Mīdera

三井寺 The Miidera Temple

1 Source and/or Related Material

Unknown

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A woman (maeshite) is praying at the temple of Kiyomizudera in Kyoto to find her lost child, when she is told in a dream to go to the temple of Miidera. Hearing the woman’s story, an innkeeper (adoai) tells her to go there. As she arrives at Miidera in Ōmi Province, a monk (waki) is just leaving with a little child called Senmitsu (kokata) and his subordinate monks (wakitsure) for a moon-viewing party. For entertainment, the monk asks the temple caretaker (omoai) to perform a dance. While he is dancing, a homeless woman (nochishite) appears and starts frantically striking the temple bell. Seeing the woman, the boy Senmitsu asks the monk to inquire about her background. He hears her story and realizes that she is his mother. Mother and son are reunited at last, and they go home together.