Donald Keene
The Love Suicides at Amijima ("Shinjū Ten no Amijima" or "Shinjūten no Amijima" 心中天網島) is a domestic play ("sewamono") by Japanese playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Originally written for the "jōruri" puppet theatre, it was adapted into kabuki shortly after its premiere on 3 January 1721. It is widely regarded as one of his greatest domestic plays and was hailed by Donald Keene as “Chikamatsu’s masterpiece”.