Chushingura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers

Takeda Izumo, Miyoshi Shoraku, and Namiki Senryu (Translated by Donald Keene)

Columbia University Press, 1971 [1748]; Pages: 183

This puppet play is arguably the most famous adaptation of the 47 Ronin story, which has been the mainstay of Japanese culture and art ever since the retainers of Lord Asano avenged their master's death in 1703. There have been numerous other plays, but this one seems to have withstood the rigours of time and censorship. Originally, the shogunate frowned on productions that valorized a deed, which was in flagrant disregard of their authority. This necessitated subtle changes, mainly in the setting and names, so that the censors were placated, at least for the sake of appearances. This version, for example, is set in 1338 and involves the fates of Lord Hangan (Asano), Moronao (Kira), and Yuranosuke (Kuranosuke). The plot remains essentially unaltered.

As with the other versions I've seen, including films, the protagonist, and the center of the story, is Yuranosuke, Hangan's chief retainer, who conspires to kill Moronao for being responsible for Hangan comitting seppuku. Since everyone knows the story, I will just note some interesting differences between this play and two of the more well-known films: Inagaki's CHUSHINGURA and Mizoguchi's THE 47 RONIN (both available on DVD here in the US). The play is far more tragic in the sense that many people, not just the samurai, are shown to contribute, suffer, and do their best to uphold the honor of the late Lord. Although Kambei's seppuku is shown in both films, the reasons are far more tenuous than his moving fate in the play. Here, Kambei leaves with Okaru, feeling guilty that he had failed to be at his Lord's side when the altercation with Moronao took place. He is dishonored and rebuffed when he tries to join the others. He goes to great lengths to change that. His wife is sold as a prostitute, his father-in-law is murdered for the money, and he eventually disembowels himself, believing (wrongly) that he had inadvertently killed the father-in-law. Moved by his sacrifice, Yuranosuke eventually includes him as the 47th, and gives Kambei's spirit a chance to participate posthumously.

There's also the story with the merchant Gihei, who displays dedication and bravery that even the most resolute samurai would envy. He is ready to divorce his wife, and let his little child be butchered, but would not divulge the secret plot. Being of lowly status, he is unable to participate in the attack, but the samurai honor him by adopting the name of his shop as passwords.

Finally, and completely absent in either film, we have the motivation for Moronao's (Kira) hostility toward Hangan (Asano). Mizoguchi leaves it unexplained, and Inagaki relies on greed. The play shows that it was no just Moronao's overbearing character that was the culprit. In fact, he had made advances on Hangan's wife, Lady Kaoyo, and decided to take revenge on the unsuspecting husband when she rejected him once more. I can see why this wouldn't work in the films, where Kira is portrayed as lecherous but cowardly.

April 6, 2001. BLS

@BOOK{izumo-1748:chushingura,
    TITLE     = {Chushingura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers},
    AUTHOR    = {Takeda Izumo and Miyoshi Shoraku and Namiki Senryu},
    YEAR      = {1971 [1748]},
    PUBLISHER = {Columbia University Press},
    ADDRESS   = {New York},
    ISBN      = {0-231-03531-4},
    NOTE      = {Translated by Donald Keene, Pp. 183}
}