Ichi no Tani Futaba Gunki

Kumagai Jiro Naozane
by Kunisada Utagawa 1786-1864

Ichi no Tani Futaba Gunki is the title of a famous Kabuki play and means The Chronicle of the Battle of Ichi no Tani. The Kabuki play is about a tragic event during the historic battle of Ichi no Tani. At Ichi no Tani, the Minamato (also called Genji) achieved a spectacular victory against the Taira (also called Heike) under the leadership of their brilliant, military leader Yoshitsune.

The Kabuki Play

Ichi no Tani Futaba Gunki is about the tragic fight between the Genji warrior Kumagai Jiro Naozane and the young warrior-boy Taira Atsumori.

The play was written by Namiki Sosuke and first staged in 1751 as a Bunraku performance - the serious Japanese puppet theater. Later it was adopted for Kabuki.

The original play had five acts. Today only two acts are still performed. Even a shortened version of a Japanese Kabuki play is confusing for Western minds - to say the least. Kabuki plays have many side lines and a mind-boggling number of different characters with odd behavior patterns. But the outcome of Kabuki plays is basically always the same. At the end nearly everybody is dead and the smell of tragedy lies in the air.

Kumagai, the main character, is considered as one of the greatest roles in Kabuki plays. The plot of the story is somewhat unbelievable. The idea of the code of honor, the reason of Kumagai's tragedy and dilemma, may be perceived as rather foreign to a Western mind. However, this play shines by its fine poetry and the intricate emotional expressions of the major characters.

The following is a short summary of Ichi no Tani Futaba Gunki.

The Birth of Two Illegitimate Boys

Kumagai and Kohagi
by Kunisada Utagawa 1786-1864

Fuji-no-kata, one of the ladies at the Emperor's court, had a maid named Sagami. Sagami was in love with a warrior of the Genji (Minamato) clan, Kumagai Jiro Naozane. Sagami was risking her life because the ladies in waiting were prohibited to take lovers. Even worse, the Genji clan was the enemy of the emperor.

Fuji-no-kata took pity on her and made arrangements for Kumagai and Sagami to escape to the Western part of Japan. The couple vowed eternal gratitude to her.

Meanwhile, Fuji-no-kata was pregnant with her lover, the emperor. However she married Tsunemori, a member of the Heike (Taira) clan and the nephew of the mighty clan leader Taira no Kiyomori. Her child, Atsumori, was raised as Tsunemori's son.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the leader of the Genji (Minamato) clan, knew the story of his loyal vassal Kumagai and his wife Sagami. He was also aware that the young Taira no Atsumori had the emperor's blood in his veins.

A Bad Presentiment Before the Battle

Kumagai
by Hokuei Shunbaisai

Before the fateful battle of Ichi no Tani between the Heike (Taira) and the Genji (Minamato), Yoshitsune sensed that Kumagai would face Atsumori in the battle. As the superior soldier, Kumagai would kill Atsumori without any doubt. But (according to Japanese tradition) Kumagai should not kill Atsumori because of his debt to Fuji-no-kata and also because of the belief that imperial blood should not be shed.

Yoshitsune sent Benkei, his faithful assistant, to Kumagai's head-quarters. There, Benkei placed a notice to a cherry tree:

"Anyone lopping a branch from this tree must have a finger cut off".

The hidden meaning of this notice was, that anyone who would kill Atsumori must kill his own son.

The Unequal Duel During the Battle of Ichi no Tani

On the battle field near the sea shore, Kojiro, Kumagai's son, went alone to the camp of the Heike (Taira) clan. He was seen fighting and was wounded and carried back to the Minamoto (Genji) camp.

After a daring night attack of surprise by a small squadron led by Yoshitsune, the only escape route for the Heike forces was the open sea, where their naval fleet was anchoring.

Atsumori was on horseback riding into the sea to rescue himself on board of one of the ships.

Kumagai followed him on horseback shouting at Atsumori to turn back and fight. Atsumori and Kumagai first fought in shallow sea water and later on the shore. Young Atsumori was thrown out of the saddle of his horse.

The Death of a Young Warrior

Kumagai and Atsumori
by Yoshitaki Utagawa 1841-1899

Kumagai now stood over Atsumori. Before he would deliver his deadly blow, he asked his opponent's last wish. Atsumori answered that he was not afraid of his death but regretted that he could not say farewell to his parents. He asked Kumagai to send his body to his home.

Kumagai hesitated to kill the warrior boy. Then, he heard his men shouting at him that sparing enemy's life was the act of a traitor. Atsumori asked Kumagai to kill him and if he would not, he would take his own life. The boy joined his hands and bowed his head. Kumagai had terrible sorrow and agony in his mind but he cut the boy's head off by one blow of his sword.

What a Difference an Armor Makes!

At this point of the Kabuki play, the audience is not yet aware that the killed boy was actually not Atsumori, but Kojiro, Kumagai's son. Kojiro had gone to the Heike (Genji) camp and had disguised himself in Atsumori's armor. He was ready to sacrifice himself so that his father would not have to face the situation to kill Atsumori.

Sagami and Fuji-no-kata

In the meantime, at Kumagai's camp, his wife Sagami had received a surprise visit by Fuji-no-kata. Fuji-no-kata heard that Kumagai had killed her son, Atsumori.

Now Kumagai enters the scene describing what had happened. At this point of the play, Kumagai begins a famous narrative using his fan and sword to describe the battle between him and Atsumori and how courageously Atsumori faced death.

Whose Head Is It?

Kumagai and Atsumori
by Kunisada Utagawa 1786-1864

Minamoto no Yoshitsune came to Kumagai's camp to identify the head in the privacy of Kumagai's headquarters. He wanted to know if Kumagai had really killed Atsumori.

Sagami and Fuji-no-kata were also present. Kumagai slowly opens the box. Sagami cries out.

Now the audience finally knows that Kumagai had indeed killed his own son, Kojiro - and not Atsumori. Kumagai poses a moment gazing at Yoshitsune's face for any reaction. Yoshitsune opens his fan, conceals his face, looks down at the box through the ribs of the fan and utters:

"You have done your job well. This is indeed Atsumori's head."

Sagami, still in tears, bravely joins the pretension that it was Atsumori's head.

Party Pooper Kajiwara Kagetoki

But the deception of Kumagai fails. Suddenly the party is interrupted by a guy named Kajiwara Kagetoki. He had been sent by the Minamoto clan leader, Yoritomo. Kagetoki recognizes the deception and angrily announces that he would report this to Yoritomo.

Retired Samurai Kumagai

Later, Kumagai in his full armor faces his commander, Yoshitsune. He solemnly asks to be released from his duty as a soldier. He takes off his helmet and reveals his head which had been shaved as that of a priest. Kumagai explains that he could no longer follow the terrible code of duty and honor which bound the soldiers and wanted to spend the rest of his life praying for the peace of his son's soul. Yoshitsune who was in his own guilt and turmoil, grants Kumagai's request.

As the curtain falls, Kumagai is left alone sinking deeply in his sorrow.

Literature source

Aubrey S. Halford and Giovanna M. Halford, "The Kabuki Handbook", published by Charles E.Tuttle Company, Inc., 1998, ISBN 0-8048-0332-3

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