At the end of episode 4, O-Bun performs the a kyogen play, “Kane no Ne“ for Usaburo and O-Hatsu. The humorous misunderstanding in the storyline arises from the use of puns, a staple of Japanese comedy.
It doesn’t take long before we learn O-Bun has quite an appetite, especially for sweets. Here are a couple of her favorites…
Most of us appreciate traditional Japanese woodcut paintings (ukiyoe) for their artistic and aesthetic beauty; however, very frequently they served more down-to-earth purposes such as advertising, celebrity worship (yes, fan magazines), social commentary and humor.
The initial friction between O-Hatsu and O-Bun arises from differences in their relative social status. Beginning in the 17th century and ending with the Meiji Restoration, people were categorized into roughly four social classes:
In Episode 2, Usaburo informs O-Bun that a yaba onna is not the type service worker she had in mind. yaba = archery range onna = woman
Say, Salt Lake friends with kids! I am teaching four classes for Youth Education at The University of Utah this summer
