The play "Shinjû Kasane Izutsu" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza at the end of 1707. It was based on a real event that happened in Ôsaka. A kôya named Tokubê and a courtesan named Ofusa committed suicide together in the winter of 1704. In the 1st lunar month of 1720, this drama was adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Edo in the 3 official theaters [Nakamuraza | Ichimuraza | Moritaza] and it commemorated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the suicide Tokubê and Ofusa.

In modern times (after WWII), "Shinjû Kasane Izutsu" was staged only twice, in February 1950 at the Shinbashi Enbujô and in March 1956 at the Tôyoko Hall:

It could be a very good candidate for a revival at the National Theatre in the future to come!

The original drama was in 3 acts.

Illustration from a tsuji banzuke for the drama "Kasane Izutsu", which was staged in January 1909 at the Asahiza with Jitsukawa Enjirô I and Nakamura Naritarô I in the roles of the kôya Tokubê and Tokubê's wife Otatsu