Stage names:
Ichikawa Aragorô I
Sanogawa Ichimatsu III
Nakamura Kumesaburô
Nakamura Kumejirô
Nakamura Naokichi
Real name: Gotô Shinjirô
Guilds: Yoshiya, Miyoshiya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry names: Shigan, Seifu (?)
Existence: 1759 ~ 13 November 1813
Connection:
Master: Ichikawa Danzô IV, Nakamura Kumetarô I
Son: Ichikawa Danzô VI
Career:
1759: born in Kamigata. His father is a carpenter named Tambaya Yohei (real name: Gotô Shinza). He becomes disciple of Nakamura Kumetarô I at a very young age and receives the name of Nakamura Naokichi.
November 1764: Nakamura Naokichi takes the name of Nakamura Kumejirô at the Kado no Shibai.
15 July 1777: his master Nakamura Kumetarô I dies.
Fall 1777: Nakamura Kumejirô takes the name of Nakamura Kumesaburô, goes to Edo and definitively settles there.
February 1778: Nakamura Kumesaburô takes back the name of Nakamura Kumejirô and plays at the Nakamuraza in the new year drama "Kaidô Iro Yawaragi Soga".
July 1778: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the play "Date Kurabe Okuni Kabuki"; Kumejirô plays the role of the courtesan Takao [casting].
March 1781: Kumejirô plays at the Moritaza the roles of En'ya Hangan's wife Kaoyo Gozen, Okaru, Amakawaya Gihei's wife Osono and Ôboshi Yuranosuke's wife Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles of En'ya Hangan, Amakawaya Gihei and Ôboshi Yuranosuke are played by Ichikawa Danzô IV.
April 1783: first Kabuki adaptation of Yô Yôdai's puppet theater drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie". The play is staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Kumejirô plays the role of Ohatsu [casting].
July 1784: Kumejirô plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Kyô-no-Kimi and Kokingo in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
August 1784: Kumejirô plays in the same theater the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Yuranosuke's wife Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
November 1784: Nakamura Kumejirô takes the name of Sanogawa Ichimatsu III at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise program "Ôakinai Hiru-ga-Kojima".
August 1785: Ichimatsu plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Haru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
May 1786: Ichimatsu plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Yuranosuke's wife Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the role of Yuranosuke is played by Ichikawa Yaozô III.
May 1787: Ichimatsu plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Gihei's wife Osono in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the role of Gihei is played by Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
January 1793: Ichimatsu's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
October 1794: due to some financial difficulties, the salaries of all the actors are drastically reduced. Ichimatsu's yearly salary for the coming season is set to 300 ryô after a reduction of 120 ryô.
April 1795: Ichimatsu plays at the Miyakoza the role of Kaoyo Gozen in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
Fall 1798: he becomes disciple of Ichikawa Danzô IV and tachiyaku actor.
November 1798: Sanogawa Ichimatsu III takes the name of Ichikawa Aragorô I at the Moritaza, playing the roles of Wakiya Jirô and the yakko Saruhei in the kaomise program "Taiheiki Mitsugi no Funauta".
July 1800: Aragorô plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Momoi Wakasanosuke and Ono Sadakurô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
September 1800: Aragorô plays in the same theater the role of Terukuni in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
November 1802: Aragorô plays at the Kawarazakiza the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Igami no Gonta in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
March 1808: Aragorô plays at the Kawarazakiza the roles of Umeômaru and Sukune Tarô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
9 October 1808: his master Ichikawa Danzô IV dies.
1 January 1809: a fire breaks out in the district of Nihombashi Sanai-chô and destroys both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. As a consequence, Aragorô joins the troupe of actors, who perform in February within the precincts of the Hachiman shrine in Ichigaya. Most likely, it is Aragorô's last performance on stage because his name does no appear anymore in Edo theater playbills.
13 November 1813: Aragorô dies in Edo.
Comments:
Ichikawa Aragorô I was an actor, who was trained as an onnagata in Kamigata but spent most of his career in Edo. He was slowly but surely gaining fame in Edo when he suddenly decided in 1798 to give up female roles to switch to male roles. His rank in the actors ranking dropped in January 1799 but he was back to the jô-jô-(shiro)kichi level in January 1800 and stayed at this level up to the end of his career. He was equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. His forte were roles in the wagoto style.
Ichikawa Aragorô I playing the role of the sake seller Shimbei in the drama "Sukeroku Sakura no Futae Obi", which was staged in March 1807 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)
