切腹の座についた塩治判官が、家老の由良之助の長男である力弥と向き合い、目と目で無言で会話を交わす場面では、思わず涙がこぼれました。 死ぬ前にひと目、由良之助に会いたい...と、待てど由良之助は来ず、刀をつき立てたところで、ようやく松本幸四郎さん演じる由良之助が駆けつけます。高師直（吉良上野之介）を討ち漏らした無念は、由良之助はじめ四十七士に受け継がれ、この後、物語は仇討ちへと向います。 
写真提供／ 国立劇場切腹する塩治判官は、「水裃（みずかみしも）」と呼ばれる、ほとんど白に近い薄い薄い水浅葱色。判官の死の後で登場する奥方の顔世御膳と腰元たちも、きものから打掛、帯、数珠に至るまで白装束です。 現代では喪服は一般的に黒、白装束は使者の装いですが、江戸時代の武家社会では白は死にゆく覚悟のあらわれの色であり、また、夫を亡くした女性にとっては「二夫にまみえぬ（他の男性に嫁がない）」という思いのあらわれだったのでしょう。 豪華出演陣による三ヶ月通しでの「仮名手本忠臣蔵」。お芝居とともに、衣裳や小道具にも注目しながらご覧ください。 ●「国立劇場」公式サイトURL：http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/50th/kabuki_chushingura.html
Bettyokoジュエリージャーナリストとして活躍する傍ら、歌舞伎、文楽、バレエをはじめ観劇ライフを満喫中のBettyと、米国・ヒューストンでの生活経験を生かし、日本文化を海外に伝える活動をしているYokoによるユニット。
https://www.instagram.com/bettyoko.kbk/ Go to the Theatre in Kimonos vol.15
Full-length play of "KANADEHON CHUSHINGURA I" The National TheatreIt is the 50th anniversary of the National Theatre this year. "KANADEHON CHUSHINGURA" is playing during October, November and December as the memorial performance there. KANADEHON CHUSHINGURA is especially popular among the most renowned Kabuki plays. We usually see some individual episodes which future the main character of the story. This time, we can see the whole story and deeply understand the meaning of the play. We will appreciate the reason why Enya Hangan (Ohoishi's lord) caused the incident, and the accomplishment of the revenge by Ohoshi Yuranosuke and others was not only happy ending but also the conclusion on the many sacrifices of loyal subordinates. From the epilogue to the fourth episode are playing this month. At the beginning of the play, the puppet appears on the stage and introduced the actors. When the curtain is opened the audiences see the all actors on the stage looking down. Once the dayu (the story narrator) announces the character's name and narrates the story, the each actor starts to move one by one. This interesting staging bases on the Joruri (the Japanese traditional puppet show). The second and third episodes, which tell about love affair of young couple, are happy stories, and make the following tragedy, which will be performed in November and December, more terribly In the forth episode, there are strict rules in playing with long performing history. The rules prohibit the audiences to re-entry the hall during the play, so we must quickly come back to own seats from the restaurants and bathrooms in the intermission. It is said that all actors of the role of subordinates are wearing formal and prostrating themselves with sobbing behind the scene on the stage. In the scene of the Enya Hangan's seppuku (ritual suicide), the actors' silent performance with using only eye contacts between them made me cry. At the very end of the Hangan's life, Yuranosuke (played by Matsumoto Koshiro) finally arrived to his dying lord. Yuranosuke found his lord's chagrin for the incident in Edo, so he and 46 subordinates are going to try to avenge their master. When Hangan (played by Nakamua Baigyoku) tried to do seppuku (ritual suicide), he wore very light asagi (light green looks almost white) colored linen mizukamishimo (shoulder pieces for kimono). After his death his wife and all servants were completely in white (kimono, obi and juzu etc.). In these days, we are in all black in a period of mourning and white is the color for the dead. In the Edo era white is the color that stood for determination of the death, and also for the widow it might stand for that never get married to another man. The great Kabuki stars perform "KANADEHON CHUSHINGURA" for three months. We can enjoy not only their performances but also many costumes and props.
The unit of Betty and YokoBetty; jewelry journalist, enjoys watching stages of Kabuki, Bunraku, Balllet, and so on. Yoko; lived in the U.S.A for 10 years. Loves to introduce Japanese culture to abroad.
https://www.instagram.com/bettyoko.kbk/ 
