Stage names:

Nakamura Daikichi I
Fujikawa Daikichi

Other name: Naruoya Yatarô

Guilds: Naruoya, Tennôjiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Hajô

Existence: 1773 ~ 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1823 ^[1]

Connection:

Masters: Nakamura Noshio II, Fujikawa Tomokichi I

Career:

1773 ~ 1799: born in Kyôto. He starts his career as a disciple of Fujikawa Tomokichi I, who gives him the name of Fujikawa Daikichi. He does his training in hama shibai venues, like the Takeda no Shibai or the Kadomaru no Shibai.

1800: he becomes disciple of Nakamura Noshio II and takes the name of Nakamura Daikichi I.

20th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1800: his master dies.

12th lunar month of 1800: Daikichi goes to Edo.

1st lunar month of 1801: Daikichi achieves a great success at the Kawarasakiza by playing the roles of Nagi-no-Ha Gozen and the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô in the new year drama "Ataridoshi Hatsutora Soga".

Fall 1803: Daikichi and Bandô Hikosaburô III go together to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1803: Daikichi plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Sôzoku Ishibashiyama", which celebrates the shûmei of Asao Tamejûrô II. He also performs in duo with Bandô Hikosaburô III in the shosagoto "Saiwai Narukana Iro no Yumitori".

12th lunar month of 1803: Daikichi plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

1st lunar month of 1804: Daikichi's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

6th lunar month of 1804: tour in Nagoya with Bandô Hikosaburô III, Onoe Shinshichi II and Mimasu Daigorô III; Daikichi plays the roles of Okaru and Tonase in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which is staged at the Miyawaka no Shibai.

12th lunar month of 1806: Daikichi plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôsakazuki Asahi no Hôrai", which is produced by Yoshizawa Minosuke and stars Ichikawa Danzô IV, Nakamura Utaemon III, Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Yoshizawa Iroha I, Nakamura Noshio III and Ogino Izaburô II.

7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai of the drama "Kuni Namari Futaba no Oizuru"; Daikichi plays the role of Jûrobê's wife Oyumi [casting].

11th lunar month of 1809: Daikichi plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Keishoku Yuki-miru Yama", which is produced by Mimasu Kumesaburô and stars Nakayama Hyakka, Yoshizawa Ayame V, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Asao Kuzaemon I, Nakayama Shinkurô III, Kanô Minshi I and Asao Okuyama III.

1st lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Chikamatsu Tokuzô and Namiki Miyosuke ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sato no Funauta"; Daikichi plays the roles of Kuranosuke's wife, Seki-no-To and Kureha [casting].

Fall 1814: Daikichi goes to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1814: Daikichi plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ninin Muko Mikurai Sadame", which celebrates the shûmei of Onoe Baikô III, Onoe Matsusuke III, Segawa Tomisaburô III, Segawa Michinosuke II and Nakamura Denkurô V.

11th lunar month of 1815: Daikichi plays at the Kawarasakiza in the kaomise drama "Yamato Meisho Senbon Zakura", which celebrates the shûmei of Segawa Kikunojô V.

1st lunar month of 1816: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Nazoraete Fujigane Soga"; Daikichi plays the role of Kudô Suketsune's okugata Nagi-no-Ha [casting].

5th lunar month of 1816: Daikichi plays in the same theater the role of Sadaka in the drama "Zôho Imoseyama".

8th lunar month of 1816: Daikichi plays in the same theater the role of Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; his stage partner in the role of Hanaregoma Chôkichi is Iwai Hanshirô V.

1st lunar month of 1817: Daikichi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is (shiro)ô-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent). He is the kanjiku for wakaonnagata actors.

8th lunar month of 1820: Daikichi plays at the Tamagawaza the roles of Matsuômaru, Kakuju, Kan Shôjô and Hanazono Gozen in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

7th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Kumoi no Hareginu", which mixes the sekai of Gion no Nyôgo, the Two Shinbê ("Ninin Shinbê") and Tamamo-no-Mae; Daikichi plays the roles of Taikenmon'in, the Miuraya yûjo Kazusano and Nasu Hachirô's nyôbô Mome [more details].

9th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kiku no En Tsuki no Shiranami"; Daikichi plays the roles of En'ya Hangan's kôshitsu Kaoyo Gozen and the Momonoi okujochû Kakogawa [more details].

11th lunar month of 1821 (end of the month): premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Imoseyama Hitome Senbon", which mixes the "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" worlds; Daikichi plays the roles of Medo no Kata, Kawagoe Shigeyori's wife Nishikigi and Onami [casting].

9th lunar month of 1822: Daikichi makes at the Kawarasakiza his final appearance (isse ichidai peformance), playing the role of Masaoka, the monkey show-woman Otoku and Shirotae in "Gozonji Azuma no Kyara", "Onna Datera Saru no Hitomane" and "Hôjô Jiraiki"; his stage partners are Onoe Kikugorô III, Matsumoto Kôshirô V and Seki Sanjûrô II. Then, Daikichi retires from the Kabuki world.

1st lunar month of 1823: Daikichi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki is shin-jô-jô-kichi (truly - superior - superior - excellent). Due to a shortage of actors, Daikichi has to join up the Kabuki world again, playing at the Moritaza the role of Sakaya Tarobê in the new year drama "Hatsuyume Soga Takara no Irifune". This is his last stage appearance as he dies in Edo the 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1823 ^[1].

Comments:

Nakamura Daikichi I was a talented and popular actor, who was trained in Kamigata and achieved fame for himself in Edo from the middle of the 1810s to the beginning of the 1820s. He was a wakaonnagata actor, who did not hesitate at the end of his career to perform sometimes as a tachiyaku. He was excellent in sewa nyôbô or onna budô roles. He was also a gifted dancer, mastering the hayagawari technique.

[1] The 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of the 6th year of the Bunsei era was the 2nd of May 1823 in the western calendar.

Nakamura Daikichi I playing the role of Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1818 at the Miyakoza (print made by Utagawa Kunisada I)

Print made by Nagahide in 1811

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1820

The Nakamura Daikichi line of actors