The Truth in the Fictions: The Exploration of the Chūshingura World by Yuriko Katsumata B.A., Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 1972 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies Yuriko Katsumata, 2011 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee The Truth in the Fictions: The Exploration of the Chūshingura World by Yuriko Katsumata B.A., Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 1972 Supervisory Committee Dr. Cody Poulton, (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Supervisor Dr. Katsuhiko Endo (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Cody Poulton, (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Supervisor Dr. Katsuhiko Endo (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Departmental Member This thesis explores the world of Chūshingura. It is a story based on the actual vendetta referred to as ―the Akō incident‖ which occurred on December 14th of 1702. The forty-seven Akō rōnin (masterless samurai) avenged their lord‘s death on Kira Yoshinaka, a high-ranking official of the Tokugawa bakufu. They were the former vassals of Asano Naganori, daimyō (feudal lord) of the Akō han (domain), who was forced to commit seppuku (suicide by disembowelment) as a punishment for attacking Kira in Edo Castle on March 14th of 1701. The Asano vassals became rōnin. They believed that this affair was a kenka (fight), but Kira was declared innocent. Infuriated by the unfair bakufu judgement, the Akō rōnin led by Ōishi Kuranosuke, karō (chief retainer) of the Akō han, successfully carried out the vendetta. A month and a half later, all the vendetta league members were sentenced to seppuku. This incident had a strong impact on the people in the peaceful Genroku era and it has since been taken up in various forms of entertainment and art. Among them, a kabuki and jōruri play (Japanese traditional puppet play) Kanadehon Chūshingura has maintained an unsurpassed status since its first performance in 1748. After Kanadehon, the term Chūshingura has become the title of almost all the Akō-mono (works with the theme of the Akō incident). However, this play mainly depicts the fate of fictional characters outside the vendetta league. The first purpose of this thesis is to investigate the reasons for the long-lasting popularity of Kanadehon as the most representative Chūshingura story, in spite of the clear absence of historical facts. As the second purpose, this thesis will examine the recent polarization trend in Chūshingura productions. Until a few decades ago, the straightforward vendetta stories with Ōishi the hero versus Kira the villain boasted overwhelming popularity. While the popularity of these ―orthodox‖ stories is rapidly diminishing, Chūshingura stories with diverse perspectives, such as those featuring defectors, have been steadily increasing in the modern age. Performances of Chūshingura parodies written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV in the early 1800s are also increasing both in traditional and contemporary plays. After having investigated this polarization trend and ascertained its reasons, I will try to forecast the future of Chūshingura. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee .................................................................................................... ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................... viii Dedication ......................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: The Akō Incident - Historical Background and Its Impact on the Society..........................................................................................................13 I. Facts and Legends..................................................................................................13 A. Facts: What Actually Happened?.......................................................................13 1. Records of historical events………………………………………………..13 2. The true story………………………………………………………………15 B. Legends Developed from Rumors, Speculation or Imagination........................20 1. Kira‘s harassment of Asano………………………………………………..20 2. Legends of Ōishi Kuranosuke……………………………………………...22 3. Meimeiden and gaiden……………………………………………………..23 II. Legal and Moral Issues………………………………………………………….25 A. The seppuku of Asano Naganori……………………………………………….25 B. The seppuku of the forty-six Akō rōnin………………………………………..26 1. Four Confucian scholars…………………………………………………...27 2. The birth of legends………………………………………………………..29 III. Philosophical Issues: Motivations of the Forty-Seven Rōnin...........................30 A. Loyalty to a Lord: Was It the Central Motivation?............................................30 - Defense for the samurai honor.........................................................................30 a. Ōishi‘s conception of the samurai honor....................................................30 b. Edo radicals‘ conception of the samurai honor...........................................31 B. Another Possible Motivation: Appeasing vengeful spirits.................................33 IV. Impact on Society.................................................................................................34 A. Impact on the Public in the Edo Period………………………………………..34 B. Utilization of Chūshingura by the Authorities to Enhance Patriotism...............35 C. New Perspectives in Literature...........................................................................38 D. The Change in the Interest of the Public............................................................40 1. Why were the public interested?.................................................................40 2. The gradual decrease of orthodox Chūshingura stories.………………….41 Summary.......................................................................................................................42 Chapter 3: The Stage Adaptation of the Akō Incident.................................................45 I. The Kabuki and Jōruri Plays Before Kanadehon Chūshingura.........................45 A. The Boom of the Akō-mono (Works Covering the Akō Incident)....................45 v B. Kabuki Plays....................................................................................................46 C. Jōruri Plays.......................................................................................................47 D. Gidayū Kyōgen..................................................................................................48 E. The Sekai (World) and the Shukō......................................................................50 1. Taiheiki Sazareishi......................................................................................51 2. Chūshin Kogane no Tanzaku......................................................................52 3. Goban Taiheiki...........................................................................................53 II. Kanadehon Chūshingura.......................................................................................55 A. The Component Elements of Kanadehon Chūshingura..................................57 1. Title.............................................................................................................57 2. Composition................................................................................................57 3. Playwrights..................................................................................................57 4. Main characters...........................................................................................58 - Ōboshi Yuranosuke……………………………………………………..58 - Rikiya and Oishi………………………………………………………..59 - Kō no Moronao, Enya Hangan and Kaoyo Gozen……………………..60 - Hayano Kanpei………………………………………………………....60 - Okaru…………………………………………………………………...61 - Teraoka Heiemon……………………………………………………….61 - Momonoi Wakasanosuke……………………………………………….62 - Kakogawa Honzō……………………………………………………….62 - Tonase and Konami……………………………………………………..62 - Ono Kudayū…………………………………………………………….63 - Ono Sadakurō…………………………………………………………..63 - Amagawaya Gihei………………………………………………………63 5. The Play Structure.......................................................................................64 - Daijo.........................................................................................................65 - Act Two...................................................................................................65 - Act Three.................................................................................................66 - Act Four...................................................................................................67 - Michiyuki (Ochiudo)...............................................................................67