Picture of Chikamatsu Monzaemon(copy)

Before Chikamatsu passed away in November 22nd in Kyoho 9 (1724), he left this portrait with his hand-writing farewell article. The farewell poem, which means even after my farewell the cherry blossom left behind would still emit fragrance, used typical sentences of the beginning of ko-joruri (old style joruri). He also written down the reason and thought why born into a samurai family, he chose to leave and became a joruri playwright. This material is a replica by Tsubouchi Shoyo, the founder of the Theatre Museum, of the original book from a private collection.There is a postscript to it written by Shoyo.