Stage name:

Asao Jûjirô I

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Nickname: Jinkichi

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: 1685 ~ 1734 (?)

Connections:

Brother: Asao Hisamatsu

Son: Asao Saijirô (Asao Jûjirô II)

Disciples: Asao Motogorô I, Asao Motozô, Asao Shichijirô

Career:

1st lunar month of 1695: he made his first appearance on stage in Ôsaka, performing as a wakaonnagata in the drama "Jingû Kôgô", which was produced by Arashi San'emon II.

7th lunar month of 1696: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô in the drama "Kamakura Ominaeshi"; his stage partners were Shibazaki Rinzaemon I (Soga Gorô), Arashi San'emon II (Soga Jûrô) and Nishikawa Okanosuke (Ôiso no Tora).

6th lunar month of 1698: Jûjirô played the role of Kita-no-Kata in the drama "Semimaru Nido no Shusse", which was produced in Ôsaka by Iwai Hanshirô I; his stage partners were Fujikawa Buzaeon I (Mareyo), Iwai Hanshirô I (Kiyotsura) Yamashita Matashirô I (Senju Tarô), Shinozuka Jirozaemon (Sakagami no Ôji), Uemura Takenojô (Semimaru), Mihara Jûdayû I, Ogura Bun'emon and Uemura Kichisaburô I.

1st lunar month of 1699: Jûjirô played the role of Imagawa in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Hachisugawa", which was produced at the Kado no Shibai by Arashi San'emon II.

3rd lunar month of 1699: Jûjirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô (superior) [visual].

9th lunar month of 1699: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of Okaya in the drama "Shinoda-zuma Gonichi".

1st lunar month of 1700: Jûjirô played the role of Princess Tamayo in the drama "Onna Chôteki Sangoku Denraiki", which was produced in Ôsaka at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai (Ôsaka) by Araki Yojibê I.

1st lunar month of 1701: Jûjirô settled in Kyôto; he played the roles of Princessses Anju and Toku in the dramas "Onzoshi Hatsutora Mairi" and "Keisei Fuji Miru Sato", which were produced by Kokon Shinzaemon for the nadai Miyako Mandayû.

3rd lunar month of 1701: Jûjirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô (superior) [visual].

7th lunar month of 1701: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of Kyô in the drama "Shinji Soga".

11th lunar month of 1701: Jûjirô played the role of Okura in the drama "Ima Komachi Eiga Guruma", which was produced by Arashi San'emon II for the nadai Miyako Mandayû.

1st lunar month of 1702: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of Princess Yomekatsu in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Mibu Dainenbutsu", which was produced by Kokon Shinzaemon.

3rd lunar month of 1702: Jûjirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1703: Jûjirô played the role of the courtesan Nokaze in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Mitsu no Kuruma", which was produced by Yamatoya Tôkichi for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.

1st lunar month of 1704: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of Isago in the drama "Musume Chôja Hagoita no Eawase".

3rd lunar month of 1704: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of the keisei Tamagawa in the drama "Kaga no Kuni Bijo no Iwaya".

2nd lunar month of 1705: Jûjirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1705: Jûjirô played the role of Kyûshû no Osan in the drama "Keisei Inaba no Matsu", which was produced by Sakata Hyôshichirô at the Nawate no Shibai for the nadai Hoteiya Umenojô; his main stage partner was the star Sakata Tôjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1705: Jûjirô became zamoto and coproduced dramas with Sakata Hyôshichirô for the nadai Kameya Kumenojô.

1st lunar month of 1706: Jûjirô coproduced, along with Sakata Hyôshichirô, the drama "Keisei Nezamegaseki", which was staged with the actors Otowa Jirosaburô I, Yamamura Kazaemon, Ichimura Tamagashiwa and Sawai Sonoemon.

Fall 1706: Jûjirô went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1706: Jûjirô played the role of the courtesan Agemaki in the drama "Kyô Sukeroku Shinjû", which was produced by Kataoka Nizaemon I for the nadai Ôsaka Kuzaemon; his stage partners were Sugiyama Heihachi (Sukeroku), Arashi Sanjûrô I (Nenbutsudera no Oshô), Yoshizawa Ayame I (Yaoya Otsuji) and Kataoka Nizaemon I (Yaoya Kozaemon).

11th lunar month of 1707: Jûjirô played the role of Hamamatsu in Asada Kyûshirô's kaomise drama "Hyakuma Yamanba", which was produced in Ôsaka by Shinozuka Jirozaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1708: Jûjirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1709: the actors Arashi Sanjûrô I, Fujikawa Buzaemon I and Jûjirô went together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1709: Jûjirô played at the Yamamuraza the role of Okuni in the kaomise drama "Taihei Okuni Kabuki"; his main stage partners were Ikushima Shingorô and Ichikawa Danjûrô II.

1st lunar month of 1710: Jûjirô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1710: second kaomise at the Yamamuraza; Jûjirô played in the kaomise drama "Jinriki Teika Azuma Asobi"; his main stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Ôtani Hiroji I, Ikushima Shingorô, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Arashi Kiyosaburô I and Sakurayama Shirosaburô I.

Spring 1711: Jûjirô played in the same theater in the new year sogamono drama "Yunzei Yomeiri Soga".

11th lunar month of 1711: third kaomise at the Yamamuraza; Jûjirô played the role of Asakusa Onami (in reality the dragon Ryûjo) in the kaomise drama "Shida Konjiki no Uroko".

Spring 1712: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of Aogi in the drama "Fukuwara Yunzei Yorimasa".

1st lunar month of 1713: Jûjirô moved to the Ichimuraza and played in the new year drama "Taihei Onna Imagawa"; his main stage partners were Matsumoto Koshirô, Mizuki Takejûrô, Sengoku Hikosuke, Takii Hanshirô, Ôkuma Utaemon and Ichimura Takenojô IV.

11th lunar month of 1713: first kaomise at the Ichimuraza; Jûjirô performed in the kaomise drama "Yoshitomo Kaikeizan"; his main stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô I, Osagawa Jûemon (who arrives from Kyôto), Ogawa Zengorô I and Mizuki Kikusaburô.

11th lunar month of 1714: second kaomise at the Ichimuraza; Jûjirô performed in the kaomise drama "Enman Taiheiki", which welcomed in Edo the actor Wakabayashi Shirogorô; his main stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô I, Ichimura Takenojô IV, Matsumoto Koshirô, Hayakawa Dengorô, Yamashita Karumo and Mimasuya Sukejûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1715: third kaomise at the Ichimuraza; Jûjirô performed in the kaomise drama "Banzei Onna Hachinoki"; his stage partners were Murayama Heiemon III, Matsumoto Koshirô, Ichimura Tamagashiwa (who arrived from Ôsaka), Azuma Tôzô I, Miyazaki Kodenji, Iwai Sagenta I and Nakajima Mihoemon I.

2nd lunar month of 1716: Jûjirô moved to the Nakamuraza and played in the drama "Shikirei Yawaragi Soga" ("Yawaragi Sukeroku"); his stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô II (Sukeroku), Nakamura Takesaburô I (Agemaki) and Ôtani Hiroemon I (Ikyû).

Spring 1716 ~ Fall 1717: Jûjirô was either on sick leave or on tour somewhere in the countryside. His name did not appear on any Edo theater playbill.

11th lunar month of 1717: Jûjirô moved to the Moritaza and played the role of Kikusui in Murase Genzaburô's kaomise drama "Hônô Taiheiki"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Hayakawa Dengorô, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Ogawa Zengorô I and Ichikawa Monnosuke I.

1st lunar month of 1718: Jûjirô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1718: second kaomise at the Moritaza; Jûjirô performed in the kaomise drama "Zenkunen Yoroi Kurabe"; his stage partners were Matsumoto Kôshirô, Sawamura Sôjûrô, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Mizuki Takejûrô, Tomizawa Hanzaburô, Tamazawa Rin'ya and Ichikawa Monnosuke I.

1st lunar month of 1719: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of Sanemori's daughter Oroku in the drama "Keisei Murasaki Tazuna".

11th lunar month of 1719: Jûjirô moved to the Nakamuraza and played the role of Kôtô-no-Naishi in the kaomise drama "Nyohitsu Taiheiki", which commemorated the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the passing away of Nakamura Denkurô I and celebrated the shûmei of Tamazawa Kôjûrô.

11th lunar month of 1720: second kaomise at the Nakamuraza; Jûjirô played the roles of Shiraume and Katsuda Jirô's wife in the kaomise drama "Michinoku Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1721: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year drama "Kichijô Ôtaka Soga"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Katsuyama Matagorô.

Fall 1721: Jûjirô went back to Ôsaka, after 12 seasons spent in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1721: Jûjirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Omatsu in the kaomise drama "Onna Genji Musha Sugoroku", which was produced by Takeshima Kôzaemon II.

11th lunar month of 1722: Jûjirô played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Rokurô's spouse Karaaya in the kaomise drama "Tenchi Tennô Sokutai Guruma", which was produced by Arashi Kanshirô I.

1st lunar month of 1723: Jûjirô played in the same theater the role of Meshitaki Tama in the new year ni-no-kawari "Keisei Tomoe Daiko".

11th lunar month of 1727: Jûjirô performed at Miyako Mandayû's theater (Kyôto) in the kaomise drama "Masu Kagami Eitai Gura".

11th lunar month of 1728: Jûjirô performed at Kameya Kumenojô's theater (Kyôto) in the kaomise drama "Tokiwagura Kogane no Ishizue", which was produced by Tamiya Hannosuke.

1729 ~ 1732: Jûjirô was on tour all over Japan.

3rd lunar month of 1732: Jûjirô appeared on stage for the last time in Nagoya.

Comments:

Asao Jûjirô was a talented onnagata actor, who achieved fame for himself in three major cities (Edo, Kyôto and Ôsaka) from the Genroku era to the Kyôhô era. He was considered as the artistic heir of the star Yoshizawa Ayame I and excelled in budôgoto female roles, especially in roles equivalent to sabakiyaku. He was the founder of the Asao clan.

His first name was written in 2 slightly different ways:

You need a Japanese Language Kit installed within your system in order to be able to read the characters

Mizuki Kikusaburô (left), Asao Jûjirô (center) and Imamura Motojûrô (right) playing the roles of Kôtô-no-Naishi, Kikusui and Nitta Yoshisada in Murase Genzaburô's kaomise drama "Hônô Taiheiki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1717 at the Moritaza

Prints & Illustrations