Other name: Fujikawa Kayû I
Guild: Itaya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Kayû
Existence: 1759 ~ 16th day of the 6th lunar month of 1808
Connection:
Master: Fujikawa Hachizô I
Brother: Fujikawa Hachizô II
Disciples: Fujikawa Tomokichi II, Fujikawa Buzaemon II, Fujikawa Daikichi, Fujikawa Minosuke, Fujikawa Otokichi
Career:
11th lunar month of 1791: Tomokichi appears on an ôshibai stage for the first time, performing at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Furisode Shuten Dôji", which is produced by Hanagiri Tomimatsu II and celebrates the arrival in Ôsaka of the Edo star Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
12th lunar month of 1791: Tomokichi plays in the same theater the role of the koshimoto Okaru in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partner in the role of Hayano Kampei is Arashi Kichisaburô II.
3rd lunar month of 1793: Tomokichi's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
3rd lunar month of 1795: Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Komochi Yamamba", which was originally written for the puppet theater, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Tomokichi plays the role of Shiragiku [casting].
11th lunar month of 1798: Tomokichi plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kogane Bana Genji no Sakigake", which is produced by Yamashita Kamematsu; his stage partners are Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Nakamura Utaemon III, Arashi Hinasuke II, Yamashita Kinsaku II, Onoe Koisaburô I and Ôtani Tomoemon II.
9th lunar month of 1801: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of Shiba Shisô's drama "Hakone Reigen Izari no Adauchi"; Tomokichi plays the roles of Katsugorô's wife Hatsuhana and Yodomachi Gozen [casting].
3rd lunar month of 1802: Tomokichi plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Chidori in the drama "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima"; the role of the exiled priest Shunkan is played by Ichikawa Danzô IV.
11th lunar month of 1803: Tomokichi becomes zamoto and produces at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Sôzoku Ishibashiyama", which celebrates the shûmei of Asao Tamejûrô II.
12th lunar month of 1803: Tomokichi produces in the same theater the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", in which he plays the roles of Tatsuta-no-Mae and Yae.
11th lunar month of 1804: Tomokichi plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ichiyô Ôgi no Kachidoki", which is produced by his disciple Fujikawa Tomosaburô.
3rd lunar month of 1805: Tomokichi plays in the same theater the roles of Hinadori and Omiwa in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
8th lunar month of 1805: tour in Nagoya; Tomokichi plays the role of Chidori in the drama "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima", which is staged in the precincts of the Seijuin Temple; his stage partners are Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Shunkan), Ôtani Tomoemon II (Senoo Tarô) and Nakamura Utaemon III (Tanzaemon).
9th lunar month of 1805: Tomokichi is back in Kyôto to play the role of Miyagino in the drama "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi", which is produced by Fujikawa Tomosaburô at the Kitagawa no Shibai. He also plays the role of the courtesan Umegawa in "Keisei Sandogasa", sharing the stage with Nakamura Utaemon III in the role of Kameya Chûbei.
3rd lunar month of 1806: Tomokichi plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Princess Tamaori, Kiku-no-Mae and Sagami in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki". He also plays the role of Ohatsu in the drama "Kagamiyama"; the roles of Iwafuji and Onoe are played by Nakayama Shinkurô III and Nakayama Yoshio I.
6th lunar month of 1806: tour in Nagoya; Tomokichi plays the role of Princess Taema in the drama "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura", which is staged in the precinct of the Seijuin Temple; the role of the wicked priest Narukami is played by Ichikawa Danzô IV.
3rd lunar month of 1807: Tomokichi plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Shibaroku's and Kamatari's spouses in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
5th lunar month of 1808: Tomokichi appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai, playing 2 roles in the drama "Kiyomizu Seigen Iori no Akebono".
16th day of the 6th lunar month of 1808: Tomokichi dies in Ôsaka; his tombstone is located in the precinct of the Kôenji Temple in the district of Junkei.
Comments:
Fujikawa Tomokichi I was a talented onnagata actor, who spent all his career in Kamigata. He excelled in keisei roles in sewamono and in okugata roles in jidaimono. He unfortunately died too young, at the end of his 40s, very close to the jô-jô-kichi level!
Fujikawa Tomokichi I (1799~1801)
The Fujikawa Kayû line of actors
The Fujikawa Tomokichi line of actors