Sakiwake no mume 咲分の梅

FSC-GR 780.494.1-3

Commentary by Asano Shūgō

Posted December 3, 2017

Original unedited text in Japanese follows

Sakiwake no mume is a kusazōshi 草双紙 (aobon 青本), a type of popular literature, printed in monochrome. Despite the hand-coloring the Pulverer copy is complete and in good condition. The original covers and title slips of all three volumes are intact, and the short text before the title (tsunogaki 角書き) reads Kitano no yashiro (北野のやしろ). The contents of the book represent a sort of sequel to the jōruri play Sugawara denju tenarai kagami 菅原伝授手習鑑 (Sugawara and the secrets of calligraphy). The fact that many of the major characters overlap in the text and play suggests that this work was produced and published within a year or two after the debut of Sugawara denju tenarai kagami in the jōruri puppet theater and in kabuki in 1746 (Enkyō 3). Work by the artist of Sakiwake no mume, Okumura Toshinobu, can only be confirmed up until around the Kan’en era (1748–1751), and this work corresponds towards the end of this period.

In the story Tokimaru (時丸), the son of Tadahira (忠平) who is himself the nephew of Fujiwara no Shihei (藤原時平), leads a life of evil doing. The officials Terusada (判官代照定) and Takebe Gennai (竹部源内) vanquish the great serpent of Chikushi. Kanshūsai (菅秀才), the son of Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真), along with Sen no Tokitarō (千時太郎), Umemaru (梅丸), and Sakuragorō (桜五郎), attack the castle of Tokimaru, who has risen up in rebellion, but they are beaten back. Terusada and Sen no Tokitarō surrender to Tokimaru, but under the divine protection of the Tenmangū Shrine, they are able to find an escape passage connecting the inside of the castle with the outside world. They succeed in having their troops enter the castle through this passage and merge forces with Gennai and Umemaru to eventually triumph over Tokimaru. Sen no Tokitarō and Umemaru worship before the votive plaque to Sugawara no Michizane at the Kitano Tenmangū Shrine.

The Pulverer copy is the only documented copy of this work.

書名　咲分の梅

執筆者浅野秀剛　

墨摺、草双紙（青本）三巻三冊。筆彩はあるものの、三冊とも原表紙原題簽の完好本。角書に「北野のやしろ」とある。浄瑠璃『菅原伝授手習鑑』の後日談といった内容であり、登場人物もかなり重なるところから、『菅原伝授手習鑑』が人形浄瑠璃、歌舞伎で初演された延享3年（1746）の翌年か翌々年に制作刊行されたものと推定できる。奥村利信の作品は、寛延（1748–1751）頃までしか確認できないので、利信の作品としては最後期に属する。梗概は、藤原時平の弟、忠平の子の時丸は成長し、悪事を働くようになる。判官代照定と竹部源内は、筑紫の大蛇を退治する。道真の子、菅秀才は、千時太郎・梅丸・桜五郎を連れて、蜂起した時丸の城を攻めるが、逆に捉えられる。照定と千時太郎は時丸に降参するが、天満宮のご加護により、城の内と外をつなぐ抜け穴を見つけ、軍勢を入れるのに成功、源内・梅丸と力を合わせ、遂に、時丸を討ち取る。千時太郎と梅丸は、北野天満宮に天神の額を奉納する。他の所蔵の報告のない孤本。