It was inspired by the sight of a helpless man of warrior class who came to Mokuami's house to sell ink brushes and from the tragic incident in which a mother living behind his house became insane and threw her own child into a river.
黙阿弥の家に筆を売りに来た士族の哀れな姿と、自宅の裏に住んでいた母親が発狂して我が子を川に投げ落とす騒動をヒントに作ったといわれている。