Overview
| Title | Kamakura Sandaiki (Three Generations of Kamakura) |
|---|---|
| Writer | Traditionally attributed to Chikamatsu Hanji. Recent research shows that contributions were also made by numerous other writers. |
| Premiere |
Bunraku: May 1770, Osaka Kabuki: February 1818, Edo |
| Overview |
The original puppet piece was first performed under the title Taihei Kabuto no Kazari as a sequel to the hit Omi Genji Senji Yakata of December the previous year. The earlier play was based on the historical Winter Battle of Osaka (1614), where the newly victorious Tokugawa rulers moved to destroy their last remaining threat, while this piece covered the concluding Summer Battle (1615). Because of restrictions by the Tokugawa shogunate, the setting was changed to the Kamakura Era of the 13th century and the names of the characters altered accordingly. Though written to capitalize on the first play’s great success, this show treated the Osaka Castle incidents with greater fidelity to history and legend, raising the ire of Osaka authorities, who shut it down after less than a month. The play subsequently went through a number of revisions and reemerged in Edo in March 1781 under the current name, which proved the basis for the present work. It was originally a ten-act play, but only Act VII, “Kinugawa Mura Kankyo”, survives. The three main roles – the hero Sasaki Takatsuna, handsome supporting role Miuranosuke and the heroine Princess Toki – all have their highlights, making this play a popular choice for name-taking performances (when actors take higher-ranking names).
●main graphic ［from left］Miuranosuke Yoshimura（Onoe Kikugoro）、Tozaburo, actually Sasaki Takatsuna（Matsumoto Koshiro）、Princess Toki（Nakamura Jakuemon） January 2004 Kabukiza Theatre
●publication date December 2016 |
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