Stage names:

Yamanaka Takejûrô
Mizuki Takejûrô
Yamamoto Takejûrô

Poetry name: Kaen

Existence: 1674 ~ 17th day of the 9th lunar month of 1721 ^[1]

Connection:

Father-in-law: Yamanaka Heikurô I

Masters: Mizuki Tatsunosuke I, Yamamoto Kamon (?)

Career:

1700: he started his career in Kyôto, performing under the name of Yamamoto Takejûrô as a wakashugata.

1702: he became a disciple of Mizuki Tatsunosuke I, received the name of Mizuki Takejûrô and became a wakaonnagata.

Fall 1704: Takejûrô settled in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1704: Takejûrô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Konrei Iro Komachi".

11th lunar month of 1711: Takejûrô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Princess Kuni in the kaomise drama "Shusse Taiheiki".

11th lunar month of 1713: Takejûrô became tachiyaku and played at the Nakamuraza the role of Yoshisada in the kaomise drama "Onna Kusunoki Tenka Taiheiki".

2nd lunar month of 1714: Takejûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Ichikawa Danzô I and Ogawa Zengorô I.

11th lunar month of 1714: Takejûrô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Hachiman Tarô in the kaomise drama "Banmin Daifukuchô".

1715 ~ 1716: Takejûrô and his father-in-law Yamanaka Heikurô I performed in tabi shibai.

11th lunar month of 1716: Takejûrô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Yoshinaka in the kaomise drama "Mitsudomoe Katoku Biraki", which celebrated the shûmei of Arashi Kiyosaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1717: Takejûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1718: Takejûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Zenkunen Yoroi Kurabe".

1st lunar month of 1719: Takejûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual]. He played in the same theater the role of Moritsuna in the ne year drama "Keisei Murasaki Tazuna", which celebrated the hatsubutai of Matsumoto Shichizô I.

11th lunar month of 1720: he became jitsuaku, took the name of Yamanaka Takejûrô (in honour of his father-in-law) and played at the Ichimuraza the role of Mushanosuke in the kaomise drama "Kodakara Imagawajô".

1st lunar month of 1721: Takejûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. Takejûrô played in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Tsurukame Wakayagi Soga"; the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Soga Gorô Tokimune were played by Sawamura Sôjûrô I and Ichimura Takenojô IV; this was Takejûrô's last appearance on stage.

17th day of the 9th lunar month of 1721 ^[1]: Takejûrô died in Edo.

Comments:

Yamanaka Takejûrô was born and trained in Kyôto, where he became a wakaonnagata. He moved to Edo, where he definitively switched to male roles in 1713 after 8 seasons spent as a female roles specialist. He was a tachiyaku for 7 seasons and finally became a jitsuaku like his legendary father-in-law Yamanaka Heikurô I. As a wakaonnagata, he excelled in yatsushigoto or budôgoto. As a tachiyaku, his forte was wagoto. As a jitsuaku, he was outstanding in iroaku.

[1] The 17th day of the 9th lunar month of the 6th year of the Kyôhô era was the 6th of November 1721 in the western calendar.

Yamanaka Takejûrô playing the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Tsurukame Wakayagi Soga", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1721 at the Ichimuraza