第一節 Sec. 1（上冊）

あらすじ・STORY
　物語の場は鎌倉、時は源氏が挙兵し、義仲の軍勢がすでに平家を都から追い落としたあとだった。物語の主人公の一人である源頼朝は、東国の侍たちを鎌倉に集め、かれらに向かって義仲征伐を宣言した。しかも、その義仲が公家に靡き、驕り高ぶるという理由まで明らかに述べ切った。
　The place was in Kamakura, the military base of the Minamoto Clan. The time was 1183, while Minamoto no Yoshinaka's troops had chased the Taira Clan out of the capital. Here, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the leader of the Clan, summoned his fellow warriors and announced his plan to attack Yoshinaka. Minamoto stated the reason for this action, as Yoshinaka had been puffed up with his success and become to yield to courtiers.

メモ・COMMENTS
　ここにはっきりと読み取れるように、絵と物語との内容上の隔たりは、あまりにも大きい。画面全体からは、いままさに戦争が進行し、その状況が目まぐるしく移り変わっているような緊張感はまったく伝わらない。それどころか、人物の服装や振る舞いは、まさに平和を勝ち取ったあとの、武家主従の儀礼的な対面そのものだった。部屋を囲む山水画の障子、薫物や文箱が飾られる床の間などの建物の様子も、想像によるものが多い。悠長なリズムを感じさせるめでたい画面は、御伽草子の基本的な特徴の一つとしてここにあらためて確認できる。
　A reader may find out easily that there is a rather big distance in content between what the story is telling and the picture. On the picture, there is little hint about the on-going battle and its rapid changes. Not only that, the dressing of each characters and their behaviors are all highly peaceful, more like a ceremonial greeting between a lord and his fellow. Many details in the room, such as paintings of mountains and rivers on the paper screens, an incense burner and a letter box decorated on the Tokonoma alcove represent an imaginary setting about the people and the place. Peaceful and joyful painting was a basic feature for this group of works, and we are able to confirm it with this very first example.