| It means 'Yotsuya ghost story'. Tamiya Iemon a lordless samurai was loved by rich and young woman Oume. But Iemon had his wife Oiwa. So Oume's grandfather Itou Kibee suggested to kill Oiwa. Oiwa was given a poison by Iemon, so Oiwa's face was broken ugly. Oiwa was dead. At the bridal night, when Iemon and Oume took to their bed, Oiwa's ghost appeared. Iemon tried to kill Oiwa, but he cut off Oume's head from her body. It is based on true story. Though there are some novel, Japanese traditional storyteller (koudan, kaidan-banashi) and kabuki-play about this story, most popular one is Tsuruya Nanboku IV's kabuki-play "Toukaidou Yotsuya kaidan". |