Stage name:

Tsutsui Kichijûrô I

Existence: ??? ~ 25th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1727

Connection:

Master: Tsutsui Sentarô (Hanjûrô)

Disciples: Tsutsui Manjûrô, Tsutsui Utanosuke, Tsutsui Denroku

Career:

Before 1699: born in Kyôto. He starts his career as a disciple of the actor Tsutsui Sentarô, who gives him the name of Tsutsui Kichijûrô.

11th lunar month of 1699: Kichijûrô plays at Kameya Kumenojô's theater in the drama "Kyô Hinagata", which is produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1704: Kichijûrô plays at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Hanakasane in the new year drama "Musume Chôja Hagoita no Eawase", which is produced by Yamatoya Tôkichi. Kichijûrô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is naka-no-jô-jô (superior - superior in the middle class). He shares this rank with Takashima Onoe, Arashi Kiyosaburô I, Segawa Takenojô I and Suzuki Tatsusaburô.

Fall 1704: Kichijûrô, Toyama Kamon and Mizuki Takejûrô go together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1704: Kichijûrô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Ono no Komachi in the kaomise drama "Konrei Iro Komachi"; his stage partners are Nakamura Shichisaburô I, Nakamura Denkurô I, Matsumoto Koshirô, Nakajima Kanzaemon I, Hayakawa Hatsuse and Kishida Kogenji.

1st lunar month of 1705: Kichijûrô plays in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year sogamono drama "Onna Kudô Yosooi Soga"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari is played by Nakamura Shichisaburô I. Kichijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô (superior); he shares this rank with Kojima Heishichi I, Tsugawa Handayû, Takashima Onoe, Kishida Kogenji, Matsumoto Kantarô and Iwai Tatsusaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1706: Kichijûrô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Ayame-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Uji Genji Yumihari-zuki", which welcomes in Edo the Kamigata actors Fujimura Handayû II and Yoshioka Motome II.

3rd lunar month of 1707: Kichijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô (superior - superior); he shares this rank with Takii Hannosuke and Tomizawa Chiyonosuke.

11th lunar month of 1707: Kichijûrô moves to the Yamamuraza and plays the role of Matsukaze in the kaomise drama "Yukihira Obana Gitsune"; his stage partners in the roles of Matsukaze's lover Ariwara no Yukihira and Matsukaze's sister Murasame (also in love with Yukihira) are Ikushima Shingorô and Nakamura Gentarô.

3rd lunar month of 1709: Kichijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1709: Kichijûrô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Kokonoe-no-Mae in the drama kaomise drama "Imagawajô Ryôshun Katoku".

3rd lunar month of 1710: Kichijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shares the same rank with Asao Jûjirô I. Tsuuchi Jihê II worked at the Nakamuraza on the revival of the seigen-sakurahimemono "Isshin Niga Byakudô", which was staged for the first time in the 7th lunar month of 1695 at the Yamamuraza. The roles of Seigen and Princess Sakura were played by Nakajima  I and Kichijûrô. For the first time, Tsuuchi Jihê II mixed jidaimono and sewamono elements in the same drama. This was the first jidai-sewamono in Kabuki history.

11th lunar month of 1710: Kichijûrô moves to the Moritaza and plays the role of Matsugae in the kaomise drama "Onna Tsuwamono Tokiwa no Matsu".

11th lunar month of 1711: Kichijûrô moves to the Nakamuraza and plays the role of Aoto's sister Masaki-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Mitsu Uroko Katoku Biraki"; the role of Aoto Saemon Fujitsuna is played by Matsumoto Koshirô.

1st lunar month of 1712: Kichijûrô plays in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year drama "Kotobuki Maizuru Soga"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari is played by Katsuyama Matagorô.

1st lunar month of 1713: Kichijûrô moves to the Yamamuraza and plays the role of Otowa-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Ishiyama Genta Kimon Yaburi" ("Ishiyama Genta Tearing Down the Demons Gate").

1713 ~ 1722: Kichijûrô does not perform on stage.

1st lunar month of 1723: Kichijûrô is back on stage; he plays at the Moritaza the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year sogamono drama "Suiryô Soga".

11th lunar month of 1723: Kichijûrô plays at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Hinagata Shuten Dôji", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Ogino Izaburô I.

1st lunar month of 1724: Kichijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is still jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He shares the same rank with Fujimura Handayû II, Yamashita Kinsaku I, Sanjô Kantarô II and Tamazawa Rin'ya.

1st lunar month of 1725: Kichijûrô becomes tachiyaku at the Moritaza.

11th lunar month of 1725: Kichijûrô plays at the Moritaza the role of Miura no Wadazaemon Tamemune in the kaomise drama "Zentaiheiki Yotsugi Kagami".

1st lunar month of 1726: Kichijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shares the same rank with Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Ichikawa Danzô I and Matsumoto Kôshirô I.

11th lunar month of 1726 ~ 1st lunar month of 1727: Kichijûrô appears on stage for the last time, at the Moritaza, where he plays the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Kachidoki Yoroi Soga". He falls ill afterwards.

25th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1727: Kichijûrô dies in Edo.

Comments:

Tsutsui Kichijûrô I was a talented wakaonnagata actor, whose career spanned from the beginning of the Genroku era to the middle of the Kyôhô era. He was trained in Kamigata and became a star in Edo. He decided to switch to tachiyaku roles at the end of his career. As an onnagata, he excelled in nuregoto. As a tachiyaku, he was said to be good in aragoto. He was outstanding in yari odori.

Tsutsui Kichijûrô I

Prints & Illustrations

The Tsutsui Kichijûrô line of actors