Sumida River products

A type of Kabuki and Joruri. It refers to a group of works based on the Umewaka legend from the Noh play "Sumidagawa". Many works were performed from around the Genroku period (1688-1704), but after Chikamatsu Monzaemon's puppet joruri "Futago Sumidagawa," an adaptation of the kana-zoshi "Sumida-gawa Monogatari," premiered at the Osaka Takemotoza in August 1720 (Kyoho 5), the story of the family turmoil surrounding Yoshida Shosho and his concubine Hanjo, the twin siblings Umewaka and Matsuwaka, the human trafficker Sarushima Sota, and actually a former retainer Awaji Shichiro, became the basis of this series. As the anniversary of Umewaka's death is said to be March 15th, Kabuki plays are often created as Yayoi Kyogen plays. Representative works include "Gonichi no Omokage (Continuation of the Sumidagawa Reminiscences)" by Nagakawa Shimesuke, who brought the role of Hokaibou to prominence, "Sumida River Hana Goshozome (Flower Palace Dye)" and "Sakurahime Azuma Bunsho (Princess Sakura Azuma Bunsho)" by Tsuruya Namboku IV, who combined the character with Seigen Sakurahime, and "Miyakodori Nagare no Shiranami (White Waves of the Capital)" by Kawatake Mokuami, with Sota in the lead role.

Many music and dance dramas were also created that followed the lines of Noh and depicted the madness of a mother who has lost her child. Some famous works include "Sumida-gawa Fune no Uchi" (Sumidagawa Boat House), which features a dialogue between Kawatobushi and Itchubushi, "Onoe no Kumoshizuhataobi" (Onoe Clouds and the Scarlet Hata Obi) from Itchubushi, "Yaegasumi no Shizuhataobi" (Yaegasumi and the Scarlet Hata Obi) from Nagauta, "Kakuda-gawa" (Kakuda-gawa), which features a dialogue between Tokiwazu and Nagauta, and "Sumida-gawa" (Scarlet Hata River) from Kiyomoto.

[Toshiaki Matsui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

歌舞伎(かぶき)・浄瑠璃(じょうるり)の一系統。能『隅田川』の梅若伝説を主題とする作品群をいう。元禄(げんろく)（1688～1704）ごろから多くの作が上演されたが、仮名草子『角田川(すみだがわ)物語』を脚色した近松門左衛門の人形浄瑠璃『雙生(ふたご)隅田川』が1720年（享保5）8月大坂竹本座で初演されて以後、これに登場する吉田少将(よしだのしょうしょう)と愛妾班女(あいしょうはんじょ)、双生児(ふたご)の兄弟梅若・松若、人買猿島惣太(さるしまそうだ)実は旧臣淡路七郎などをめぐる御家(おいえ)騒動の話が、この系列の基礎となった。梅若の命日が3月15日とされるところから、歌舞伎では弥生(やよい)狂言としてつくられることが多く、代表的な作品に、法界坊を活躍させた奈河七五三助(ながわしめすけ)作『隅田川続俤(ごにちのおもかげ)』、清玄桜姫と結合させた4世鶴屋南北作『隅田川花御所染(はなのごしょぞめ)』『桜姫東文章(さくらひめあずまぶんしょう)』、惣太を主役にした河竹黙阿弥(もくあみ)作『都鳥廓白浪(みやこどりながれのしらなみ)』などがある。

　能の筋(すじ)をなぞって子を失った母の狂乱を描く音曲・舞踊劇も多くつくられ、河東(かとう)節・一中(いっちゅう)節掛合いの『隅田川舟の内』をはじめ、一中節の『尾上雲賤機帯(おのえのくもしずはたおび)』、長唄(ながうた)の『八重霞(やえがすみ)賤機帯』、常磐津(ときわず)・長唄掛合いの『角田川』、清元(きよもと)の『隅田川』などが有名である。

［松井俊諭］

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