''Sewamono'' (世話物) is a genre of contemporary setting plays in Japanese traditional theatre. The term applies to both

bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of the 17th century, which is still performed in the modern day. Three kinds of performers take part in a performance: the or (puppeteers), the (chanters) ...

and

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

. The genre is in contrast to "period setting plays" or jidaimono. Though the distinction between "historical" and "contemporary" is not exact, and there are also plays that do not fit either category. Sewamono plays are naturalistic and set in contemporary normal environments rather than the historical and samurai-oriented plays typical of the bombastic aragoto style. In the conflicted lovers genre, such as '' The Love Suicides at Sonezaki'', conflict between emotions (''ninjo'') and social pressure (''giri'') form the motor of the plot. The engirimono, or "knot-cutting", referring to the “drama of cutting the lovers' knot" such as Namiki Gohei's ''Godairiki Koi no Fujime'' is a subcategory of sewamono.Keiko I. McDonald Japanese Classical Theater in Films -1994 Page 104 "Actually, this subclass sewamono is called an engirimono play, which may be rendered “drama of cutting the lovers' knot." The definitive work is usually taken to be Gohei Namiki's Godairiki Koi no Fujime (Lovers' pledge: Gengobei and ..."

References

{{Authority control Kabuki Bunraku ja:時代物