Ochiba A

落葉：甲 Fallen Leaves

1 Source and/or Related Material

“Wakana,” “Kashiwagi,” Tale of Genji

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kongō

4 Synopsis

One day in late Autumn, a travelling monk (waki) bound for the capital passes through the village of Ono in Yamashiro Province (Kyoto). He remembers Ukifune, a character from the final chapters of the Tale of Genji who attempts suicide and then become a nun, and he holds a memorial service for her. Just then, a local woman (maeshite) comes by and strikes up a conversation. She takes the monk on a tour of the old house of Princess Ochiba, the main wife of Kashiwagi again from the Tale of Genji, reveals that she is the ghost of Princess Ochiba, then disappears. A local (ai) appears and retells the story in plain speech. That night, the ghost of Princess Ochiba (nochishite) appears to the monk in a dream. She tells how her husband Kashiwagi fell in love with Genji’s young wife the Third Princess, raped her, and died of shame, and then how she, Princess Ochiba, had an affair with Genji’s son Yūgiri here in the village of Ono. She performs an elegant dance, then disappears into the fallen leaves and late Autumn showers.