Utsunomiya fishing ceiling incident

Japanese: 宇都宮釣天井事件 - うつのみやつりてんじょうじけん

This incident is said to have occurred in April 1622 (Genwa 8) when Honda Masazumi, the lord of Utsunomiya Castle, attempted to kill the second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, who was planning to stay at the castle on his way back from a pilgrimage to Nikko, in a palace with a suspended ceiling. It is thought to have been created as a rumor based on the fact that Hidetada suddenly left Utsunomiya and returned to Edo Castle on a forced march through the night, combined with Hidetada's removal of Masazumi from his position in October of the same year and rumors of a rebellion by Matsudaira Tadanao, the lord of Echizen Kitanosho (Fukui) Castle (who retired and was exiled the following year). [Takagi Shosaku]
[Utsunomiya Noisy Animals]
A general term for books of true events, storytelling, kabuki and kyogen plays that use the Utsunomiya Tsuri Tenjo Incident as their subject, mix in fiction, and embellish based on a popular legend that was applied to the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

宇都宮城主本多正純が，1622年(元和8)4月，日光参詣の帰路に同城に止宿する予定の2代将軍徳川秀忠を，釣天井などをしかけた御殿で殺そうとしたといわれる事件。秀忠が急に宇都宮をたって夜通しの強行軍で江戸城に帰った事実と，この年の10月の秀忠による正純改易や越前北ノ庄(福井)城主松平忠直(翌年隠居，流罪)の謀反のうわさとが結びついて，できあがった巷説と考えられる。【高木昭作】
［宇都宮騒動物］
　宇都宮釣天井事件を題材としてこれに虚構をとりまぜ，3代将軍徳川家光に当てはめて作られた俗説をもとに潤色した実録本･講談･歌舞伎狂言などの総称。

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

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