Paulownia leaf - Kirihitoha

A play by Tsubouchi Shoyo. 7 sections, 15 scenes. It was published as a reading in Waseda Bungaku from 1894 (Meiji 27) to the following year. It was later revised as a performance transcript in 1917 (Taisho 6). Dissatisfied with the dryness of historical dramas at the time, Shoyo wrote this new historical drama with the intention of innovating national dramas, and it was his first play. The Toyotomi clan's fortunes are clearly declining inside Osaka Castle just before the Winter Siege. Old vassal Katagiri Katsumoto tries his best to find a way out of the Tokugawa clan's schemes. However, internal conflict and confusion arose due to the young Hideyori, his proud and hysterical mother Yodo-dono, the suspicions of the old retainers and ladies surrounding them such as Oono Michinobu, and the rash actions of Ishikawa Izu-no-kami, so Katsumoto entrusted his future affairs to the loyal Kimura Nagato-no-kami and retired to his castle in Ibaraki. It is a grandiose story of tragedy that makes use of the strengths of Kabuki, and the characters' personalities show the influence of Shakespeare. It premiered at the Tokyo-za in March 1904 (Meiji 37). It was well received by Nakamura Shikan (5th Utaemon) as Yodo-dono and Kataoka Gato (11th Nizaemon) as Katsumoto, and its historical significance is great as it brought new momentum to the stagnant Kabuki world after the deaths of such great actors as 9th Danjūrō ​​and 5th Kikugoro, and paved the way for new Kabuki. The sequel, "Hototogisukojō no Rakugetsu," deals with the Summer Siege and the downfall of the Toyotomi clan.

[Akira Kikuchi]

“Shoyo Association ed. “Shoyo Selection 1” reprint edition (1977, Dai-ichi Shobo)”

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

坪内逍遙(しょうよう)の戯曲。7段15場。1894年（明治27）から翌年にかけて『早稲田(わせだ)文学』に読本体(よみほんたい)として発表。のち1917年（大正6）実演用台帳として改作。当時の活歴劇の無味乾燥さに不満を抱いた逍遙が国劇刷新の意図をもって書いた新史劇で、逍遙の最初の戯曲。豊臣(とよとみ)家の衰運明らかな冬の陣直前の大坂城内。徳川家の策謀に老臣片桐且元(かたぎりかつもと)は事態の打開に腐心する。しかし年若い秀頼(ひでより)と、気位高くヒステリー性の母公淀君(よどぎみ)、これを取り巻く大野道軒ら老臣老女たちの疑心暗鬼、また石川伊豆守(いずのかみ)の軽挙などにより内紛と混乱が生じ、且元は誠忠の木村長門守(ながとのかみ)に後事を託して居城茨木(いばらき)へ退く。雄大な構想のもと歌舞伎(かぶき)の長所を生かした境遇悲劇で、人物の性格にシェークスピアの影響をみる。初演は1904年（明治37）3月の東京座。中村芝翫(しかん)（5世歌右衛門(うたえもん)）の淀君、片岡我当（11世仁左衛門(にざえもん)）の且元により好評を博し、9世団十郎、5世菊五郎ら名優没後の沈滞した歌舞伎界に新機運をもたらし、新歌舞伎への道を開いたその史的意義は大きい。続編に夏の陣と豊臣家の滅亡を扱った『沓手鳥孤城落月(ほととぎすこじょうのらくげつ)』がある。

［菊池　明］

『逍遙協会編『逍遙選集1』複刻版（1977・第一書房）』

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