The Tragic Lovers Osome and Hisamatsu

Osome and Hisamatsu, stock characters in various puppet (jōruri) and kabuki plays created throughout the late Edo period, are based on real-life figures who lived in the early eighteenth century. Osome was the sixteen-year-old daughter of an Osaka oil-seller, and Hisamatsu was an apprentice at her father’s shop. Without the knowledge of her parents, Osome and Hisamatsu fell in love and Osome eventually gave birth to their son. Meanwhile, her parents had decided that she would be betrothed to Yamaga-ya, an apothecary. Without a way to remain together, the two committed suicide together on the sixth day of the first month, Hōei 7 (1710).

In the scene depicted here Osome waters a miniature millet field in a tray garden adorned with a small scarecrow-like figurine while Hisamatsu arrives with a small decorative egret. The print captures a touching moment when their gazes meet and they are pondering their fate. The text above is a saimon, or ballad, that recounts an episode from the tragic tale of the two lovers. Though the print lacks a seal or signature, based on the publisher Komatsuya’s seal and the style, it is believed to be the work of Torii Kiyomasu I.