＜Story＞
Minamoto no Yoriie, who was exiled to Shuzenji in Izu Province as a result of a plot by the Hojo clan, asks Yashao, a mask carver, to create a mask of his face. However, the mask is not yet ready, and when Yoriie visits Yashao to demand he finish it, Yashao refuses, saying that the mask shows signs of death. Yoriie, annoyed by Yashao’s stubborn attitude, goes to draw his sword. However, when Yashao’s daughter, Katsura, presents him with the mask, he is satisfied with its workmanship and takes it back to his mansion along with Katsura, with whom Yoriie falls in love at first sight. Yashao resolves that he would never pick up a chisel again, but that very evening, a night raid is launched on Yoriie’s mansion....

＜Story＞
When daimyo Yamakage Ukyo learns that his mistress Hanago has come to Edo, he wishes to go see her, but is too afraid of his wife Tamanoi to venture out. Ukyo lies that he is going to stay the night alone in a private Buddhist hall in his residence to do Zen meditation, which he uses as a ploy to go to Hanago. He has Taro Kaja, a servant, take his place and cover himself with bedding. However, when Tamanoi, worried about her husband, comes to check on him, Ukyo’s scheming comes to light. Tamanoi is furious and decides to wait for Ukyo’s return, this time taking the place of Taro Kaja under the bedding. When Ukyo returns home, somewhat drunk, he spills the beans on his encounter with Hanago...

＜Story＞
Chubei, a courier from Osaka, gets into a battle of wits with a love rival, and ends up cutting the seal of the daimyo’s official money and stealing it. Together with his lover Umegawa, a courtesan whose freedom he bought using the money, Chubei escapes pursuit by the authorities and arrives in his hometown, Ninokuchi Village, Yamato Province. While hiding out at a friend’s house, Chubei’s father, Magoemon, happens to pass by and slips over on the snow. Umegawa unexpectedly jumps out and takes care of Magoemon without revealing her identity. Magoemon realizes that Umegawa is his son’s companion and tells her that since his son is now a criminal, he cannot see him even for a moment.

Highlights include the charming Iemon, who is a handsome villain, the distinctive forms of beauty unique to Kabuki, and gimmicks essential to a Kabuki play dealing with the supernatural, such as a prop mechanism called toitagaeshi, in which corpses are nailed to both sides of a wooden door.

＜Story＞
Yotsuya Samon, a ronin of the Enya clan, has two daughters: Oiwa and Osode. Oiwa is Iemon’s wife and Osode is Yomoshichi’s fiance. However, when Samon finds out that Iemon has embezzled money from the government, he takes Oiwa back. Iemon, who feels a grudge against Samon, his father-in-law, kills him. Meanwhile, Naosuke Gonbei falls in love with Osode, and kills Yomoshichi, but it is actually Okuda Shozaburo, an Enya ronin who has changed his appearance. The grieving sisters ask Iemon and Naosuke to avenge the deaths of their father and fiance, unaware that these guys are the very ones who killed the sisters’ loved ones....
Later, Oiwa gives birth to Iemon’s child, but suffers from a postnatal sickness, and Iemon starts feeling annoyed with her. Meanwhile, Ito Kihei, a neighbor, delivers medicine to Oiwa and she gratefully takes the medicine, but her suffering only increases. In fact, it was a ploy by Kihei to allow Oume, Kihei’s granddaughter, to marry Iemon by disfiguring Oiwa with poisoned medicine and making Iemon leave her. Iemon betrays Oiwa and accepts the marriage proposal with Oume. Meanwhile, Oiwa’s face becomes increasingly deformed, and she finally dies, harboring a lingering resentment toward Iemon...