Tōboku

東北 The Northeast Pavilion

1 Source and/or Related Material

Unknown

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A monk (waki) and his disciples (wakitsure) travel from the wild East to the capital, where they visit the temple of Tōbokuin. In the garden, the monk sees a beautifully flowering plum tree and asks a man at the temple gate (ai) about it. The man says that the tree was planted by the court lady and poet Izumi Shikibu. While the priests are gazing at the tree, a woman (maeshite) appears, saying that the tree is not named after Izumi Shikibu but should be called the “plum tree of the eaves.” She tells the priests of Izumi Shikibu’s appreciation of the tree, reveals that she herself is the poet, then vanishes. The man at the gate comes and retells the story in plain speech. The monks recite sutras for Izumi Shikibu, and she appears in her true form (nochishite), dancing and singing of the virtues of poetry and about this temple of Tōbokuin.