千本仕合 / A Thousand Matches

A mysterious young ronin calling himself Umanosuke Kusakari enters Kishu and announces that he intends to fight one thousand martial matches.

Using only a wooden sword, he defeats one renowned warrior after another. When the skilled samurai Saburobei Izumi challenges him with a real blade, Umanosuke wins decisively but treats the wounded man with respect.

Saburobei becomes convinced that such an exceptional man must be retained in Kishu and attempts to offer his sister Oshiho as Umanosuke's wife.

Meanwhile, jealous retainers plan a dishonorable ambush. Oshiho rides through a violent thunderstorm to warn Umanosuke and chooses to follow him.

Surrounded by pursuers, Umanosuke's true identity is finally exposed before Lord Yorinobu Tokugawa. He is Kakunoshin Naruse, secretly surveying Kishu for a national map—using the thousand matches as cover.

"A Thousand Matches" is an energetic historical tale of swordsmanship, courage, hidden duty, romance, and the building of a new Japan.

Written by Shugoro Yamamoto.

Narrated by Shichimi Shungorō.

Produced and published by Marutake Shobo.

紀州領内へ現れ、「千番の仕合」を掲げた若き浪人・草苅馬之助。

木剣だけで各地の名だたる武芸者を破り続け、田辺城下へ迫った彼に、和泉三郎兵衛が真剣勝負を挑む。三郎兵衛は敗れるが、馬之助の力量と人格を認め、紀州へ留めるため妹・お志保を妻に迎えさせようとする。

一方、馬之助を敵視する若侍たちは、鉄砲による騙し討ちを計画。お志保は激しい雷雨の中を馬で駆け、危険を知らせる。

追手と狩りの一行に包囲されたとき、馬之助の荷物から測量道具が発見される。

その正体は、全国地図作成のため密かに紀州を測量していた成瀬格之進。千番仕合は、その目的を隠すための姿だった。

剣豪の誇り、国土測量という密命、武士の友情、そしてお志保の決断を描く、山本周五郎の痛快歴史活劇。

著者：山本周五郎

朗読：七味春五郎

制作・発行：丸竹書房