Akita butterbur

...These changes are described in the "Akita Suginao Monogatari" (prefaced in the 8th year of the Horeki era, by Baba Bunko) as a private prostitute in Kyoto, a mistress of Konoike Zen'emon, the wife of an Edo actor, the wife of a Shin-Yoshiwara Ageya Owariya, and the wife of Nago. Furthermore, in the true story book "Akita Fuki Supplement" (date of creation unknown), O-Hyaku is portrayed as a poisonous woman possessed by the Umibozu monster, and her character is expanded to include her taking part in a conspiracy to poison the lord as the wife of Nakagawa (Nago), stabbing her former husband Kuwanaya Tokubei to death at Sunamura Rokumantsubo, and poisoning the court physician Shinozaki as well. This resulted in the story being named after Dafei, the wife of King Chu of the Shang dynasty, who was a prostitute who travelled between Kyoto, Osaka and Edo, and became the rakugo story Dafei no O-Hyaku. It was then adapted into a kabuki play titled Good and Evil Both Sides of a Child Konotegashiwa (written by Kawatake Mokuami) and premiered at the Ichimuraza Theatre in May 1867 (Keio 3). Ichimura Ie Tachibana IV (later Onoe Kikugoro V) played the role of O-Hyaku and received favorable reviews, and later it also became a specialty of Sawamura Gennosuke IV.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Akita butterbur" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…この転変ぶりは《秋田杉直（なおし）物語》(宝暦8年序，馬場文耕著)に，京の私娼―鴻池善右衛門の妾―江戸役者の妻―新吉原揚屋尾張屋の妻―那河の妻と描出されている。さらに実録本《増補秋田蕗（ふき）》(成立年未詳)では，海坊主の怪がのりうつった毒婦としてお百を描き，中川(那河)の妻として太守毒殺の陰謀に荷担，もとの夫桑名屋徳兵衛を砂村六万坪で刺殺，また奥医師篠崎をも毒殺するなどと性格を拡大した。これにより，京･大坂･江戸を経巡った淫婦として，殷の紂（ちゆう）王の妃，妲妃の名前を冠して講談《妲妃のお百》となり，さらに歌舞伎化され《善悪両面児手柏（このてがしわ）》(河竹黙阿弥作)として1867年(慶応3)5月市村座で初演，4世市村家橘(のち5世尾上菊五郎)がお百に扮し好評を得，のちに4世沢村源之助の得意芸ともなった。…

※「《秋田蕗》」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報