The Story in Three Lines
Kabuki loses nothing when you know the story in advance. Start with just three lines.
- 01
The holy priest Narukami, wronged by the imperial court, has sealed the rain-bringing dragon god beneath a waterfall, plunging the land into drought.
- 02
The court sends the beautiful Princess Taema of the Clouds, who charms the priest, coaxes him into drinking, and leads him to break his ascetic vows.
- 03
When she cuts the sacred rope, the dragon soars free and rain pours down. Realizing he has been deceived, Narukami transforms into a figure of wrath and storms off down the hanamichi in pursuit.
Three Things to Watch For
These three points are all the preparation you need. On the day, simply give yourself to the stage.
Seduction and comedy
The first half is a witty, surprisingly sensual duet between priest and princess—kabuki at its most playful.
The transformation
In moments, white robes give way to flame-patterned costume and the bare face to fierce kumadori—a man becoming a wrathful god before your eyes.
The pillar-wrapping mie
The play climaxes with the famous mie wrapped around a pillar, then a driving roppō exit—pure aragoto power unleashed.
Characters
- Narukami Shōnin
- A priest whose powers can bind the dragon god; the gulf between his gentle first half and furious finale makes this one of kabuki's great roles.
- Kumo no Taema-hime
- The beautiful princess sent by imperial command, who moves the story with wit and allure.
Stagecraft and Highlights
The setting is a mountain hermitage before a waterfall, a sacred rope stretched across the falls; cutting it is the play's turning point. The soft, quick-witted first half and the explosive aragoto finale form a striking contrast.
After the transformation, Narukami appears in flame-patterned robes and fierce makeup, performing forms handed down from the earliest days of the aragoto tradition, including the celebrated pillar-wrapping mie.
The Ichikawa Connection
One of the Kabuki Jūhachiban, associated with Danjūrō I himself. It has been handed down through the Ichikawa Sōke as a play in which seduction and aragoto fury share a single stage.
Related terms
Sources
This page is compiled by the KABUKI Universe editorial team from established, widely shared knowledge of kabuki. Where details such as premiere dates are debated, we avoid definitive statements.
- Author
- KABUKI Universe Editorial Team
- Supervision
- Ichikawa Danjūrō
- Published
- Aug 15, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 9, 2026
Supervision means Ichikawa Danjūrō has reviewed this page's intent and key points. The text is the editorial team's writing, not Ichikawa Danjūrō's own statements. Editorial responsibility rests with the team, which corrects any error. Read the editorial policy