Stage names:
Mimasu Daigorô I
Yoshizawa Jûshirô
Yoshizawa Kuranosuke
Sagawa Kuranosuke
Guild: Masuya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Ikkô
Existence: 1718 ~ 25th day of the 9th lunar month of 1780
Connections:
Masters: Yoshizawa Tamazuma, Sagawa Bunzô II
Brother: Mimasu Kanzô I
Son: Mimasu Matsunosuke
Adopted sons: Mimasu Daigorô II, Mimasu Tanin I
Disciples: Mimasu Tokujirô I, Mimasu Matsunojô, Mimasu Chôgorô, Mimasu Uhachi, Mimasu Komazô, Mimasu Sakuzô, Mimasu Matsugorô, Mimasu Mitsugorô, Mimasu Denzô, Mimasu Chazô
Family map: the Yoshizawa Clan
Career:
1718: born in Kyôto.
Spring 1732: he becomes disciple of the actor Sagawa Bunzô II, who gives him the name of Sagawa Kuranosuke. he performs as a wakashugata in Nagoya in a production of the zamoto Matsumoto Genjûrô.
11th lunar month of 1732: Kuranosuke becomes disciple of the wakaonnagata actor Yoshizawa Tamazuma and receives the name of Yoshizawa Kuranosuke. He plays in Ôsaka in the drama "Mitsu no Hama Kogane no Irie", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III.
11th lunar month of 1734: Kuranosuke plays the role of Tomogorô in the kaomise drama "Honchô Bugaku no Hajimari", which is produced by the zamoto Iwai Hanshirô III at the Naka no Shibai.
1735 ~ 1739: Yoshizawa Kuranosuke takes the name of Yoshizawa Jûshirô and joins a travelling troupe. He leaves the Kabuki world for a while in order to become a merchant. Later on, he gives up his business, takes back the name of Yoshizawa Kuranosuke and goes on tour.
11th lunar month of 1739: Yoshizawa Kuranosuke becomes tachiyaku and takes the name of Mimasu Daigorô I in Kyôto, playing in the kaomise drama "Keigoto Senri no Michi", which is produced by the zamoto Arashi Koroku I.
11th lunar month of 1741: Daigorô achieves a great success in Kyôto by playing the role of Nagao Gensuke in the kaomise drama "Chôseiden Wagô no Futahashira", which is produced by Sakata Ichitarô.
5th lunar month of 1742: Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's play "Shinshû Kawanakajima Gassen" is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Daigorô plays the roles of Murakami Saemon Yoshikiyo and Hayami Genjûrô [more details].
11th lunar month of 1742: Daigorô settles in Ôsaka and becomes katakiyaku, playing in the kaomise drama "Sangoku Denrai no Ishi", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô III at the Kado no Shibai.
11th lunar month of 1744: Daigorô becomes jitsuaku and plays in the kaomise drama "Yamazaki Yojibei Imayô Sugata", which is produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II at the Kado no Shibai.
11th lunar month of 1749: Daigorô becomes zamoto and tachiyaku at the Ônishi no Shibai; he produces the kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa", starring the actors Bandô Toyosaburô I, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Iwai Hanshirô III, Sanjô Namie I, Iwata Somematsu I and Nakamura Utaemon I.
Fall 1749: Daigorô plays in the city of Sakai.
12th lunar month of 1750: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Matahei and Nagoya Sanza in the drama "Keisei Tôyama Zakura" (similar to Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Keisei Hangonkô"), which is produced by the zamoto Nakamura Jûzô I for the nadai Shioya Kuroemon [casting].
11th lunar month of 1752: Daigorô becomes zamoto and produces at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Nagoya Ori Hinatsuru no Nishiki" in which he achieves a great success by playing the role of Matahei. His stage partners are Fujikawa Heikurô, Sakata Tôjûrô III, Arashi Koroku I, Fujikawa Hachizô I and Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II.
11th lunar month of 1752 ~ 8th lunar month of 1754: Daigorô is zamoto at the Kado no Shibai.
11th lunar month of 1754: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Amaterasu Ômikami Iwado no Akebono", which is produced by Arashi San'emon IV.
11th lunar month of 1756: Daigorô goes back to Kyôto and plays in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Bimandai Kuniiri Kamakura Kagami", which is produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.
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]; Daigorô plays in the former theater the role of Kusuriya Zesai.
11th lunar month of 1758: Daigorô goes to Ôsaka, becomes jitsuaku and plays in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Arigatashi Fujiwara Keizu", which is produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I at the Kado no Shibai.
11th lunar month of 1761: Daigorô becomes zamoto and tachiyaku; he produces at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Miyo no Butoku Yunzei Kagami".
4th lunar month of 1762: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5-act puppet theater drama "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi", which is staged at the Naka no Shibai; Daigorô plays the role of Ise no Saburô [casting].
9th lunar month of 1762: Daigorô produces in the same theater the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", in which he plays the roles of Yazaemon, Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô. His stage partners in the roles of Yoshitsune and Yasuke is Arashi Sangorô II.
11th lunar month of 1762: Daigorô produces at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Uchide no Kozuchi Tezuma Urakata".
2nd lunar month of 1763: Daigorô produces in the same theater the drama "Keisei Hangonkô", in which he plays the role of Matahei. His stage partners are Nakamura Tomijûrô I (Tôyama), Arashi Sangorô II (Shirojirô) and Iwata Somematsu I (Otoku).
9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which is produced by Daigorô. A similar play was staged one day before under a different title, "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Kado no Shibai. 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; Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Shundô Jirôemon [casting].
5th lunar month of 1766: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Honchô Nijûshikô", which is performed in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Daigorô plays the roles of Takasaka Danjô and Yokozô [casting].
1st lunar month of 1768: Daigorô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
12th lunar month of 1768: Daigorô plays the role of the sumôtori Hanaregoma Chôkichi in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki", which is produced by Mimasu Tanin I at the Naka no Shibai [casting].
5th lunar month of 1770: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Hanji's gidayû kyôgen "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata", which is staged in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Daigorô plays the role of Sasaki Moritsuna [casting].
1st lunar month of 1771: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Daigorô plays the roles of Tadotsu Ikkaku and Tadotsu Shinzô [casting].
8th lunar month of 1771: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Fukashichi in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" [casting].
9th lunar month of 1773: Daigorô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô", which is produced by the zamoto Ogawa Kichitarô I for the nadai Ôsaka Tazaemon. His stage partners are Arashi Hinasuke I (Otoku) and Nakayama Raisuke I (Shôgen).
Fall 1774: Daigorô plays for the last time the role Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô", which is staged in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.
4th lunar month of 1775: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari"; Daigorô plays the roles of Wadasaku and Koyoshi [more details].
1st lunar month of 1776: Daigorô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).
5th lunar month of 1776: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami". His stage partners are Arashi Kichisaburô I (Tokubei) and Arashi Hinasuke I (Danshichi Kurobei).
4th lunar month of 1777: premiere of Namiki Gohachi's drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", co-written with Nakamura Akei and Tatsuoka Mansaku, which is staged at the Kado no Shibai; Daigorô plays the roles of Ki no Haseo, Haji no Hyôe, Shiratayû and Hôsshôbô [casting].
11th lunar month of 1779: Daigorô goes back to Kyôto and plays in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kikkegawara", which is produced by Somematsu Shichisaburô II.
1st lunar month of 1780: Daigorô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is kô-jô-jô-kichi (meritorious - superior - superior - excellent). Namiki Gohei's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri" is produced for the first time in Kyôto; Daigorô plays the role of Konomura Ôinosuke (in reality Sô Sokei) [casting].
4th lunar month of 1780: Daigorô appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto, playing in the drama "Kiku Nagashi Kokka Taiheiki".
Comments:
Mimasu Daigorô I was the founder of a great line of Kamigata actors. He was mainly a tachiyaku actor but he also performed many seasons in his career as a katakiyaku or a jitsuaku. He excelled in budôgoto roles.
Mimasu Daigorô I playing the role of Sekiguchi Heita in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)
The Mimasu Daigorô line of actors