Kakitsubata

社若 The Iris

1 Source and/or Related Material

The Tale of Ise 7–9 and related commentaries

2 Author

perhaps Komparu Zenchiku

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A monk (waki) on pilgrimage to the wild East enjoys a scene of purple irises (kakitsubata) in full bloom in Mikawa Province (Aichi). Suddenly, a woman (shite) appears. The monk asks her about the area, and she replies that it is called Yatsuhashi, confirming that it is famous for its irises. She recites the poem on the China jacket (karakoromo) from the Tales of Ise and invites the monk to her hut for the night. The next thing he knows, the woman appears before him dressed in a court cap and China jacket. She reveals that she is the spirit of the irises, and Ariwara no Narihira, the hero of the Tales of Ise, is an avatar of the bodhisattva of song and dance. The spirit performs a song and dance proclaiming the Buddhahood not only of women but also of inanimate objects like trees, plants, and the earth itself. Then she vanishes with the break of dawn.