Princess Usuyuki Imachujouhime

...The puppets are played by Kanjuro Kiritake as Sonobe Hyoe and Masamune, Monzaburo Kiritake as Sonobe Saemon, Shichiroji Takekawa as Saisaki Iga no Kami, Bunzaburo Yoshida as Usuyukihime, and Saiji Yoshida as Dankuro. The direct basis is the Ukiyo-zoshi Usuyuki Monogatari published in 1632 (Kan'ei 9), which was first dramatized as a kabuki play Usuyuki Monogatari at the Morita Theater in Edo in 1685 (Jokyo 2), and was a big hit. Since then, Usuyuki Konanakajohime (first performed in 1700) and other plays have been performed, and it is believed that these plays influenced the puppet play. Since their meeting at Hana no Kiyomizu-dera, Sonobe Hyoe's Ikuzaemon and Saisaki Iga no Kami's daughter Usuyuki, who had been in love with each other, were suspected of cursing the shogun by Akizuki Daizen, and both fathers committed seppuku on behalf of their children. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Usuyuki Imanaka no Masahime" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…人形は園部兵衛･正宗を桐竹勘十郎，園部左衛門を桐竹門三郎，幸崎（さいさき）伊賀守を竹川七郎治，薄雪姫を吉田文三郎，団九郎を吉田才治ほか。直接の原拠は1632年(寛永9)に刊行の浮世草子《薄雪物語》であるが，これはまず，85年(貞享2)江戸森田座の歌舞伎《薄雪物語》で劇化され大当りをとって以来，《薄雪今中将姫》(1700初演)などが上演されたが，これらの影響を受けて人形浄瑠璃に作られたと思われる。花の清水寺の出会い以来，相愛の仲の園部兵衛の息左衛門と幸崎伊賀守の娘薄雪とは秋月大膳に謀られて将軍呪詛（じゆそ）の疑いを受け，両方の父が子に代わって切腹する。…

※「《薄雪今中将姫》」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