Onatsu and Seijuro

In the mid 17th century in Himeji, Seijuro was a handsome young man who was a son of a sake-maker and had grown up in comfort. For unknown reasons he started working at a rice wholesale warehouse, Tajimaya, at the age of 19. While working there he fell in love with Onatsu, a beautiful daughter of the warehouse’s owner. Their love was not allowed at that time, so they ran away. They were unfortunately caught, and Seijuro was falsely executed for theft at 25 years of age. Onatsu became insane with her sadness and wandered from place to place. This tragedy became well-known nationwide through Saikaku Ihara, a novelist, and Chikamatsu Monzaemon, a Kabuki-scripter. You can visit memorials to these two lovers, “Hiyokuzuka”, at Keiunji Temple.

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