One tea house beauty, two men obsessed, and Heizo caught between duty and desire.
Heizo's cousin Senemon Misawa and his son Katsuzo visited Heizo's home. Heizo learns that Senemon has fallen in love with Katsutoshi, a woman who works at the Yamabukiya Tea House, and has asked her to marry him. Heizo decided to visit Yamabukiya, saying "I will try to find out if this woman is a bodhisattva or a demon." After meeting Katsutoshi Heizo, felt embarrassed and ordered Gorozo to inquire about her just in case. Gorozo, in turn, sends secret detective Rihachi to Yamabukiya with the task of keeping an eye on Katsutoshi...
Acting
Meiko Kaji's magnetic presence as the enigmatic Omasa.
Production
Authentic tea house atmosphere with meticulous period detail.
Director
Shigeru Ishihara
Kichiemon Nakamura II
Hasegawa Heizô, aka Onihei
Hiroshi Katsuno
Yusuke Sakai
Toshinori Omi
Chugo Kimura
Baku Numata
Tadanoshin Muramatsu
Yumi Takigawa
Hisae
Meiko Kaji
Omasa
Keizo Kanie
Kobusa no Kumehachi
Yoshiko Tokoshima
Okatsu
Koichi Miura
Isanji
Jun Fujimaki
Sanjiro
Katsuhiko Watabiki
Gorozo
Isao Hashizume
Misawa Senemon
Eisaku Yoshida
Rihachi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Yamabukiya setting reflects actual Edo-period tea houses where lower-class women could achieve social advancement through patron relationships—a tension this special exploits mercilessly.
This TV special aired between seasons of the Onihei Hankachō series, and Kichiemon Nakamura II's performance here reportedly influenced how he played Heizo's vulnerability in later episodes.
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