. She takes a deliberately provocative pose and calls out in'a pathetic voice.) TAEMA: Help me great Guardian God Fudo. Help me great Guardian God Fudo. 2 2 . T h e syllable c o u n t of the song is u n u s u a l l y irregular ( 5 - 8 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 1 0 - 5 - 7 - 5 ) and is n o t m a i n t a i n e d in t h e translation.

137

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

[She waits to see what effect kneeling.

this will have. N A R U K A M I turns front,

His head is bowed,

his eyes half closed. Still in

N A R U K A M I is scarcely aware of his surroundings. scurries onto the hanamichi She hands him the prayer

A STAGE ASSISTANT

with a tall black stool for T A E M A to sit on. bell and hammer.

Spaced

beats of the small

are heard, first near and then far away, in the pattern "Mountain

Echo, "and

N A R U K A M I [rumbling

still

meditation,

shamisen

gently

drum

called Kodama,

play the same

melody.)

voice] : In t h e m o u n t a i n is total silence, n o t a bird

calls. Strange. T h e n w h y d o I hear t h e s o u n d of prayers t o B u d d h a at this r e m o t e waterfall, deep in t h e m o u n t a i n s w h e r e a h u m a n f o o t s t e p is rare? [Calling in a detached

manner

] White C l o u d . Black C l o u d .

WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [waking and rubbing

their eyes|:

Yes,

Master? N A R U K A M I : Were y o u sleeping? I n d o l e n t m o n k s . WHITE C L O U D : H o w can y o u think t h a t , Master? I w o u l d n ' t d o z e o f f . N o t me. [Points to BLACK C L O U D . ] Black C l o u d was sleeping. BLACK C L O U D [ p o i n t i n g to WHITE C L O U D ] : You were, y o u were. What a thing, accusing me. Dear Master. I k e p t guard with eyes like saucers. I really did. White Cloud was t h e o n e sleeping. WHITE C L O U D : I d i d n ' t d o z e o f f . Y o u did. BLACK C L O U D : You were sleeping, liar. WHITE C L O U D : Y o u were sleeping, d u n c e . BLACK C L O U D : Y o u ! WHITE C L O U D : Y o u ! [They rise on their knees, about N A R U K A M I [undisturbed

to come to

by their foolishness]

blows.] : C o m e . Is this the c o n d u c t of

B u d d h a ' s servants? [They wilt, bowing

their heads. ]

WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Yes, Master. N A R U K A M I : G o o d . Since you say you were n o t sleeping, surely y o u heard just now . . . ? WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Heard . . . j u s t now? N A R U K A M I : . . . in this d i s t a n t g r o t t o a w o e f u l voice invoking B u d d h a ' s n a m e ? Did it only seem t o be? O r was it t r u l y . . . a ghostly spirit? [He pauses. Music stops.

The monks

tremble,

frightened.

]

WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : E h h h h h ? N A R U K A M I [serenely | : Both of y o u . G o to the f o o t of t h e waterfall and see w h a t it is. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : E h h h ? N A R U K A M I : Are y o u going? WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [petrified]

: Yes . . . Master!

WHITE C L O U D [whispering) : Black C l o u d . O u r Master has spoken. You run d o w n and see. BLACK C L O U D : O h , not me. WHITE C L O U D : Yes, go. BLACK C L O U D : A r e n ' t you senior m o n k ?

1 38

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

WHITE C L O U D : I am. What of it? BLACK C L O U D : D o n ' t you r e m e m b e r t h e feast at New Year's. Did I go and eat first? Or did y o u go and eat first? WHITE C L O U D : It was New Year's. Obviously I w e n t first. What of it? BLACK C L O U D : Obviously you go and see first. T h a t ' s what. You should go. WHITE C L O U D : H o w can y o u talk a b o u t feasts and g h o s t s in t h e same b r e a t h ? Since I'm y o u r senior, you should d o w h a t I say. BLACK C L O U D : Really? Every o t h e r time it's " I ' m y o u r senior, I'm y o u r senior, I go f i r s t , " isn't it? You g o first this time. WHITE C L O U D [exasperated]

: Will y o u go?

BLACK C L O U D [waving him away] : A f t e r y o u . WHITE C L O U D : Will you go I tell y o u ! BLACK C L O U D : You go, y o u ! WHITE C L O U D : Dunce! Should I t h u m p y o u r head in? BLACK C L O U D : I'll t h u m p y o u r s b a c k ! [They raise their fists to pummel

each other. N A R U K A M I , beginning

to

get angry, interrupts. ] N A R U K A M I : M o n k s . What are y o u doing? WHITE C L O U D [ l a m e l y ] : A h h . . . coming across a t u r n i p , 1 t h o u g h t 1 would mash it up and o f f e r it m o s t respectfully to y o u , Master. N A R U K A M I : Imbecile. What else should I e x p e c t f r o m y o u . And w h a t d o you say? BLACK C L O U D : Finding this Chinese sweet p o t a t o I t h o u g h t I'd cut it up and b a k e it f o r Master's dinner. [They raise their fists to their foreheads

and bow. ]

N A R U K A M I : You are b o t h fools. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [bowing]

: Yes, Master.

N A R U K A M I : Enough quarreling. G o at once. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [bowing [Shamisen

play Haru wa Hanami. The monks

WHITE C L O U D [turning

lower]

•. Yes, Master.

rise and start to move right. 1

back] : I was ready to g o b e f o r e . Really, 1 would

have gone, b u t you had to m a k e a fuss. BLACK C L O U D : You d i d n ' t think I'd have let you go alone, did y o u ? I would have g o n e with y o u . [Peers ahead. ] O h , isn't it creepy? You go ahead. WHITE C L O U D [waving him to pass] •. You go first. BLACK C L O U D : N o , you go first. WHITE C L O U D : Go o n , go o n , 1 tell y o u . BLACK C L O U D : I'll follow. N A R U K A M I [rumbling] •. Will y o u t w o go! WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D |wailing] •. Yeeesss! [They cautiously to peer ahead.

step forward,

tiptoeing

They fall back, astonished

out of fright.

They bend

by T A E M A ' s beauty. ]

WHITE C L O U D : F a n t a s t i c ! I've never seen a n y t h i n g so b e a u t i f u l ! BLACK C L O U D : First class! Super grade A n u m b e r o n e ! 2 3 2 3 . B l a c k C l o u d r a t e s h e r jojokicbi,

139

the top ranking for a kabuki actor.

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

forward

WHITE C L O U D : But . . . w h a t d o y o u s u p p o s e it can be? BLACK C L O U D : Have y o u g o n e insane? It's a w o m a n . WHITE C L O U D : I k n o w it's a w o m a n , b u t w h a t k i n d ? I t h i n k she's n o t a h u m a n being. BLACK C L O U D : I t h i n k y o u ' r e right. WHITE C L O U D : T h e n w h a t is she? BLACK C L O U D [thinks] : D o I k n o w w h o she is! WHITE C L O U D : Yes? BLACK C L O U D [ a l m o s t swooning] WHITE C L O U D : A n angel? Why?

: S h e ' s an angel!

BLACK C L O U D : T h a t b e a u t i f u l c r e a t u r e is an angel. A n d d o y o u see t h e r o b e over h e r a r m ? It's a r o b e of angel's f e a t h e r s she's b r o u g h t here t o wash b e c a u s e o u r Master's spells have dried u p all t h e w a t e r in t h e w h o l e w o r l d . WHITE C L O U D : Weak h e a d , w e a k eyes. S h e ' s a d r a g o n princess. BLACK C L O U D : Why d o y o u say a d r a g o n princess? WHITE C L O U D : Because, y o u see, t h e i n c a n t a t i o n s of o u r Master have dried the seas, t h e rivers, a n d t h e land until t h e r e is n o place f o r a princess of t h e Dragon G o d of Rain to dwell, e x c e p t this w a t e r f a l l w h i c h h a p p e n s t o be t h e only w a t e r l e f t o n e a r t h . She's c o m e t o j o i n h e r f a m i l y here. T h e r e is n o d o u b t : she is a princess of t h e Dragon G o d of R a i n ! BLACK C L O U D : T h a t ' s b u n k , m o n k . Whales d o n ' t have scales, b u t a dragon god princess does—and I d o n ' t see a n y . I d o n ' t see clams hanging f r o m her sleeves. I d o n ' t see h e r g e t t i n g seaweed plastered in her hair. [Snickers. ] In f r o n t of t h e Master I said g e t t i n g p l a s t e r e d ! L o o k at h e r , she's e x q u i s i t e ! S h e ' s heavenly! WHITE C L O U D : I tell y o u she is a princess of t h e Dragon G o d of R a i n ! BLACK C L O U D : A n d I tell y o u she is an angel w h o has c o m e f r o m heaven! WHITE C L O U D : S h e is a princess! BLACK C L O U D : S h e is an angel! WHITE BLACK WHITE BLACK

CLOUD: CLOUD: CLOUD: CLOUD:

Princess! Angel! J u n i o r m o n k , y o u are c o n t r a d i c t i n g y o u r senior! It's a f r e e c o u n t r y , isn't it?

WHITE C L O U D : O h h h ! I'll thrash y o u w i t h i n an inch of y o u r life! BLACK C L O U D [ m i m i c k i n g \ : O h h h ! I'll p u t y o u in the hospital a n d y o u can f o o t t h e bill! WHITE C L O U D a n d BLACK C L O U D : Y o u ! Y o u ! ! 1 They raise their fists to fight. Music stops. ] N A R U K A M I : Silence. Since y o u will n o t o b e y , y o u shall sit and observe meditation. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : We o b e y y o u r c o m m a n d , Master Narukami. N A R U K A M I : T h e n d o so. I shall see f o r myself. 24. Alluding to the f e a t h e r cloak ( b a g o r o m o ) of t h e celestial b e a u t y w h o comes to earth and is forced to dance to have it r e t u r n e d , an incident dramatized in t h e no

play Hagoromo.

140

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

[Sheepishly

they sit beside the platform

drums play Itcho, "Single Rhythm,

and take out their rosaries.

" N A R U K A M I rises and looks

T A E M A . He rests his hand on a pillar of the pavilion You t h e r e ! You there! [She does not respond.)

and

No toward

calls.)

1 don't understand.

Standing b e f o r e the craggy waterfall, having passed over a m o u n t a i n trail d i f f i c u l t even for beasts of prey or birds, seems t o be an aristocratic female f o r m . H o w u n c a n n y . [Sternly.

] What are you?

T A E M A [ h e l p l e s s l y ] : I . . . Sir? WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [simpering,

mimicking

her] •. I . . . Sir?

N A R U K A M I : Silence. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Yes, Master. N A R U K A M I [firmly]

: I am speaking t o y o u .

T A E M A [lowers her head pathetically

] : I am a w o m a n living at t h e f o o t of

t h e distant m o u n t a i n , w h o has been parted f r o m her dearest h u s b a n d , Sir. N A R U K A M I : Parted f r o m y o u r h u s b a n d ? T A E M A [pretending

to weep] : Yes, y o u r Reverence.

N A R U K A M I : Parted and living, or parted in d e a t h ? TAEMA.- A h ! This is t h e seventh day of t h e seventh week. N A R U K A M I [ s o m b e r l y ] : T h e f o r t y - n i n t h d a y of d e a t h ? T A E M A : Yes, y o u r Reverence. N A R U K A M I [raising the rosary to his forehead]

•• " N a m u A m i d a B u t s u . "

B u d d h a Merciful All Hail, B u d d h a Merciful All Hail. 2 5 [ K o d a m a drum pattern

creates a lonely

mood.

T A E M A looks bashfully

at

N A R U K A M I , then holds out the black robe for him to see. 1 waka

T A E M A : " T h o u g h o n c e a keepsake, y o u are now an e n e m y 1 m u s t a b a n d o n ; can I t h e n perhaps begin t o h o p e f o r f o r g e t f u l n e s s . " 2 6 A n d so I had t h o u g h t to wash f r o m this rough r o b e t h e dust of carnal life, y e t the d r o u g h t is everywhere, wells are dry, s t r e a m s have s t o p p e d . I had heard of a waterfall in t h e venerable m o u n t a i n where, in spite of d r o u g h t , water miraculously never ceases flowing. [Glances innocently

at N A R U K A M I . |

I o n l y wish t o cleanse a w a y past carnal m e m o r i e s , so 1 can begin . . . life a n e w . (Sfce looks at the robe and pretends

to weep. | E n c h a n t i n g

h u s b a n d . I miss you so. Can y o u guess w h a t t h o u g h t fills my h e a r t ? [He does not understand from

what is happening,

but he cannot

take his

eyes

her. ]

N A R U K A M I : What a pitiful tale. It would appear y o u were close to him during y o u r marriage? T A E M A [provocatively]

: He and I were very close. In heaven, like t w o

proverbial birds, sharing o n e eye and o n e wing, inseparable. On e a r t h , t w o trees with b r a n c h e s i n t e r t w i n e d . 2 7 [Smiles secretly.

] When 1 think back

on it, so m a n y interesting things o c c u r r e d . 25. A Buddhist m e m o r i a l service is held f o r the dead o n t h e f o r t y - n i n t h day a f t e r death. 26. A p o e m f r o m the Kokinsbu. 27. F r o m t h e Chogonka, a collection of p o e m s by H a k u r a k u t e n ( 7 7 2 - 8 4 6 ) , a Chinese writer greatly a d m i r e d at t h e Heian c o u r t .

141

Saint N a r u k a m i and the God F u d o

N A R U K A M I [piously] : T h e road t o salvation begins f r o m carnal desire. Each w o r d exchanged with this w o m a n is o r d a i n e d b y Karma. R e p e n t y o u r unforgivable sins f o r his sake in t h e n e x t life. I will hear y o u r confession! I He grasps the rosary in both hands and gazes intently at her. She meets his gaze, then modestly looks away] T A E M A : If I speak, it w o u l d lighten t h e pain in m y h e a r t . [ S h e touches her breast and looks at him. J Should I speak?

delicately

NARUKAMI: Speak! Speak! T A E M A [rising briskly] : Very well, I shall speak. And y e t . . . it is so very far f r o m here t o w h e r e y o u are, t h e w o r d s I speak will n o t reach y o u in these echoing m o u n t a i n s . [Pouting. ] I w a n t t o be near y o u r side w h e n I tell m y story. N A R U K A M I [catching his breath] : T r u e . Y o u r voice mingles with t h e w a t e r ' s roar and is hard t o hear. Y o u shall a p p r o a c h . C o m e near! C o m e near! [He makes a sweeping gesture for her to approach ] T A E M A : T h e n , I will . . . c o m e close to y o u r Reverence's side. [The large drum beats steady Taki O t o waterfall pattern. She moves quickly toward N A R U K A M I , as her S T A G E A S S I S T A N T g o e s o f f with stool and hand properties. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D run to stop her, clucking and waving their arms.] BLACK C L O U D : Y o u m u s t n ' t , y o u m u s t n ' t . WHITE C L O U D : By o u r Master's o r d e r s w o m e n are f o r b i d d e n . . . BLACK C L O U D : . . . within seven miles. 2 8 WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Within seven miles y o u c a n n o t go. WHITE C L O U D : O n e and o n e m a k e t w o . BLACK C L O U D : A n d t w o can m a k e t h r e e . WHITE C L O U D : W o m e n are a b o m i n a t i o n . BLACK C L O U D : Sinful b e y o n d w o r d s . WHITE C L O U D : All hail t h e abacus. Click, click, add it up. O n e plus o n e m a k e s t h r e e . [He mimes counting with the beads of an abacus.] It d o e s n ' t square. BLACK C L O U D [mimes

ringing a prayer

bell] : Ding, ding.

WHITE C L O U D : Ding, ding, ding. BLACK C L O U D : O u t she goes. [They block her way on either side, grinning T A E M A [seeming

to be bewildered]

foolishly.]

•. My, y o u say such strange things.

N A R U K A M I [considers] •. T h e y are right t o say t h e m . No w o m a n m a y a p p r o a c h m y seat of m e d i t a t i o n . H m m . Y o u shall sit with m y m o n k s close b y on either side and speak. S p e a k ! T A E M A : Very well, y o u r Reverence. I will tell m y story here. [She gestures magnanimously for them to sit. Covering their faces to hide their embarrassment, they kneel. Purposely delaying her story, she turns upstage while a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T , dressed in formal kimono and outer garb, takes her sandals and the black robe. She turns coquettisbly to the monks. ] 2 8 . A B u d d h i s t h o l y place w a s t o be k e p t u n d e f i l e d f o r "seven miles in f o u r directions."

142

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

My t w o m o n k s , will y o u listen, t o o ? N A R U K A M I [impatiently] •• If t h e y d o , will you speak? WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : We will, we will. [The monks

put away their rosaries and look at her expectantly.

kneels between

them and takes out a small black fan, partially

face with it. She poses alluringly. tinkling

Shamisen

play Chigusa love music

bells join in. She tells them her story hesitantly,

of seemingly

innocent,

but suggestive,

She covering

pantomime,

her

and

with a great

deal

as / / N A R U K A M I

were not there. ] shikatabanashi

T A E M A : I am embarrassed t o say it, b u t I fell passionately in love w i t h my lord n o t very long ago. It was in t h e m i d d l e of March last year. I had gone cherry-blossom viewing at K i y o m i z u T e m p l e , w h e n a y o u n g lord, scarcely m o r e t h a n t w e n t y , s u d d e n l y rose outside our c a n o p y and p e e k e d in at me, sitting inside our silken walls. [ M i m i n g the action.)

H o w can I describe his

nobility, his sweetness, in words? [Behind

Instantly, I k n e w this

the fan.]

y o u n g lord was t o be . . . m y beloved. WHITE C L O U D [open-mouthed]

: T h o u g h y o u ' d never seen him b e f o r e ?

T A E M A : A h , his sweetness was such t h a t , truly, f r o m the nape of m y neck . . . [Showing

the nape of her neck, she leans toward

him. ]

WHITE C L O U D : . . . a s h u d d e r ? TAEMA: A tremor went through my body. BLACK C L O U D : You quivered? T A E M A : I t r e m b l e d . I turned h o t . [She fans herself.]

I t u r n e d cold. [She

hugs

her breasts. ] WHITE C L O U D : O h h ! I c a n ' t bear it! [The monks

hug their chests,

imagining

the scene. ]

T A E M A : T h e n this y o u n g noble began to tease. First he seemed to be gazing at m y face f r o m afar, t h e n he was n o t . [Pretending

to pout,

she puts

the

fan away. ] WHITE C L O U D : Was it delicious? Was it delicious? BLACK C L O U D : Was it like eating sweet rice b u n s and h o n e y ? T A E M A : My lord then t o o k a fold of letter paper f r o m his breast, d i p p e d a writing brush in black ink, and q u i c k l y c o m p o s e d a p o e m which he ordered my serving maid t o deliver. [Dipping

her finger in ink, she mimes

writing

on the closed fan. 1

WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [ e a g e r l y j : Did he write well? Did he write well? T A E M A : O h , h e did. He did. T h e p o e m he w r o t e was very interesting. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Yes? The p o e m ? waka

T A E M A ["reading"

from

the fan] : "Still yearning to see, o n e w h o m I have

n o t really, seen nor have n o t seen . . . " WHITE C L O U D : "Still yearning to see . . . BLACK C L O U D : . . . one w h o m I have n o t really . . . WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : . . . seen nor have n o t s e e n ? " T A E M A : A h h ! How did the last half of his p o e m go? [/4s she had hoped,

N A R U K A M I ' s interest

is aroused.

the first time during the story. Music stops. ]

143

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

He looks at her for

WHITE C L O U D | s t r i c k e n ] : Is this a thing y o u could forget? BLACK C L O U D : If y o u ' d w r i t t e n it on a p l a q u e y o u could have s t u f f e d it in y o u r sash. T A E M A [ p r e t e n d i n g to think]

: "Still yearning to see, o n e w h o m I have not

really, seen n o r have n o t seen . . . " N A R U K A M I [pleased with himself]

: " C a n I live this way t o d a y , idly passing

t h e t i m e , " is t h e last half of t h e p o e m , is it n o t ? 2 9 [She claps her hand to her breast and looks at him as if he had said the most clever thing in the

world.]

T A E M A : O h h ! T h a t is absolutely right! [The ambiguity

of her response

does not escape N A R U K A M I . He gasps. 1

N A R U K A M I [ t h i c k l y ] •. And t h e n ? A n d t h e n ? What . . . w h a t ! [ With a flourish, elbows

he pulls a small writing

table before

him, plants

his

on it, rests his chin in his hands, and poses in mie, gazing

at her. He holds the pose as she continues. Nanakusa. The tempo

of the story

T A E M A ¡back to the monks]

Shamisen

change to

fixedly faster

increases.]

: Why, y o u ¿ a n ' t imagine h o w interesting it then

became. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : O h , w e can, w e can! T A E M A [ b r i g h t l y ] : Well t h e n I called my m a i d . " G o ask his n a m e , " I said. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [eyes popping]

: Did h e say, did he say?

T A E M A : H a t e f u l m a n , h e d i d n ' t say. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [clapping in mock aggravation]

their hands to their

cheeks

: H o l y B u d d h a ! Holy B u d d h a ! [They foolishly

rub

their rosaries. ] Hail t h e G l o r y of t h e L o t u s S u t r a ! T A E M A : E x a c t l y : I recited t h e F u m o n verse of the L o t u s S u t r a . 3 0 The charity of t h e G o d d e s s of Mercy is a m i r a c u l o u s thing. T h a t night, when o t h e r s were asleep, I rose and f o u n d myself being g u i d e d , alone, t o t h e middle of Saga Plain, w h e r e , I f o u n d , h e lived. WHITE C L O U D a n d BLACK C L O U D . Brave lady, brave lady! T A E M A [drawing back in fright1

: But then, I c a m e t o a broad river.

WHITE C L O U D : N a t u r a l l y , n a t u r a l l y . T h e Big Dam River. T h e C i n n a m o n T r e e River. BLACK C L O U D (snickering] : A f a m o u s river. T A E M A : Of course I w a n t e d to cross, b u t t h e r e was n o bridge, no ferry. [She mimes searching

helplessly.

Then she slaps her thigh in resolve. ]

Since there was n o o t h e r w a y , I fixed m y courage and crossed t h e river at night b y t h e light of t h e stars. As a w o m a n , I did a dauntless thing. W i t h o u t thinking, I t o o k m y skirt . . . [She rises. Ostensibly toward

turning

away from

N A R U K A M I , she delicately

the monks,

but actually

lifts the hem of her kimono

few inches of ankle. He starts and gazes in fascination.

He pushes

turning to show a the

table

29. T h e p o e m is f r o m the Kokinshu and is by A r i w a r a Narihira ( 8 3 3 - 8 8 0 ) , o n e of the Six G r e a t P o e t s of t h e Heian c o u r t . A m a n of N a r u k a m i ' s b a c k g r o u n d could be e x p e c t e d t o k n o w it. 30. T h e t w e n t y - f i f t h verse of t h e L o t u s S u t r a . It invokes K a n n o n Bosatsu, G o d d e s s of M e r c y .

144

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

away, grasping

the rosary in both hands for support.

She turns away as if

embarrassed. ] WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : You edged it up? You edged it up? T A E M A : N o t edge at all. I grasped it firmly and lifted it, entering t h e m i d d l e of the stream. [She is holding accident

the kimono

the front

at thigh level. Lifting

of the kimono

it with a jerk, as if by

opens in N A R U K A M I ' s direction.

grasps the rosary harder. T A E M A and the monks double

He

now speak with

obvious

meaning. ]

WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Brrr? Wasn't it cold? T A E M A : W i t h o u t a q u a l m , I splashed in. Splash, splash. [She raises the kimono through

and shows her leg each step she wades

the river. The monks

raise their kimonos

seductively

and in turn each

mimics

her. They parade in a circle. ] WHITE C L O U D : Splash, splash. BLACK C L O U D : Splash, splash. [All three wade in unison, gets deeper,

their steps

the monks

simpering

and giggling.

The

water

slow.)

A L L : Splash, splash, splash. Splash. Splash. WHITE C L O U D [as if in ecstacy, BLACK C L O U D [on tiptoe]

waggling his hips) : O h ! D e e p ! D e e p !

: I can't reach t h e b o t t o m !

T A E M A [adjusts her skirt and kneels] WHITE C L O U D [sitting, grinning [The monks deliberate

: In t i m e I reached t h e b a n k .

fatuously]

wring out their kimono

intonation,

: Oh, damp, damp!

bottoms.

She poses and speaks

so that N A R U K A M I cannot

misunderstand

with her

meaning. ] T A E M A : T h o u g h in t h e past I had disliked t h e slightest moistness caused b y dew or love, n o w I pushed aside t h e short grass s u r r o u n d i n g t h e small h o u s e in which m y lord dwelled. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [weakly]

: Did y o u reach y o u r destina-

tion? T A E M A : When I quickly pushed open his rough gate and instantly e n t e r e d , m y lord said, " A h ! Y o u have c o m e ! " [She places her hand on WHITE CLOUD'S thigh ] He t o o k m y h a n d . [She takes BLACK C L O U D ' s hand.] And led m e straight to bed. [She looks down WHITE C L O U D [falling backward] BLACK C L O U D [holding

modestly

]

: R a p t u r e ! I melt!

his hands over his lap] •• I d o n ' t k n o w a b o u t y o u , b u t

I'm as stiff as a log! T A E M A [demurely]

: We exchanged i n t i m a t e stories. We b u r n e d incense and

we d r a n k sake. We hugged and t u m b l e d , t u m b l e d and hugged. Becoming u n r u l y in o u r passion, we e n d e d having a lover's quarrel. [Miming lovers.]

" O h , s t o p i t . " " W h a t if 1 d o n ' t ? " "I'll pinch y o u . " [She

both pinches

WHITE C L O U D . ] "I'll hit y o u . " " J u s t t r y it o n c e . " "Well, I w i l l , " I said, and hit m y lord on t h e head. [She slaps their bald heads. The hold their heads and wail. ] WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Wah! Wah! N A R U K A M I [entranced,

145

he rises and poses with one foot

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

on the top siep) :

And t h e n . And t h e n . Y e s . . . w h a t t h e n ? T A E M A [rising on her knees,

miming)

: Very soon o u r quarrel grew heated.

"I'll leave." " N o , y o u will n o t leave." " I shall if I w a n t , " I said as I rose t o go. He grasped m y sleeve. " Y o u are t o o h e a r t l e s s , " he said. " T r y t o s t o p m e if you w a n t ; 1 m u s t leave." " N o , s t a y . " " G o o d b y e , " I pulled my sleeve and b r o k e away . . . [ N A R U K A M I is pulled, forward,

like the lover, toward

T A E M A : he takes two

sways, and, to loud Y a m a Oroshi mountain

batan tsuke beats, falls down the ground.

The monks

the steps unconscious.

rush to either side of

storm pattern

steps

and

He lies huddled

on

him.]

WHITE C L O U D : Master! Master! BLACK C L O U D : Master has f a i n t e d ! WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [waving their arms helplessly

] : Master,

Master! T A E M A [innocently] [The monks

: Dear Reverend.

lift N A R U K A M I to a sitting position.

rushes to the waterfall,

as the large drum loudly

T A E M A hestitates, beats Taki O t o

then

waterfall

pattern. ] WHITE C L O U D [on N A R U K A M I ' s right] : A h h ! His whole b o d y . . . BLACK C L O U D [on his left] [TAEMA mimes

dipping

. . . has g r o w n cold. up water with her long kimono

sleeve. She rises

to bring it to N A R U K A M I , but it spills. She puts her face into the

water,

rises, and hurries to N A R U K A M I . She kneels beside him and, placing

her

lips against his, gives him the water. She massages his breast gently. monks

gasp. Feigning

face to the ground. T A E M A [softly]

embarrassment,

The

she backs away and kneels with

her

Music stops. ]

•. My Saint, m y Saint.

N A R U K A M I [suddenly

opens his eyes, his face unbelieving]

: Companion

monks? WHITE C L O U D : Praise t o B u d d h a . . . BLACK C L O U D : . . . Master has revived. N A R U K A M I : S o m e t h i n g n o t of priestly n a t u r e has o c c u r r e d . Engrossed w i t h o u t k n o w i n g it b y t h e w o m a n ' s tale, I fell u n c o n s c i o u s f r o m m y seat of m e d i t a t i o n . Y e t , t h o u g h m y senses had fled, I t h i n k I felt a cool d r o p of water e n t e r m y m o u t h and revive m e . T A E M A [modestly]

: Yes, it h a p p e n e d . F r o m m y m o u t h t o yours, I trans-

ferred w a t e r f r o m t h e s t r e a m . N A R U K A M I [looks wonderingly

at her] •. E h h ? Was t h e o n e w h o placed a d r o p

of cool w a t e r on m y lips . . . y o u ? T A E M A [bowing]

•. Yes, y o u r Reverence.

N A R U K A M I : A n d t h e o n e w h o pressed their flesh t o mine t o w a r m m y breast . . . was y o u ? T A E M A [bowing[

: Yes, y o u r Reverence.

N A R U K A M I [considering] [Suddenly

: Hmm.

he leaps to his feet and strikes her to the ground.

Y a m a Oroshi mountain

storm pattern

M o n k s , watch h e r !

146

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

loudly.]

Drum

beats

[ N A R U K A M I swiftly at her. The monks

returns

to the pavilion.

He turns and glares

drop to their knees facing

savagely

TAEMA.]

A h h ! Dangerous female! [Music changes to Mizuki Sanju, "Moistness, N A R U K A M I speaks rapidly,

rhythmically,

"played

by

shamisen.

with great force. ]

In ancient times t h e r e was a priest in India f r o m Benaras called t h e Holy O n e - H o r n e d Wizard. 3 1 Such was his wizardry h e r o d e t h e clouds, he walked o n water, until t h e d a y t h e Dragon G o d s of Rain deluged t h e g r o u n d with endless d o w n p o u r , w h e n u n t h i n k i n g l y t h e Holy H e r m i t slipped and fell into a valley far b e l o w . Enraged, h e cursed all t h e Dragon G o d s living b e t w e e n t h e heavens and t h e seas, saying, " Y o u caused t h e rain which caused t h e m u d d y earth t o cast m e d o w n . " With angry eyes the size of wagon wheels t h e H o l y Wizard imprisoned all o f f e n d i n g G o d s of Rain. [Slowly. ] H e sealed t h e m in a rock cave m a d e magically inviolate by h o l y p r a y e r s h u n g u p o n a sacred r o p e . D r o u g h t seized t h e w o r l d , fields whirled with dust, everywhere t h e p e o p l e s u f f e r e d . T h e n t h e E m p e r o r of t h a t t i m e conceived a plan by which t h e p o w e r of this Wizard w o u l d be d e s t r o y e d . He called i n t o his presence t h a t lady of the court m o s t p e r f e c t in c o u n t e n a n c e , L a d y Sendara, and said t o her, " G o t o the g r o t t o w h e r e t h e h e r m i t dwells and with y o u r sensual charms seduce this m a n so rain will fall." Vowing this, she sought him o u t , b e w i t c h e d him with her sexual charms, and b r o k e his secret spells. [More and more rapidly. ] Black clouds filled the sky, rains deluged t h e land in t o r r e n t s day and night, until, m o i s t e n e d , trees, grass, and t h e five grains came alive again. T h a t silkg o w n e d w o m a n d r o w n e d in lust a wizard of such p o w e r as he! C o n f e s s it, w o m a n ! Like her you are o r d e r e d b y t h e E m p e r o r to d i s r u p t m y meditation! [Music fades to silence. ] A n d the o n e w h o has i n s t r u c t e d y o u can be n o o t h e r master of occult arts t h a n A b e K i y o y u k i ! Well? Answer in a b s o l u t e t r u t h , or on this s p o t you kuriage

shall be ripped to pieces and f l u n g a w a y ! Well! Well! Speak! [He glares fixedly

at her, plants

his right foot

on the top step, whirls

rosary over his head in his left hand, and poses in a fierce

mie to

the

battari

tsuke beats. ] T A E M A : Y o u r suspicions o v e r w h e l m me. In t r u t h it was m y f o n d e s t d r e a m to b e c o m e y o u r Reverence's disciple, b u t you allowed n o o n e t o a p p r o a c h . T h e n , distracted by y o u r presence I told y o u of m y i n t i m a t e affairs. N o w , since you d o u b t m e , it is useless to go on living. [She weeps pathetically, toward

then suddenly

rises and gestures

distractedly

the waterfall. ]

I shall sink myself in t h e pool of t h e waterfall! May death vindicate m y i n t e n t i o n s ! Yes! [Drum loudly

beats Taki O t o waterfall

breast dramatically,

she rushes toward

pattern.

Pressing her hands to her

the falls. ]

N A R U K A M I : S t o p her, m o n k s ! 31. T h e a c c o u n t is almost identical t o t h a t in b o o k thirty-seven of t h e (ca. 1 3 6 4 - 1 3 7 4 ) and is u n d o u b t e d l y f r o m t h a t source.

147

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

Taiheiki

WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D : Yes, Master! Wait, please! Please, lady! [They seize her by the arms at the brink of the fall and bring her back. ] T A E M A [ h e l p l e s s l y ] : No, no. Let m e go. Please let m e die. [She falls to her knees struggling,

as they continue

O t o fades away. N A R U K A M I stands struck

to hold her arms. Taki

with admiration.

[

N A R U K A M I : What i m p e t u o s i t y . In spite of o n c e having sinned, y o u r face radiates y o u r t r u e c h a r a c t e r . A d m i r a b l e . [Gravely.)

Y o u m u s t n o t die, for

salvation does n o t lie in d e a t h . T A E M A [meekly[ •. Y e t , t h o u g h I live . . . N A R U K A M I : B e c o m e a n u n . B e c o m e a priestess. T A E M A : Ehh? [She breaks away from N A R U K A M I [warming

the monks.

to the subject[

They kneel to her right. [ : N a r u k a m i will administer y o u r tonsure.

You will b e c o m e a disciple of B u d d h a . T A E M A [wide-eyed]

: D o you m e a n t h a t I m a y receive t h e t o n s u r e at y o u r

hands, b e c o m i n g a pupil of y o u r very o w n ? NARUKAMI: You may. T A E M A : Can this be true? N A R U K A M I : Does N a r u k a m i speak lightly or tell lies? [He poses, proud submissive

and pleased

little gestures

with himself.

She bows, making

as if overwhelmed

by his masculine

grateful, generosity.

]

T A E M A : O h h ! Master, I t h a n k y o u f r o m t h e d e p t h s of m y h e a r t . WHITE C L O U D : Whew. I'm glad it's settled. BLACK C L O U D [grinning]

: So am I. Now w h e n m y habit tears I can get it

sewn. We're in luck. [ N A R U K A M I draws a straw mat forward

and sits cross-legged. 1

N A R U K A M I : M o n k s , go d o w n t h e m o u n t a i n . Bring razor and c o m b for t h e t o n s u r e , and r e t u r n . WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [apprehensively]

: What, go?

N A R U K A M I [glaring at them ] : Y o u w o n ' t go? WHITE C L O U D : We're going, w e ' r e going. But . . . it's getting d a r k . BLACK C L O U D : C o u l d n ' t we go t o m o r r o w ? N A R U K A M I : Do y o u revere y o u r m a s t e r ' s w o r d s ? Y o u have said y o u will go. Y o u should disappear. WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D |sighing) : Yes, Master. [Drum beats quiet Taki O t o waterfall sandals. Chattering

and grumbling,

pattern.

They rise and put on their

they move toward

the hanamichi.

]

WHITE C L O U D : Disappear. Disappear. I can disappear. [Rhythmically.]

But

when we vanish, t h e Master . . . BLACK C L O U D : . . . and t h a t w o m a n . . . WHITE C L O U D and BLACK C L O U D [turning

back to look]

. . . will be

alone t o g e t h e r ! N A R U K A M I [glowering]

: What?

[The monks

exchange

their cheeks,

like a fat woman,

knowing

glances and grin foolishly. and use girlish folk-dance

They puff gestures

WHITE C L O U D : G o d d e s s of Happiness! G o d d e s s of Happiness!

148

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

]

out

BLACK CLOUD: Happy because she was . . . WHITE CLOUD and BLACK CLOUD: . . . a priest's wife! 3 2 Ha, ha, ha! NARUKAMI: Rapscallions, both of you! [They run laughing to seven-tbree. Drumming stops.) WHITE CLOUD: Scold us as much as you want, Master is a snapping turtle 33

BLACK CLOUD: . . . poking up . . . WHITE CLOUD: . . . against the Lady! [ With closed fist, he gestures, j BLACK CLOUD- Oh, Master! WHITE CLOUD and BLACK CLOUD [salaciously] : Poke, poke! Paddle, paddle! [Large drum and bell play religious Zen no Tsutome, "Zen Prayer, " as the CHORUS sings the folk song Zubonboe to lively shamisen accompaniment. One monk waves his arms weakly and pokes stupidly about, exploring with his head, miming a presumably old and lethargic turtle, as the other laughs and waggles his hips, j CHORUS [singing offstage) : Zubonbo ya! Poke, poke! Zubonbo ya! Paddle, paddle! How scandalous having as a mate, An old turtle paddling in my pond. Zubonbo ya! (They laugh and point accusingly at NARUKAMI. They wave goodbye and dance o f f down the hanamichi as the audience applauds. Music stops. ] NARUKAMI: Foolish fellows! Detestable pair! [She looks coyly up at him and bows very slowly. 1 TAEMA: And now, my teacher . . . ? NARUKAMI: Already you call me teacher. If I am your teacher, you must become my pupil. Maintain a pure heart, and soon you will be ordained a nun. TAEMA [drawing back] : When they return with the razor, will you cut off all my hair? NARUKAMI: You'll have a clean-shaven pate before you know it! [She cries piteously. He looks bewildered.) Why do you cry? TAEMA [weakly, between sobs] : When I think my black hair, each strand of which I smoothed a thousand times, is to be cut and thrown away . . . NARUKAMI [touched] : You weep in sorrow? TAEMA: I do. [Turning away, as if weeping, she thinks. Suddenly she rises on her knees and presses her fingers to her breast. She gasps and cries out in pain. She 3 2 . A pun on the w o r d "priest's wife."

daikoku,

which m e a n s both " G o d o f F o r t u n e " and

3 3 . T h e snapping turtle as a m e t a p h o r for the male sex organ is found in popular songs o f t h e period.

149

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

does this several

times,

mountain

pattern

storm

as the large drum

beats ominous

Y a m a Oroshi

.]

Ahh! Ahh! Ahhhh! N A R U K A M I : W h a t is it? W h a t is t h e m a t t e r ? T A E M A : T h e s o r r o w I feel has b r o u g h t o n a s p a s m . . . a h h h h ! [She gasps pitifully helplessly

and her body

weaves from

side to side. He

stands

by her. ]

N A R U K A M I : H o w d r e a d f u l . We d o n ' t h a v e m e d i c i n e . A h ! I c o u l d m a s s a g e your back. T A E M A : I a m t o o m u c h t r o u b l e , d e a r M a s t e r . [She has another N A R U K A M I [righteously]

spasm ]

: In case of sickness all barriers are cast aside.

Here, n o w . H e r e , n o w . [With naive self-righteousness rubs her shoulders. T A E M A [tiny, nureba

he stands

The drumming

innocent

voice]

behind

stops.

her and very

Her cries subside.

properly Silence. ]

: T h e r e is p a i n in m y a b d o m e n ,

N A R U K A M I : A h , t h e s o u r c e of p a i n m u s t b e in t h e p i t of y o u r solar p l e x u s . I h a v e t h e p o w e r t o c u r e s p a s m s b y t h e laying o n of h a n d s . H e r e , n o w . Here, n o w . [/Is before, placing

he approaches

his left hand

his task with

on her shoulder,

hand into the breast

utmost

seriousness.

and deliberately

of her kimono.

He

kneels,

inserts his

He rubs a moment,

right

then stops ]

D o e s t h a t feel g o o d ? A m I r e a c h i n g t h e seat of y o u r distress? share

T A E M A [innocently

leans against

N A R U K A M I [rubbing]

[His hand goes deeper back.

He stands

in

T A E M A [meekly]

him]

: Y o u r kind hands touch m y heart.

: T h e r e , t h e r e . Is t h a t b e t t e r ? Is it b e t t e r ? inside

her kimono.

Suddenly

he starts,

and

falls

amazement.]

: What have y o u d o n e ?

N A R U K A M I : My . . . m y hand t o u c h e d a w o n d e r f u l thing. T A E M A [innocently]

•• A n d w h a t w a s t h a t ?

N A R U K A M I : F o r t h e f i r s t t i m e since I w a s b o r n , m y h a n d has b e e n inside a w o m a n ' s k i m o n o . T h e r e , o n t h e m i d d l e of y o u r c h e s t , m y h a n d t o u c h e d s o m e t h i n g s o f t , like t w o p i l l o w s h a n g i n g d o w n w i t h little h a n d p u l l s o n the front. T A E M A [chiding] embarrassed.]

: A n d y o u are called t e a c h e r ? [She hides her face as if T h e y are b r e a s t s . . . y o u r R e v e r e n c e .

N A R U K A M I [genuinely

surprised]

: Breasts? Is t h a t so? T h e b r e a s t s t o w h i c h

I w a s i n d e b t e d w h e n , as a child, I g r a t e f u l l y d r a n k m y m o t h e r ' s m i l k ? W h a t is a m o n k , t h a t h e f o r g e t s s u c h a t h i n g as b r e a s t s ? I a m d u l l , like a w o o d e n bridge.34 [He strikes

his head in wonder. ]

T A E M A : S u c h p u r i t y is l a u d a b l e , M a s t e r . N A R U K A M I : A n d n o w , I shall d i s c o v e r t h e s o u r c e of y o u r illness. [No longer

serious,

he shows

She rises on her knees

innocent

delight

to be more accessible.

in what he has He stands

behind

discovered. her,

with

34. "To people he seems like a wooden bridge," in Tsurezuregusa (1330-1331) by Kenko Hoshi.

150

Saint Narukami and the God F u d o

k

feet planted gestures,

widely

apart, bis hand in ber kimono.

his face shining with joy.

He rubs with

Their bodies sway from

broad

side to side. ]

Here n o w , here n o w . A h , yes. Yes! Here are t h e breasts! H o w r o u n d and p l u m p t h e y are. [Hi's hand goes lower. ] Beneath t h e m lies t h e s t o m a c h , c r a m p e d b e f o r e it n o w lies s o f t to m y t o u c h . [Handgoes

lower.]

N e x t we

reach t h e navel, Divine Seat of Life, Heaven's C e n t e r . [Hand goes lower. ] Below Heaven's C e n t e r , t h e Sea of Seducing V a p o r s . [Hand goes lower. \ Below t h e Sea of Seducing Vapors, B u d d h a ' s Pure Paradise! [He holds

her

tightly. ] Is m y touch pleasing? [They pose. Although transformation Still feigning

he does not move, we see through

into a creature innocence,

T A E M A [scarcely audible [With a choked

his face

his

of raging lust. Finally he looks down

she returns

at her

his gaze. ]

voice] : Master . . . no m o r e .

cry he rubs her

deliriously.]

N A R U K A M I : A h h h ! I a d o r e y o u ! I w o r s h i p y o u ! My h o p e of reaching B u d d h a ' s Highest Paradise is g o n e . O n l y let m e dwell in the b o t t o m of the lowest level of h e a v e n ! 3 5 [He embraces the

her in both arms. She escapes and they both fall back

onto

ground.]

T A E M A [feigning

surprise]

: Master. My Saint. What are y o u . . . ?

[He faces her on all fours, pleading. recognizable.

His voice is slow, harsh, almost

un-

)

N A R U K A M I : Would y o u say . . . 1 am mad? T A E M A [ c a r e f u l l y ] : This is n o t y o u r t r u e n a t u r e . N A R U K A M I : Would y o u say . . . B u d d h a is o f f e n d e d ? T A E M A : Y o u are a saintly m o n k w h o could n o t o f f e n d B u d d h a . [He rushes to her, seizes her arm, and shakes it violently. He towers

She pulls

away.

over her. ]

N A R U K A M I : I am d a m n e d ! I am d a m n e d ! Still living, b u t fallen i n t o hell! T h o u g h d a m n e d , t h o u g h sinking, w h a t do I care! What d o I care! B u d d h a himself was first a m o r t a l . He had a wife as Prince Shitta, h e had children. Say yes! Say yes t o m e ! [He advances;

she edges away trembling. ]

R e f u s e m e and I shall t r a n s f o r m myself on this very spot into a devil! I shall d e v o u r t h a t b e a u t i f u l t h r o a t and carry y o u i n t o hell with m e ! [She buries her face in her kimono tortured. kuriage

sleeve with a little cry. His face is

His voice is terrible. ]

W o m a n ! Well! Well! What is . . . y o u r . . . answer!! T A E M A [pretending

fear but actually

toying

with him] : My dear Saint . . .

N A R U K A M I (pressing] : Do n o t r e f u s e m e ! T A E M A : Y o u r Reverence . . . N A R U K A M I [voice rising to a scream] T A E M A [prolonging

: Do not . . . refuse . . . me!

his agony as long as she can before

speaking]

: Yes,

m y Teacher. 35. T h e three levels of B u d d h i s t paradise are each divided i n t o t h r e e levels. N a r u k a m i h a d h o p e d t o achieve t h e first level b u t n o w is c o n t e n t w i t h t h e lowest, or n i n t h , level of salvation. P e r h a p s an e r o t i c allusion as well.

151

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

NARUKAMI: Ahhh! [He collapses

to the floor

is the naive and happy

in relief.

His lust evaporates

and once more

he

monk. ]

T A E M A [ c h i d i n g ) : W h o ever w a l k e d t h e p a t h of love w i t h such a f a c e as y o u r s . It w a s f r i g h t e n i n g . N A R U K A M I : B u t . . . b u t will y o u ? T A E M A [sweetly

] : If y o u w a n t , I will.

N A R U K A M I [like an eager child]

: D e a t h will b e painless! T o p a r a d i s e ! 3 6

Come, come! [He rises gleefully

and takes her hand, pointing

coyness,

him back.

she pulls

He kneels

beside

to the pavilion.

Pretending

her ]

T A E M A : Y o u ' r e in such a h t f r r y . Tell m e , d e a r T e a c h e r , are y o u d e t e r m i n e d t o make me y o u r wife? N A R U K A M I : T h e r e is a rule f o r m a r r i a g e : p l u n g e h e a d l o n g i n t o t h e p o o l . T A E M A : C o m e n o w , d o w a i t a bit. If y o u w a n t t o m a r r y , I will, b u t a m o n k f o r a h u s b a n d is h a t e f u l . [She turns away N A R U K A M I [jovially]

pouting.]

: T h e y say a m o n k is g o o d m e d i c i n e f o r b e r i b e r i .

T A E M A : Will y o u q u i t t h e p r i e s t h o o d if I ask? N A R U K A M I : I'll d o it this m i n u t e . TAEMA: You'll become a man? N A R U K A M I : A n d f i x m y hair in t h e latest f a s h i o n . T A E M A : [wheedling]

: Will y o u , h o n e s t l y ?

N A R U K A M I : I s w e a r b y t h e F o u n d e r of B u d d h i s m ! [He holds

the rosary

up to his forehead.

She

flounces.]

T A E M A : H m p h . T h a t o a t h s t i n k s of B u d d h a . A n d y o u r n o b l e n a m e t o o , "Saint" Narukami . . . N A R U K A M I [placating

her] : N o w , n o w , I c a n c h a n g e t h e n a m e .

T A E M A : C h a n g e it? T o . . . ? N A R U K A M I [slaps down

the rosary,

and poses proudly]

: T h e lecher, Ichikawa

Danjuro!37 [She smiles,

he laughs heartily

T A E M A [modestly] [He takes both share

at himself.

The audience

applauds.

]

•• We will b e a loving c o u p l e . of her hands

and rises. ]

N A R U K A M I : C o m e , c o m e , l e t ' s begin o u r p l a y ! [The audience T A E M A [shaking

laughs at the

pun.]

him o f f ] : A g a i n , y o u w a n t t o rush so. B e f o r e w e b e c o m e a

c o u p l e , I w a n t t o d r i n k o u r b e t r o t h a l c u p of w i n e . N A R U K A M I [agreeably] T A E M A [surprised]

: We will, w e will. We'll d r i n k t h e c u p . We have w i n e .

: Ehh?

N A R U K A M I : A n d w e h a v e a sake c u p . [A bell tolls in the distance. the background.

Shamisen

N A R U K A M I crosses

play

Kin A i k a t a , "Bell Melody,"

up to the rocks by the pavilion

36. Rertdai, " l o t u s p l a t f o r m , " where t h e statue of B u d d h a stands. L o t u s also implies paradise, in this case sexual bliss. 37. Ichikawa D a n j u r o Sukebei. A pun on the w o r d sukebei (lecher), n o t a proper name b u t sounding very much like one because its t w o characters are used in many c o m m o n names ( S a A i r o k u , Gonsuke, M o n n o s u k e , S h i n i e i , Sembei, M a m i f i ) .

152

Saint Narukami and the God F u d o

in and

receives from

a formally

"cup, "almost

twenty

dressed

S T A G E A S S I S T A N T a red

inches across, and a wooden

lacquered

cask of wine.

Chuckling,

he shows them to her. J T h e little m o n k s t h o u g h t t h e y could hide these f r o m me by the waterfall, b u t 1 saw t h e m . [He sits, placing cask and cup between

them.)

T A E M A : W o n d e r f u l . Wishes c o m e t r u e . (Picking up the cask.]

Here, you shall

drink first. N A R U K A M I [protesting]

: N o , no. I've heard the p r o p e r way is t h a t t h e wife

drinks first, then passes t h e cup to t h e h u s b a n d . T A E M A : What a clever thing t o say. N A R U K A M I : Here, here. [He pours ] T A E M A : N o t t o o m u c h , n o t t o o m u c h . I d r i n k t o our t w o existences, now and in t h e f u t u r e . [Daintily

she drinks

the wine in three sips, as prescribed

in the

wedding

ritual, then passes the cup to him. She takes the cask, but he will let her

not

pour.]

N A R U K A M I : N o , no. T A E M A [hurt] •. Why not? N A R U K A M I [embarrased,

blurts it out] •• I haven't t o u c h e d a d r o p in m y life.

I even h a t e c u c u m b e r s pickled in wine. T A E M A : It m a y have been all very well t o abstain b e f o r e , b u t w h e n you t a k e a w i f e it is p r o p e r t h a t y o u should d r i n k . N A R U K A M I : But if it's something I c a n ' t stand? T A E M A [turning

away, piqued]

: When I tell y o u t o drink, will y o u not drink?

N A R U K A M I [bows contritely] •. I will d o it. I will d o it. T A E M A [still angry] : Leave m e alone. N A R U K A M I : Fill my cup, please, while 1 say I was wrong. I was w r o n g . [Music stops.

They ad-lib much chatter

wine on him and he hesitantly

accepts.

back and forth

as she presses

cup until it is full to the brim. He lifts it to drink but the smell turns stomach.

She sniffs disdainfully

ominous

Doro-doro. He gathers his courage and buries his face in the

drinking

without

his

at him. He strikes a pose. Large drum

pause until it is drained.

the altar of the pavilion

the

She pours more and more sake in the

The painting

burns and disappears.

beats cup,

of Fudo hanging

He sits up, gasping.

in

His head

reels. ] T A E M A : H o w d o you feel? N A R U K A M I : For t h e first time since I was born, 1 have d r u n k sake. My stomach has t u r n e d upside d o w n . [He shivers and hugs himself [She moves behind

him and provocatively

puts her arms around

shoulders. ] T A E M A : S o o n y o u will grow h o t , I promise. N A R U K A M I [politely]

•. I r e t u r n t h e cup t o y o u .

T A E M A : I d o n ' t w a n t to hear " r e t u r n " d u r i n g o u r nuptials. N A R U K A M I : T h e n let us say " t a k e b a c k ? " T A E M A : " T a k e b a c k " is even worse.

15 3

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

] I'm cold. his

N A R U K A M I [ b o w i n g with exaggerated

politeness]

: Well t h e n , please accept

this cup as an h u m b l e g i f t . T A E M A : You shall drink in celebration. [Although

he protests,

N A R U K A M I [feebly]

she begins to refill the cup. ]

: I can d r i n k n o m o r e .

T A E M A [angry] : Will y o u n o t d o w h a t I tell y o u ? N A R U K A M I [sheepishly,

holding

the cup to his forehead

and bowing]:

Ah,

ah! Fill it, I beg y o u . TAEMA: That's better. N A R U K A M I : P o u r it full t o t h e brim. [She leans forward

on her knees to pour. Suddenly

she pulls back in

fright.] TAEMA: Ahhh! N A R U K A M I : What is it? T A E M A [hands to her breast] : In t h e m i d d l e of t h e cup . . . is a snake! N A R U K A M I [laughing]

What silliness. T h e r e is n o t h i n g . . .

T A E M A : T h e r e is. N A R U K A M I : . . . here. L o o k . [He looks and is startled.]

A h , I see. It's n o t a

snake. T h a t is the sacred r o p e . 3 8 See. [He stamps forward points

with his left foot

and brings the cup near her. He

into the cup, then at the rope across the waterfall.

With a great

show of fear, she looks first into the cup then up at the straw

rope.]

T A E M A : Indeed, it is a sacred r o p e . N A R U K A M I Ilaughing heartily]

: Ha, ha, ha! Y o u are a timid o n e !

T A E M A [casually ] : What kind of r o p e is it? N A R U K A M I [proudly]

: T h a t is a m i r a c u l o u s r o p e .

TAEMA: Oh. And why? N A R U K A M I : A secret t o o precious t o b e s p o k e n t o a n y o n e ! T A E M A [submissively]

: Ah.

[She backs away, as if accepting glances surreptitiously Her display caution. softly

of timidity

but from

has made him feel masterful,

He poses. A distant in the background.

his refusal,

time to time

at the rope. He lifts and drains the enormous temple

and he

bell tolls. Shamisen

she cup.

abandons

play Kin Aikata

]

N A R U K A M I : I nurse a h a t r e d f o r t h e E m p e r o r and have imprisoned all t h e Dragon G o d s of t h e world in this g r o t t o . [Bell tolls.]

Hung with secret

prayers, t h e sacred r o p e b i n d s t h e m . [He puts the cup down and on one elbow, feeling confides

the effects

of the

wine,

in her. ]

C u t t h e rope and escaping, t h e Dragon G o d s will bring d o w n f l o o d s and t o r r e n t s of rain. Ha, ha, h a ! [He falls over, laughing

loudly.

The bell tolls. He faces her on all fours. ]

A b s o l u t e l y , d o n o t speak of this. T A E M A : If t h e r o p e is c u t . . . will rain fall? H o w remarkable. S h o u l d I . . . 38. Shime,

154

a b r a i d e d straw r o p e s y m b o l i z i n g and ensuring p u r i t y in S h i n t o .

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e God F u d o

[She looks at the rope and almost rushes to it. The bell tolls. She catches herself and quickly picks up the wine cask. | . . . pour more wine? Come. [She overcomes his feeble protests and pours a full cup of wine. He gulps it down and sits in a blissful daze. ] NARUKAMI: Ah! "North Mountain Cherry" is the name of a famous play! 3 ' TAEMA [wheedling] : You must drink three cups for marriage. But don't if you don't like me. NARUKAMI: 1 didn't say I didn't like . . . [His voice fades o f f . He holds out the cup for her to fill, drains it, and falls over on his side. Music stops. | Around and around . . . and . . . around . . . TAEMA: Master Narukami. [She helps him sit up. He rises unsteadily and takes her hand. | NARUKAMI: Come. TAEMA: Yes.

waka share engo

CHORUS ( o f f s t a g e , sings to shamisen accompaniment, indicating the passing of time) : No sooner used to, Our evening's rain of pleasure, when the dawn of morning comes; The sleeves of your sleeping robe, dampened in the morning mist. 4 0 [He leads her up the steps to the pavilion. She poses by the pillar, looking at the sacred rope. He draws her into his arms and they sink to the floor of the pavilion before the altar. He places a hand on her thigh. She leans against his chest. The blinds are lowered hiding them. A STAGE ASSISTANT clears away the cask and wine cup. Music ends. 1 TAEMA [from inside the blind) : Master. Wake up. Please, Master. Wake up . . . wake . . . up . . . [Her voice trails o f f . She knows be will not wake. A side blind is partially raised. The large drum beats Taki Oto waterfall pattern in a steady rhythm, gradually crescendoing through her scene. TAEMA slips out and rushes down to center stage. She kneels, facing the pavilion, and bows contritely. ] Forgive me Narukami. I have been wicked. I did not want your fall, but it was our most gracious Emperor's command. [She bows.\ As 1 promised . . . I will break the spell. [Shamisen and small drums play fast Ishidan, "Rock Steps. " T A E M A quails when she sees how high the rocks are. But she tries to climb the steep rock steps to the waterfall, to scattered batan tsuke beats. Her long court robe hinders her and she trips again and again on the slippery rocks. Slowly she pulls herself up, using a creeping vine for support. At the top she poses to a roar of the large drum and battari tsuke beats. She kneels and unwraps a 39. T h e last part of t h e p l a y ' s full title, " S a i n t N a r u k a m i , t h e G o d F u d o , and N o r t h M o u n t a i n C h e r r y " ( N a r u k a m i Fudo Kitayamazakura). 4 0 . In w a k a f o r m , e x c e p t the third phrase is seven, r a t h e r than the usual five, syllables. " R a i n , " " d a m p e n e d , " and " m i s t " are engo related t o lovemaking.

155

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

short dagger that she takes from her sash. She clasps her hands together in prayer. Music stops. 1 Believing in the Three Jewels of Buddha 4 1 and pressing my head to the ground, I pray to the Twelve Deities of Heaven, the twenty-five Benevolent Gods, and to the Eight Dragon Gods: let rain fall. Believing in the Three Jewels of Buddha, I press my head to the ground. (Taki Oto drum beats swell. She rushes forward to cut the rope with her dagger, but icy spray drives her back. Again and again she tries. At last she forces her way up to the rope and cuts it through, to battari tsuke beats. Flute and stick drum burst into Hayabue, "Quick Flute, "and the large drum plays Ama Oto rain pattern. She falls back in fright as Dragon Gods, one after the other, escape up the falls. The next instant lightning flashes and there is a roar of thunder. To bata-bata tsuke beats she flees onto the hanamichi. She stumbles and falls at seven-three. Silence. She turns back and looks fearfully at the pavilion. Music resumes. She rises, pivots completely, to show her beauty, and, to deliberate bata-bata tsuke beats, moves elegantly down the hanamichi and o f f . Lightning flashes. The large drum beats Kaminari Oto thunder pattern. Loud bata-bata tsuke beats. WHITE CLOUD and BLACK CLOUD lead a dozen white-clad monks onto the two hanamichi. They fold their arms in their sleeves and try to protect their faces from the pouring rain. They call out as they run. ] MONKS: Master! Saint Narukami! I The blinds of the pavilion are raised. In the dim light of the storm we can only make out that NARUKAMI is on his hands and knees, and that his head is down. WHITE CLOUD and BLACK CLOUD hurry up to the steps to greet him. The others remain stage right. \ WHITE CLOUD [relieved] : Ah, Master, here you are. Here you are. Agh! He smells! BLACK CLOUD [covering his nose1 : He's been drinking wine! MONKS: Ahh! Master! [They all notice the hanging ends of the rope. They gape and tremble. 1 WHITE CLOUD: Our Narukami's secret spell has been broken! BLACK CLOUD: The sacred rope is cut, the Dragon Gods . . . MONKS: . . . escaped and gone! WHITE CLOUD: And so the rains . . . MONKS: . . . come pouring down! [Large drum beats furious Ama Oto rain pattern. The monks tremble and hug themselves. ] BLACK CLOUD: Lightning and thunder . . . MONKS: . . . flash and roar! I Lightning flashes, Kaminari Oto thunder pattern swells. The monks fall to their knees, terrified. ] Buddha save us! Buddha save us! [The sound rouses NARUKAMI. He moves, but his face cannot be seen. 1 NARUKAMI [fearsome, demonic voice] : What! It rains! 4 1 . B u d d h a , t h e sutras, and t h e p r i e s t h o o d .

156

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

Lady Taema and Princess Nishiki, b o t h in love with Toyohide, e n t e r simultaneously o n two hanamichi to begin Act III, Scene 1, set in the Imperial Palace Garden. (Kamigata Joruri musicians, in the b a c k g r o u n d , a c c o m p a n y d a n c e s e q u e n c e s in this p r o d u c t i o n . ) (Taema; Nakamura Shikan; Nisbiki: Bando Tamasaburo; Toyohide: Nakamura Senjaku) Page 127

Hayakumo wears the no mask of Okina, the deity of longevity. (Hayakumo:

Morita Kanya) Page 129

Hayakumo's disguise is removed, showing facial makeup which is more villainous than in previous scenes. He reads from the scroll the names of his supporters. " T h e lords w h o sign their names in blood, petitioning me to ascend the throne, are . . . hmm . . . hmm . . . Only Mototsune, Toyohide, and O n o Harumichi remain to oppose m e . " (Hayakumo: Morita Kanya) Page 131

Narukami innocently massages Taema's breast to relieve her pain. "I have the power to cure spasms by the laying on of hands. Here, now. Here, now. Does that feel good? Am I reaching the seat of your distress?" (Narukami. Onoe Shöroku; Taema.- Nakamura Shikan) Page 150

"What silliness. There is nothing here. Look. It's not a snake. That is the sacred rope. See." (Taema: Nakamura Shikan; Narukami: O n o e Shöroku) Page 154 Narukami leads Lady Taema into the pavilion. A rehearsal scene, Englishlanguage production, Department of Drama and Theatre, University of Hawaii (1975). (Taema- Bari Moss; Narukami: James Grant Benton; with director, James R. Brandon) Page 155

Narukami begins his transformation into the Thunder God. His wig and makeup are changed. He drops his kimono top showing a white inner kimono woven with a lightning design. ( N a r u k a m i O n o e Shoroku) Basting threads holding the sleeves of the white inner kimono are pulled out. The kimono top falls to reveal a third kimono embroidered with great orange, red, and yellow flame patterns. Page 157

To signify his abandonment of Buddhism, Narukami rips a sutra in two. He poses in a ferocious mie, holding the ends of the sutra as Stage Assistants lift the costume around him in order to increase his size. ( N a r u k a m i . O n o e Shôroku) Page 158 A group pose during Narukami's brief battle with the Monks: Narukami sits on a human platform, clasps his hands, and holds the Diamond Scepter in his teeth. Monks strike acrobatic poses around him. English-language production, Department of Drama and Theatre, University of Hawaii, directed by James R. Brandon (1987). (Narukami: Steve Waggenseller) Page 158

The imperial envoy, General Sakuramachi, speaks to Taema, "In his beneficence, the Emperor proclaims, 'the marriage to Lord Toyohide, as previously pledged, shall be speedily arranged.' Do you humbly accept his will?" (Retainer: Nakamura Fukusuke; Taema: Nakamura Shikan; Toyohide: Nakamura Senjaku; Sakuramachi: Ichikawa Omezo) Page 160

The Guardian God Fudo, holding sword and rope with which to subdue wrongdoers. A flaming penumbra rises behind him. At his right kneels the Rushana Buddha reincarnated as a child, as dark and fearsome as Fudo himself. (Rushana• Onoe Rokuya; Fudo• Onoe Shoroku) Page 163

The final scene of Saint Narukami and the God Fudo. The God Fudo (rear) is flanked by two attending Bodhisattvas. The troupe's leading actor, playing Prince Hayakumo, mounts a small platform center. The entire cast poses in a final tableau. Page 164

watarizerifu

MONKS [clasping their rosaries] : The rains pour! [Tremendous burst of Ama Oto rain pattern on the large drum.) NARUKAMI: What! It thunders! MONKS: The thunder roars! [Roar of Kaminari Oto thunder pattern. Lightning flashes. J NARUKAMI: Why does the rain pour? [Ama Oto rain pattern. ] Why does the thunder roar? [Kaminari thunder pattern and lightning.] WHITE CLOUD [rising] : Because, dear Master, you were ruined by a woman just now. BLACK CLOUD: We asked her name and where she fled. THIRD MONK: She is Lady Taema of the Clouds . . . FOURTH MONK: . . . most beautiful lady of the Court . . . WHITE CLOUD: . . . by the Emperor's command, come to seduce . . . MONKS: . . . our Master! NARUKAMI [terrible voice] : Ehhh? The woman came to destroy my power? Aghhh! [He lifts his head slowly during the speech. He is transformed; bold black and deep blue lines around his mouth and eyes have turned his face into a mask of ferocious evil. His head is topped with a great bush of black hair. With a cry he rips his rosary in two. He cocks his head, plants his right foot on the top step, flings his arms wide, and poses in a furious mie, to battari tsuke beats. The monks fall to the ground. Shamisen again play Mizuki Sanju in the background. As NARUKAMI speaks, two monks and a STAGE ASSISTANT help him slip off his kimono top, revealing a white kimono with a jagged silver pattern representing lightning. | For each inch of good a foot of evil blocks our way! [He throws down the rosary.] The secret spells are shattered! I have transgressed Buddha's laws and incur Buddha's wrath! So be it then: I shall become a living Thunder God and pursue you, woman, to the ends of the earth! Hah, hah! How easy it will be! [He rises majestically, towering over WHITE CLOUD and BLACK CLOUD. He hurls a sutra to the right, another to the left. They are accordion-folded and they flutter open into long streamers. Again the monks fall. NARUKAMI poses in a ferocious mie. The small curtain stage left drops to show the Ozatsuma SINGER and shamisen PLAYER.1 4 2 OZATSUMA SINGER [accompanied by the shamisen] : Spirit of Thunder and Lightning, Narukami, Concentrating mind and spirit, to search out, To approach and overtake her. [WHITE CLOUD and BLACK CLOUD seize his arms and pull him first one way then the other. With a powerful gesture he throws them o f f ; they fall, pulling out basting threads in his sleeves and a STAGE ASSISTANT pulls down his silver and white kimono top to reveal beneath it a third kimono, silver with a brilliant pattern of orange and yellow leaping flames repre4 2 . A f o r m of narrative singing used in k a b u k i during t h e G e n r o k u p e r i o d and derived f r o m Geki Bushi.

157

Saint Narukami and the God F u d o

senting the power of lightning. The two terrified monks leap down from the pavilion to the ground below. N A R U K A M I rips a sutra in half and throws both halves to the monks. Each holds an end as N A R U K A M I poses in a mie to battari tsuke beats. ] N A R U K A M I I f i e r c e l y ] : East t o O u t e r Beach in O s h u ! [He tosses the other ends of the sutras to the monks pillar right. ]

and crosses to the

O Z A T S U M A S I N G E R : West t o D e m o n Island in Chinzei! [He wraps his left leg and both arms around the pillar, crosses his eyes, and poses in a hashiramaki, or "wrapped-around-a-pillar, "mie, to battari tsuke beats. A S T A G E A S S I S T A N T spreads out the fallen kimono top behind him, to make the figure seem larger and more powerful ] N A R U K A M I : S o u t h to t h e Falls of Nachi in K u m a n o ! [He crosses to the pillar left. 1 O Z A T S U M A S I N G E R : North as far as t h e Wild Sea of E c h i g o ! 4 3 [He poses in an identical hashiramaki mie, with arms and legs around the pillar. ] N A R U K A M I : T o places no h u m a n ventures!

wrapped

[Small drums and flute again play rapid Daisho. He takes the Diamond Scepter from the altar and, holding it over his head, leaps onto the main stage.44 Brandishing it, he passes through the monks formed in two lines to batan and battari tsuke beats. The monks form a human platform center stage. N A R U K A M I is lifted onto it. Raising both hands over his head and holding the scepter in his teeth, he poses in a mie, sleeves held out for effect by a S T A G E A S S I S T A N T , to battari tsuke beats ] O Z A T S U M A S I N G E R [slowly] : G o a t h o u s a n d miles! N A R U K A M I [ a l m o s t a scream] : Leap ten times a t h o u s a n d miles! [Large drum plays Y a m a Oroshi mountain storm pattern as stick drum and and flute resume music at a deliberate tempo. Batan and battari tsuke beats alternate, as the monks begin a stylized fight with N A R U K A M I , attempting to restrain him. One at a time, the monks try to seize his arms, but he easily shrugs them o f f . He passes between them, brushing them to either side. They form a single line and try to push him back. He counters, forces them back two steps, then with a bravura gesture sends them falling like a string of dominoes. N A R U K A M I mounts the rock steps and seizes the cut rope. He stands with his feet together, holding the rope over his head in his right hand, in a Fudo mie, to battari tsuke beats. He hurls the rope at the monks. One catches it and is bowled over. He hurls the other half of the rope and another monk rolls over catching it. A monk climbs the steps to bait N A R U K A M I . He is flipped in a somersault o f f the platform onto the main stage. N A R U K A M I rushes down and poses with his foot on the body. The monks rush forward protesting. A dummy is 4 3 . T h e o u t e r limits of J a p a n are described in these w o r d s in the Soga Monogatari ( m i d - f o u r t e e n t h c e n t u r y ) . T h e s a m e passage is used at t h e climax of a n o t h e r a r a g o t o play, Yanone (The A r r o w h e a d ) . 4 4 . A s h o r t metal rod w i t h bulging e n d s t h a t is used as a w e a p o n t o quell evil, especially in Shingon B u d d h i s m .

158

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

hikkomi tobi roppo

rokutateme

substituted for the prostrate body. NARUKAMI raises the dummy over his head. The monks fall back terrified. He hurls the dummy at them and it bounces from hand to hand, down the line of white figures and out of sight off left. To furious bata-bata tsuke beats, NARUKAMI rushes onto the hanamichi.[ MONKS: Master! Master! OZATSUMA SINGER: [elaborately ornamented vocal pattern to shamisen accompaniment] : Indeed, the pursuing Narukami . . . [At seven-three NARUKAMI turns back and glares at the monks. They fall to the ground shielding their faces. A sharp ki clack. NARUKAMI faces the audience. ] Follows in her footsteps! [ Uchiage tsuke beats gradually rise to a crescendo, fade away, then swell again, as NARUKAMI raises his arms high over his head, crosses his eyes, and poses in a mie to battari tsuke beats and loud beats of the large drum. He begins a powerful stylized exit. Glaring fiercely he pulls back one step, draws himself up, and leaps forward onto the left leg. Music changes to lively Tobi Sari, "Leaping Exit, "played by the large drum, stick drum, and flute. NARUKAMI holds the pose a long moment, then again pulls back, draws himself up, and leaps forward onto the right leg. Arms powerfully thrusting forward he leaps, at first slowly and with great deliberation, then gradually faster and faster, down the hanamichi and out of sight to the sound of thundering drums and bata-bata tsuke beats. The audience applauds. The curtain is run closed. A ki clack signals drums and flute to play Kata Shagiri between acts ]

A C T IV SCENE 1 BUN'YATOYOHIDE'S MANSION [Two ki clacks: the curtain is run open. The large drum beats Ama Oto rain pattern and ki clacks accelerate, then fade to silence. Behind the main striped curtain a blue sky curtain masks the set. A single ki clack: action begins. Four FARM WOMEN cross the stage gossiping. They wear blue and brown cotton kimonos and are bare-footed. They hold straw hats over their heads. Ama Oto rain pattern continues softly in the background. ] FIRST WOMAN: My, my, how it rains. The blessed rain is like the first dream of the New Year come true. SECOND WOMAN: If it goes on this way, there'll be floods soon. THIRD WOMAN: Is it really Lady Taema who did it? FOURTH WOMAN: She seduced Saint Narukami and, though he pursued her, she was protected by Kumadera Danjo. FIRST WOMAN: She's the most alluring woman on earth, they say. What man could resist her?

159

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

S E C O N D WOMAN [laughing]

: L o o k at us a n y w a y y o u like, w e ' r e just

p u m p k i n s and squash! T H I R D W O M A N : Well, let's t a k e o u r p u m p k i n heads over t o o u r L a d y T a e m a ' s residence and t h a n k her. F O U R T H WOMAN [giggling] • T h e y say she's g o n e t o Lord T o y o h i d e ' s chambers. F I R S T WOMAN: T h e n at long last t h e t w o . . . have w e t each o t h e r clean t h r o u g h , y o u can be sure of t h a t ! S E C O N D WOMAN [with a sly wink]

: A n d standing here in t h e rain, I'm getting

wet . . . A L L : . . . clean t h r o u g h ! [ They laugh bawdily curtain

appointed golden

and cross o f f right. A sharp ki clack signals

to fall. It is whisked

away by S T A G E ASSISTANTS. A

room in T O Y O H I D E ' s residence

cloud designs decorate

painted

to represent

marking

a stage for court bugaku

and shamisen

a garden

play elegant

scene, featuring

an imperial

Kangen court music.

envoy,

seated on a tall stool center. the back of the

with light. Silver arid

doors at the rear are the large drum and

dance performances.

R E T A I N E R , and T A E M A are kneeling greeting

is flooded

the walls. Sliding

the beautifully

curtains

Large drum,

T O Y O H I D E , an

on the right side of the

flute, elderly

room,

G E N E R A L S A K U R A M A C H I , who is regally T A K I N O and M A I D S flank

the aristocrats

at

room.]

T O Y O H I D E [ b o w i n g formally]

: Welcome, General S a k u r a m a c h i , bearer of t h e

E m p e r o r ' s will. Forgive t h e t h o u s a n d - f o l d inconvenience we cause y o u . S A K U R A M A C H I [loftily]

•• U p o n this occasion, t h e Dragon G o d s ' v i r t u o u s

strength has been released t h r o u g h t h e endeavors of Lady T a e m a of the Clouds and rain has fallen. F r o m t h e Imperial person t o his lowest subject, o u r ecstasy k n o w s n o b o u n d s . In his b e n e f i c e n c e , the E m p e r o r proclaims, " T h e marriage t o Lord T o y o h i d e , as previously pledged, shall b e speedily a r r a n g e d . " Do y o u h u m b l y a c c e p t his will? [ T O Y O H I D E and T A E M A bow in assent. ] T O Y O H I D E [strongly]

: T h e land is tranquil. In g r a t i t u d e w e hear t h e voice of

o u r Majesty resounding o n this auspicious occasion. J o y f u l l y we accept his will. T A K I N O : It is a case of "rain settling t h e e a r t h . M A I D : Lady T a e m a brilliantly d e p o s e d h e r rival, Princess Nishiki. T A K I N O : We c o n g r a t u l a t e y o u . . . WOMEN: . . . L a d y T a e m a . T A E M A [modestly]

•. It was n o t through m y s t r e n g t h . T h e Heavens, the

Benevolent G o d s , and t h e Dragon G o d s guided me. [Music stops. 1 R E T A I N E R : Let us p r a y y o u r marriage will last a t h o u s a n d years. Drink f r o m t h e nuptial cup three times t h r e e ! [Calling o f f . ] Bring on t h e w e d d i n g cup! M A I D [offstage]

: We shall, Sir.

4 5 . A m b i g u o u s , b u t in a d d i t i o n t o its literal m e a n i n g the line suggests T a e m a has " s e t t l e d " t h e political t u r m o i l in t h e land. A n d rain suggests T a e m a ' s use of sex t o dispose of N a r u k a m i .

160

Saint N a r u k a m i and t h e G o d F u d o

HAYAKUMO [ o f f s t a g e , at the end of the hanamichi] : The wine cup . . . shall wait! [All look expectantly down the hanamichi. Stick drum, small drum, and flute play exciting Hayamai, "Fast Dance. "Prince HAYAKUMO moves grandly onto the hanamichi. He wears a flowing silver and white court robe and Chinese red trousers that trail away behind him. He wears a gold hat and carries the plain wood symbol of high office. His face, deeply lined in black and dark blue, bespeaks uncompromising evil. Bata-bata accelerates then tapers off as he reaches seven-three. 1 TOYOHIDE: Prince Hayakumo, what does this mean? HAYAKUMO: You shall hear! Listen! [He sits on a tall stool a STAGE ASSISTANT brings onto the hanamichi. Shamisen play Shizen Bushi, "Song of Nature, "and small drums play ' Daisho in the background. ] Your Prince is the one whose virtue brought this rain. For thirty-seven days I have undergone austerities at Tree Island Shrine, until the shrine's god answered my prayers with rain. To claim Taema responsible is rank impertinence! She is my consort! Through your negligence, this virtuous prince has not ascended to the throne! TOYOHIDE: You are committing fearful treason, Prince Hayakumo! Do you not know Abe Kiyoyuki has proclaimed you the cause of the world's drought? HAYAKUMO [glaring fiercely at TOYOHIDE] : Do you dare . . . ! TOYOHIDE [rises on his knees, and edges in aggressively[ : Stop! My retainer Kumadera Danjo has slain Narukami. 4 6 Kanzo, Hachiro, and the other conspirators have been bound, showing your treason to be . . . a bubble on the water! HAYAKUMO [rising] : Yahhh! Intolerable! So! I will take the palace and the imperial throne myself! I shall become Japan's Demon King! I shall raze the temples and shrines! Taema! Come! [He crosses on stage. He throws his hat to the ground and reaches for TAEMA.J TOYOHIDE [rising] : No! Guards, guards! [TOYOHIDE stands protectively in front of TAEMA. Blinds slowly fall to cover the tableau in the room. Large drum booms out Mitsu Daiko, "Triple Beat," fighting pattern. Five GUARDS run on from either side of the stage and encircle HAYAKUMO with their spears. With the help of a STAGE ASSISTANT he drops the top of his kimono to reveal a brilliant orange kimono beneath it. Another STAGE ASSISTANT pulls basting threads in the sleeves, dropping them to reveal a third kimono boldly patterned in black and gold. The Prince's hair streams down either side of his face. Uchiage tsuke beats crescendo then fade away. He holds the blade of his long sword up, turns front, and to battari tsuke beats, poses in a mie, eyes crossed and mouth evilly twisted. Large drum, stick drum, flute, and 46. T h e scene in t h e 1742 p r o d u c t i o n in w h i c h D a n j o kills N a r u k a m i and Narukami's ghost t o r m e n t s T a e m a has n o t been p e r f o r m e d since t h e original p r o d u c t i o n and is n o t translated h e r e .

161

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

shamisen play rhythmic Odaikoiri, "Large Drum. " Batan and battari tsuke beats alternate, as HAYAKUMO with easy dignity repulses the futile attacks of the GUARDS. He seizes the spears of one man on each side and throws them in opposite directions. Two other GUARDS cross spears in front of the prince; he slices their spears in two. The GUARDS on his left attack one after another, but they are deftly avoided by HAYAKUMO. A sweeping cut with his sword flips the last GUARD into the air in a full somersault. HAYAKUMO places his foot on his back, glares wickedly, and the GUARDS tumble backward, feet in the air. They rise and rush past him stage right. Music stops. He turns on them ferociously. Holding the sword threateningly over his head, he forces them step-by-step down the hanamichi and o f f , to accelerating bata-bata tsuke beats and booming Mitsu Daiko. He poses in a grandiose mie, sword held over his head, to battari tsuke beats. 1 TOYOHIDE [inside) : Hayakumo! Wait! HAYAKUMO [sneering] : You? Hah! [TOYOHIDE rushes on to rapid bata-bata tsuke beats. He has dropped the top of his court robe, showing a pale lavender kimono beneath it. He faces HAYAKUMO and they pose in a mie to battari tsuke beats. The small drums and flute play rapid, energetic Tsukkake, "Speedily, "as they fight in elegant, stylized movements. They slash simultaneously, pass by, turn, and cross swords again. They pose in a mie to battari tsuke beats. Music changes to slower Daisho Iri, "Large and Small Drum, "played by shamisen and small drums, as the fight continues. They circle, strike high then low, and cross behind each other. They pose in a mie to battari tsuke beats. A cloud descends as the large drum and tsuke accelerate alternating double beats, doron and batan. The two try to attack, but an unseen power paralyzes them. They stagger and fall unconscious as the cloud reaches earth hiding them from sight. Silence. The lights dim, except stage left where a platform comes into view on which are seated two Geki Bushi SINGERS and two shamisen PLAYERS. 4 7 The SINGERS bow and raise their texts respectfully.] GEKI BUSHI SINGERS [singing in rich, soaring, and elaborately embellished style] : A drop of water in a bottle. Pieces of incense burning, in the brazier, Shed a light, no person can avoid, Reaching evil deeds, beyond human morality. 4 8 Wonder of Wonders! The living body of All Wise Fudo Myoo, Is manifested here! We are grateful! 4 7 . A n early f o r m of narrative singing (joruri) in E d o favored b y D a n j u r o I. 4 8 . F u d o is o n e of five aspects of t h e G r e a t Light B u d d h a (Dainichi N y o r a i ) , w h o s h e d s an all-powerful light over t h e w o r l d .

162

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

ozume

SCENE 2 PRINCE HAYAKUMO'S SUBMISSION ( " F U D O " SCENE) [A sharp clack of the ki: large drum rolls and stick drum, flute, and cymbals play Sogaku. A second ki clack: the set changes. T O Y O H I D E ' s residence begins to lower, bringing into view a rocky mountain top with a range of mountains in the background. Light streams down from the sky, striking patches of mist which hang in the distant valleys. Seated in the center, on the highest peak, is Buddha in his fearsome aspect as the guardian FUDO. Flames rise up behind him in a penumbra. His body is earthen-colored, his hair is in small curls, he holds a golden rod in his right hand—with which he chastises evil—and a rope for binding sinners in his left, as in statues of the diety. To his left stand the gentle figure of the Kannon Bodhisattva as a child holding a golden lotus. To his right is the Rushana Buddha, also reincarnated as a child, almost as dark and as frightening as F U D O himself. A third single ki clack signals the scene to begin. Shamisen, large drum, bells, and flute play dignified Ongaku, "God Music," in the background. ] FUDO [a voice like doom] : H a y a k u m o ! All men behold me! I am t h e God F u d o , Guardian of the Great Light Buddha, suppressor of devils and demons, made manifest b e f o r e you here as the living F u d o ! Behold my evil-destroying presence, bearing a miracle f r o m the Gods of Heaven and the Benevolent Deities! GEKI BUSHI SINGERS [ r a p i d l y , emotionally] : Wondrous revelation! A miracle! [A thunderous roll o / D o r o - d o r o on the large drum. The cloud covering H A Y A K U M O and T O Y O H I D E is whisked away by STAGE ASSISTANTS. H A Y A K U M O rises and faces front, his face malevolent.] HAYAKUMO [voice rising to a scream] : Agghhhhh! Will you destroy my ambition's dream!

watarizerifu

[HAYAKUMO whirls on FUDO, raising his sword to attack. The large drum and tsuke alternate double beats, doron and batan, at an accelerating tempo. HAYAKUMO tries to strike, but FUDO's power makes him stagger back. Again and again the prince tries, each time with less strength, until he falls to his knees exhausted ] T O Y O H I D E [rising on his knees] : We are grateful. You have exorcised and cast d o w n the Prince's evil designs. We are grateful! [He presses his hands together and bows toward FUDO. Shamisen, large drum, flute, and bells resume Ongaku. TAEMA, followed by TAKINO, enters on the main hanamichi; SAKURAMACHI and R E T A I N E R enter on the left hanamichi. They stop at seven-three and face the audience. Music fades. ] T O Y O H I D E [declaiming] : When the brightness of this Land of the Sun was cast into shade . . . TAEMA: . . . by divine providence of t h e G o d s of Heaven and the Benevolent Deities, Guardian F u d o appeared . . .

163

Saint Narukami and the God F u d o

SAKURAMACHI: . . . the dark clouds scattered . . . RETAINER: . . . evil dispelled . . . TAKINO: . . . a wondrous miracle of strength . . . TOYOHIDE: . . . shining before . . . ALL: . . . our astonished eyes! FUDO: Witness this proof of Buddha's mercy! [Ongaku music resumes. The two groups pass onto the stage, keeping their backs to the audience so as to remove themselves from the scene. HAYAKUMO faces first SAKURAMACHI and then TOYOHIDE in a ceremony offering thanks for full houses during the run of the play: he takes up his sword and cuts the air three times, writing the character "large " ( j ^ ) , then two times, writing the character "entry" f A ) , or "full house. " Loud batan tsuke beats punctuate each stroke. STAGE ASSISTANTS place a small platform left of center. Music stops. A sharp ki clack signals the cast to move into a final tableau, as uchiage tsuke beats gradually rise to a furious crescendo. HAYAKUMO mounts the platform and poses with sword held horizontally over his head as a STAGE ASSISTANT lifts up the kimono top behind him; RETAINER leans in toward the prince; SAKURAMACHI looks triumphantly front; TOYOHIDE holds his sword in readiness; TAEMA stands glancing over her shoulder at TOYOHIDE; TAKINO kneels respectfully; the GODS are immobile. A sharp ki clack: lights come on full. The group freezes into position in an emen, or "picture, " mie to loud battari tsuke beats. Loud applause accompanies the curtain as it is slowly pulled closed to accelerating ki clacks. Two soft ki clacks: the large drum plays lively Uchidashi. The play is concluded. ]

164

Saint Narukami and the God Fudo

Chronicle of the Battle of Ichinotani ICHINOTANI

FUTABAGUNKI

b y N a m i k i S o s u k e , N a m i k i S h o z o I, N a m i k i Geiji, and Asada Itcho.

A five-act history (jidai) play written for the T o y o t a k e P u p p e t Theater in Osaka, Chronicle of the Battle of Icbinotani opened in December 1751 and ran for twelve months. T h e chief a u t h o r is Namiki Sosuke (also called Senryu), w h o had collaborated with Takeda Izumo and Miyoshi Shoraku a few years earlier in writing the " T h r e e Great Masterpieces" of joruri for the rival T a k e m o t o Puppet Theater. When this theater suffered a disastrous decline in popularity in 1750 and Sosuke decided to move to the T o y o t a k e Puppet Theater, he brought with him a m a t u r e knowledge of joruri drama and theater. He had completed the third act of Chronicle of the Battle of Icbinotani when he died in September 1751. Other writers attached to the theater completed the remaining two acts and the full play opened t w o m o n t h s after his death. Several related plots are woven together in the full play. Since the premier p r o d u c t i o n , however, only the " A t s u m o r i ' s C a m p " and " S u m a B a y " scenes f r o m the second act and "Kumagai's Battle C a m p " scenes f r o m the third act have been staged. T h e y concern the story of Kumagai's sacrifice of his son. All are translated here. The place of these scenes in the original play is shown below. T h e five acts (dan) of the play are divided into: opening scene ( k u c h i ) , continuing or middle scene (tsugi or naka), and final scene (kiri) which may consist of an opening and a conclusion (tsume). A travel scene (micbiyuki) occurs between the third and f o u r t h acts.

Act I (sbodan)

167

Opening scene (daijo) Middle scene (naka) Opening (kuchi) Final scene (kiri) Conclusion (tsume)

C h r o n i c l e of t h e B a t t l e of I c h i n o t a n i

Act II (nidanme)

Opening scene (kuchi) Continuing scene (tsugi) Final scene (kiri)

—Atsumori's camp: Kojirô storms camp —Suma Bay: Kumagai beheads Kojirô I Opening (kuchi) I Conclusion (tsume)

'Opening scene (kuchi) Continuing scene Opening (kuchi)—Kuma(tsugi) Act III (sandanme) 'gai's camp: Sagami and Fuji meet; Kumagai's narrative „ Final scene (kiri) Conclusion (tsume)— Kumagai's camp: head \ verification Travel scene (michiyuki) lOpenine scene (kuchi), .. ... Act IV (;yodanme) |®P fclllll & v I Final p p « " n g (kuchi) Final scene scene (kiri) (kiri) (Conclusion (tsume) Act V (godanme)

no scene divisions

The tragedy of Kumagai's killing his own son out of loyalty to his lord, Yoshitsune, is heightened by the circumstances in which the playwright has skillfully placed his hero. T o carry the substitution (migawari) to a successful conclusion Kumagai must deceive both Lady Fuji and his wife: he must conceal the truth from his wife, whom he wishes to console but cannot, and he must accept Lady Fuji's hatred in spite of the fact that he has not slain her son. Even more interesting is the unique way in which the child sacrifice scene is repeated: in Act II Kumagai beheads his son, then in the following act he relives the terrible moment in a beautifully written narrative which leads up to the head verification. This is dramatic writing which is brilliant and deeply moving. To some contemporary interpreters, the play is seen as a denunciation, not a glorification, of giri in feudal Japan and a criticism of the inhumanly cruel demands made of parents and children by this ethical system. Few changes in the joruri text are made for kabuki performance. Several sections of passed-along dialogue are kabuki additions, as is Kumagai's effective final exit down the hanamichi (which is not a usual part of the joruri stage). Offstage geza music is added to the usual Takemoto music for kabuki productions, especially for opening and closing the curtain and for battles. Most of the puppet

168

C h r o n i c l e of t h e B a t t l e of I c h i n o t a n i

tricks (karakuri) are retained, such as the scene of horses and riders swimming o u t to sea, growing smaller with each passage across the stage (accomplished by changing p u p p e t size in joruri and by having children act the roles of the warriors in kabuki). T h e t e x t presents no problem, for the kabuki version is very similar to the original joruri text. Kabuki texts can be f o u n d in Atsumi Seitaro, ed., Nibon Gikyoku Zensbu (vol. 28, 1928), and Toita Yasuji, ed., KabukiMeisakusen (vol. 2, 1955). An a n n o t a t e d joruri text of the "Kumagai Battle C a m p " scenes in Yuda Yoshio, ed., Bunraku Jorurishu (Collection of Joruri P u p p e t Plays; T o k y o : Iwanami Shoten, 1965) was also consulted. Stage directions are primarily f r o m performances at the Kabuki-za, T o k y o , F e b r u a r y 1967, and the National Theater of Japan, February 1968. Professor Mildred Tahara kindly allowed me to compare this translation with her recent translation of the "Kumagai Battle C a m p " scenes.

169

C h r o n i c l e of t h e B a t t l e of I c h i n o t a n i

ni