The Battles of Coxinga

Watōnai in The Battles of Coxinga, Act III, Scene 2

The Battles of Coxinga (Japanese: 国性爺合戦, Hepburn: Kokusen'ya Kassen) is a puppet play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. It was his most popular play. First staged on November 26, 1715, in Osaka, it ran for the next 17 months, far longer than the usual few weeks or months. Its enduring popularity can largely be attributed to its effectiveness as entertainment. Its many scenes over more than seven years follow the adventures of Coxinga (based on the adventures of the historical figure Koxinga; as the play is loosely based on history, it is a jidaimono play, not a domestic play) in restoring the rightful dynasty of China. It features effects uniquely suited for the puppet theater, such as the villain Ri Tōten gouging out an eye (ostensibly to prove his loyalty). Donald Keene suggests that the adventures in exotic China played well in isolationist Tokugawa Japan. While generally not considered as great in literary quality as some of Chikamatsu's domestic tragedies like The Love Suicides at Amijima, it is generally agreed to be his best historical play.