Mother of the eyelids - Mother of the eyelids

A play by Hasegawa Shin. Two acts. Published in the March/April issue of "Sawajin" in 1930 (Showa 5). It premiered the following March at the Meijiza Theater by Morita Kanya 13th and others. Chutaro, born in Banba, Goshu (Shiga Prefecture), is a gambler who lives off lodging and food, but he continues his journey in search of his long-lost mother, and when he hears that Ohama, the proprietress of Mizukuma restaurant in Yanagibashi, Edo, is the mother, he requests a meeting. Ohama learns from Chutaro that the mother is Chutaro's real daughter, but suspects that she is after his money and stubbornly refuses to call herself his mother, fearing the trouble it would cause his younger sister, Otoyo. Chutaro leaves in disappointment. Ohama, shaken by Otoyo's words of love for her brother, follows Chutaro, but Chutaro sets off on his journey alone, with thoughts of his mother coming to his mind whenever he closes his eyes. This masterpiece, based on the author's real life story of being separated from his mother at the age of five, was banned from being performed from 1933 (Showa 8), when the author reunited with his birth mother for the first time in 47 years, until she died of illness in 1946. It has been performed by many actors on stage, in films, on television, and more.

[Hiroshi Fujita]

"Hasegawa Shin Complete Works 15: Plays I" (1971, Asahi Shimbun)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長谷川伸(はせがわしん)の戯曲。二幕。1930年（昭和5）『騒人』3、4月号に発表。翌年3月明治座で13世守田勘弥(かんや)らにより初演。江(ごう)州（滋賀県）番場生まれの忠太郎は、一宿一飯の博徒だが、生き別れをした母親を尋ねて旅を続け、江戸柳橋の料理屋水熊(みずくま)の女将(おかみ)おはまがその人らしいとの話に面会を求める。おはまは忠太郎の話から実の子と知るが、金目当てかと疑い、妹お登世(とせ)への迷惑も考えてかたくなに母と名のらず、忠太郎は失望して去る。兄を思うお登世のことばに翻然としたおはまは、忠太郎の後を追うが、忠太郎は瞼を閉じれば浮かんでくる母への思いを胸にひとり旅立つ。5歳のとき母と生別した作者の実人生に裏づけられた股旅(またたび)物の傑作で、1933年（昭和8）作者が生母と47年ぶりに再会してから、母病没（1946）まで上演を差し止められていた。舞台、映画、テレビなどで多くの俳優によって演じられている。

［藤田　洋］

『『長谷川伸全集15　戯曲I』（1971・朝日新聞社）』

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