About the work
三井寺 (Miidera) is a classic Noh play from the Muromachi period (14th–16th century); no exact date of composition is documented. No single author is reliably attested either. The play belongs to the standard repertoire of all major Noh schools and continues to be performed regularly, including at the New National Theatre Tokyo.
Plot
A mother, driven mad by the disappearance of her young son, is instructed in a dream to search for him at Mii-dera temple near Kyoto. There she is deeply moved by the temple's famous bell and recalls numerous episodes connected with temple bells. When she finally draws attention to herself by striking the bell, she is recognised by and reunited with her son.
Cultural significance
Miidera is among the well-known examples of the Noh genre of plays about mothers driven mad by grief (kyōjo-mono) and is celebrated for the central role of the temple bell as both dramatic and sonic motif. The play inspired an early haiku verse and was depicted in Tsukioka Kōgyo's ukiyo-e series Nōgaku Hyakuban (One Hundred Noh Plays).