Oono Takuji

In the background of the world of sleuthing, our protagonist is by no means a hard-boiled hero in this tale where he finds out what it means to be a detective through various meetings and partings of friends and loves.

Based on The Tale of Genji.

At 16, the young samurai Maki Bunshirou is in love with Fuku, a daughter of another good family. He spends his year working in the court as a page, and also training in sword-work in the dojo. Then one day his father is caught up in a failed rebellion against the lord and disgraced. After his father commits ritual suicide to atone, Bunshirou's life becomes much darker as his family lives in shame. He is separated from Fuku, who is sent to the capital, Edo. Slowly, Bunshirou begins to regain an honorable position. Then he begins to hear rumors that Fuku has become a concubine of a lord in Edo...

In the late 630's in Asuka, Soga no Kuratsukuri, who was born the son and heir of the powerful minister Soga no Emishi, is now grown up and regarded as one of the best and brightest to manage the imperial government. He is studying hard at the T'ang Dynasty. This school is reserved for the sons of nobles and influential families such as Prince Karu, Ishikawamaro, Prince Yamasiro no Oe, Prince Furuhito and Nakatomi no Kamatari. They are earnestly studying Chinese thought and political doctrine in the hope of carrying out governmental reforms in Yamato. Among all the others, Kuratsukuri and Kamatari are regarded as excellent and treated with deference. However, Kuratsukuri is the heir of the head family of the Soga clan, whereas Kamatari was born into a family of rather lowly status. The family is in charge of affairs pertaining to the Shinto religion. The two men are naturally quite different in political standing, and Kamatari is secretly jealous of Kuratsukuri.

Meiji Era Japan. While en-route to Tokyo to join the Enouza theater, Takagorou disappears in Yokohama. Though his sister and the family and inn servants search everywhere, there is no sign of him. His meeting is the next day, and time is running out, so his twin sister Otaka decides to secretlytake his place and join the kabuki troupe for him, to hold his place until he returns.

Based on the tale of Hamamatsu Chunagon.

Published by Kodansha in 1999, Katsuhiko Takahashi's 2000 Yoshikawa Eiji Literature prize-winning novel Fiery Enmity: Hero of the North (The Legend of Aterui) will be adapted to the stage. In the 8th century, while expanding its dominion to the Tohoku area, the Yamato Imperial Court seeks to conquer Ezo. Aterui, the young leader of Ezo, stands up to protect his hometown and joins forces with his allies in the hopes of defeating the imperial forces. However, triumph leads to more battles and before long, the fate of the Emishi people falls into the hands of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, the imperial army's trump card. Aterui's drive to protect the pride of the Emishi people will be entangled in fierce battle within this spectacular musical work.

Zeami perfected the performing art of Noh. He had two sons, Motomasa and Motoshige, who were destined to inherit the Kanze school. Driven by ambition as Noh actors and entangled in a forbidden love with a woman connected to the Southern Court, their destinies unfold dramatically.