Love Girl of the Past, Hachijo - Love Girl of the Past, Hachijo

Joruri Gidayubushi (Japanese traditional chant). Sewamono (domestic story). Five acts. A collaboration between Matsukanshi and Yoshida Kakumaru. First performed at the Gekiza in Edo in August 1775 (An'ei 4). This dramatization is based on the incident (1727) in which Okuma, the daughter of Shirokoya, a lumber merchant in Edo's Shinzaimokucho, was executed for conspiring with clerks to murder her husband. The fourth act "Shirokiya" and the fifth act "Suzugamori" are well known. Okoma, the daughter of Shirokoya, is in love with the hairdresser Saizaburou, but for the sake of the family, she will welcome a son-in-law, Kizo, who will come with a dowry. Saizaburou, a former samurai, finds out that Kizo has a stolen tea caddy, a family heirloom, in his possession, and asks Okoma to retrieve it. Okoma is tempted by her unrequited love, the head clerk Johachi, to poison Kizou and is taken to the Suzugamori execution grounds, but just before her execution, Saizaburou pleads with her, claiming that Kizou was the culprit who murdered her parents, and she is pardoned. The title comes from the fact that Okoma was wearing a yellow Hachijo kimono when she was taken to the execution grounds. This work became the basis for the "Okoma Saizamono" genre of Joruri and Kabuki. There is also a Shinnai-bushi piece with the same title that uses this work.

[Toshiaki Matsui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

浄瑠璃義太夫節(じょうるりぎだゆうぶし)。世話物。5段。松貫四(まつかんし)、吉田角丸合作。1775年（安永4）8月江戸・外記座(げきざ)初演。江戸新材木町の材木商白子屋(しろこや)の娘お熊が手代らと共謀して婿を殺害した罪で処刑された事件（1727）を脚色したもので、四段「城木屋(しろきや)」と五段「鈴ヶ森」が知られる。城木屋の娘お駒(こま)は髪結い才三郎(さいざぶろう)と恋仲だが、家のため持参金付きの婿喜蔵を迎えることになる。もと侍の才三郎は、盗まれた家宝の茶入れを喜蔵が所持することを知り、お駒に取り戻すことを頼む。お駒は横恋慕の番頭丈八(じょうはち)に唆され、喜蔵を毒殺したため、鈴ヶ森の刑場に引かれるが、処刑の寸前、喜蔵が親殺しの下手人という才三郎の訴えにより、罪を許される。題名は、お駒が刑場に引かれるとき、黄八丈の着物を着ていたのによる。浄瑠璃、歌舞伎(かぶき)の一系統「お駒才三(さいざ)物」の基盤になった作品。なお、新内節にもこれを転用した同題の曲がある。

［松井俊諭］

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