Lovers' Suicide: Love in Yamatoji
Picture Credit: yaomeis / Official Chirashi, from personal collection
English Title: Lovers' Suicide: Love in Yamatoji
Japanese Title: 心中・恋の大和路
Romanized Title: Shinjuu: Koi no Yamatoji
Troupe: Snow
Year: 2022
Performances: Theater Drama City, 07/20 - 07/24[1]; Nippon Seinenkan, 08/09 - 08/10[2]
Based On: The Courier for Hell by Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Author: Suganuma Jun
Director: Tani Masazumi
Composer: Yoshizaki Kenji
Choreographer: Matsumoto Shoume, Mine Saori (as Nishizaki Mine)
Available on Blu-Ray: Yes (release date 10/20/22)
Available on DVD: No
Scene/Music Cut: No
| Role | Cast | ||
| Kameya Chuubei (master of the Kameya, a courier store) | Kazuki Sora | ||
| Umegawa (courtesan of the Tsuchiya in the red light district) | Yumeshiro Aya | ||
| Tanbaya Hachiemon (Chuubei's friend) | Nagina Ruumi | ||
| Magoemon (Chuubei's real father) | Natori Rei | ||
| Fujiya (retired official, staying at the inn) | Yuuma Rin | ||
| Myoukan (Chuubei's mother) | Chikaze Karen | ||
| Ihei (Kameya head clerk) / Chuuzaburou (Chuubei's friend) | Mana Haruto | ||
| Osei (mistress of the Tsuchiya) | Ai Sumire | ||
| Marujuu (puppeteer, staying at the inn) | Amatsuki Tsubasa | ||
| Kamon Tayuu (courtesan of the Tsuchiya) | Himehana Yukino | ||
| Yohei (sales clerk of the Kameya) | Suwa Saki | ||
| Otatsu (brothel madam) | Haori Yuuka | ||
| Okane (court lady) | Kotohane Riri | ||
| Iseya (pilgrim, staying at the inn) | Asato Mire | ||
| Shimaya (candy maker, staying at the inn) | Ichika Ao | ||
| Kadoya (female pilgrim, staying at the inn) | Mayuzuki Rea | ||
| Mozuya (singer/beggar, staying at the inn) | Soumi Haruma | ||
| Oman (Kameya servant) | Manaha Ayane | ||
| Narutose (courtesan) | Rina Kurumi | ||
| Chiyosei (courtesan) | Manahi Michi | ||
| Jinnai (young samurai) | Aoha Reiya | ||
| Shousuke (Kameya shop boy) | Kishiro Yuriya | ||
| Comedian | Kisui Naoto | ||
| Santa (Kameya shop boy) | Kirino Asato | ||
Other Cast: Kotomine Saara, Aisora Minami, Kasumi Sana, Mizuki Serena, Kazetachi Niki
WARNING!! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!
CONTENT WARNING(S):
Romanticizing suicide/death
Chuubei is a young master of a courier service. He is in love with Umegawa, an indentured courtesan. However, he cannot pay off her contract, and she will soon be sent away to a rich man in the country. In despair, he takes money entrusted to his business and opens the seal. The penalty for stealing money is death, and his friends try to talk him out of it. But he is resolute, and pays off Umegawa's contract. When she learns the truth, Umegawa offers to die then and there. Chuubei argues that they should stay alive, as dying is easy, and they can do it at any time. The two set flee the city, heading for Yamatoji. Chuubei hopes to find his real father and get them aid.
On the road, they evade their pursuers. Chuubei's friend Hachiemon is also after them, determined to help them. In the end, the exhausted couple finds awful rumours have come ahead of them. Chuubei's father gives Umegawa what small money he has, saying he doesn't want for them to die, but will have no more to do with them. Just as their pursuers catch up, Hachiemon reaches them. He talks the pursuers out of following, because it is certain that the two will die in the cold snows that they have headed into....
- Lovers' Suicide was first performed by Star Troupe in 1979, with Setouchi Miya and Haruka Kurara as the leads. It has had several revivals since then: 1982 (Star), 1989 (Moon), 1998-1999 (Snow), and 2014 (Snow).
None yet.
Program cover | Le Cinq cover | Blu-Ray / DVD | CD
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None Yet | None Yet | None Yet
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Footnotes:
- Originally scheduled to run through July 28th, the final three days of the Theater Drama City run were cancelled due to positive coronavirus tests among staff.
- Originally scheduled to run from August 3rd to August 9th at Nippon Seinenkan Hall, all performances except for the afternoon performance on August 9th were cancelled, and an additional performance was added for August 10th.