This month the Kabukiza in Ginza offers a jidaimono (history play) on a grand scale -- "Kokusen'ya Kassen (Kokusen'ya's Battle)." The play is adapted from Chikamatsu Monzaemon's bunraku masterpiece, which enjoyed a record 17-month run when it was first presented in Osaka in 1715. The play is being staged this month to mark the 350th anniversary of Chikamatsu's birth, in 1653.
"Kokusen'ya" tells the story of Tei Seiko, the son of Tei Shiryu who had once served at the Ming court. During the 17th century, Tei Seiko fought against the Mongols, who invaded China from the north, seeking to overthrow the Ming Dynasty. He died in Taiwan in 1662.
As it was forbidden to present historical personages on stage using their real names, in "Kokusen'ya" Tei Seiko is referred to as Watonai, his Chinese father is called Ro Ikkan, and his Japanese mother Nagisa. The dashing Watonai is acted by Nakamura Kichiemon; Ikkan is played by Ichikawa Sadanji; and Nagisa by Sawamura Tanosuke, a veteran onnagata. The other characters at the heart of the drama, Watonai's half sister Kinshojo and her husband Kanki, a prominent general affiliated with the powerful Dattan (Mongols), are played by Nakamura Jakuemon and Nakamura Tomijuro, respectively.
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