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Love Suicide at Amijima

Chikamatsu Monzaemon

Lovers’ Duty, Desire, and Death
nzambranoromero@middlebury.edu
Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s renowned work in Bunraku and Kabuki theatres set the ground for what to expect in The Love Suicides at Amijima. Knowing Monzaemon’s work in both forms of theatre, we can predict the subject matter of one of his, arguably, most popular works in The Love Suicides at Amijima. Coupled with the tragic story ... read more

Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s renowned work in Bunraku and Kabuki theatres set the ground for what to expect in The Love Suicides at Amijima. Knowing Monzaemon’s work in both forms of theatre, we can predict the subject matter of one of his, arguably, most popular works in The Love Suicides at Amijima. Coupled with the tragic story of lovers’ suicides, for which Monzaemon is well known, we are able to explore topics often explored in these forms of theatre; topics less so focused on pleasing the aristocratic viewer, and more so on the everyday life of people. I recommend that as you explore Japanese literature, not have The Love Suicides at Amijima be overlooked. 

In the story, our main characters are our lovers, Kamiya Jihei, a married paper merchant, and Koharu, a prostitute. Though because of dramatic irony, we can anticipate how The Love Suicides at Amijima ends, we explore the conflicting decision of our lovers’ suicide. What sets The Love Suicides at Amijima apart from other love suicide plays is that there is a struggle when it comes to making that decision and that we are introduced to those involved in that struggle, rather than just exploring the events that lead to the eventual suicide as was the case in The Love Suicides at Sonezaki. We are introduced to the concepts of both Giri and Ninjo, or duty and passion, respectively. Our lovers’ story circulates around these two philosophies, one centered on societal duty, to family and responsibilities, while the other centers on human emotions such as passion or desire. Beyond the lovers’ Giri and Ninjo, we also explore other characters’ Giri and Ninjo, and how it becomes a larger struggle for the correct decision.

The story as a whole does an excellent job depicting the struggles involved in not only the lovers’ decisions but also the decisions of other characters. To me, I was reminded of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where we are introduced to very similar philosophies as Giri and Ninjo. Though the story’s focus appears to be a straightforward love suicide, the way it delves into a larger philosophical struggle is what kept me reading. Though Chikamatsu’s intent when writing the play was likely for a Bunraku setting, his deliberate way of presenting the philosophies and expectations made it a more approachable read. As we know, Bunraku theatre did not care for the strictness of the aristocratic viewer, and so dealing with these taboo topics added to what we may have expected of a more candid, contemporary life during this time.

Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s The Love Suicides at Amijima is an excellent read for those hoping to delve into Japanese literature less centered on the aristocratic way of life. Though The Love Suicides at Amijima is a more modern piece, it provides a freshened perspective to the individual lives during that time – a perspective that had not been as candid when compared to earlier texts. Its modernity can also be complemented by a Bunraku form of theatre or puppet play. For this additional reason, The Love Suicides at Amijima deserves a 5 out of 5 from me!

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mgromero@middlebury.edu
 

The love suicides at Amijima both talk about suicide and I was wondering what the thoughts about suicide for commoners? I know samurai have an honorable death through suicide for honor, however, is that the same for regular people? Especially in terms of religion and the path to salvation rather than hell. 

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nzambranoromero@middlebury.edu
I read The Love Suicides at Amijima. My biggest question about this reading was how the topics discussed were perceived during the time. In recent classes we discussed the implications/punishments behind adultery, was the relationship between Jihei and Koharu an acceptable one during the time? The reason I am wondering this is because there are hints of Buddhism, which leads me to think that it is another literary work to 'promote' the religion. But, seeing as adultery occurs, and both Jihei and Kohura attempt suicide because of a material attachment, why then is it mixed in with Buddhism?
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jlegido@middlebury.edu

After reading The Love Suicides at Sonezak, and was curious as to whether or not the beliefs and religous views depicted were accurate in terms of Buddhism?

 
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as5@middlebury.edu
While reading Chikamatsu Monzaemon and the Puppet Theatre, what caught my attention was the differentiation between sewamono and jidaimono. It was noted that sewamono engages with contemporary society directly through depictions of an actual incident of time, whereas jidaimono used complex interaction and dialogue with an array of texts from both the Japanese and Chinese traditions to portray contemporary politics. I found it interesting how plays were separated into categories such as these, based on the different themes and social contexts being portrayed by the play. With that being said, I'm curious to know, was there ever a point in time when there was a play that satisfied both "conditions" to be considered a sewamono or jidaimono because of the contents of the play? I would assume not, but if so, I feel like it would've been interesting to see how the play would've played out.
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nzambranoromero@middlebury.edu

Heine, Steven. "Tragedy and Salvation in the Floating World: Chikamatsu's Double Suicide Drama as Millenarian Discourse." Journal of Asian Studies 53, no. 2 (1994): 367-393. 

Heine’s article begins by setting apart love suicides from other forms of suicide and death in Japanese culture and by explaining how its definition, shinju, is in part as a result of the success of Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s love suicide plays. Heine’s work serves as an argument toward a deeper meaning to Chikamatsu’s suicide plays. While at face value, it appears that the suicide plays are a conflict between giri, the idea of civic duty and obligation to your family,  and ninjo, the idea of personal obligation and passion, Heine believes it extends past this and into a discussion beyond finite realms. Heine backs his argument by providing varying levels of interpretation, but he most closely focuses on the millenarian one. Heine’s discourse delves into the possible interpretations of love suicides but goes beyond what historically a Kabuki play may have entailed. His argument is that the play requires a more nuanced approach and that it is necessary for its analysis to go beyond just giri and ninjo.

 

Yamagiwa, Joseph K. “Review of The Love Suicide at Amijima (Shinju Ten no Amijima): A Study of a Japanese Domestic Tragedy by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. by Donald H. Shively.” The Far Eastern Quarterly 13, no. 3 (1954): 361–63. 

Yamagiwa’s fairly old review of Donald H. Shivey’s translation and analysis of Love Suicide at Amijima provides a brief overview of what Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s play consists of. Yamagiwa then proceeds to engage with Chikamatsu’s original script for the play, and examines how Shivey chose to interpret it, and how his notes complement gaps in translation. Yamagiwa comments on the difficult task of translating a text, while preserving the style and aesthetic intended by Chikamatsu. Apart from his focus on translation, Yamagiwa does provide the background for the play, mentioning what  codes and morals the townsmen in the story may have been expected to adhere to. Yamagiwa’s review is unlikely directed at a general audience, and may require a higher sense of familiarity with Chikamatsu and his Love Suicide at Amijima, but it addresses the importance of translation, which is critical when delving into classical Japanese literature. 

 

CrashCourse, “Japan, Kabuki, and Bunraku: Crash Course Theater #23,” YouTube Video, 12:38, July 27, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc3dWwbctw4&t=182s. 

CrashCourse’s video on Japanese Kabuki and Bunraku, both forms of theatre from the Edo period in Japan, highlights the similarities and differences between the two genres. Comparisons with the preceding style of theatre, Noh, are also mentioned, as a way to understand the targeted demographics of each. While Noh catered to the aristocracy, Kabuki and Bunraku became popularized by its relatedness, both involving every-day scenarios and appealing to the demographic to which the stories are about. The historical origin of both Kabuki and Bunraku are covered in the video. Additionally, CrashCourse videos are often known for their Thought Bubble, animated recreations of major topics, and the Thought Bubble for this video focuses on our The Love Suicides at Amijima, providing an overview of story, as well as a brief analysis to its significance in modern Japanese theatre. Though the video does not focus in its entirety on our reading, it provides a historical glimpse into how our reading differed from its time, as well as its continued influence up to this point. 

 

TED-Ed, “Kabuki: The people’s dramatic art - Amanda Mattes,” YouTube Video, 4:15, September 30, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oidE2SSDczw.

The Ted-Ed video on Kabuki outlines the historical origin of Kabuki theatre. As time progresses, we are given a glimpse of the changes undergone by this genre as a result of strict government guidelines. Kabuki is compared to its preceding dramatic genre, Noh, both in terms of the demographics it appealed to, and the elements that each genre consisted of. While Noh largely focused on the usage of masks, Kabuki had at its disposal makeup, or keshou, and facial expressions. What began as an unusual dance of parodied prayers eventually evolved into a well-structured five-act play often based on Confucian philosophy. The TedEd video, though it does not mention love suicides or our Amijima play, still provides a breakdown of the critical components to Kabuki theatre. It provides information on the foundations of which the love suicide plays were constructed on.

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