笠折半九郞 / Kasaori Hankuro

Hankuro Kasaori and Kojiro Kuroda are fellow retainers of the Kishu Tokugawa house—and inseparable friends.

Hankuro is passionate, stubborn, and quick to anger. Kojiro is calm and thoughtful.

A teasing remark about Hankuro's future wife and her skill with the koto suddenly turns into a challenge to a duel.

Before they can meet, however, a great fire breaks out near Wakayama Castle.

Kojiro rushes to Hankuro with his firefighting equipment and a horse. Remembering his duty as commander of a castle turret, Hankuro races back and leads seventeen men in a desperate effort to save the tower and treasured objects from the flames.

The tower survives.

Yet when rewards are given, Hankuro alone receives nothing.

Rumors begin to spread. Was Kojiro responsible? Did their quarrel cost Hankuro his reward?

Distrust poisons the friendship until the two men once again prepare to fight.

At the appointed place, however, Hankuro finds not Kojiro—but their lord, Tokugawa Yorinobu.

Yorinobu reveals the truth: Hankuro was not rewarded because praising such reckless courage might encourage other retainers to sacrifice their lives needlessly.

"A castle can be rebuilt. A dead man cannot be brought back."

"Kasaori Hankuro" is a powerful story of friendship, pride, misunderstanding, and a ruler who values the lives of his retainers above castles and treasure.

紀伊家に仕える笠折半九郎と畔田小次郎は、性格こそ正反対ながら、互いに認め合う無二の親友だった。

ところが、半九郎の婚約者・瑞枝の琴をめぐる些細な冗談から、二人は果し合いを約束してしまう。

その夜、和歌山城を襲う大火が発生。

小次郎は決闘より友情と責務を優先し、半九郎へ火事装束と馬を届ける。

半九郎は十七人の番士とともに猛火へ立ち向かい、角櫓と宝物を守り抜く。

しかし、ほかの者には恩賞が与えられたのに、半九郎には何の沙汰もなかった。

やがて噂と疑念が友情を蝕み、二人は再び決闘へ向かう。

鼠ヶ島で半九郎を待っていたのは、小次郎ではなく主君・徳川頼宣だった。

「城は焼けても建て直せる。死んだ人間を呼び戻すことはできない」

頼宣が恩賞を与えなかった本当の理由を知った半九郎は、自らの狭い心に気づく。

友情、誇り、噂の毒、そして家臣の命を何より重んじる主君の愛情を描く、山本周五郎の武家人情小説。