Stage names:
| Arashi Koroku |  |
| Arashi Koshichi I | |
| Arashi San'emon V | |
| Arashi Koroku I | |
| Yoshida Koroku | |
Other name: Zeshin
Guild: Yoshidaya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry names: Koroku, Minshi, Sujô, Shichô, Sugidori (?)
Existence: 1710 ~ 26th day of the 7th lunar month of 1786
Connection:
Master: Arashi San'emon III
Son: Arashi Koroku III (Hinasuke I)
Grandsons: Arashi Hinasuke II, Arashi Koroku IV, Arashi Hinasuke III, Arashi Koroku V
Son-in-law: Sawamura Sôjûrô III
Great-grandsons: Arashi Hinasuke IV, Sawamura Tanosuke II
Disciples: Arashi Koshichi II, Arashi Konomatsu, Arashi Hinaji, Arashi Hachibei, Arashi Toyonojô, Arashi Toyomatsu, Arashi Kichiji, Arashi Kakichi
Career:
1710 ~ 1727: he starts his career at an early age in kodomo shibai, playing under the name of Yoshida Koroku.
11th lunar month of 1727: he becomes disciple of Arashi San'emon III, receives the name of Arashi Koroku I and plays as a wakashugata the role of a yakko in Azuma Sampachi's kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô", which is produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater; he achieves a great success by performing the roppô technique.
11th lunar month of 1729: Koroku becomes zamoto and produces in Kyôto at Daikokuya Takenojô's theater the kaomise drama "Yomeiri Shichigosan".
11th lunar month of 1731: Koroku becomes wakaonnagata and produces in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater Sawamura Bunji's kaomise drama "Asahi no Ichikura Eigô Seki".
5th lunar month of 1735: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami", which is produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater; Koroku plays the role of Sakaki-no-Mae [casting].
8th lunar month of 1741: the play "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari", which was originally written for the puppet theater, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater; Koroku plays the roles of Ume-no-Kata and Kojorô [casting].
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; Koroku plays the role of Danjô's sister [more details].
11th lunar month of 1742: Koroku plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Konrei Nagoya".
1st lunar month of 1743: Koroku's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
Fall 1743: Koroku goes back to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1743: Koroku plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Shiki Samba Ôgi Ikusa", which is produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I and celebrates the shûmei of Shinozuka Jirozaemon II.
1st lunar month of 1744: Koroku's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
11th lunar month of 1745: Koroku moves to the Ônishi no Shibai and plays in the kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô", which celebrates the shûmei of Arashi Shimpei I and Arashi San'emon IV.
12th lunar month of 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which starts a competition for the best performance and line-up; Koroku plays the roles of Otatsu and Okaji at the Ônishi no Shibai [casting].
Fall 1746: Koroku goes to Edo.
11th lunar month of 1746: Koroku plays at the Nakamuraza the role of the superheroine in the first version of "Onna Shibaraku", which is staged in the kaomise drama "Tenchi Taiheiki".
1st lunar month of 1747: Koroku's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
5th lunar month of 1747: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" is produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Koroku plays the roles of Sakuramaru and Chiyo [casting].
11th lunar month of 1752: Koroku plays at the Kado no Shibai in the drama "Nagoya Ori Hinatsuru no Nishiki", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.
10th day of the 7th lunar month of 1754: his master Arashi San'emon III dies.
22nd day of the 4th lunar month of 1756: his master's adopted son Arashi San'emon IV dies.
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; Koroku plays the role of Owasa [casting].
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 Mimasu Daigorô I. 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; Koroku plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Jirôemon's nyôbô Oharu [casting].
12th lunar month of 1766: Koroku plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Enju in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki", which is produced by Arashi Hinasuke I; his stage partners are Arashi Hinasuke I (Umegae), Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II (Kajiwara Genta Kagesue), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Gonshirô), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Matsuemon, Higuchi no Jirô Kanemitsu), Yoshizawa Ayame III (Oyoshi, Tomoe), Nakayama Raisuke I (Shigetada) and Arashi Shichigorô II (Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka).
11th lunar month of 1768: he becomes tachiyaku and takes the name of Arashi San'emon V at the Kado no Shibai, playing the role of Tônai Tarô in the kaomise drama "Shin-yakata Banzei no Kotobuki"; he achieves a great success by performing the roppô technique in the tanzen style.
12th lunar month of 1768: San'emon plays in the same theater the roles of Oseki and Yogorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki".
3rd lunar month of 1769: San'emon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent).
Fall 1769 ~ Fall 1775: San'emon does not appear on stage.
10th lunar month of 1775: he is back on stage, in Kyôto, where he temporarily takes back the name of Arashi Koroku I and does his isse ichidai performance by playing the role of Yamamba in the drama "Futaba Genji Komochi Yamamba", which is produced by Fujikawa Sango.
11th lunar month of 1775: Anegawa Kikuhachi, a disciple of his son, takes the name of Arashi Koroku II in Kyôto; Arashi Koroku I retires under the name of Arashi Koshichi I.
5th lunar month of 1776: he is back on stage, in Ôsaka, where he temporarily takes the name of Arashi Koroku (using the haimyô Koroku instead of the stage name Koroku, which is used by his disciple Arashi Koroku II) and does his isse ichidai performance by playing the role of Yamamba in the drama "Komochi Yamamba Iohata Nishiki". He definitively retires and takes later on the tonsure, calling himself Zeshin.
26th day of the 8th lunar month of 1785: his son's disciple Arashi San'emon VI dies.
26th day of the 7th lunar month of 1786: he dies in Ôsaka; his tombstone is located in the precinct of Hômyôji Temple.
Comments:
Arashi Koroku I was a Kamigata wakaonnagata actors, who excelled in nuregoto and budôgoto roles. He decided to become tachiyaku at the end of his career. He was equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. He was also able to play some music instruments.
Arashi Koroku I (left) and Kasaya Matakurô I (right) in an illustration illustration from the book "Sanga no Tsu Yakusha Meijin Furue" (1750~1752)
Print made by Torii Kiyomasu in 1747
The Arashi Koroku line of actors
The Arashi San'emon line of actors
The Arashi Koshichi line of actors