{"id":466,"date":"2026-07-20T13:35:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T04:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/?p=466"},"modified":"2026-07-20T13:35:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T04:35:13","slug":"oatari-fushimi-no-tomikuji-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/oatari-fushimi-no-tomikuji-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"\u014catari Fushimi no Tomikuji: A Comedy of Luck Won and Lost"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u014catari Fushimi no Tomikuji<\/em> (\u5927\u7576\u308a\u4f0f\u898b\u306e\u5bcc\u304f\u3058) is a Kamigata-style comedy centered on a man&#8217;s chaotic pursuit of quick fortune. Developed from a Meiji-era comic play and later refined with techniques from Shochiku&#8217;s modern comedy tradition, it was reworked into a piece of shin-kabuki (new-style kabuki). At its heart, it&#8217;s a story about luck and human warmth, told through a lead character whose fortunes swing wildly between good and bad.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Synopsis<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">K\u014djir\u014d, once heir to a pawnshop but now scraping by as a ragpicker, dreams of restoring his family&#8217;s fortunes while caring for his younger sister, Okinu. After falling instantly for a courtesan named Nioteru, he becomes so distracted that he barely notices the world around him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">K\u014djir\u014d soon stumbles into a large sum of money by the river, and rather than using it to rebuild his family&#8217;s business, he spends it chasing after Nioteru instead. When another courtesan, Chidori, tearfully claims that money meant to buy out her contract has gone missing, K\u014djir\u014d \u2014 realizing it&#8217;s the very money he found \u2014 hands over everything he has, leaving himself broke once again.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soon after, a lottery ticket he was pressured into buying turns out to be a massive winner. Overjoyed, K\u014djir\u014d carelessly throws it away along with a pile of trash, setting off a increasingly frantic chain of luck won and lost throughout the rest of the story.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"p-adBox -normal -border-off\" data-id=\"175\" data-ad=\"normal\"><div class=\"p-adBox__body\"><div class=\"p-adBox__img\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Characters<\/h2>\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody>\n<tr><td><strong>Character<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Description<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>K\u014djir\u014d, the ragpicker<\/td><td>Once a wealthy heir, now fallen on hard times \u2014 hopelessly kind-hearted to a fault<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Okinu<\/td><td>K\u014djir\u014d&#8217;s practical, grounded younger sister, who keeps the household together<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Nioteru<\/td><td>The courtesan K\u014djir\u014d falls for, representing an escape from his hard reality<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Kurozumi Heima<\/td><td>A samurai pursuing Okinu, adding tension to the story<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Chidori<\/td><td>Another courtesan, whose missing money sets much of the plot in motion<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>The kamuro (young attendant)<\/td><td>A sharp-tongued comic presence who punctuates the story with modern-feeling humor<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n<div class=\"p-adBox -normal -border-off\" data-id=\"175\" data-ad=\"normal\"><div class=\"p-adBox__body\"><div class=\"p-adBox__img\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Highlights<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fast-Paced Comic Structure<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The play moves briskly: money found, money lost, a huge win, then thrown away entirely. This rapid swing of fortune is the comic engine driving the whole piece.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Luck Versus Human Decency<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The real heart of the story isn&#8217;t just slapstick \u2014 it&#8217;s that K\u014djir\u014d can&#8217;t bring himself to spend money purely on himself, and can&#8217;t ignore someone else&#8217;s misfortune even when it costs him everything. He&#8217;s a man with plenty of luck who simply can&#8217;t capitalize on it, and that contradiction is both funny and genuinely endearing.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Sharp-Tongued Scene-Stealer<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The young attendant serving Nioteru provides some of the play&#8217;s best comic beats, delivering blunt, modern-feeling one-liners that cut through the classical setting \u2014 a distinctly memorable presence in an otherwise period piece.<\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<dl class=\"swell-block-faq\" data-q=\"col-text\" data-a=\"col-text\">\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">Is this play good for someone new to kabuki?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes \u2014 it&#8217;s a fast-moving comedy with an easy-to-follow plot and modern-feeling humor, making it one of the more approachable pieces for a first-time viewer.<\/p>\n\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">What&#8217;s the play&#8217;s underlying theme?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beneath the slapstick, it&#8217;s about a fundamentally kind-hearted man who has plenty of luck but can never quite hold onto it, because he can&#8217;t bring himself to ignore someone else&#8217;s hardship.<\/p>\n\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/dl>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@id\":\"#FAQContents\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is this play good for someone new to kabuki?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Yes \u2014 it's a fast-moving comedy with an easy-to-follow plot and modern-feeling humor, making it one of the more approachable pieces for a first-time viewer.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What's the play's underlying theme?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Beneath the slapstick, it's about a fundamentally kind-hearted man who has plenty of luck but can never quite hold onto it, because he can't bring himself to ignore someone else's hardship.<\\\/p>\"}}]}<\/script>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"p-adBox -normal -border-off\" data-id=\"175\" data-ad=\"normal\"><div class=\"p-adBox__body\"><div class=\"p-adBox__img\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u014catari Fushimi no Tomikuji<\/em> is a brisk Kamigata comedy about a hopelessly good-natured man whose luck swings wildly between fortune and disaster. Its rapid pacing and modern comic touches make it an easy, enjoyable entry point into kabuki&#8217;s lighter side.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"p-blogParts post_content\" data-partsID=\"597\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udfad Want to See Kabuki Live?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re planning a trip to Tokyo, Kabuki-za is one of the most memorable ways to experience Japanese culture firsthand. GetYourGuide offers English-friendly Kabuki-za tickets and guided experiences, including options with headset translation and pre-show introductions for first-time viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/gyg.me\/NBu7mZJy\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Check Kabuki-za Tickets on GetYourGuide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard -external\" data-type=\"type3\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">GetYourGuide<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard__thumb c-postThumb\"><figure class=\"c-postThumb__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.getyourguide.com\/img\/tour\/61166ad0c66a062bf083f89402f12428b4d4d985c79241e9cb46288e05863c81.jpg\/53.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"c-postThumb__img u-obf-cover\" width=\"320\" height=\"180\"><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/gyg.me\/NBu7mZJy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tokyo: KABUKI Show at Kabukiza Theatre Admission Ticket | GetYourGuide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"p-blogCard__excerpt\">Discover the enchanting world of Kabuki in central Tokyo. Enjoy a performance of this traditional and dynamic Japanese art form, complete with English or simpli&#8230;<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This section may contain affiliate links. Booking through them costs you nothing extra and helps support this site.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A hopelessly kind-hearted ragpicker&#8217;s fortunes swing wildly between windfall and disaster in this brisk Kamigata kabuki comedy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plays-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":640,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466\/revisions\/640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}