Figures of Showa stage #2 – Ichikawa Ebizo IX is in the role of Moritsuna at Senjin Palace

Series
Figures of Showa Stage

Series Number
2

Title in English
Figures of Showa stage #2 – Ichikawa Ebizo IX is in the role of Moritsuna at Senjin Palace

Title in Japanese
盛綱 九代目市川海老蔵 昭和舞台姿　その二
Showa Butai Sugata 2 – Moritsuna Ichikawa Ebiso IX

Title in French
Portraits de la scène de Showa No.2 – Acteur Ichikawa Ebiso IX dans Moritsuna au Palais Senjin

The play
The complete title of this play is « “Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata” (The camp of the Genji Advance Guard at Ômi). The original play was in 9 acts. Only the 8th act survived, entitled “Moritsuna Yakata” and commonly called “Moritsuna Jin’ya” (Moritsuna’s fort). The play was originally created for the bunraku puppet theater in 1769 and was adapted to kabuki theater the following year in 1770 in Osaka. The play is based on the fight between the Toyotomi and the Tokugawa clans at the Siege of Osaka. The drama was set during the Kamakura Period (13th century) and names were changed to disguise the protagonists’ identity and avoid the Shogunate censorship.

The story
War has broken out between Minamoto no Yoriie in Kyoto and the Shogun in Kamakura. The Sasaki brothers Moritsuna and Takatsuna fight on opposite sides, Moritsuna for the Shogun and Takatsuna for the Minamoto clan. Takatsuna’s son Koshiro is held prisoner as hostage by Moritsuna. Soon, the news of Takatsuna’s death is reported and Tokimasa, an old warrior arrives with Takatsuna’s head in a box. Moritsuna has to verify that the head is really that of his brother. Slowly his gaze travels down to look at the head. It is the moment the audience has been waiting for and the subject of this print. There is a slight start when his eyes rests on the face, an imperceptible surprise and a slight smile. This head is not his brother’s. However, he decides to hide the truth, takes the head in his arms, address a lament to it and declares it to be his brother. Koshiro wants to lead Tokimasa in the belief that it was his father’s head and commits ritual suicide saying he will follow his father to the grave. There is not a dry eye in the audience when the boy says the traditional farewell to his family.