ICHIKAWA YAOZ� I (original) (raw)

Stage names:

Other name:

Ichikawa Ch�sha I

Guild: H�raiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry names: Teika, Ch�sha (1)

Existence: 1730 ~ 19th day of the 10th lunar month of 1759 [1]

Connections:

Father: Matsushima Moheiji

Master: Ichikawa Ebiz� II

Brother-in-law: Ichikawa Yaoz� II

Career:

1730: born in Kamigata. His father Matsushima Moheiji was a d�kegata.

1737: first stage appearance in �saka, where he performed koyaku roles under the name of Matsushima Kichisabur�.

Fall 1742: Kichisabur� went to Edo to join his father Matsushima Moheiji, who had settled in Edo in Fall 1740.

11th lunar month of 1742: Kichisabur� achieved a great success at the Nakamuraza, where he performed as a koyaku in the kaomise drama "Keisei Akazawayama"; he was nicknamed koyaku no meijin ("the master of children roles").

11th lunar month of 1745: Kichisabur� became wakashugata and performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Suehiro Izu Nikki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Fujikawa Heikur� and the sh�mei of �tani Hiroemon II and Nakamura Denkur� II.

11th lunar month of 1746: Matsushima Kichisabur� took the name of Matsushima Yaoz� at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of �t�-no-Miya in the kaomise drama "Tenchi Taiheiki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Arashi Koroku I and also the sh�mei of Hanai Saizabur� III and Sanj� Kantar� III.

1st lunar month of 1748: Yaoz�'s rank in the Edo hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was j�-j� (superior - superior) [visual]. He played in the same theater the role of Honda no Jir� in the new year sogamono drama "Kazari Ebi Yoroi Soga".

5th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Yaoz� played the role of Kokingo [casting].

6th lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Ch�shingura" was produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Yaoz� played the role of En'ya Hangan [casting].

11th lunar month of 1749: Matsushima Yaoz� became disciple of Ichikawa Ebiz� II and took the name of Ichikawa Yaoz� I at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Shinozuka Gor� in the kaomise drama "Onn� Taiheiki".

7th lunar month of 1751: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Koi Ny�b� Somewake Tazuna", which was staged in Edo at the Nakamuraza [casting]; Yaoz� played the role of Sagisaka Sanai.

11th lunar month of 1753: Yaoz� played at the Ichimuraza the role of Hannya Gor� in the kaomise drama "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actor Kasaya Matakur� I.

11th lunar month of 1754: Yaoz� played at the Nakamuraza the role of Sanada no Yoichi in the kaomise drama "Miura no �suke Bumon no Kotobuki", which celebrated the sh�mei of Ichikawa Danj�r� IV, Matsumoto K�shir� III and Tsuuchi Monzabur� II.

1st lunar month of 1755: Yaoz� played in the same theater the role of Soga Gor� Tokimune in the new year sogamono drama "Waka Midori Nishiki Soga".

24th day of the 9th lunar month of 1758 [2]: his master Ichikawa Ebiz� II died.

1st lunar month of 1759: Yaoz�'s rank in the Edo hy�banki, tachiyaku section, was j�-j�-j� (superior - superior - "ten") [visual]. Yaoz� appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he played the roles of Soga Gor� Tokimune and Bench� (disguised as Kobayashi no Asahina) in the new year sogamono drama "Hatsugai Wada no Sakamori".

19th day of the 10th lunar month of 1759 [1]: Yaoz� died in Edo.

Comments:

Ichikawa Yaoz� I was a promising and popular tachiyaku actor, who unfortunately died too young and did not reach the peak of his art and popularity.Jitsugotoshi, wagotoshi and aragotoshi roles were his forte. He was also the owner of a cosmetics shop located in the district of Yorozu-ch�. Because of Ichikawa Yaoz� I's popularity, a sweet shop in the district of Sakai-ch� decided to make and sell "Yaoz� Okoshi", some traditional cakes of sugar-bounded popped rice.

[1] The 19th day of the 10th lunar month of the 9th year of the H�reki era was the 8th of December 1759 in the western calendar.

[2] The 24th day of the 9th lunar month of the 8th year of the H�reki era was the 25th of October 1758 in the western calendar.