On'yado Kawasemi

On'yado Kawasemi or On-yado Kawasemi (御宿かわせみ) is a Japanese series of novels written by Yumie Hiraiwa and dramas and a play based on it. It is set in "Kawasemi" ("kingfisher" in Japanese), an inn in Ōkawabata, Edo (now Sumida, Tokyo). It was serialised in a magazine Shosetsu Sunday Mainichi from 1973 but was interrupted because of the discontinuance of the magazine. Later, it was serialised in All Yomimono from 1982 to 2005.

Plot
At the end of Edo period, Shoji Rui hands over her birthright to her relatives with the death of her father and begins running an inn "Kawasemi" in Ōkawabata. And she settles the matters in their daily lives with her lover Kamibayashi Tōgo, doshin (a sort of constable) Une Genzaburō, physician Amanō Sotarō, and O-Kichi.

Main characters

 * Kamibayashi Tōgo
 * Younger brother of Kamibayashi Michinoshin and instructor of kendo. He helps Une Genzaburō cracking a case and pries into the affairs occur around him or among those who visit and lodge at Kawasemi.


 * Shōji Rui
 * Landlady of Kawasemi who marries Tōgo later.


 * Une Genzaburō
 * Doshin for Minami-machi bugyō. A serious and sincere man and one of childhood friends of Tōgo.

People of Kawasemi

 * Kasuke
 * Manager of Kawasemi.


 * O-Kichi
 * Head maid of Kawasemi who is very curious and likes chatting but has a phobia for ghost.

The Kamibayashi family

 * Kamibayashi Michinoshin
 * Elder brother of Tōgo who is yoriki for Minami-machi bugyō.


 * Kanae
 * Wife of Michinoshin and the eldest daughter of Asō Genemon.

The Une family

 * Chie
 * Wife of Genzaburō.


 * Gentarō
 * Son of Genzabutō.


 * Chiyo
 * Daughter of Genzaburō.

The Asō family

 * Asō Genemon
 * Hatamoto who is the father of Kanae and Nanae.


 * Asō Sōtarō (Amano Sotaro)
 * Physician who is a son of goten-i, a doctor employed by the shōgun and a son-in-law of Genemon. One of best friends of Tōgo.


 * Nanae
 * Wife of Sōtarō, daughter of Genemon and younger sister of Kanae.

Other characters

 * Chōsuke
 * Okappiki (a sort of private detective) for Une Genzaburō and owner of soba restaurant Chojuan though he leaves managing it up to his wife and son.


 * Sengorō
 * Another okappiki whose occupation is a cooper.


 * Matsuura Hōsai
 * Owner of Hōgetsukan, a kendo dojo in Mamiana where Tōgo instructs kendo. He has a profound knowledge of swords.

Bunshun bunko (pocketbooks published by Bungeishunjū)

 * 1) On'yado Kawasemi (御宿かわせみ)
 * 2) Edo no komoriuta (江戸の子守唄)
 * 3) Suigō kara kita onnna (水郷から来た女)
 * 4) Sazanka wa mita (山茶花は見た)
 * 5) Yūrei goroshi (幽霊殺し)
 * 6) Kitsune no yomeiri (狐の嫁入り)
 * 7) Hōzuki wa koroshi no kuchibue (酸漿は殺しの口笛)
 * 8) Shirahagi yashiki no tsuki (白萩屋敷の月)
 * 9) Ichiryō nibu no onnna (一両二分の女)
 * 10) Enma mairi (閻魔まいり)
 * 11) Nijūrokuya machi no satsujin (二十六夜待ちの殺人)
 * 12) Yogarasu O-Kin (夜鴉おきん)
 * 13) Oni no men (鬼の面)
 * 14) Kami kakushi (神かくし)
 * 15) Koibumi shinjū (恋文心中)
 * 16) Hacchōbori no yuya (八丁堀の湯屋)
 * 17) Ugetsu (雨月)
 * 18) Hikyoku (秘曲)
 * 19) Kakurenbo (かくれんぼ)
 * 20) O-Kichi no chawan (お吉の茶碗)
 * 21) Inu hariko no nazo (犬張子の謎)
 * 22) Kiyohime O-Ryō (清姫おりょう)
 * 23) Gentarō no hatsukoi (源太郎の初恋)
 * 24) Haru no takasebune (春の高瀬舟)
 * 25) Takarabune matsuri (宝船まつり)
 * 26) Chōsuke no nyōbō (長助の女房)
 * 27) Yokohama bojō (横浜慕情)
 * 28) Sasuke no botan (佐助の牡丹)
 * 29) Hatsuharu benzaisen (初春弁才船)
 * 30) Kijo no hanatsumi (鬼女の花摘み)
 * 31) Edo no shōryō nagashi (江戸の精霊ながし)
 * 32) Jyūsann sai no nakōdo (十三歳の仲人)
 * 33) Koban shōnin (小判商人)
 * 34) Ukare kichō (浮かれ黄蝶)

Hardcovers

 * 1) Haru no kyaku (初春の客)
 * 2) Shūgen (祝言)
 * 3) Senju kannon no nazo (千手観音の謎)

TV Series
NHK adapted the series to TV series in 1980, 1982, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Series 1 was broadcast from 8 October 1980 to 24 March 1981 and Series 2 was broadcast from 6 October 1982 and 13 April 1983 by NHK. And in 2013, both series and newly produced episodes starring Kyōko Maya and is set in Meiji era were broadcast by Jidaigeki Senmon Channel, describing Kawasemi and those who are related to the inn twenty years later. It was produced by NHK Enterprize and Jidaigeki Senmon Channel with the intention to keep the tradition of jidaigeki and it is the first case in which NHK Enterprize did not produce a programme for NHK.

In 1973, TBS adapted one of the novels "Aki no hotaru" ("Fireflys in Autumn") to drama.

TV Asahi also adapted it to two TV dramas and one TV series, starring Yūko Kotegawa and Yasuko Sawaguchi respectively.

Cast NHK Series 1 and 2 (1980–1983)
 * Shōji Rui: Kyōko Maya
 * Kamibayashi Tōgo: Akira Onodera
 * Une Genzaburō: Takashi Yamaguchi
 * Kamibayashi Michinoshin: Takahiro Tamura
 * Kanae: Momoko Kōchi
 * Kasuke: Tokue Hanazawa
 * O-Kichi: Mieko Yūki
 * Asō Genemon: Masami Shimojō
 * Nanae: Naomi Hase (Season 1), Yoshie Taira (Season 2)
 * Chōsuke: Kon Omura (Season 1)
 * Sengorō: Morihiko Uchiyama (Season 2)
 * Matsuura Hōsai: Seiji Miyaguchi (Season 1), Tōru Abe (Season 2)

NHK Series 3–5 (2003–2005)
 * Shōji Rui: Reiko Takashima
 * Kamihayashi Tōgo: Hashinosuke Nakamura
 * Une Genzaburō: Kai Shishido (Series 3 and 4), Kazuki Sawamura (Series 5)
 * Kasuke: Takehiko Ono
 * O-Kichi: Machiko Washio
 * Chosuke: Kimihiro Reizei (Series3), Jirō Keisetsu (Series 4 and 5)
 * Matsuurra Hōsai: Yū Fujiki(Series 3), Gorō Ibuki (Series 4), Shigeru Koyama (Series 5)
 * Amano (Later Asō) Sōtarō: Kazumasa Suzuki (Series 4 and 5)
 * Amano Sōhaku: Masane Tsukayama (Series 5 only)
 * Asō Genemon: Hisashi Igawa
 * Nanae: Takami Yoshimoto
 * Kamihayashi Kanae: Akiko Nishina
 * Kamihayashi Michinoshin: Masao Kusakari

Shin On'yado Kawasemi (2013 version, broadcast by Jidaigeki Senmon Channel)
 * Shōji Rui: Kyōko Maya
 * Kamibayashi Tōgo: Akira Onodera
 * Une Genzaburō: Takashi Yamaguchi
 * Kanae: Keiko Kishi
 * Kasuke: Takashi Sasano
 * O-Kichi: Mieko Yūki
 * Chōsuke: Mansaku Fuwa
 * Kamibayashi Asatarō: Dai Watanabe
 * Une Gentarō: Satoshi Matsuda

Aki no hotaru
 * Shoji Rui: Ayako Wakao
 * Kamihayashi Tōgo: Noboru Nakaya
 * Une Genzaburo: Katsuhiko Kobayashi
 * O-Kichi: Tsugiyo Ōjika

TV Asahi dramas (1988 and 1989)
 * Shōji Rui: Yūko Kotegawa
 * Kamihayashi Tōgo: Jun Hashizume
 * Une Genzaburō: Kōichi Miura

TV Asahi Series 1 (1997–1998)
 * Shōji Rui: Yasuko Sawaguchi
 * Kamihayashi Tōgo: Hiroaki Murakami
 * Une Genzaburō: Mitsuru Hirata
 * Kasuke: Takashi Sasano
 * O-Kichi: Yumiko Fujita
 * Chōsuke: Saburō Ishikura
 * Asō Genemon: Junkichi Orimoto
 * Nanae: Hijiri Kojima
 * Kanae: Haruka Sugata
 * Kamihayashi Michinoshin: Masahiko Tsugawa

Play
It was adapted to a play and Yuko Hama played the role of Rui at the Imperial Theatre in 1984.

Comic
From 2012 to 2013, it was adapted to manga by Yuzuru Shimazaki and was published serially in a magazine "Comic Ran Twins". It was published as two volumes of books by Leed Publishing co, Ltd. in November 2012 and May 2013.