Characters
Ashikaga Tadayoshi
Shogun’s younger brother. He goes to Kamakura’s Tsurugaoka Shrine on behalf of his brother to present the helmet of his defeated enemy and calls on Enya Hangan’s wife to authenticate it. He appears only in the prologue.
Ko no Moronao
Modeled on the historical Kira Kozukenosuke. As secretary to the shogun, he is politically powerful, but his arrogant behavior triggers the key incident in the drama. He appears in the prologue and Acts III and XI. His appearance in the final act is brief, and the role is often taken by a different actor than in the earlier acts.
Momonoi Wakasanosuke
A lord in charge of messengers for Ashikaga Tadayoshi. He is humiliated by Moronao and plots to kill him. He appears in the prologue and Acts II and III, and reappears in the Act XI in some productions.
Enya Hangan
Modeled on the historical Asano Takuminokami. An attendant to Tadayoshi and a lord from the present Tottori Prefecture. He is provoked by Moronao into drawing his sword in the shogun’s castle, a capital offense. He is ordered to commit ritual suicide and his house disbanded, leading his followers to seek their revenge. He appears in the prologue and Acts III and IV.
Kaoyo gozen
Modeled on the historical wife of Asano Takuminokami. She is Hangan’s wife. Arriving at the castle on official duty, she is molested by Moronao, which sparks the events driving the play. Appears in the prologue and Act IV.
Oboshi Rikiya
Modeled on the historical Oishi Chikara. Yuranosuke’s eldest son. He is engaged with Konami and serves Hangan as a page. He witnesses his master’s ritual suicide and helps take the dead body to the family temple. He subsequently moves to the countryside with his father and looks for the opportunity for revenge. He appears in Acts II, IV, VII, IX and XI. His character and clothing are slightly different in each.
Tonase
Honzo’s second wife. She accompanies her stepdaughter Konami to the countryside to bring her together with her fiancé Rikiya. She appears in Acts II, VIII and IX.
Konami
The daughter of Honzo and his first wife. Tonase is her stepmother. She was engaged to Rikiya, but is separated from him after his master’s death. She appears in Acts II, VIII and IX.
Kakogawa Honzo
Modeled on the historical Kajikawa Yosobe, who grabbed Asano in the sword-drawing incident in the castle in an attempt to prevent trouble. Honzo is a senior adviser to the Momonoi family. He secretly bribes Moronao to settle a dangerous conflict with his master Wakasanosuke, but his attempt to stop Hangan from killing Moronao has far-reaching consequences. He is lightly depicted in Act III but plays a critical role in Acts II and IX.
Sagisaka Bannai
Moronao’s servant. A typical comic enemy role who goes overboard in his flattery of Moronao. He tries to steal the attention of Okaru. He appears in Acts III and VII and sometimes in Act XI.
Hayano Kanpei
Modeled on the historical Kayano Sanpei, one of the 47 masterless retainers. He is not with his master Enya Hangan at a fateful moment, having slipped away to meet his lover Okaru. He resolves to kill himself in atonement but is stopped by Okaru, and retires to the countryside, where he scrounges for a living as a hunter. His subsequent attempt to join the revenge plot leads to a tragic ending. He appears in Acts III, V and VI.
Okaru
Modeled on the historical Oishi’s mistress Okaru. She is a farmer’s daughter and sister of Heieimon, and a maid in the Enya household. Her rendezvous with Kanpei causes him to be away from his master at a fateful moment. She later sells herself to a pleasure house in order to raise money so that Kanpei can join the revenge group. She appears in Acts III, VI and VII.
Ono Kudayu
Modeled on the historical Ono Kurobe. Senior adviser to the Enya household. After the termination of the household, he switches to Moronao’s side and spies on Yuranosuke. Appears in Acts IV and VII.
Ishido Umanojo
One of the two messengers delivering the suicide order to Enya Hangan. He is sympathetic to Hangan and his retainers. Usually appears only in Act IV but sometimes reappears in Act XI.
Yakushiji Jirozaemon
One of the two messengers delivering the suicide order to Enya Hangan. Being close to Moronao, he quickly departs after Hangan carries out the order, ridiculing the servants as they deal with their master’s dead body. He is depicted as a mean and callous individual. Normally appears today only in Act IV, but used to appear in Act XI as well.
Oboshi Yuranosuke
Modeled on the historical Oishi Kuranosuke. He is a senior adviser to Enya Hangan. As soon as he hears the news of his master, he rushes to the capital but is unable to prevent the suicide. He is determined to take revenge and convinces the young retainers to bide their time. He pretends to have fallen into a drunk and decadent lifestyle as he carefully awaits the proper moment for action. Appears in Acts IV, VII, IX, X and XI.
Ono Sadakuro
Modeled on the historical Ono Gun’emon. He is Kudayu’s son. Even more vicious than his father, he is ultimately disinherited and becomes a bandit. He murders Okaru’s father and steals a large sum of money, but is accidentally shot to death by Kanpei in a hunting accident. The performance style is different in Tokyo and Osaka. Only appears in Act V.
Ichimonjiya Osai
Mistress of Gion pleasure house. She hires Okaru in a transaction with the father. In a demonstration of her established status, she uses the art of persuasion to halt a fight between Genroku, who accompanies her, and Kanpei. In the original story, the role was a man called Saibei, but it has taken hold as a female role since the Meiji Period. She appears only in Act VI.
Teraoka Heiemon
Modeled on the real-life Terasaka Kichiemon. One of the masterless retainers and Okaru’s brother. He is now a low-ranking samurai serving as a foot soldier. He appeals directly to the senior adviser Yuranosuke to allow him to join the revenge plan. Realizing Yuranosuke’s intentions to kill his sister, he attempts to kill her first to prove his loyalty. He appears in Acts VII and XI.
Oishi
Modeled on the real-life wife of Oishi Kuranosuke. Here, she is Yuranosuke’s wife and Rikiya’s mother. In the retreat in Yamashina, she receives her son’s fiancée Konami and stepmother Tonase and demands the head of Honzo, Konami’s father, for his role in the tragedy. She appears only in Act IX.
Amakawaya Gihei
Modeled on the real-life Amanoya Gihei, who is believed to have supported the masterless retainers. He is the owner of the shipping firm that used to have business with the Enya household. He is loyal and helps procure weapons for the revenge. He is also stubborn and does not yield easily when responding to an enemy attack. He appears only in the rarely performed Act X, where he is the main character.
