Stage names:

Nakayama Bungorô I
Nakayama Toyogorô
Nakayama Kosaburô I

Guilds: Daikokuya, Yamatoya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry names: Binan, Shiba (?)

Existence: 1761 ~ 19th day of the 8th lunar month of 1814 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Nakayama Bunshichi I

Career:

1761 ~ 1784: born in Kamigata. He started his career as a disciple of Nakayama Bunshichi I, who gave him the name of Nakayama Kosaburô I and trained him in hama shibai.

9th lunar month of 1782: his master Nakayama Bunshichi I appeared on stage for the last time (isse ichidai peformance), in Osaka at the Kado no Shibai, performing in a great program which also celebrated the shûmei of his brother Nakayama Shinkurô II. He shaved his head and retired from the Kabuki world in Kyôto, in the district of Kurodani. As a monk, he took the name of Jôkô. He spent his time studying calligraphy and music.

Fall 1784: he became katakiyaku and made his debut in ôshibai in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1786: Nakayama Kosaburô I took the name of Nakayama Bungorô I at the Naka no Shibai, performing in the kaomise drama "Neko Shakkyô Fûki no Hanabusa".

1st lunar month of 1793: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yanagi Zakura", the first yanagisawa-sôdômono in Kabuki history, written by Tatsuoka Mansaku and Chikamatsu Tokusô; Bungorô played the role of Yamana Kumatarô [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Shima Meguri Uso no Kikigaki"; the last scenes were a sewamono drama, which will be staged independently in the 5th lunar month of 1794 under the title "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Bungorô played the role of Yasuke [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1796: Suga Sensuke's puppet theater drama "Keisei Koi no Hikyaku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time and staged at the Kado no Shibai; Bungorô played the role of Tanbaya Hachiemon [casting].

4th lunar month of 1796: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Hade Kurabe Ishikawa-zome", written by Chikamatsu Tokuzô, Tatsuoka Mansaku and Namiki Shôzô II; Bungorô played the roles of Sesonji Chûnagon Kiminari, Ueno's sister, Sannigorobê and Hei no Heibei [more details].

7th lunar month of 1796: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba"; Bungorô played the role of Manno [casting].

11th lunar month of 1796: Bungorô performed in Kyôto at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Yama Katsura Asahi no Menbako", which celebrated the shûmei of Onoe Koisaburô I; the same kaomise program with the same casting was staged from the 18th day of the 11th lunar month in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Bungorô's others stage partners were Arashi Sangorô II, Arashi Hinasuke II, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Seki San'emon, Yamamura Giemon II, Arashi Mitsuemon I, Sawamura Kunitarô I, Yoshizawa Iroha I and Azuma Tôzô III.

9th lunar month of 1801: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of Shiba Shisô's drama "Hakone Reigen Izari no Adauchi"; Bungorô played the role of Hôjô Ujimasa [casting].

4th ~ 6th lunar months of 1806: tour in Nagoya with Arashi Kichisaburô II, Yoshizawa Iroha I, Arashi Sangorô III and Sawamura Tanosuke II; they performed at the Tachibana no Shibai in dramas like "Keisei Sakura no Shima", "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", "Hirakana Seisuiki", "Sarumawashi Kadode no Hitofushi" or "Komochi Yamanba".

6th lunar month of 1808: tour in Nagoya with Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Nakayama Tomisaburô I, Ogino Izaburô II, Ichikawa Ichizô I and Ichikawa Yaozô IV; they performed at the Tachibana no Shibai in dramas like "Keisei Takasago no Matsu", "Futa Meoto Sarashi no Hinagata" or "Azuma Kagami Mikari no Maki".

Spring 1812: Bungorô and 20 Kamigata actors (including Bandô Jûtarô and Ôtani Tomoemon II) went to Edo.

4th lunar month of 1812: he took the name of Nakayama Toyogorô at the Moritaza, playing two roles in the drama "Tomoyobi Kawasu Shimabara no Saiken".

Fall 1812: he went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1812: he took back the name of Nakayama Bungorô I at the Naka no Shibai, playing the roles of Ono no Kudayû, Ôta Ryôchiku and Ichimonjiya in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

22nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1813 ^[2]: his ex-master Nakayama Bunshichi I, who became the priest Jôkô, died.

Summer 1814: tour in Nagoya with Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Mimasu Daigorô III and Sawamura Tanosuke II.

19th of the 8th lunar month of 1814 ^[1]: Bungorô died ^[3] while performing the roles of Yosaburô and Sôtarô in the drama "Kagamiyama".

Comments:

Nakayama Bungorô I was a katakiyaku actor, who made almost all his career in Kamigata from the middle of the 1780s to the middle of the 1810s. He was very popular, especially in sewamono, and his final ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki was only three strokes below jô-jô-kichi.

[1] The 19th of the 8th lunar month of the 11th year of the Bunka era was the 2nd of October 1814 in the western calendar.

[2] The 22nd day of the 7th lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunka era was the 17th of August 1813 in the western calendar.

[3] Nakayama Bungorô I's main tombstone was located in the precincts of the Honshôji Temple in the district of Tanimachi (Ôsaka). Another tombstone was in Nagoya in the precinct of the Genjôji Temple.

The Nakayama Bungorô line of actors