Kanehira

兼平 The Warrior Kanehira

1 Source and/or Related Material

The Tale of the Heike 9

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

On a mission to pray for Kiso Yoshinaka in his afterlife, monks (waki, wakitsure) from his homeland of Kiso are bound for Awazu-ga-hara in Ōmi Province (modern Ōtsu), where he died. They are passing by Yabase Bay (modern Kusatsu) when an old boatman (maeshite) rows by in a boat full of firewood, so they ask him for a ride. The boatman plays tour guide, discoursing on the subtemples of Mount Hiei while he rows past. By and by they arrive at Awazu, but when they turn to pay him they find he has disappeared. Next they meet a local ferryman (ai), who tells them the story of Yoshinaka and his childhood friend Imai Kanehira. At the ferryman’s suggestion, the monks start memorial services, and a warrior appears, who identifies himself as the ghost of Kanehira (nochishite), revealing that he was also the boatman whom they met earlier. Kanehira sings of Yoshinaka’s last moments and then of how he followed his lord in death by falling on his sword.