Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura
(Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees)

From - A Guide to the Japanese Stage by Ronald Cavaye, Paul Griffith and Akihiko Senda (Kodansha International, Japan)

Written by Takeda Izumo II, Miyoshi Shoraku and Namiki Senryu, Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees is one of the three most popular and famous in the Kabuki repertoire. Performed by puppets in 1747 and adapted as Kabuki in 1748, it is set during the late 12th century Genji-Heike civil wars.


Synopsis:

The Heike clan has been defeated at several important battles and Lord Yoritomo, of the opposing Genji, has established himself as shogun. But his younger half-brother, Yoshitsune, has also been very successful in battle, causing Yoritomo to become bitterly jealous. Yoritomo therefore turns against Yoshitsune and determines to capture him, forcing Yoshitsune to run away in an attempt to escape his brother's men.

The following scenes from this full-length play are being performed at Sadler's Wells, Friday 4 - Tuesday 15 June 2010.


Act II Scene I

Fushimi inari torii mae
(Before the Torii Gate, at the Inari Fox Shrine at Fushimi)

Yoshitsune decides to flee to Kyushu. His lover Shizuka, however, cannot accompany him on such a dangerous journey. To console her, he leaves a very precious drum in her possession.

Soldiers arrive from the capital to capture Yoshitsune but find Shizuka instead; they are about to take her when she is rescued by Sato Tadanobu, one of Yoshitsune's most loyal allies. Tadanobu is played here in the heroic aragoto acting-style and he easily defeats the men. In gratitude, Yoshitsune presents him with a gift of armour and bestows upon him one of his own names, Genkuro. He then leaves, leaving Shizuka in the care of Tadanobu / Genkuro.

Shizuka departs, beating the drum as she goes. Following her, Tadanobu suddenly begins to act strangely, leaping and bounding like an animal. It becomes apparent that he is, in fact, a magic fox in disguise.


Act IV Scene I

Yoshinoyama
(The Journey to Mt. Yoshino)

In this dance scene, Yoshitsune's lover Shizuka and the magic fox (disguised as Tadanobu) are seen journeying through the beautiful landscape of Mt. Yoshino. They are on their way to meet Yoshitsune who is sheltering at the mansion of an old friend. Shizuka is sad to be parted from her lord and Tadanobu consoles her. He sets up the suit of armour on a tree stump and Shizuka places the drum on top. In this way, the armour and drum can represent their lord's presence and both bow before them. In the scene's highlight, Tadanobu re-enacts the story of the warrior Tsuginobu's death in battle. When an arrow was shot at Yoshitsune by the enemy, Tsuginobu gallantly rode his horse in front of his lord to block its path, thereby saving Yoshitsune's life but sacrificing his own. Tadanobu and Shizuka bemoan the cruel fate of so noble a man. At last, the pair continue on their way.


Act IV Scene II

Kawatsura Hogen yakata (also known as Shi-no-Kiri)
(The Mansion of Kawatsura Hogen)

Yoshitsune is being sheltered by the mountain priest Kawatsura Hogen. The real Tadanobu arrives to see Yoshitsune whom he has not seen for many months. When Yoshitsune asks him where Shizuka is, Tadanobu is mystified. However Shizuka then arrives alone and reports that until a few moments ago, Tadanobu was with her. It appears that there are two men called Tadanobu, one of whom must be an impostor. Shizuka remembers that whenever she lost sight of Tadanobu along the way, she only needed to strike the drum in order for him to materialise. They decide to do so now to see if the other Tadanobu will reappear. Employing trap doors and other stage tricks, the actor transforms from Tadanobu into his real fox form. He reveals how the drum is in fact made from the hides of his fox parents and so he is irresistibly drawn to it and disguised himself as Tadanobu in order to follow it. The fox continues to express his love and longing for his parents and is praised as an example of filial piety.

Having lost his own father at an early age and now hunted by his elder brother, Yoshitsune feels the deep irony of the situation; while in the world of men family relations fight against each other, it is left to animals to display such human virtues as filial love. Moved by the tale and grateful for his protection of Shizuka, Yoshitsune offers the drum to the fox as a present. A group of comical priests enter with the intention of capturing Yoshitsune, but the fox defeats them with his supernatural powers and joyfully flies off with the drum.


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