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Hi Nagy-san, If you could confirm or correct my reading of the character names appearing in the cover illustration of the July 13, 1879, issue 24, of Kabuki Shinpō, I'd appreciate it. The illustration depicts, I believe, the courtesan Takao 高尾 played by Sawamura Hyakunosuke on the left, as identified by the circular inset reading 髙尾 (Takao) in the lower left, and an unread character name, possibly the character 作蔵 Sakuzō (the circular inset lower right), in a scene from the play Komochi Takao Matsu no Misao 子持高尾松貞操 staged at the Saruwaka-za in July 1879.

Given that no other character whose name begins with “作” appears in this Kabuki play, it must be 作蔵. If it were a single kanji, I find it hard to believe that anyone could read it with certainty.

Regards,
I.Nagy

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