entative in the fifth
generation was the most skilful of all at spectres. This man of the
third generation lived at Muko[u]jima no Terajima. He was commonly
called Terajima no Kikugoro[u]; his stage name was Baiko[u]. This man's
daughter was the mother of the fifth generation. Thus it can be seen
that he was the maternal grandfather of this fifth representative. This
third Kikugoro[u] was the first to act the Yotsuya Kwaidan, in Bunsei
8th year 7th month (14th August-13th September, 1825) at the Nakamura-za
(theatre). The author was the noted Tsuruya Namboku, who constructed the
very famous "To[u]kaido[u] Yotsuya Kwaidan." O'Iwa San, the attendant
(_wakato[u]_) Kohei, and Enya no Ro[u]nin Sato[u] Yo[u]mo Shichi, these
parts fell to Kikugoro[u]. Matsumoto Koshiro[u], he who strutted it at
the Ko[u]raiya, did the Naosuke Gombei. Iemon was the part of the
seventh Danjuro[u]; later Ebizo, who was the real father of the ninth of
the name. The staging of O'Iwa Sama includes--1st scene, the combing of
the hair; 2nd scene, the Sunamura Ombo[u]bori; 3rd scene, Iemon ill in
the dark room at Hebiyama; 4th scene, the _yashiki_ of Naosuke Gombei at
Fukagawa Sankaku. O'Iwa appears at the scene of the combing of the hair
as mentioned, in the incident where the guests are received, and in the
3rd scene at Hebiyama. Iemon is ill. Splitting apart the lantern set out
during the Festival of the Dead (Bon Matsuri) the ghost of O'Iwa appears
with the child in her embrace. Iemon receives them as would a stone
Jizo[u]. O'Iwa, at sight of the fright of Iemon, laughs--ki, ki, ki. At
once they fade away; and at once the ghost of Kohei the _wakato[u]_
takes her place, he who was charged with unchaste conduct with O'Iwa. It
was the part of the performer to please the uninitiated by some
strenuous effort. The first performance at this theatre was for three
months--from the seventh to the ninth month. On consideration the drama
is of interest. O'Iwa is killed at Yotsuya. With the dead body of the
_wakato[u]_ Kohei she is fastened to a door, and from the rear the
scoundrel sets them adrift. Fishing at Ombo[u]bori, Iemon sees them
float by. From Yotsuya to Sunamura is a very great distance. It would
occupy a woman's legs for the space of a day; or faint-hearted fellows,
water drinkers, such of the kind as would try it. Winding along what
rivers, by what intersecting canals had they floated here? In no way
does one conceive. All the more the reasons influ