Stage names:
Yoshizawa Ayame III
Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II
Yoshizawa Man'yo I
Guild: Tachibanaya
Line number: SANDAIME (III)
Poetry name: Ippô
Existence: 1720 ~ 18th day of the 11th lunar month of 1774
Connections:
Father: Yoshizawa Ayame I
Brothers: Yoshizawa Ayame II, Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Yamashita Matatarô I
Son: Yoshizawa Ayame V
Grandson: Yoshizawa Iroha II
Family map: the Yoshizawa Clan
Career:
1720 ~ 1729: born in Ôsaka. He is the fourth son of the star Yoshizawa Ayame I, who gives him the name of Yoshizawa Man'yo I.
7th lunar month of 1729: his father Yoshizawa Ayame I dies.
11th lunar month of 1732: Man'yo becomes wakaonnagata and plays in the kaomise drama "Mitsu no Hama Kogane no Irie", which is produced in Ôsaka by Arashi San'emon III.
11th lunar month of 1733: Man'yo plays the role of Omune in the kaomise drama "Shigeri Matsu Kogane no Takaragura", which is produced in Ôsaka at the Ônishi no Shibai by Nakamura Jûzô I.
11th lunar month of 1735: Man'yo plays the role of Yatayû's daugther Takiya in Sadoshima Saburôzaemon's kaomise drama "Ôyamato Kane no Kinzan", which is produced in Ôsaka by Nakayama Shinkurô I.
Fall 1737: Man'yo goes to Kyôto.
11th lunar month of 1737: Yoshizawa Man'yo I takes the name of Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater, playing the role of Kotoura in the drama "Hachiman Tarô Denju no Tsuzumi".
Fall 1738: Sakinosuke goes back to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1738: Sakinosuke plays the role of Kiyosaburô's wife Oteru in Matsuya Raisuke I's drama "Sanpukutsui Kogane no Ichigura", which is produced in Ôsaka by Nakamura Jûzô I.
1st lunar month of 1743: Sakinosuke plays the role of Osan in the drama "Kurofune Isse Ichidai Otoko", which is produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai [casting].
12th lunar month of 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city; Sakinosuke plays the role of Okaji at the Kado no Shibai [casting].
8th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Naka no Shibai; Sakinosuke plays the role of Shizuka Gozen [casting].
12th lunar month of 1748: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in the 8th lunar month of 1748 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Sakinosuke plays the role of Oishi [casting].
11th lunar month of 1752: Sakinosuke plays at the Kado no Shibai in the drama "Nagoya Ori Hinatsuru no Nishiki", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.
7th lunar month of 1754: his brother Yoshizawa Ayame II dies.
11th lunar month of 1756: second stay in Kyôto; Sakinosuke plays the role of Ojû in the drama "Uke Matsuri Hôrai Yakata", which is produced par Somematsu Matsujirô at the Kitagawa no Shibai for the nadai Hoteiya Umenojô.
3rd lunar month of 1757: Sakinosuke plays the role of Kisakata Gozen in the drama "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura", which is produced by Somematsu Matsujirô at the Kitagawa no Shibai. His stage partners are Ichikawa Danzô III (Narukami, the deity Fudô Myôô and Kumedera Danjô), Nakamura Kumetarô I (Princess Taema) and Somematsu Shichisaburô I (Mimbu).
1st lunar month of 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", which is simultaneously produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai [casting] and the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting]; Sakinosuke plays in the latter theater the roles of Osono and Miyoshi's wife.
Fall 1758: Sakinosuke goes back to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1758: Sakinosuke achieves a great success in his hometown, playing at the Naka no Shibai the role of Gennai's wife Tamiya in the drama "Shitennô Chikara Kurabe", which is produced by Arashi Kichisaburô I.
7th lunar month of 1759: Sakinosuke plays the role of Otatsu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which is produced in Ôsaka by Arashi Kichisaburô I. His stage partners are Yamamoto Kyôshirô I (Danshichi Kurobei), Ichinoyama Hikoshirô I (Issun Tokubei) and Kiriyama Monji I (Tsuribune Sabu).
11th lunar month of 1760: third stay in Kyôto; Sakinosuke plays the role of Yosenami in the drama "Kiku Nagashi Kokka Taiheiki", which is produced by Nakamura Senzô.
Fall 1761: Sakinosuke goes back to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1761: Sakinosuke achieves a great success by playing the role of Shizuka Gozen in the drama "Sotsui Hôshi Kamakura Kagami", which is produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I at the Kado no Shibai for the nadai Fukunaga Tazaemon.
7th lunar month of 1763: Sakinosuke plays the roles of Chiyo and Tatsuta in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which is produced at the Kado no Shibai by Nakayama Bunshichi I; his stage partners are Nakayama Bunshichi I (Matsuômaru, Terukuni), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Kakuju, Shihei), Arashi Hinasuke I (Haru), Anegawa Daikichi (Tonami, Yae), Nakayama Raisuke I (Umeômaru), Bandô Toyosaburô I (Shiratayû), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Genzô, Sukune Tarô), Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II (Sakuramaru), Asao Tamejûrô I (Hyôei, Shundô Genba) and Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kan Shôjô).
9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of of "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which is produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I and celebrates the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of the star Anegawa Shinshirô I. A similar play is staged one day later under a different title, "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up is open between the 2 theaters. The performance at the Kado no Shibai is more successful than the one at the Naka no Shibai; Sakinosuke plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Sahei's nyôbô Onui and Jirôemon's nyôbô Oharu [casting].
1st lunar month of 1764: Sakinosuke's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is goku-jô-jô-kichi (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
11th lunar month of 1764: Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II takes the name of Yoshizawa Ayame III in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, playing the role of Kochô, in reality Usui no Arawarawa, in the drama "Momotarô Obako Banashi", which is produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I.
4th lunar month of 1766: Ayame plays the role of Okaji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which is produced in Ôsaka by Anegawa Kikuhachi; his stage partners are Nakayama Bunshichi I (Danshichi Kurobei), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Issun Tokubei), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Tsuribune Sabu) and Asao Tamejûrô I (Mikawaya Giheiji).
12th lunar month of 1766: Ayame plays the roles of Oyoshi and Tomoe Gozen in the epic drama "Hirakana Seisuiki", which is produced by Arashi Hinasuke I at the Kado no Shibai; his stage partners are Nakayama Shinkurô I (Gonshirô), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Matsuemon, Higuchi no Jirô Kanemitsu), Arashi Hinasuke I (Umegae), Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II (Kajiwara Genta Kagesue), Nakayama Raisuke I (Shigetada), Arashi Koroku I (Enju) and Arashi Shichigorô II (Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka).
7th lunar month of 1767: Ayame plays for the last time the role of Okaji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which is staged at the Kado no Shibai to commemorate the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the passing away of Fujikawa Heikurô [casting].
12th lunar month of 1767: Ayame plays the roles of Suke-no-Tsubone and Tadanobu in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is staged for the first time at the Kado no Shibai [casting].
11th lunar month of 1770: fourth stay in Kyôto; Ayame plays the role of Kagekiyo's wife in the kaomise drama "Sakigake Yashima no Kachidoki", which is produced by Onoe Kumesuke for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbei and Kameya Kumenojô.
1st lunar month of 1771: Ayame's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is goku-jô-jô-kichi (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
11th lunar month of 1771: Ayame plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Kochô, in reality Shinoda no Shôji's daughter Sakaki-no-Mae, in the kaomise drama "Bandai Isaoshi Genji", which is produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II.
1st lunar month of 1772: Ayame plays in the same theater the role of Hosokawa Katsumoto's kôshitsu Yosenami in the ni-no-kawari "Keisei Sakura Goten".
11th lunar month of 1773: Ayame plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kumagai wife's Osaga in the drama "Medetai Uchimashô", which is produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I.
9th lunar month of 1774: Ayame appears on stage for the last time, playing at the Kado no Shibai the role of Okeru Iki no To in the drama "Kume no Sennin Yoshino Zakura".
Comments:
Yoshizawa Ayame III was an excellent onnagata actors, able to play any kind of role in either jidaimono or sewamono dramas. He won a fame for himself only in the Kamigata cities of Ôsaka and Kyôto and did not to travel to perform in Edo.
The actors Yoshizawa Ayame III and Fujikawa Hachizô I playing the roles of Chôjirô's wife and Shio no Chôjirô in the drama "Ôsaka Nikki Shio no Chôjirô", which was staged in the 8th lunar month of 1767 at the Kado no Shibai
The Yoshizawa Sakinosuke line of actors
The Yoshizawa Ayame line of actors