"I was deeply impressed by the beauty of the words," says actress Keiko Matsuzaka, 47, breathless with enthusiasm as she talks about the play she's producing: "Tenshu Monogatari."
The award-winning actress says she was enchanted by Tamasaburo Bando's production of Kyoka Izumi's novel "Tenshu Monogatari" when she saw it 10 years ago. She immediately bought the novel and read it repeatedly, touched by the author's compassion for the weak and suffering.
Written in 1917, "Tenshu Monogatari" is the tragic story of a love affair between the ghost Tomihime, who haunts the tower of Himeji Castle, and a warrior, Zushonosuke. Izumi (1873-1939) depicted a unique world, full of poetic fantasy and illusion, making it an especially difficult piece to dramatize. It deterred all but Tamasaburo, and later Matsuzaka, who took up the project last year.