The Heartbreaking Story of Yaoya Oshichi: The Japanese Young Woman Whose Romance Inspired Legends
Yaoya Oshichi: A Narrative of Heartbreaking Affection and Cultural History
Numerous cultures possess tales of unreciprocated affection and sorrow, but one of the more renowned originates from Japan, where Yaoya Oshichi has become widely recognized. The adolescent daughter of a vegetable merchant, she became embroiled in controversy and ultimately paid for it with her life. Presently, her narrative is well-known across Japan and serves as inspiration for performances in traditional puppet theater.
Yaoya resided in the Hongō district of Edo during the early Edo period. She was approximately 16 years old in 1682 when she encountered and fell for temple page Ikuta Shōnosuke. Their meeting was anything but conventional, as it transpired amid an event known as the Great Tenna Fire, during which countless homes were reduced to ashes.
It is well acknowledged that adolescents can occasionally make thoughtless choices, particularly concerning love. Regrettably for Yaoya, her choice led to her demise. Infatuated and resolute in her desire to see the temple page once more, she attempted to ignite another fire. According to the folk story, the authorities apprehended her as she attempted this act, and she was executed by fire for her transgressions.
If you find it shocking that someone so young could face such harsh punishment, this is where Yaoya’s tale takes an even more sorrowful turn. Throughout the Edo period, minors under 16 were exempt from facing the death penalty. The judge overseeing her trial, striving to rescue her, inquired pointedly, “You must be 15 years old, right?” His query was not entirely out of the ordinary since family record registration was inconsistent during that era, thus verifying an individual’s age was relevant. Yaoya, misinterpreting the judge’s motives, candidly responded that she was in fact 16. This declaration sealed her fate.
The judge had no alternative but to pronounce her death sentence, leading to her execution by fire. Her tale gained notoriety when, three years post her heartbreaking death, a Japanese poet illustrated the case in his writings. Twenty years later, her story was reimagined, with certain dramatic liberties, into a puppet theater play. In the late 18th century, three playwrights adapted her tale into Date musume koi no higanoko, where, in this rendition, she does not commit arson but rather ascends a fiery tower to sound an alarm bell, ensuring the city gates will open and her beloved will be saved.
Interestingly, Yaoya was born in the year of the Fire Horse, which recurs roughly every 60 years. It is deemed inauspicious for a girl to be born in that year, with the most recent Fire Horse year occurring in 1966.