Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura: Sushiya (The Sushi Shop)

📝 Work Info

Author	Takeda Izumo / Miyoshi Shōraku / Namiki Senryū
Premiere	November 1747, Takemoto-za, Osaka (puppet theater) / January 1748, Ise theater; May 1748, Nakamura-za, Edo (kabuki)
Genre	Jidaimono (historical play)
Duration	Approximately 90 minutes
Original work	Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura

📖 Synopsis

A man believed to be a hopeless delinquent turns out to have sacrificed his own child to save another. A story where good and evil are dramatically reversed.

At the Tsurubesushi (sushi shop) in Shimoichi, Yamato Province, the master Yazaemon is secretly sheltering Taira no Koremori — a fugitive Taira clan nobleman — disguised as a shop worker named Yasuke. Into this tense situation comes Yazaemon's disowned son, Igami no Gonta, a notorious troublemaker, who wheedles money from his soft-hearted mother.

When the Minamoto clan officer Kajiwara Heizō arrives to search the premises, the shop faces a dire crisis. Gonta appears to betray Koremori by presenting what seems to be his severed head along with his wife and child.

Yazaemon, believing his son has committed an unforgivable act of treachery, stabs Gonta. But then the shocking truth is revealed: the wife and child Gonta handed over were not Koremori's family — they were Gonta's own wife and son.

As Gonta lies dying, he reveals his plan: he had substituted his own family to enable Koremori's escape. The man everyone thought was a villain was in fact a hero. With his final breath, he tells the truth and dies.

🌟 Highlights

The scene where Gonta presents what appears to be Koremori's head and family is a masterful theatrical deception. The audience is led to believe that this irredeemable troublemaker has committed yet another despicable act. But the 'modori' — the dramatic reversal when the mortally wounded Gonta reveals the truth — is the play's crowning moment. When the true nature of this supposed villain is finally unveiled, audiences are moved to tears.

The depth of Gonta's resolve — sacrificing his own child to save Koremori — and the anguish of his father Yazaemon, who realizes too late what he has done, paint a heart-wrenching portrait of the bonds between parent and child.

The powerful mie pose Gonta strikes while clutching the sushi tub is also memorable. Set in the humble surroundings of a sushi shop, it exemplifies the stylized beauty that is uniquely kabuki.

🎭 Characters

Igami no Gonta

いがみの権太

The disowned son of the sushi shop master — a petty thug and troublemaker.

He swindles money and causes chaos, yet deep within he harbors a burning sense of loyalty and love for his family.

His final 'modori' (dramatic reversal) is one of the most tearful scenes in all of kabuki. Watch for the stunning emotional shift as he transforms from a seeming villain into a tragic hero.

Yazaemon

弥左衛門

The master of Tsurubesushi (the sushi shop) and father to both Gonta and Osato.

He appears to be an ordinary stubborn father, but he is in fact risking his life to shelter Koremori, out of an old debt of gratitude to the Taira clan lord Shigemori.

His anguished cry when he realizes he has fatally stabbed his own son based on a misunderstanding is one of the most painful moments in the play.

Okura

おくら

The wife of Yazaemon and mother of Gonta and Osato.

She is soft on her son Gonta, trusting him enough to hand over a large sum of money — which highlights Gonta's skill as a con man.

The contrast between her comedic warmth in the early scenes and her devastating grief in the finale makes this a crucial role.

Yasuke

弥助

A gentle, handsome man working at the sushi shop — but his true identity is Taira no Koremori, a nobleman of the Taira clan.

His refined elegance is impossible to conceal, giving him an aura that seems entirely out of place in a humble country sushi shop.

Watch for the contrast between the melancholy of a defeated warrior on the run and his undiminished noble bearing.

Osato

お里

Gonta's younger sister and the star attraction of the sushi shop.

She is utterly smitten with Yasuke (actually Koremori) and charms the audience with her earnest and spirited romantic advances.

When she learns that the man she loves is a high-born warrior, she is forced to step aside — her bittersweet heartbreak is another highlight of the play.

Kajiwara Heizō Kagetoki

梗原平三景時

A famous warrior serving Minamoto no Yoritomo. In kabuki, what makes Kajiwara fascinating is that his personality changes completely depending on the play.

In Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Sushiya), he arrives as a seemingly cold-blooded enemy searching for Koremori. Yet he sees through Gonta's desperate ruse and deliberately allows himself to be deceived — revealing himself as a magnanimous warrior with deep compassion. Watch his eyes as he departs — they betray his true feelings.

Kosen

小せん

Gonta's wife. Together they have a son named Zenta. She runs a tea stall by herself at the entrance to the Yoshino mountains and is a hard-working, devoted woman. She implores Gonta to use her and their son Zenta as substitutes to save Koremori's family — the ultimate act of self-sacrifice.

Wakaba no Naishi

若葉の内侍

The wife of Yasuke — in truth, Taira no Koremori. They have a son named Rokudai. After the fall of the Taira clan, she had been hiding in seclusion, but she was nearly discovered by agents of the lecherous courtier Fujiwara Tomokata. Rescued just in time, she journeys to the village of Shimoichi upon hearing that Koremori is alive.

Rokudai-gimi

六代君

The young son of Yasuke (Taira no Koremori) and Wakaba no Naishi.

✍️ Written by: けらのすけ

Supervised by：Kera Kabuki Preservation Society (Gujo, Gifu)

A group dedicated to preserving jikabuki (regional kabuki) traditions since the Edo period. Content accuracy is reviewed based on their knowledge and experience.

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