Summary
The head of Tajimaya, Kyuemon, had a lovely sixteen-year-old daughter named Onatsu. Onatsu paid no attention to many marriage proposals, and one day, a man named Seijuro was newly hired to work at the rice wholesale shop. He was the heir to an inn but had been disowned after an attempted double suicide with a courtesan and was now working as a servant.
Seijuro changed his ways and worked diligently, but one evening, while a maid was adjusting his obi, a love letter was discovered. It was from courtesans who loved Seijuro, and Onatsu, seeing the letter, began to ponder, "What kind of man is Seijuro?" Eventually, she developed feelings for him.
A few days later, the women of Tajimaya went out for cherry blossom viewing, and Seijuro was outside serving as their escort. Onatsu was consumed with curiosity and thought to herself, "This might be a good opportunity to speak to him... but the maids..." At that moment, the sound of lion dance music echoed, and as the maids went off to dance, Seijuro immediately approached her.
"My beloved, Onatsu-san."
"I am in love with you, Seijuro-san."
The two were united and later resolved to elope. However, fate was cruel. Just as they were about to board a boat, they were captured by pursuers who had been arranged for them, and Seijuro was falsely accused of trying to steal gold coins, leading to his execution.
Unaware of Seijuro's execution, Onatsu continued to pray for his safety every day. However, one day, she heard children singing, "If Seijuro is killed, Onatsu should be killed too," and learned of his fate. When she asked her wet nurse, "Did he… pass away?" she was tearfully told the truth, breaking Onatsu's heart.
"If Seijuro is killed, Onatsu should be killed too."
Onatsu, forgetting her sorrow, continued to dance with a mad laugh. She kept visiting the grave where Seijuro lay and wandered under the cherry tree where their memories resided. Her love completely dominated her heart, transcending even death.
