Stage names:

Nakayama Tomisaburô I

Guild: Ômiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Kinsha

Existence: 1760 ~ 10th day of the 9th lunar month of 1819 ^[1]

Connection:

Father: Ichikawa Ikuzô

Master: Nakayama Bunshichi I

Son: Ichikawa Sumizô III

Disciple: Nakayama Kamesaburô

Career:

1760 ~ 1780: born in Kamigata. His father was the katakiyaku actor Ichikawa Ikuzô and his master the tachiyaku actor Nakayama Bunshichi I. He was trained as a wakaonnagata.

Fall 1780: Ichikawa Ikuzô and his son Tomisaburô went together to Edo.

9th lunar month of 1790: the play "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; it celebrated the onagori kyôgen of the Kamigata star Asao Tamejûrô I; Tomisaburô played the role of Gotobê's wife Sekijo [more details].

5th lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Kiriza of Sakurada Jisuke I's drama "Katakiuchi Noriai Banashi"; Tomisaburô played the roles of Oniô Shinzaemon's nyôbô Tsukisayo, the female kamiyui Oroku and Mikinoshin's daughter Miyagino [more details].

1st lunar month of 1796: premiere at the Kiriza of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Suda no Haru Geisha Katagi"; Tomisaburô played the role of Okimi [casting].

1st lunar month of 1798: Tomisaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared this rank with Nakamura Noshio II.

15th day of the 6th lunar month of 1798 ^[2]: his father Ichikawa Ikuzô died.

11th lunar month of 1799: Tomisaburô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Tametomo Yumiya no Oyafune", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Mitsugorô III.

1st lunar month of 1800: Tomisaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, fell one stroke below jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

5th lunar month of 1800: Tomisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Shizuka Gozen and Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

11th lunar month of 1801: Tomisaburô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Date Dôgutsui no Ôtori", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Hikozaemon I and Yamashita Mansaku.

1st lunar month of 1802: Tomisaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was back to jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1802: Tomisaburô played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Agemaki in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura"; the roles of Sukeroku and Ikyû were played by Ichikawa Yaozô III and Onoe Matsusuke I. He also played the roles of Yae and Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

8th lunar month of 1802: Tomisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Sasao and Otani in the drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa".

11th lunar month of 1802: Tomisaburô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Koshiji no Hana Oedo no Torideki".

8th lunar month of 1803: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Sakurada Jisuke I's drama "Banzui Chôbê Shôjin Manaita"; Tomisaburô played the role of Komurasaki [casting].

11th lunar month of 1803: Tomisaburô moved to the Kawarasakiza and performed in the kaomise drama "Yamato Nishiki Yoshino Dairi", which included the "Onna Shibaraku" scene [print].

1st lunar month of 1804: Tomisaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, fell one stroke below jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

9th lunar month of 1804: Tomisaburô played in the same theater the roles of Okaru, Rikiya and Tonase in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1804: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Katsu Hyôzô I's kaomise drama "Shitennô Momiji no Edoguma"; Tomisaburô played the roles of the keisei Nishikigi, the yamanba of Mount Ashigara and the fox Fujimori no Kojorô [casting].

1st lunar month of 1805: Tomisaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was back to jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1805: Tomisaburô played in the same theater the role of Ohatsu in the drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie"; the roles of Onoe and Iwafuji were played by Osagawa Tsuneyo II and Onoe Matsusuke I. Tomisaburô also played the role of the courtesan Agemaki in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura", which was staged to commemorate the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of late Ichikawa Danjûrô VI; the roles of Sukeroku and Ikyû were played by Ichikawa Omezô I and Onoe Matsusuke I.

11th lunar month of 1805: Tomisaburô moved to the Ichimuraza and performed in the kaomise drama "Keisei Yoshino no Kane".

4th lunar month of 1806: Tomisaburô played in the same theater the roles of Tonase and Osono in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

Winter 1807: Tomisaburô went to Kyôto.

3rd lunar month of 1807: Tomisaburô played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Miyako and Oseki in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki".

5th lunar month of 1807: Tomisaburô played in the same theater the role of Enju in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".

7th lunar month of 1807: Tomisaburô played in the same theater the role of Shizuka Gozen in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

11th lunar month of 1807: Tomisaburô went to Ôsaka and played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Omino in the drama "Hikeyahike Nishikiguruma".

1st lunar month of 1808: Tomisaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

6th lunar month of 1808: tour in Nagoya with Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Ogino Izaburô II, Ichikawa Ichizô I, Nakayama Bungorô I and Ichikawa Yaozô IV; they performed at the Tachibana no Shibai in dramas like "Keisei Takasago no Matsu", "Futa Meoto Sarashi no Hinagata" or "Azuma Kagami Mikari no Maki".

8th lunar month of 1808: Tomisaburô was back in Ôsaka to perform at the Kado no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1808: Tomisaburô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Sanai's wife in the kaomise drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna". He also played the role of Akoya in "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; his stage partners were Nakayama Bunshichi III (Shigetada) and Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Iwanaga Saemon).

10th lunar month of 1809: Tomisaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of the courtesan Yûgiri in the drama "Awa no Naruto".

Fall 1810: Tomisaburô went to Edo with Onoe Shinshichi II and Tomisaburô's son Nakayama Kamesaburô.

11th lunar month of 1810: Tomisaburô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Monomi Guruma Yuki no Takadono".

4th lunar month of 1811: Tomisaburô played in the same theater the roles of Kaoyo Gozen, Okaru and Tonase in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

22nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1813 ^[3]: his master Nakayama Bunshichi I died.

11th lunar month of 1813: Tomisaburô performed at the Moritaza in Tsuruya Nanboku IV's kaomise drama "Gohiiki Tsunagi Uma" [more details]. This was his last kaomise; Tomisaburô did not completely retire but his appearances on stage became rare events.

2nd lunar month of 1818: Tomisaburô appeared on stage for the last time, performing at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Kamakura Sandaiki".

10th day of the 9th lunar month of 1819 ^[1]: Tomisaburô died in Edo.

Comments:

Nakayama Tomisaburô I, who was born and trained in Kamigata, achieved fame from himself in Edo from the end of the 1790s to the beginning of the 1810s. He was said to be better in sewamono than in jidaimono, excelling in keisei and sewa nyôbô roles.

[1] The 10th day of the 9th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Bunsei era was the 28th of October 1819 in the western calendar.

[2] The 15th day of the 6th lunar month of the 10th year of the Kansei era was the 28th of July 1798 in the western calendar.

[3] The 22nd day of the 7th lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunka era was the 17th of August 1813 in the western calendar.

Nakayama Tomisaburô I in a print made by Utagawa Kunishige in Utagawa Toyokuni I (1798~1800)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku in 1794

Print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku in 1794~1795

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1803

The Nakayama Tomisaburô line of actors