Chikamatsu Monzaemon

Chikamatsu Monzaemon (Japanese近 松 门 左卫 门, originally: Sugimori Nobumori; * 1653, † January 6, 1725 in Osaka ) was a Japanese dramatist. He wrote more than 150 pieces, including works for the Kabuki, the traditional bourgeois theater of Japan and for the puppet Jōruri. His most famous piece was the melodrama Kokusenya funds ( in German: The Battle of the Kokusenya ), which was premiered in 1715.

Chikamatsu was the son of a samurai. He was the first writer who wrote for the puppet theater pieces that required by the puppeteers more than mere mechanical ability. His works are considered the first literary works for puppet theater in Japan. In general, he is still regarded as one of the foremost playwrights of his country.

The composer Mayako Kubo wrote an opera based on his play Osan - The Secret of Love ( 2004).

Trivia

A character in the anime series Digimon, which is a huge teddy bear is named after him.

Likewise, an attack technique is in Naruto Shippuuden named after him: Shirohigi: Chikamatsu no Shuu Jikki

Swell

• Werner Arpe: Knaurs acting leader. Knaur, 1976, ISBN 3-426-23312-6
• Monzaemon in: Microsoft Encarta