Kanadehon Chūshingura
Encyclopedia
Chūshingura is an 11-act bunraku
puppet play composed in 1748. It is one of the most popular Japanese plays, ranked with Zeami
's Matsukaze
, although the vivid action of Chūshingura differs dramatically from Matsukaze
, the major dramatists preferred not to write for the kabuki
theater since the kabuki actors frequently departed from the texts to invent parts and aggrandize their own roles; however, Chūshingura was so successful that it was almost immediately adapted for the kabuki theater as well.
The general story has been depicted in many mediums such as ukiyoe prints.
, rendering it a 'coveted assignment' for ambitious actors.
were ordered to commit seppuku
by the shogun
. 2 weeks later, a kabuki play opened in Edo. It was entitled Akebono Soga no Youchi ("Night attack at dawn by the Soga [Brothers]"; see Soga Monogatari), a standard topic of plays. It was shut down by the authorities, and is thought to have been a disguised version of the recent events. Perhaps because of the touchiness of authorities, kabuki companies did not attempt any further plays on the subject.
In 1706, the great playwright Chikamatsu wrote a 3 act puppet play entitled Goban Taiheiki ("A chronicle of great peace played on a chessboard"); the third act appeared in another puppet play, and was ostensibly about the historical samurai
Kō no Moronao
(14th c); Moronao was actually a cipher for the offending master of court etiquette, Kira Yoshinaka
, who was nearly slain by Asano Naganori
. The use of Moronao's name for Kira and many of the other renamings would be copied by the later Chūshingura.
3 years later in the Kyoto
-Osaka
region where censorship was reportedly lighter, Chūshingura premiered.
It was an instant success, and was quickly imitated countless times, with variants coming out annually between 1706 and 1748.
Likely Izumo conceived the overall plot and write acts 1, 4, 6, & 9; Shōraku likely wrote 2, 10, and 11..
The fiction author Jippensha Ikku
, in his analysis & anecdotal history Chūshingura Okame Hyōban (1803), implies that authorship was:
Keene suggests that acts 6 & 7 be assigned to Izumo, and act 3 to Senryū.
These identifications are tentative, and not based on stylometry
or similar approaches.
The multiple authorship may be responsible for some of the shifts characters undergo during the 11 acts:
(The Faithful) appeared in 1915.
The Australian National University's Za Kabuki
performed an English-language version of the play in 2001, directed by Mr. Shun Ikeda
.
, during the Occupation of Japan, performance of Chūshingura was banned "because it glorified militarism and was feudalistic in its insistence on such outmoded concepts as honor and loyalty"; later in 1960, members of the Japanese Diet criticized performances of Chūshingura overseas by traveling kabuki companies over similar fears that it would give foreigners misleading ideas
& loyalty, as exemplified by its protagonist, the chief retainer of the dead lord, Yuranosuke. The retainers seek revenge for their lord even though they know no good will come of it, as Yuranosuke admits in act 7:
Yuranosuke in this speech is cloaking his true intentions, as he must constantly through the play, rendering him a challenging role.
It has been argued that in reality, Enya was undeserving of loyalty as he was arrogant & hot-tempered and Moronao was a good man who helped the peasants on his land - thus further emphasizing the unconditional nature of Yuranosuke and the other rōnin' s loyalty.
The shogun Ashikaga Takauji
has put down the Genko uprising led by the nobleman Nitta Yoshisada
, and has built a shrine to the kami of war Hachiman
to commemorate his victory. Its chief trophy will be the helmet of the dead Yoshisada, but there is confusion as to which of the 47 helmets found by his body is really his.
The shogun's brother & deputy, Ashikaga Tadayoshi
, convenes a conference to discuss the issue. Attending is the governor of Kamakura
, Lord Moronao (Kira), Wakanosuke, and Lord Enya (Asano). Moronao objects to preserving the helmet, even though Yoshisada was a noble descendant of the Genji
, a mistake would be embarrassing, and there were many loyal retainers descended from the Genji anyway. Enya and Wakanosuke support the helmet's preservation.
Tadayoshi summons Enya's wife, for as a maiden in the imperial palace, she saw the helmet presented to Yoshisada. She verifies the correct choice. As the conference ends, Moronao, who has been tutoring Enya's wife in classical waka
poetry, presses upon her a love letter. She rejects it entirely, and Moronao is embittered with hatred for Enya.
After an interlude in which a minor retainer of Enya, Kampei, gives into temptation to leave his post with his lover, Wakanosuke arrives. When Wakanosuke encounters Moronao, Moronao's attitude is so welcoming and apologetic that Wakanosuke confusedly abandons his murderous intentions - as Honzō planned.
Unfortunately, when Enya arrives, he comes bearing a note from his wife to Moronao; it is a poem from the Shin Kokin Wakashū which indicates her definitive rejection of Moronao's love.
Angered, Moronao takes exception to Enya's tardiness and begins mercilessly insulting & verbally abusing Enya. Provoked beyond his limits, Enya draws and slashes Moronao. He does not kill Moronao as he is held back by Honzō (who hopes to lessen Enya's punishment).
Outside, Kampei hears the commotion and rushes to the back gate, only to realize his failure as a samurai: he dallied and was not there when his master needed him.
The shogun's envoys arrive with Enya's sentence: seppuku, confiscation of Enya's estate, and the reduction of his men to rōnin.
Enya's chief retainer, Yuranosuke, rushes in just as Enya is pulling the dagger across his stomach; Enya charges him with seeking vengeance. Yuranosuke orders the men to not commit seppuku nor barricade the mansion and die fighting the shogunate, but likewise to seek vengeance.
Later, an old man comes along the road with the large sum of 50 ryō in his wallet, earned by selling his daughter - Kampei's wife - to a brothel. He is accosted and then killed by Sadakurō the highwayman.
No sooner has Sadakurō hidden the body and counted the money than he is accidentally shot by Kampei, hunting a boar. Kampei does not see clearly the body in the dark, but takes the money as a gift from heaven and hurries home with his donation to find the other rōnin.
While Kampei gives his account of events, he commits seppuku. His fellow rōnin arrive, and tell how they inspected the body of the old man more carefully - he had died of a sword, not a gun. But it is too late for Kampei. Impressed by his dying sincerity, they accept the donation and allow Kampei to sign in blood the written oath of vengeance
to become the 46th member.
Kudayū, now a spy for Moronao, arrives at a teahouse in the pleasure quarter of Gion
- Yuranosuke's favorite haunt. He intends to learn whether Yuranosuke is indeed dissipated.
3 rōnin are also there on a similar mission: when Yuranosuke disavows revenge, they plan to kill him as a warning to the others not to waver. But they decide to let him sober up first.
While waiting, Yuranosuke receives a letter from Kaoyo to the effect that Moronao is leaving for the provinces and they will need to strike soon.
Just then, Kudayū interrupts and accuses Yuranosuke of being wanton as a deceptive stratagem. But seeing Yuranosuke casually break a taboo & eat octopus on the anniversary of Enya's death, and looking at how rusty his sword is, Kudayū is almost convinced - but he hides under the veranda to spy on the letter, to make sure. He is shortly stabbed to death by Yuranosuke.
style, a standard short act written poetically, describing the gloomy thought of Konami, daughter of Honzō and fiance of Rikiya, as she travels with her mother to Rikiya and Yuranosuke's house. They hope the marriage will be carried out, though all presume it broken off when Rikiya and Yuranosuke became rōnin.
Honzō provides the ground plans for Moronao's mansion and expires, having atoned for his prudence.
is loading onto a ship his highly illegal cargo: more than 40 sets of samurai armor and weapons. 2 rōnin visit to inquire about the preparations. Later, he is surrounded by dozens of police who threaten to kill his son if he doesn't confess. The merchant scorns them and makes to strange his son. Yuranosuke bursts out: it was a test, and the rōnin are impressed. They will use his shop name as a password. (Of course, since he was born a merchant, he cannot join the raid no matter how much he sacrifices.)
' s mission is explained, they applaud and return home. Moronao is soon captured and hacked to death by all the men, Yuranosuke striking first. They offer up his head with incense to Enya's memorial tablets and withdraw to Enya's family temple to await their fates.
Bunraku
, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai—puppeteers* Tayū—the chanters* Shamisen players...
puppet play composed in 1748. It is one of the most popular Japanese plays, ranked with Zeami
Zeami Motokiyo
Zeami Motokiyo , also called Kanze Motokiyo , was a Japanese aesthetician, actor and playwright.-Acting:...
's Matsukaze
Matsukaze
' is a play of the third category by Kanami, revised by Zeami Motokiyo. One of the most highly-regarded of Noh plays, it is mentioned more than any other in Zeami's own writings, and is depicted numerous times in the visual arts.-Plot:...
, although the vivid action of Chūshingura differs dramatically from Matsukaze
Medium
During this portion of the Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, the major dramatists preferred not to write for the kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
theater since the kabuki actors frequently departed from the texts to invent parts and aggrandize their own roles; however, Chūshingura was so successful that it was almost immediately adapted for the kabuki theater as well.
The general story has been depicted in many mediums such as ukiyoe prints.
Kabuki
The kabuki adaptation appeared shortly after the puppet play did in Osaka & Kyoto, and soon was being performed by 3 companies in Edo. It is 'only intermittently faithful' and frequently cuts entire acts. The saved time is available for a lengthier 11th act, with a sequence featuring a duel on a bridge; as well, the kabuki theater could use a revolving stage to switch between scenes of the siege in act 9. The short sequence with the highwayman Sadakurō has been developed into an elaborate mimeMime
The word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
, rendering it a 'coveted assignment' for ambitious actors.
Composition
On 20 March 1703, the 46 rōninRonin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
were ordered to commit seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
by the shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
. 2 weeks later, a kabuki play opened in Edo. It was entitled Akebono Soga no Youchi ("Night attack at dawn by the Soga [Brothers]"; see Soga Monogatari), a standard topic of plays. It was shut down by the authorities, and is thought to have been a disguised version of the recent events. Perhaps because of the touchiness of authorities, kabuki companies did not attempt any further plays on the subject.
In 1706, the great playwright Chikamatsu wrote a 3 act puppet play entitled Goban Taiheiki ("A chronicle of great peace played on a chessboard"); the third act appeared in another puppet play, and was ostensibly about the historical samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
Kō no Moronao
Ko no Moronao
was a Japanese samurai of the Nanboku-chō period who was the first to hold the position of Shitsuji . He was appointed by Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. As Deputy, he served not only an administrative governmental function, but also as general of the Shogun's armies...
(14th c); Moronao was actually a cipher for the offending master of court etiquette, Kira Yoshinaka
Kira Yoshinaka
was a kōke . His court title was Kōzuke no suke. He is famous as the adversary of Asano Naganori in the events of the Forty-seven Ronin...
, who was nearly slain by Asano Naganori
Asano Naganori
was the daimyo of the Akō Domain in Japan . His title was Takumi no Kami . He is known as the person who triggered a series of incidents retold in a story known as Chushingura, one of the favourite themes of kabuki, joruri and Japanese books and films.He was born in Edo as the eldest son of Asano...
. The use of Moronao's name for Kira and many of the other renamings would be copied by the later Chūshingura.
3 years later in the Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
-Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
region where censorship was reportedly lighter, Chūshingura premiered.
It was an instant success, and was quickly imitated countless times, with variants coming out annually between 1706 and 1748.
Authorship
Early materials listed the authors in order as:- Takeda Izumo II
- Miyoshi Shōraku
- Namiki Senryū
Likely Izumo conceived the overall plot and write acts 1, 4, 6, & 9; Shōraku likely wrote 2, 10, and 11..
The fiction author Jippensha Ikku
Jippensha Ikku
was the pen name of Shigeta Sadakazu , a Japanese writer active during the late Edo period of Japan. He lived primarily in Edo in the service of samurai, but also spent some time in Osaka as a townsman...
, in his analysis & anecdotal history Chūshingura Okame Hyōban (1803), implies that authorship was:
- Izumo: act 9
- Shōraku: 2 & 10
- Senryū: 4
Keene suggests that acts 6 & 7 be assigned to Izumo, and act 3 to Senryū.
These identifications are tentative, and not based on stylometry
Stylometry
Stylometry is the application of the study of linguistic style, usually to written language, but it has successfully been applied to music and to fine-art paintings as well.Stylometry is often used to attribute authorship to anonymous or disputed documents...
or similar approaches.
The multiple authorship may be responsible for some of the shifts characters undergo during the 11 acts:
"Sagisaka Bannai, for example, is a comical character in the third act, but by the seventh act there is hardly a trace left of his comicality, and at the end of the play the triumph of the loyal retainers is climaxed by killing Bannai, as if he, rather than Moronao, were the chief villain.
Again, Kakogawa Honzō fawningly offers bribes to Moronao in the third act by no means appears the same man as the heroic Honzō of the ninth act...
The same holds true of Rikiya; the blushing young man of the second act is so unlike the resolute hero of the ninth act as to require two actors."
Translations
A Chinese translation appeared by 1794, and translations into English, French, and German by 1880 - making it 'probably the first work of Japanese literature to be translated' - and a play by John MasefieldJohn Masefield
John Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
(The Faithful) appeared in 1915.
The Australian National University's Za Kabuki
Za Kabuki
Za Kabuki , founded in 1976 at the Australian National University, is the longest running Kabuki troupe outside of Japan. Directed by Mr. Shun Ikeda of the ANU Japan Centre, with a cast and crew consisting mainly of ANU Japanese students, the troupe performs traditional Kabuki plays almost entirely...
performed an English-language version of the play in 2001, directed by Mr. Shun Ikeda
Shun Ikeda
Shun Ikeda from Shinjuku, Tokyo, is a specialist in Japanese language, culture and society, and a senior lecturer at the Australian National University's School of Culture, History and Language...
.
post-Edo period
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, during the Occupation of Japan, performance of Chūshingura was banned "because it glorified militarism and was feudalistic in its insistence on such outmoded concepts as honor and loyalty"; later in 1960, members of the Japanese Diet criticized performances of Chūshingura overseas by traveling kabuki companies over similar fears that it would give foreigners misleading ideas
Plot
The chiefest theme of Chūshingura is the code of bushidoBushido
, meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and...
& loyalty, as exemplified by its protagonist, the chief retainer of the dead lord, Yuranosuke. The retainers seek revenge for their lord even though they know no good will come of it, as Yuranosuke admits in act 7:
"I realized when I thought about it calmly that if we failed in our mission our heads would roll, and if we succeeded we'd have to commit seppuku afterwards. either way, it was certain death. It was like taking expensive medicine, then hanging yourself afterwards because you couldn't pay for the cure."
Yuranosuke in this speech is cloaking his true intentions, as he must constantly through the play, rendering him a challenging role.
It has been argued that in reality, Enya was undeserving of loyalty as he was arrogant & hot-tempered and Moronao was a good man who helped the peasants on his land - thus further emphasizing the unconditional nature of Yuranosuke and the other rōnin
Act 1
"The same holds true of a country at peace: the loyalty and courage of its fine soldiers remain hidden, but the stars, though invisible by day, at night reveal themselves, scattered over the firmament. Here we shall describe such an instance..." --Narrator
The shogun Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
has put down the Genko uprising led by the nobleman Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada
was the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura from the Hōjō clan in 1333....
, and has built a shrine to the kami of war Hachiman
Hachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...
to commemorate his victory. Its chief trophy will be the helmet of the dead Yoshisada, but there is confusion as to which of the 47 helmets found by his body is really his.
The shogun's brother & deputy, Ashikaga Tadayoshi
Ashikaga Tadayoshi
was a general of the Northern and Southern Courts period of Japanese history and a close associate of his elder brother Takauji, the first Muromachi shogun. Son of Ashikaga Sadauji and of a daughter of Uesugi Yorishige, the same mother as Takauji, he was a pivotal figure of the chaotic transition...
, convenes a conference to discuss the issue. Attending is the governor of Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, Lord Moronao (Kira), Wakanosuke, and Lord Enya (Asano). Moronao objects to preserving the helmet, even though Yoshisada was a noble descendant of the Genji
Genji
was a after Bunkyū and before Keiō. This period spanned only slightly more than a single year from February 1864 through April 1865. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
, a mistake would be embarrassing, and there were many loyal retainers descended from the Genji anyway. Enya and Wakanosuke support the helmet's preservation.
Tadayoshi summons Enya's wife, for as a maiden in the imperial palace, she saw the helmet presented to Yoshisada. She verifies the correct choice. As the conference ends, Moronao, who has been tutoring Enya's wife in classical waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poetry, presses upon her a love letter. She rejects it entirely, and Moronao is embittered with hatred for Enya.
Act 2
Enya sends his retainers a message that he and Moronao have been charged with the welcoming of Tadayoshi the next day. Wakanosuke, aware of Moronao's rejection, tells his fellow retainer Honzō of his plan to assassinate Moronao before Moronao can attack or provoke their master Enya. Honzō applauds the plan, suggests that Wakanosuke take a nap first, and immediately departs to find Moronao first to bribe him.Act 3
Honzō finds Moronao at Tadayoshi's palace, and delivers his handsome bribe in the guise of thanks for etiquette instruction. Moronao accepts it and invites Honzō to an audience.After an interlude in which a minor retainer of Enya, Kampei, gives into temptation to leave his post with his lover, Wakanosuke arrives. When Wakanosuke encounters Moronao, Moronao's attitude is so welcoming and apologetic that Wakanosuke confusedly abandons his murderous intentions - as Honzō planned.
Unfortunately, when Enya arrives, he comes bearing a note from his wife to Moronao; it is a poem from the Shin Kokin Wakashū which indicates her definitive rejection of Moronao's love.
Angered, Moronao takes exception to Enya's tardiness and begins mercilessly insulting & verbally abusing Enya. Provoked beyond his limits, Enya draws and slashes Moronao. He does not kill Moronao as he is held back by Honzō (who hopes to lessen Enya's punishment).
Outside, Kampei hears the commotion and rushes to the back gate, only to realize his failure as a samurai: he dallied and was not there when his master needed him.
Act 4
Enya is placed under house arrest. The retainers and women discuss his fate, and Enya's wife, Kaoyo, reveals Moronao's motives.The shogun's envoys arrive with Enya's sentence: seppuku, confiscation of Enya's estate, and the reduction of his men to rōnin.
Enya's chief retainer, Yuranosuke, rushes in just as Enya is pulling the dagger across his stomach; Enya charges him with seeking vengeance. Yuranosuke orders the men to not commit seppuku nor barricade the mansion and die fighting the shogunate, but likewise to seek vengeance.
Act 5
Kampei, long after the expulsion, has become a hunter. One rainy day, he meets on the highway a fellow rōnin. The conversation reveals that Yuranosuke and the others did not immediately assault Moronao's extremely well guarded mansion, but dispersed peacefully, and that Yuranosuke & his son have fallen into decadent seeking of pleasure. Kampei mentions rumors he has heard that 40 or so of the rōnin are conspiring to kill Moronao. The other rōnin categorically denies this: the meetings and solicitations are for the charitable purpose of raising funds for a fitting memorial for Enya's grave. Kampei resolves to acquire money to donate towards the memorial.Later, an old man comes along the road with the large sum of 50 ryō in his wallet, earned by selling his daughter - Kampei's wife - to a brothel. He is accosted and then killed by Sadakurō the highwayman.
No sooner has Sadakurō hidden the body and counted the money than he is accidentally shot by Kampei, hunting a boar. Kampei does not see clearly the body in the dark, but takes the money as a gift from heaven and hurries home with his donation to find the other rōnin.
Act 6
At Kampei's home, his wife and mother-in-law await the return of the old man; their money will enable Kampei to become a samurai again. But he has yet to return when the pimp comes to claim Kampei's wife. While the pimp argues with them and describes his transaction with the old man, Kampei arrives with the tell-tale wallet. He is accused of murdering his father-in-law, and because it was dark, even Kampei believes it.While Kampei gives his account of events, he commits seppuku. His fellow rōnin arrive, and tell how they inspected the body of the old man more carefully - he had died of a sword, not a gun. But it is too late for Kampei. Impressed by his dying sincerity, they accept the donation and allow Kampei to sign in blood the written oath of vengeance
Oath of vengeance
In Mormonism, the oath of vengeance was an oath that was made by participants in the Endowment ritual of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between about 1845 and the 1920s, in which participants vowed to pray that God would avenge the blood of the prophets Joseph Smith, Jr...
to become the 46th member.
Act 7
"It's quite true that I felt a certain amount of indignation - about as big as a flea's head split by a hatchet - and tried forming a league of 40 or 50 men, but what a crazy notion that was! ... Oh, when I hear the samisens playing like that, I just can't resist." --Yuranosuke
Kudayū, now a spy for Moronao, arrives at a teahouse in the pleasure quarter of Gion
Gion
is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine...
- Yuranosuke's favorite haunt. He intends to learn whether Yuranosuke is indeed dissipated.
3 rōnin are also there on a similar mission: when Yuranosuke disavows revenge, they plan to kill him as a warning to the others not to waver. But they decide to let him sober up first.
While waiting, Yuranosuke receives a letter from Kaoyo to the effect that Moronao is leaving for the provinces and they will need to strike soon.
Just then, Kudayū interrupts and accuses Yuranosuke of being wanton as a deceptive stratagem. But seeing Yuranosuke casually break a taboo & eat octopus on the anniversary of Enya's death, and looking at how rusty his sword is, Kudayū is almost convinced - but he hides under the veranda to spy on the letter, to make sure. He is shortly stabbed to death by Yuranosuke.
Act 8
An act in the michiyukiMichiyuki
Michiyuki is the term for a journey scene in Japanese theatre, which shows the characters dancing or conversing while travelling.The term michiyuki in its generic sense of michi wo yuku "to go on a road" is used in lyrical descriptions of journeys from the 8th century...
style, a standard short act written poetically, describing the gloomy thought of Konami, daughter of Honzō and fiance of Rikiya, as she travels with her mother to Rikiya and Yuranosuke's house. They hope the marriage will be carried out, though all presume it broken off when Rikiya and Yuranosuke became rōnin.
Act 9
Konami arrives at Yuranosuke's house, and her mother asks Yuranosuke's wife to permit the marriage's consummation. She is rebuffed because of Honzō's bribery of Moronao and restraining Enya from killing him. The mother and daughter resolve to commit seppuku, impressing Yuranosuke's wife, who consents if Honzō's head is brought to her as a wedding gift. Honzō unexpectedly appears, insults Yuranosuke and Rikiya as debauchees, provoking Yuranosuke's wife to attack him with a lance. Honzō disarms and pins her, when Rikiya enters and stabs Honzō with the discarded lance - just as Honzō planned.Honzō provides the ground plans for Moronao's mansion and expires, having atoned for his prudence.
Act 10
The merchant Gihei of the port of SakaiSakai, Osaka
is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of the town of Mihara, from Minamikawachi District, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in...
is loading onto a ship his highly illegal cargo: more than 40 sets of samurai armor and weapons. 2 rōnin visit to inquire about the preparations. Later, he is surrounded by dozens of police who threaten to kill his son if he doesn't confess. The merchant scorns them and makes to strange his son. Yuranosuke bursts out: it was a test, and the rōnin are impressed. They will use his shop name as a password. (Of course, since he was born a merchant, he cannot join the raid no matter how much he sacrifices.)