The drama "Onoe Idahachi" was published by Okamoto Kidô in March 1915 and was premiered at the Meijiza in September 1918 [casting]. This play was very successful but stirred up controversy because of the evilness of the main character (Idahachi). Its staging was finally forbidden.

"Onoe Idahachi" is made up of 3 acts.

The play is about Harada Idahachi, a dissolute warrior, and his lover Onoe, a courtesan from the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter. The play opens with what is normally the end of a shinjûmono: Idahachi and Onoe are about to commit their shinjû, accompanied on a traditional jôjûri. The second and third acts tell us that the couple did not succeed in dying together. Idahachi, who is now a disfigured man, works as an executioner. Onoe is a street musician. They live together in a tumbledown shack, with a bunch of social outcasts. Onoe is fundamentally the same person as she used to be, in love with her lover. It is a different story for Idahachi, whose failures and his downfall has transformed him into a brutish lout, a cruel and mean killing-machine, who takes pleasure in executing the condemned men. Idahachi ill-treats Onoe most of the times. One day, she tries to prevent him from raping a young girl. Idahachi flies into rage and kills his lover. A troupe of law-enforcers appears suddenly. Idahachi is accused of the stealing of a huge amount of money from his former master. The head of the troupe Goshichirô, who is none other than Idahachi's younger brother, offers him to save his honour by committing seppuku. Idahachi keeps on insulting his brother and vainly tries to resist. He is tied up in a bundle, like a common swindler, while screaming a stream of abuse.

Onoe Idahachi