Story of
Koibikyaku Yamato Ōrai:
Fūinkiri
Chūbē, the adopted son of a hikyaku don'ya (a courier merchant) in Osaka, and courtesan Umegawa have been involved with each other. In the hope of being together with Umegawa, Chūbē tries to redeem Umegawa by paying a ransom, but unfortunately, he cannot raise the money for this.
Meanwhile, Chūbē’s friend Hachiemon says he also wants to redeem Umegawa. However, Umegawa’s employer Jiemon rejects Hachiemon’s offer, as he expects Chūbē to do so. Then, Hachiemon calls Chūbē all kinds of names, making fun of his lack of money.
No longer able to stand Hachiemon’s abusive language, Chūbē impulsively takes the envelope containing 300 ryō (gold coins) – which is supposed to be delivered to the kurayashiki (daimyo’s treasury storehouse) – out of his inside pocket, and then breaks the seal on it. Trust is everything for a courier; if he breaks the seal on an envelope entrusted by a customer, he cannot escape capital punishment.
Embattled Chūbē and Umegawa – what will be the outcome for this couple?
In Kabuki, the role or acting style of a gentle-mannered, handsome man is called “wagoto.” Chūbē, the main character of this piece, is a representative role of wagoto. Though gallant, Chūbē has a wishy-washy, childish side to his character in some ways.
The story of Chūbē, a sensitive and nice young man, committing the grave crime of fūinkiri (breaking the seals) has a ring of truth that holds even today. We invite you to immerse yourself in this realistic performance expressing the emotional turmoil of Chūbē, who rushes toward ruin because of his single-hearted love for Umegawa and his pride as a man.