ICHIKAWA EBIJÛRÔ I

Stage names:

Ichikawa Ebijûrô I In Japanese
Ichikawa Ichizô I In Japanese
Ichinokawa Ichizô In Japanese
Ichikawa Ichizô I In Japanese

Guild: Harimaya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry names: Shikaku, Shinshô

Existence: 1777 ~ 16th day of the 7th lunar month of 1827 [1]

Connection:

Masters: Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, Ichikawa Danzô IV

Son: Ichikawa Ebijûrô II

Grandson: Ichikawa Ichizô III

Disciples: Ichikawa Ebijûrô III, Ichikawa Sukejûrô IV

Career:

1777 ~ 1808: born in Ôsaka. He started his career as a disciple of Ichikawa Danzô IV, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Ichizô I. He performed in miyaji shibai or hama shibai.

Winter 1799: Ichizô performed for the first time in ôshibai in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai.

6th lunar month of 1808: tour in Nagoya with Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Nakayama Tomisaburô I, Ogino Izaburô II, Nakayama Bungorô 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".

9th day of the 10th lunar month of 1808 [2]: his master died; Ichizô had to replace him on the spot in the role of Satô Masakiyo in the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô", which was staged at the Naka no Shibai.

1st lunar month of 1809: following a quarrel with Ichikawa Danzô IV's adopted son Ichikawa Danzaburô IV, he took the name of Ichinokawa Ichizô; he played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Katada Saichi and the sendô Genpachi in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Koi no Hikifune" (a drama similar to "Sanjikkoku Yofune no Hajimari").

12th lunar month of 1809: Ichizô performed his onagori kyôgen at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai (Ôsaka), playing the role of the yakko Ranpei in the drama "Yamatogana Ariwara Keizu".

1st lunar month of 1810: Ichizô went to Edo and played at the Moritaza the roles of Satô Masakiyo and Sasaki Takatsuna in the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô".

5th lunar month of 1811: Ichizô played for the first time 7 roles (nanayaku) in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged at the Moritaza. Roles: Kô no Moronô, Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Kakogawa Honzô, Hayano Kanpei, Yoichibê, Ono no Sadakurô and Amakawaya Gihei. His master was the first actor in Kabuki history to perform 7 roles in "Kanadehon Chûshingura" (some differences in the roles between the master and the disciple). Ichizô achieved a great success with his performance.

11th lunar month of 1811: he took back the name of Ichikawa Ichizô I and performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Azuma no Hana Iwai no Dairi" [illustration].

11th lunar month of 1812: Ichizô became jitsuaku and played at the Nakamuraza 5 roles in the drama "Edo Zakura Megumi no Takanori".

1st lunar month of 1813: Ichizô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

7th lunar month of 1815: he was introduced by Nakamura Utaemon III to the Edo actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, who welcomed him as a high-ranking disciple, gave him the name of Ichikawa Ebijûrô I and many presents like swords, which had belonged to Ichikawa Ebizô II and Ichikawa Ebizô III.

9th lunar month of 1815: he took the name of Ichikawa Ebijûrô I at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Kamura Utaemon [3] and the fisherman Fukashichi (in reality Kanawa Gorô Imakuni) [4] in the dramas "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki" [3] and "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" [4]; his main stage partners were Nakamura Utaemon III, Bandô Mitsugorô III, Nakamura Matsue III and Onoe Baikô III.

Fall 1815: Ebijûrô and Nakamura Utaemon III went back to Kamigata together.

11th lunar month of 1815: Ebijûrô played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Hayano Kanpei, Ono Kudayû and Takuhei in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku".

1st lunar month of 1816: Ebijûrô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku/jitsuaku section (a special section for Ebijûrô only), was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

10th lunar month of 1817: Ebijûrô plays 7 roles (nanayaku) in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai (Ôsaka). Same roles as the 5th lunar month of 1811 performance.

1st lunar month of 1819: Ebijûrô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shigetada in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; his stage partners in the roles of the courtesan Akoya and Iwanaga Saemon were Nakamura Matsue III and Asao Kuzaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1820: Ebijûrô and his son Ichikawa Ichizô II went together to Edo; They performed at the Kawarasakiza in the new year sogamono drama "Tama no Haru Soga no Kadomatsu".

5th lunar month of 1821: Ebijûrô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Benkei and Tôyata in the drama "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi". He also played the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Kakogawa Honzô in "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

7th lunar month of 1821: Ebijûrô played in the same theater the roles of Shiga Taishichi, the shôya Shichirobê and Azumaya Kichibei in the drama "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi".

Fall 1821: Ebijûrô went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1821: Ebijûrô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Saemon and Heita in the drama "Sanjikkoku Yofune no Hajimari".

12th lunar month of 1821: Ebijûrô played in the same theater 2 roles in the drama "Sugata Kurabe Deiri no Minato".

6th lunar month of 1822: tour in Miyajima with Sawamura Kunitarô II.

11th lunar month of 1823: Ebijûrô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Shigetada in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; his stage partners were Nakamura Utaemon III (Iwanaga Saemon) and Nakamura Karoku I (Akoya).

1st lunar month of 1824: Ebijûrô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki was itaru-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual].

2nd lunar month of 1826: Ebijûrô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Rokusuke and Senoo Jûrô Kaneyasu in the dramas "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" and "Genpei Nunobiki no Taki".

1st lunar month of 1827: Ebijûrô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, jitsuaku and katakiyaku section, was (shiro)ô-jô-jô-kichi ((white) grand - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. He appeared on stage for the last time, at the Naka no Shibai, playing 4 roles in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Asoyama Zakura".

16th day of the 7th lunar month of 1827 [1]: Ebijûrô died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Ichikawa Ebijûrô I was a talented tachiyaku actor, who was trained by Ichikawa Danzô IV and achieved fame for himself in both Edo and Kamigata. He excelled in large-scale tachimawari and hayagawari techniques.

[1] The 16th day of the 7th lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunsei era was the 6th of September 1827 in the western calendar.

[2] The 9th day of the 10th lunar month of the 5th year of the Bunka era was the 26th of November 1808 in the western calendar.

[3] The roles of Shundô Jirôzaemon and Takaichi Buemon were played by Nakamura Utaemon III and Bandô Mitsugorô III.

[4] The roles of Soga no Iruka and Omiwa were played by Nakamura Utaemon III.

Ichikawa Ebijûrô I playing the role of Issun Tokubê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" in a fan-shaped print made by Shunkôsai Hokushû (1822~1826)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1814

Print made by Shunkôsai Hokushû in 1816

Print made by Utagawa Kunihiro in 1817

Print made by Shunkôsai Hokushû in 1820

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1820

The Ichikawa Ichizô line of actors

The Ichikawa Ebijûrô line of actors

 
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