The play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time in July 1745 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza. It was so successful that it was almost immediately adapted to Kabuki and staged for the first time in August 1745 in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater. It was produced by the zamoto Nakamura Kiyosaburô I and starred Fujioka Daikichi and Sakakiyama Danshirô in the roles of Danshichi Kurobei and Tsuribune Sabu. It was a long run and the performance was extended up to October. According to the chronicles, the play was simultaneously staged in another Kyôto theater in August 1745, at the Minamigawa no Shibai, produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I. A few months later, this Ôsaka play was finally staged in Ôsaka. The three main Kabuki venues decided to produce it almost simultaneously, starting a fierce competition for the best performance and line-up. It was first staged at the Ônishi no Shibai from the 5th of December 1745, produced by Arashi San'emon IV and starring Nakayama Shinkurô I in the role of Danshichi [casting]. Then it was staged at the Naka no Shibai from the the 10th of December 1745, produced by Ichiyama Sukegorô and starring Arashi Shichigorô I in the role of Danshichi [casting]. It was finally staged at the Kado no Shibai from the the 15th of December 1745, produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II and starring him in the role of Danshichi [casting]. "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was staged for the first time in Edo in May 1747, at the Moritaza (casting unknown).

"Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is a 9-act drama. A standard production of "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is made up of act III ("Sumiyoshi Torii Mae"), act VI ("Tsuribune Sabu Uchi") and act VII ("Nagamachi Ura"). Acts I, IV or VIII are occasionally staged. Acts II, V and IX are long-forgotten.

Sumiyoshi Torii Mae (in front of the Sumiyoshi shrine gate)

Danshichi Kurobei, an otokodate in the city of Sakai who works as a fishmonger, is about to be released from jail in front of the torii of the Sumiyoshi shrine. He was imprisoned for he wounded a henchman of the samurai Ôtori Sagaemon during a street fight. Danshichi's wife Okaji, their son Ichimatsu and Tsuribune Sabu, another otokodate and close friend of Danshichi, came at the Sumiyoshi Shrine to welcome him. After discussing with Sabu, Okaji and Ichimatsu enter the shrine to pray. A palanquin arrives, bearing a young, refined and penniless samurai named Tamashima Isonojô. He has a strong argument with the palanquin-bearers who refuse to go any further if he does not immediately pay them a huge amount of money. Isonojô, who is too weak to defend himself, is rescued by Sabu. The old man, who knows the right price for the palanquin ride, throws his own money to the 2 palanquin-bearers and orders them to leave the place on the spot. Isonojô thanks Sabu for his help and the two men starts to discuss. Isonojô tells that he plans to go to Nagamachi in Ôsaka, to the house of Mikawaya Giheiji to meet Danshichi's wife Okaji. Sabu immediately understands who the young man is. Isonojô's father, Tamashima Heidayû, is the former master of Danshichi and Okaji and, thanks to his help and support, Danshichi, who should have been condemned to death, received only a prison sentence. Sabu tells Isonojô to go to a restaurant called Kobuya, the place where everybody will soon gather to celebrate the release of Danshichi. Isonojô leaves the place and Sabu decides to go to a nearby barbershop.

Danshichi, surrounded by policemen, bearded and wearing prison clothes, arrives at the gate of the shrine. The leader of the group reads the report of Danshichi's arrest and sentence. Then, he orders his men to release the prisoner. Danshichi is so grateful to Tamashima Heidayû that he publicly swears to always protect his son Isonojô. Sabu comes out of the barbershop and greets his friend. He also gives him some new clothes and quickly goes to the Kobuya. Danshichi enters the barbershop to get rid of his prisoner beard.

A running young woman suddenly appears on stage. She is the courtesan Kotoura, the lover of Isonojô, and she is pursued by Ôtori Sagaemon, the samurai whose one of his retainers died after a fight against Danshichi. Kotoura, who was released from her house of assignation by Isonojô, is ardently lusted after by Sagaemon. He tells her that Heidayû has disinherited his son and that she should go with somebody who could afford to support her like himself. The girl tries to escape the lustful samurai ... who is suddenly grabbed by a strong hand reaching out from within the barbershop. This hand is Danshichi's one, who appears back on stage, beardless and wearing his new clothes. He enjoys himself twisting Sagaemon's body to show Kotoura the way to the Kobuya restaurant, where she will meet the others. Kotoura immediately leaves the place and Sagaemon flies away without a murmur.

The two palanquin-bearers, who hassled Isonojô earlier, are back at the gate of the shrine with another otokodate named Issun Tokubei. All of them are paid by Sagaemon to avenge him for the humiliations subjected by Danshichi and retrieve Kotoura. Danshichi can easily drive the two palanquin-bearers away but Tokubei is another kettle of fish. Their fight is suddenly interrupted by Danshichi's wife Okaji, who rushes between them and suceeds in pulling them apart. She is very angry and says to her husband that he should be ashamed for quarrelling and fighting. Then, she recognizes Tokubei, whom she met in the first act of this play ("the Otai tea house in Sakai"). Tokubei, who is a native of the Tamashima village, has a debt to Tamashima Heidayû. Therefore, he can't side with Sagaemon, the enemy of his benefactor's son. He immediately takes the decision to join Danshichi to protect Isonojô and Kotoura. The two men vow to become brothers in spirit and, as a testimony, both of them rip one sleeve from their kimono and exchange it. The act ends with the return of the two palanquin-bearers who are one more time put off the scent by both Danshichi and Tokubei.

Tsuribune Sabu Uchi (at Tsuribune Sabu's home)

This is the eve of the Kôzu shrine summer festival (natsu matsuri in Japanese). Both Isonojô and Kotoura are safely living at Sabu's home but this is just a temporary solution. The couple can't stop quarreling, because Isonojô had an affair with another girl in the fourth act of this play ("the curio shop at Uchihonmachi"). Moreover, Sabu and his wife Otsugi fear all the gossips that will sooner or later spread in the neighborhood. They receive the unexpected visit of Tokubei's wife Otatsu, who tells them that she is about to go back to the Tamashima village without her husband, who has still some business to do in Ôsaka. Otsugi takes the opportunity to ask whether or not Otatsu would accept Isonojô as a travelling companion. Otatsu agrees but Sabu abruptly says no to this idea. The old man is first reluctant to give his reasons to Otatsu but, pressed by the two ladies, says that he fears that these two travellers, who are both young and beautiful, might start a love affair during their trip. Otatsu, a woman of honour and integrity, is shocked and decides to prove Sabu she is trustful by taking a red-hot poker out of the hearth and pressing it on his face. She endures the terrible pain without uttering any word but faints once she is disfigured. Otsugi and Sabu quickly revive her. The old man praises her noble spirit and agrees to let her travel with Isonojô. The women go into the inner room to meet Isonojô and get ready for the trip to Tamashima.

The two palanquin-bearers of act III arrive at Sabu's home. Their mission is simple: abduct Kotoura. Sabu, who took a vow to stop fighting for any reason and purchased a Buddhist rosary to help calming things down, is so angered that he breaks his rosary, beats the two henchmen up and rushes to give a good thrashing to Sagaemon. The next visitor to Sabu's home is Mikawaya Giheiji, the father of Danshichi's wife Okaji, a greedy and untrustworthy old man. He tells Otsugi that Danshichi has requested him to bring Kotoura at his home for safekeeping. Otsugi agrees and Kotoura sits down in the palanquin, which accompanies the old man. The palanquin leaves Sabu's home. Then, Sabu, accompanied by Danshichi and Tokubei, who succeeded in calming the old man down and avoiding an useless fight against Sagaemon, comes back. Sabu and Tokubei go into the inner room while Danshichi asks Otsugi for Isonojô and Kotoura. When the woman tells him what happened a few minutes ago, Danshichi realizes that Giheiji deceived them and, getting upset, he pushed Otsugi out of his way to rush to run after the palanquin. He has no time to care for the wounded Otsugi and throw her his tobacco pouch, yelling her that she should find some medicine within it. The act ends while Danshichi rushes down the hanamichi.

Nagamachi Ura (the back lane at Nagamachi)

Danshichi tracks down Giheiji and persuades him to release Kotoura in return for money (actually stones wrapped in a cloth). Giheiji agrees, but when he discovers he has been duped he sets out to beat and insult Danshichi. Their fight escalates and Danshichi draws his sword. Killing one's father or father-in-law is a crime punishable by death and Giheiji taunts Danshichi until Giheiji is accidentally nicked by the sword. He begins to repeatedly cry out "Father-killer!" and Danshichi realizes there is no going back-- he will really have to kill Giheiji.

What follows is an extraordinary scene which showcases the leading actor's ability to convey both beauty and tragedy simultaneously. At one point Giheiji falls into a pond of mud (yes, real mud!) and then emerges sodden and grapples with Danshichi. Danshichi's slow-motion movements and anguished expressions of conflicting emotions are in bold contrast to the aesthetic beauty of his body lines and colors: during this scene he performs 13 mie poses (koroshi no mie) which shows off his red and blue tattoo, red loin cloth, long loose black hair, and white makeup with brown splotches of mud. Hearing festival floats approaching, Danshichi cleans himself at the nearby well, pouring buckets of real water over himself. Tormented and close to insanity, he grabs his kimono, hurriedly puts it on over his sword and disappears down the hanamichi to join the end of the festival parade.

The summary for act VII ("Nagamachi Ura") is courtesy of Jean Wilson (1997)

This Summer murder play is based on a real event, which occured in Ôsaka ... in the middle of Winter!

Nakamura Utaemon IV and Nakamura Tomosa II playing the roles of Danshichi Kurobei and Mikawaya Giheiji in the "Nagamachi Ura" scene of the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was staged in May 1850 at the Naka no Shibai (print made by Utagawa Hirosada)

"Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" at the Chikugo no Shibai in May 1832

"Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" at the Shintomiza in July 1883

Prints of Danshichi Kurobei

The script of "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"