Kabuki Plus
Date succession battle and Sendai Hagi
The historical Date Tsunamune was forced to retire by the shogunate in 1660 because of his debauched lifestyle, whereupon his two-year-old son became head of the household. The boy’s grand-uncle Munekatsu and senior adviser Harada Kai (the model for Nikkei Danjo) took control, which developed into a major succession dispute. The incident became the subject of a great many dramas and novels throughout the Edo Period.
The Japanese title is taken from a series of puns. The characters for meiboku refer to a famous aromatic wood, suggesting the expensive clogs said to be worn by Tsunamune when he frequented the pleasure quarters. Sendai hagi is Japanese bush clover, which, though written with different characters, is a symbol of Sendai City. Thus, while the title literally reads “Fragrant Wood and Japanese Bush Clover”, it is also a sly reference to the dissolute ways of the leader of the Sendai clan.
Because of government restrictions on depicting recent historical incidents, the Date name was changed to the Ashikaga clan of several centuries earlier, and the location was shifted to Kamakura. Still, audiences were unlikely to be fooled: for one thing, the costumes and paper screens feature the Date family crest of bamboo and sparrow. This mixed use of real and fictional elements is common in Kabuki.
Rice-cooking scene
notable!In the first half of “The Palace”, Masaoka cooks rice for the two hungry children with a tea kettle in accordance with tea ceremony protocol. This is a test of the actor’s familiarity with the intricate art of tea ceremony, requiring careful training. This scene is often omitted nowadays due to time constraints, but it is important within the drama in depicting the courage both of the two young children trying to be stoic warriors and Masaoka in her devotion to the young master and her love for her child.
Nikki Danjo and Koshiro V
The actor Matsumoto Koshiro V (1764-1838) was particularly famous for his portrayal of Nikki Danjo, and his style is widely followed today. He had a mole above his left eyebrow, and actors performing this role have since drawn a false mole in the same place in his honor. The long trousers worn by Nikki Danjo in the play feature a ceremonial pattern with the crest of the Koshiro family.
Yashio
notable!Yashio is a classic villainess and one of the play’s key roles. She is traditionally played by actors specializing in male rather than female roles in order to heighten the character’s evil nature. Her brutal murder of the young Senmatsu still shocks audiences.
