SAKURAYAMA SH�ZAEMON I (original) (raw)

Stage names:

Poetry name: �zan

Existence: 1664 ~ 1714 (?)

Connection:

Younger brother: Sakurayama Shirosabur� I

Disciples: Sakurayama Sh�nosuke, Sakurayama Sh�day�

Career:

1664 ~ 1686: born in Sakai; he worked as a catamite in the D�tonbori theater district of �saka; his first stage name was Togawa Sh�day�.

11th lunar month of 1686: he took the name of Sakurayama Rinnosuke I and performed as a wakashugata in �saka at Araki Yojib� I's theater. His yearly salary was 40 ry�; his stage partners were Yamashita Hanzaemon I, Iwai Hanshir� I, Yamamura Kanzabur�, Sodeoka Masanosuke II, Sakata T�kur�, Takenaka Hanzabur�, Matsushima Han'ya II, Kozakura Koday�, Takigawa Kiyosabur�, Yoshikawa Genzabur�, Mihara J�day� I, Wakabayashi Shiroemon and Sadoshima Denpachi.

Fall 1694: Rinnosuke went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1694: Rinnosuke performed at the Ichimuraza.

1st lunar month of 1695: Rinnosuke's rank in the Edo hy�banki, wakashugata section, was j�-j�-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Onoe Yatar�.

11th lunar month of 1695: Rinnosuke played at the Ichimuraza the role of Narinokawa Gonzabur� in the kaomise drama "Shiki Gosho Zakura", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actor Mizuki Tatsunosuke I.

Fall 1696: Rinnosuke went back to Ky�to.

11th lunar month of 1696: he became tachiyaku and took the name of Sakurayama Sh�shichi, performing in Ky�to at Miyako Manday�'s theater in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's kaomise drama "T�h�saku", which was produced by Sakata T�j�r� I.

Summer 1697: Sakurayama Sh�shichi took the name of Sakurayama Sh�zaemon I in Ky�to.

Summer 1698: Sh�zaemon went to �saka.

3rd lunar month of 1699: Sh�zaemon's rank in the �saka hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was j� (superior) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1701: Sh�zaemon performed in the drama "Kash� D�my�ji Kaich�", which was produced in �saka by Iwai Hanshir� II.

3rd lunar month of 1701: Sh�zaemon's rank in the �saka hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was j�-j� (superior - superior) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Kataoka Nizaemon I, Shibazaki Rinzaemon I, Osagawa J�emon, Takioka Hikoemon and Murayama Heij�r� I.

Fall 1706: Sh�zaemon went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1706: Sh�zaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Mano no Ch�ja Kogane no Torii".

3rd lunar month of 1707: Sh�zaemon's rank in the Edo hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was j�-(shiro)j� (superior - (white) superior) (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

Fall 1707: Sh�zaemon went to Ky�to to perform at Miyako Manday�'s theater.

1st lunar month of 1708: Sh�zaemon's rank in the Ky�to hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was j�-(shiro)j� (superior - (white) superior) (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

Fall 1708: Sh�zaemon went back to �saka.

11th lunar month of 1708: Sh�zaemon played the role of �mura J�nai in �saka in the kaomise drama "Tate Eboshi Daijin Bashira", which was produced by Arashi Sanj�r� I.

3rd lunar month of 1709: Sh�zaemon's rank in the �saka hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was j�-(shiro)j� (superior - (white) superior) (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1709: Sh�zaemon performed in �saka in the kaomise drama "Mai�gi Masaki no Kazura", which was produced by Ogino Yaegiri I.

3rd lunar month of 1710: Sh�zaemon's rank in the �saka hy�banki, tachiyaku section, fell to j� (superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1710: Sh�zaemon performed in �saka in the kaomise drama "Shusse Yakushi J�nishin", which was produced by Arashi Sanj�r� I.

11th lunar month of 1711: Sh�zaemon performed in �saka in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Tanba Tar� Kamado Sh�gun", which was produced by Arashi Sanj�r� I.

3rd lunar month of 1712: Sh�zaemon's rank in the �saka hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was back to j�-j� (superior - superior) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1713: Sh�zaemon went back to Ky�to; he performed at Kameya Kumenoj�'s theater in the kaomise drama "Fukubiki Miuma no �kamado".

3rd lunar month of 1713: Sh�zaemon was in the Ky�to hy�banki the kanjiku for tachiyaku actors (unknown ranking).

Fall 1713: Sh�zaemon, who was on sick leave in Ky�to for a while, went back to �saka.

11th lunar month of 1713: Sh�zaemon performed in �saka in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Musume Takara no Yome Banzei Muko", which was produced at �saka Tazaemon's theater by Shinozuka Sh�matsu I; he appeared only in the k�j� and this was his last-recorded stage performance. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Sakurayama Sh�zaemon I was the founder of the Sakurayama clan. He was an outstanding wakashugata and a good tachiyaku. He was short-sized but had a great k�seki. His fields of excellence were jitsugoto, nuregoto and bud�goto. He most likely died in 1714.

"Sakurayama Sh�zaemon learned by heart over three thousand old poems because, he said, if you knew many old poems, it was very useful when you were composing words. For this reason he was very skillful at writing speeches and others actors used his services to a considerable extent." (from Tamiya Shirogor� sequel to Kaneko Ikk�'s "Dust in the Ears", translated by Charles J. Dunn and Torigoe Bunz� in "The Actors' Analects")