Stage names:

Onoe Taganojô III
Ichikawa Kigan V
Ichikawa Kisaburô

Real name: Higuchi Kisaburô

Guild: Otowaya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry name: Baika

Existence: 1889 ~ 20 June 1978

Connection:

Uncle: Asao Kuzaemon IV

Master: Onoe Kikugorô VI

Son: Onoe Kikuzô VI

Disciple: Onoe Tagazô III

Career:

1889: born in Tôkyô in the district of Nihonbashi Hama-chô.

1891: he starts his career as a koyaku actor, performing under the name of Ichikawa Kisaburô.

26 June 1899: the actor Onoe Taganojô II dies.

September 1911: Ichikawa Kisaburô and his uncle Ichikawa Kigan IV respectively take the names of Ichikawa Kigan V and Asao Kuzaemon IV at the Meijiza.

1921: Kigan joins the troupe led by Onoe Kikugorô VI.

February 1922: Kigan plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Tonami in the drama "Terakoya"; his stage partners are Onoe Kikugorô VI (Genzô), Ôtani Tomoemon VI (Matsuômaru) and Sawamura Sônosuke I (Chiyo).

February 1923: premiere with a Kabuki casting at the Ichimuraza of Suzuki Senzaburô's drama "Jirokichi Zange"; Kigan plays the role of Naokichi's wife Okoma [more details].

July 1924: Kigan plays for the first time the role of Dôgen's mistress Okane in the drama "Kagatobi", which is staged at the Ichimuraza; the role of Dôgen is played by his master Onoe Kikugorô VI.

December 1924: Kigan plays for the first time the role of Okane in the drama "Bunshichi Mottoi", which is staged at the Hôrakuza; the role of Okane's husband Chôbê is played by Onoe Kikugorô VI.

June 1925: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Suzuki Senzaburô's drama "Ikite-iru Koheiji"; Kigan plays the role of Takurô's wife Ochika [more details].

March 1927: Kigan plays at the Shinbashi Enbujô the role of Otomi in the drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi"; the roles of Yosaburô, Tazaemon and Kômori Yasu are played by Morita Kan'ya XIII, Bandô Hikosaburô VI and Onoe Kikugorô VI.

June 1927: Ichikawa Kigan V takes the name of Onoe Taganojô III at the Shinbashi Enbujô, playing the role of Oroku in the drama "Yakudoshi".

April 1928: Taganojô plays at the Meijiza the role of Tonami in the drama "Terakoya"; his stage partners are Nakamura Kichiemon I (Matsuômaru), Onoe Kikugorô VI (Genzô) and Nakamura Tokizô III (Chiyo).

January 1931: Taganojô plays at the Tôkyô Gekijô the role of Tonami in the drama "Terakoya"; his stage partners are Onoe Kikugorô VI (Matsuômaru), Nakamura Kichiemon I (Genzô) and Nakamura Fukusuke V (Chiyo).

March 1931: premiere at the Meijiza of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Mabuta no Haha", starring Morita Kan'ya XIII and Taganojô in the roles of Chûtarô and Ohama.

April 1932: Taganojô plays at the Tôkyô Gekijô the role of Tonami in the drama "Terakoya"; his stage partners are Onoe Kikugorô VI (Genzô), Nakamura Kichiemon I (Matsuômaru) and Nakamura Tokizô III (Chiyo).

May 1933: Ikeda Daigo's bakumatsumono drama "Saigô to Buta-hime" is staged for the first time in ôshibai, in Tôkyô at the Meijiza; Taganojô plays the role of the geigi Kishino [more details].

September 1933: premiere atthe Tôkyô Gekijô of Kawamura Karyô's drama "Jôshû Miyage Hyakuryô Kubi"; Taganojô plays the role of Hayabusa no Kanji's nyôbô Seki [more details].

June 1934: premiere in Tôkyô at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Kurayami no Ushimatsu"; Taganojô plays the roles of Okuma and Oima [casting].

September 1935: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Kôdan Yomiya no Ame"; Taganojô plays the role of Tajû's nyôbô Oichi [more details].

October 1944: Taganojô plays at the Shinbashi Enbujô the role of Okane in the drama "Bunshichi Mottoi"; the role of Okane's husband Chôbê is played by Onoe Kikugorô VI. This is the 6th and last time they perform together in this drama.

June 1946: his son Onoe Kikumaru II takes the name of Onoe Kikuzô VI at the Tôkyô Gekijô, performing with his father in the drama "Kagatobi".

March 1947: Taganojô plays at the Mitsukoshi Gekijô the role of Okane in the drama "Bunshichi Mottoi"; the role of Okane's husband Chôbê is played by Ichikawa Omezô IV.

September 1947: premiere at the Imperial Theater of Atsumi Seitarô's version of "Nansô Satomi Hakkenden"; Taganojô plays the role of Kamezasa [casting].

April 1949: Taganojô plays at the Tôkyô Gekijô the role of Dôgen's mistress Okane in the drama "Kagatobi"; the role of Dôgen is played by Onoe Kikugorô VI. This is the 9th and last time they perform together in this drama.

10 July 1949: his master Onoe Kikugorô VI dies.

March 1952: Taganojô plays at the Meijiza the role of Dôgen's mistress Okane in the drama "Kagatobi"; the role of Dôgen is played by Onoe Shôroku II.

March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Taganojô plays the role of Okin [casting].

March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Taganojô plays the role of the rôjo Tamatsubaki [more details].

October 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 2nd part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Taganojô plays the role of the rôjo Tamatsubaki [more details].

December 1954: premiere at the Meijiza of Kawaguchi Matsutarô's revision of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi", which is entitled "Osan Mohei"; Taganojô plays the role of Osan's mother Oshige [casting].

March 1955: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 3rd (and last) part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Taganojô plays the roles of Ii Kamon-no-Kami and the rôjo Tamatsubaki [more details].

February 1960: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Shiranui Kengyô"; Taganojô plays the role of Ohan's mother Omoto [casting].

November 1960: Taganojô plays at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza the role of Okane in the drama "Bunshichi Mottoi"; the role of Okane's husband Chôbê is played by Onoe Shôroku II.

December 1962: Taganojô plays at the Tôyoko Hall the role of Okane in the drama "Bunshichi Mottoi"; the role of Okane's husband Chôbê is played by Ichikawa Sadanji III. This is the 6th and last time they perform together in this drama.

January 1964: revival at the Nissay Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's spectacular drama "Kin no Zai Sarushima Dairi"; Taganojô plays the role of the kôshitsu Nyogetsuni [casting].

January 1967: revival at the National Theatre of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura"; Taganojô plays the role of the lady-in-waiting Takino [casting].

May 1968: revival at the National Theatre of "Ura Omote Sendai Hagi"; Taganojô plays the role of Sakae Gozen [casting].

1968: receives the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhô in Japanese).

November 1970: Taganojô plays at the Kabukiza the role of Dôgen's mistress Okane in the drama "Kagatobi"; the role of Dôgen is played by Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII.

June 1973: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV and Sakurada Jisuke II drama "Kokoro no Nazo Toketa Iroito"; Taganojô plays the role of Orai [casting].

March 1974: Taganojô plays for the last time the role of Gappô's spouse Otoku in the drama "Gappô"; the roles of Gappô and Tamate Gozen are played by Ichimura Uzaemon XVII and Onoe Baikô VII.

May 1975: Taganojô plays for the last time the role of Dôgen's mistress Okane in the drama "Kagatobi", which is staged at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza; the role of Dôgen is played by Onoe Shôroku II. This is the 9th and last time they perform together in this drama.

February 1976: Taganojô plays for the last time the role of Okane in the drama "Bunshichi Mottoi", which is staged at the Kabukiza; the role of Okane's husband Chôbê is played by Onoe Shôroku II. This is the 5th and last time they perform together in this drama.

February 1977: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Ichimatsu Kozô no Onna"; Taganojô plays the role of Gonbê's wife Okane [more details].

May 1977: Taganojô plays for the last time the role of Soga no Mankô in the drama "Sukeroku", which is staged at the Kabukiza; the role of Sukeroku is played by Ichikawa Ebizô X.

February 1978: Taganojô appears on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, where he performs in the dance "Kappore", which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan.

20 June 1978: Taganojô dies.

Comments:

Onoe Taganojô III was an outstanding supporting onnagata actor, who underwent his apprenticeship in koshibai with his uncle Asao Kuzaemon IV and became from the 1920s to the end of the 1970s the stage partners of three generations of leaders of the Onoe clan: Onoe Kikugorô VI, Onoe Baikô VII/Onoe Shôroku II and Onoe Kikugorô VII. He was particularly appreciated for his roles as the wife of the star Onoe Kikugorô VI in many sewamono dramas. His most notable roles were Dôgen's mistress Okane ("Kagatobi"), Chôbê's wife Okane ("Bunshichi Mottoi"), Okuma ("Kurayami no Ushimatsu"), Soga no Mankô ("Sukeroku"), Otoku ("Gappô"), Otsune ("Kamiyui Shinza"), Okaya ("Kanpei Harakiri") and Tonami ("Terakoya"). He was not only an accomplished actor, but was also a painter, a seal carver and a poet.

Onoe Taganojô III playing the role of Tonami in the drama "Terakoya"

The Ichikawa Kigan line of actors

The Onoe Taganojô line of actors