Genpei Nunobiki no Taki (Genji and Heike at Nunobiki Falls)

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Genpei Nunobiki no Taki (Genji and Heike at Nunobiki Falls)

Bunraku: November 1749, Osaka Kabuki: September 1757, Osaka

This play is a five-act period piece taken from the classic works The Tale of Heike and Genpei Seisuiki. The most famous sections are Yoshikata Saigo (Act II) and Sanemori Monogatari (Act III). They portray the heroic death of Kiso Yoshikata and the safe birth of his son from the compassion of Saito Sanemori, tied with the story of the white Genji flag. The story of Sanemori rescuing Yoshikata’s son and taking him to Shinano comes from Genpei Seisuiki, while the scene depicting the prediction of the Shinohara battle comes from The Tale of Heike, where Sanemori dyes his hair and is struck down by Yoshinaka’s servant.

●main graphic ［from left］Saito Sanemori（Kataoka Nizaemon）、Tarokichi（Kataoka Sennosuke）、Kurosuke（Kataoka Kamezo）、Aoi Gozen（Nakamura Kaishun）、Koyoshi（Ichimura Kakitsu）　April 2007　Kabukiza Theatre

●publication date　June 2016