鳥取藩士宅間八太夫事件の実録化について

寛文一一年（一六七一）七月二九日、江戸在勤中の鳥取藩士宅間八太夫の若党が、旗本の野々山瀬兵衛によって切り捨てられた。宅間は子細を尋ねようとしたが、野々山は逃げた。相手が旗本であったことから、鳥取藩と幕府側との間に緊迫が生じたが、結局、野々山は咎めを受けて自害し、宅間は御構い無しとなった。
この事件については後年に至るまで藩の関係者とその周辺において語られ、更には文章化されていった。これらの実録的記述の中には虚構も含まれるが、実説を基底に置くことを意識する中で叙述されたものであったと認められる。

On July 29, 1671 (in the 11th year of the Kambun Era), an attendant of Takuma Hachidayu, a samurai from Tottori Domain, was cut down by the Hatamoto (a direct retainer of the shogun) Nonoyama Sehee while Takuma was stationed in Edo. Takuma tried to inquire into his motives, but Nonoyama fl ed. Because of the involvement of a Hatamoto, relations between Tottori Domain and the Shogunate became tense; however, Nonoyama eventually accepted responsibility for the incident and committed suicide, while Takuma was acquitted of all charges.
The incident generated speculation within and around the domain for years and was even documented by some scholars. While some of these historical accounts may have included some fi ctional elements, they were clearly inspired by real-life events.