Yatsuhachi

Figures of the Modern Stage #2

Nakamura Utaemon V as Yatsuhachi in "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame" (Kagotsurube, the haunted sword) - Series Figures of the Modern Stage #2

現代舞台藝蕐(2) 八_ツ橋中村歌右衛門丈

The print

Artist: Ôta Masamitsu
Publisher: Miyake Koshodo (Banchoro)
Carver: Ito Susumu (1916-1998)
Printer: Uchikawa Matashiro
Date: 1955 #43/200
Format: Oban-tate
Catalogue: S-220

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The play

Kagotsurube, one of the sensational plays in the kabuki repertoire was written by Kawatake Shinshichi III and premiered in Tokyo in 1888 with Ichikawa Sadanji I as Jirozaemon and Nakamura Fukusuke IV as Yatsuhachi. This is the story of Jirozaemon, a wealthy merchant from the countryside who falls in love with a high-flying courtesan and wants to buy out her contract. But she humiliatingly rejects him in the middle of a celebratory banquet. He pretends to forgive her, but returns to kill her with the haunted Kagotsurube sword which, when drawn, can only be put back into its scabbard after tasting blood. Kagotsurube is the name of a special bamboo basket made waterproof by applying lacquered paper. Here the sword cannot retain blood like a pierced Kagotsurube basket cannot retain water.

The play, inspired by a real incident, originally had eight acts with the first four telling how Jirozaemon came to possess such a blade. Nowadays, only the last four acts are played.

Main characters

Sano Jirozaemon: A wealthy merchant from the countryside, disfigured with smallpox scars
Jiroku: Jirozaemon's servant
Yatsuhachi: Oiran, High courtesan from the Tachinabaya house
Tachibanaya Chobei and Tachibanaya Omitsu: Proprietor of Tachibanaya house and his wife
Shigeyama Einojo: Yatsuhachi's lover
Tsurigane Gonpachi: Yatsuhachi guardian and contract owner

The plot

Act I

The scene opens in Nakanocho, the main street of the Yoshiwara reserved district in Edo during the cherry blossoms season. Jirozaemon, a wealthy provincial merchant, disfigured by smallpox, watches the parade of courtesans starring Yatsuhachi, the most beautiful of the oiran, high-ranking courtesans in the center. He falls in love with her at first sight, she notices him and smiles. Jirozaemon is under the spell and does not want to go back home.

Act II

Jirozaemon has now become a regular at Tachibanaya House and a Yatsuhachi’s patron. He has earned a nickname "Sano's big Man" and is respected by the house staff. Today two of his friends from the countryside are visiting and he introduces them proudly to Yatsuhachi. He talks openly about buying out her contract and going home with her.

In another room, Gonpachi, her "guardian," is furious that she is considering leaving as she is his main source of income. He tells Yatsuhachi's lover Einojo that she is going to abandon him. The latter goes to Yatsuhachi and forces her to break off with Jirozaemon and not to see him again.

Act III

A banquet is organized to celebrate the redemption of Yatsuhachi's contract. She appears but is cold and distant, telling Jirozaemon that she refuses the buy-out and that she no longer wants him as a client. Jirozaemon falls backwards speechless, then tries to reason with her, but she rejects him harshly and publicly humiliates him.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi - Kagotsurube act IV (1888)

Act IV

Several months have passed and Jirozaemon returns to Yoshiwara. He is in a good mood and all the staff at Tachibanaya house are delighted to see him again. He settles into a room and Yatsuhachi arrives and begins to apologize for her past conduct. When they are alone, Jirozaemon offers her a cup of sake, but she politely refuses. Jirozaemon tells her that this will be her last cup, gets up and kills her with one blow of his terrible Kagotsurube haunted sword. He flees possessed by the sword's spirit, killing everyone he meets on his way out.

The actor

Nakamura Utaemon V (1865-1940) was one of the best onnagata (actors playing female roles) of the first half of the twentieth century. He also played male roles, but the three roles he is remembered for are Masaoka (The Disputed Succession), Agemaki (Sukeroku) and Yodogimi (A Paulownia Leaf and The Fall of Osaka Castle). In his latter years, he terribly suffered because of lead poisoning caused by the make-up.

Poster of the movie "Kagotsurube" with Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII and Bando Tamasaburo V

Poster of "Kagotsurube" with Nakamura Kichiemon II Performance at Tokyo Shinbashi Enbujo in 2013

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