Stage names:

Ichimura Uzaemon VIII	|
Ichimura Takenojô IV

Guild: Kikuya

Line number: HACHIDAIME (VIII)

Poetry name: Kakô

Existence: 1698 ~ 7th day of the 5th lunar month of 1762 ^[1]

Connections:

Uncle: Ichimura Uzaemon V

Brothers: Ichimura Uzaemon VII, Ichimura Zensaburô, Ichimura Wakadayû II

Sons: Ichimura Uzaemon IX, Ichimura Zenzô, Bandô Hikosaburô III

Adopted son: Ichimura Taketarô

Grandson: Ichimura Uzaemon X

Disciples: Bandô Sanpachi I, Bandô Matatarô III, Bandô Matatarô IV, Bandô Kissaku (Azuma Tôzô II), Bandô Aizô

Career:

1698: born in Edo. His father Zenbê was the owner of the Kikuya shibai jaya at the Ichimuraza and his mother was the elder sister of the zamoto Ichimura Uzaemon V.

1703: he received the name of Ichimura Takenojô IV and became the official zamoto of the Ichimuraza but the business was really managed by the widow of Ichimura Uzaemon V.

1st lunar month of 1705: he made his first appearance on stage at the Ichimuraza, performing in the new year drama "Banzei Tamuramaru".

11th lunar month of 1707: Takenojô pleased the Ichimuraza audience with his performance in the roles of Tsuneyo and Tsunewakamaru in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Ôkagami", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Otowa Jirosaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1708: Takenojô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Yashichi in the kaomise drama "Shusse Taiheiki".

Summer 1709: Takenojô fell ill and went to a temple to pray the God Fudô Myôô. According to some documents, Takenojô quickly recovered and decided to thank Fudô Myôô by including a scene in which the image of the God was revealed on stage in the play "Aigo no Waka", which was staged at Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1709: Takenojô produced and performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Genpuku Nue Yorimasa".

1st lunar month of 1710: Takenojô played in the same theater the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year sogamono drama "Ikioi Soga"; the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune was played by Hayakawa Dengorô.

11th lunar month of 1710: Takenojô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Ôtô-no-Miya in the kaomise drama "Shusse Taiheiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Takii Hanshirô and welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Kirinami Takie.

18th day of the 12th lunar month of 1710: a fire broke out in the somptuous palace of the daimyô Sanada, located in the district of Koyanagi-chô. It spread and destroyed both the Nakamuraza and the Ichimuraza.

3rd lunar month of 1711: Takenojô cofinanced with Matsumoto Koshirô I the erection of a commemorative stone dedicated to the Soga brothers in the precinct of the Komagome Fuji Shrine.

11th lunar month of 1711: Takenojô played at the Ichimuraza the roles of Kusunoki Masatsura and Katagiri Yashichi in the kaomise drama "Shusse Taiheiki".

23rd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1712: a fire broke out in the district of Horie-chô, spreading and destroying both the Nakamuraza and the Ichimuraza.

5th lunar month of 1717: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's masterpiece "Kokusen'ya Gassen" was produced simultaneously in the 3 Edo Kabuki theaters. This was the first Kabuki adaptation of a puppet theater play in Edo. It was staged at the Ichimuraza under the original title "Kokusen'ya Gassen" [casting].

11th lunar month of 1717: Takenojô produced at the Ichimuraza the kaomise drama "Kinkazan Yoroi Biraki".

11th lunar month of 1722: Takenojô played the role of Kudô Saemon at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Hinazuru Katoku Soga".

11th lunar month of 1727: Takenojô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Takeda Kiyonobu in the kaomise drama "Goshozome Momiji Gunki".

5th lunar month of 1730: Takenojô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Hiranoya Tokubê in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Sonezaki Shinjû"; his stage partner in the role of the courtesan Tenmaya Ohatsu was Sanogawa Mangiku.

1st lunar month of 1733: Takenojô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Zenjibô in the new year sogamono drama "Hanabusa Funjin Soga". He plays also the role of Sukeroku in "Sukeroku", which was staged as nibanme in this program. His stage partners in the roles of the shirozake seller Shinbê and Agemaki were Ichikawa Danjûrô II and Segawa Kikujirô I.

11th lunar month of 1733: Takenojô played the role of Nitta Yoshisada at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Shôhon Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1734: Takenojô played in the same theater the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year sogamono drama "Nanakusa Nigiwai Soga"; his stage partners in the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were Ichikawa Danjûrô II and the Kamigata star Arashi San'emon III.

3rd lunar month of 1734: Takenojô, Ôtani Hiroji I, Bandô Hikosaburô I, Ichikawa Danjûrô II and Sakata Hangorô I performed in the same theater in the otokodate drama "Gonin Otoko" but the performance was not a success.

5th lunar month of 1734: Takenojô played in the same theater the role of Minamoto no Yorimasa in the drama "Yatsumune Ayame Genji"; his stage partners in the roles of Inoshishi no Hayata and Taira no Kiyomori were Ichikawa Danjûrô II and Ôtani Hiroji I.

11th lunar month of 1734: Takenojô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Michinoku Yunzei Genji". He achieved a great success in duo with Segawa Kikunojô I in a wankyûmono.

1st lunar month of 1735: Takenojô performed in the same theater in the new year sogamono drama "Furiwakegami Hatsugai Soga".

11th lunar month of 1735: great shûmei at the Ichimuraza for the Naritaya guild; Ichikawa Danjûrô II gave his name to his adopted son and took the name of Ichikawa Ebizô II, performing in the kaomise drama "Kongen Nana Komachi". The actors Ichikawa Masugorô and Matsumoto Shichizô I respectively took the names of Ichikawa Danjûrô III and Matsumoto Kôshirô II. Takenojô played the role of Narihira in this drama.

1st lunar month of 1736: the trio made up of Segawa Kikunojô I, Takenojô and Ichimura Manzô performed together at the Ichimuraza in "Sayo no Nakayama Asama-ga-Dake", the first Tokiwazu-based dance in Kabuki history.

4th lunar month of 1736: Takenojô took part in the special program "Hobashira Taiheiki", which was staged at the Ichimuraza and commemorated the 32nd and 6th anniversaries of the passing away of Ichikawa Danjûrô I and Matsumoto Kôshirô I.

Summer 1736: Takenojô played in the same theater the role of Oguri Hangan in the oguri-hanganmono drama "Tôkaidô Yukumi Guruma"; his stage partners were Ôtani Hiroji I (the thief Mokuzu no Sanpei), Segawa Kikunojô I (Sanpei's wife), Segawa Kikujirô I (the courtesan Onikage), Ichikawa Ebizô II (Gotô Saemon) and Ichikawa Danjûrô III (Ike no Shôji).

9th lunar month of 1736: Takenojô played in the same theater the role of Meao no Fudô ('blue eyes Fudô') in the drama "Yonin Fudô" ("The Four Deities Fudô"); his stage partners in the roles of Mejiro no Fudô ('white eyes Fudô'), Meaka no Fudô ('red eyes Fudô') and Meguro no Fudô ('black eyes Fudô') were Ichikawa Danjûrô III, Ôtani Hiroji I and Ichikawa Ebizô II.

11th lunar month of 1736: Takenojô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Eboshiya Daitarô at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Izu Genji Hôrai Yakata", which celebrated the arrival in Edo from Kyôto of the actor Tomizawa Montarô I and the shûmei of Tsuruya Nanboku II.

11th lunar month of 1737: the son of the Shôgun received the name of Takechiyo and Takenojô was forced to change his first name, taking the name of Ichimura Uzaemon VIII at the Ichimuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Genji Kumo Ôgi no Shiba"; the new Uzaemon played the role of Taira no Shigemori and his stage partners were Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Bandô Hikosaburô I, Kamakura Chôkurô II, Tomizawa Montarô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Tamazawa Saijirô I and Tsuruya Nanboku II.

1st lunar month of 1738: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year sogamono drama "Ukematsuri Manbai Soga". This was a commercial failure.

11th lunar month of 1738: Ichikawa Ebizô II and Ichikawa Danjûrô III moved to the Ichimuraza to perform in the kaomise drama "Mitsugibune Taiheiki", in which Uzaemon played the role of Nitta Yoshisada.

1st lunar month of 1739: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year program "Hatsu Motoyui Kayoi Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune were played by Ichikawa Danjûrô III and Matsumoto Kôshirô II.

11th lunar month of 1739: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Kusunoki Masanari in the kaomise drama "Tokiwagi Taiheiki".

2nd lunar month of 1740: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the play "Sugatami Sumidagawa", commonly called "Nanatsu Men" (Kabuki Jûhachiban), in which Uzaemon played the roles of Yoshida no Shôshô and the priest Seigen (the role of Princess Sakura was played by Takinaka Utagawa). This performance was a triumphant success.

11th lunar month of 1740: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Imagawa Nakaaki in the kaomise drama "Kichirei Imagawajô", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Matsushima Moheiji.

1st lunar month of 1741: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari [print] in the new year sogamono drama "Wakamidori Kaneiri Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune, Kudô Saemon Suketsune and the courtesan Ôiso no Tora (Jûrô's lover) were played by Tsuuchi Monzaburô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô II and Segawa Kikujirô I.

3rd lunar month of 1741: Uzaemon, in duo with Segawa Kikujirô I, achieved a great success in the same theater in a "Musume Dôjôji" dance.

6th lunar month of 1741: Uzaemon played in the same theater in the drama "Katakiuchi Mitsugumi Sakazuki".

7th lunar month of 1741: Uzaemon played in the same theater in the drama "Yotsume Yui Katoku Sadame".

11th lunar month of 1741: Uzaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Sugatae Onna Narihira".

1st lunar month of 1742: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year sogamono drama "Fuji Miru Sato Sakae Soga".

7th lunar month of 1742: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Katagiri Yashichi in the drama "Hitokanade Fûryû Taiheiki".

11th lunar month of 1742: Uzaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Furisode Shinoda no Zuma", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actor Onoe Kikugorô I.

1st lunar month of 1743: Uzaemon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, sôkanjiku section ("all kanjiku"), was ô-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. Uzaemon played the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year sogamono drama "Haru no Akebono Kuruwa Soga"; the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora (Jûrô's lover) was played by Tamazawa Saijirô I. Uzaemon also played in the 2nd lunar month the role of the warrior Taira no Kagekiyo in the second part (nibanme) of this program; the role of Akoya (Kagekiyo's lover) was played by Onoe Kikugorô I.

11th lunar month of 1743: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Hata Rokurôzaemon in the kaomise drama "Ishizue Taiheiki", which celebrated the return in Edo of Segawa Kikujirô I.

1st lunar month of 1744: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Oniô Shinzaemon (Jûrô's retainer) and Benchô in the new year sogamono drama "Nanakusa Wakayagi Soga"; the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Ichimura Manzô.

7th lunar month of 1744: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Kasane in the drama "Kaibyaku Imagawajô"; the role of Yoemon was played by Ichiyama Dengorô.

11th lunar month of 1744: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Tadanobu in the kaomise drama "Tono Zukuri Genji Jûnidan", which celebrated the return in Edo of Sawamura Sôjûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1745: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year sogamono drama "Hatsu Goyomi Kotobuki Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune were played by Ichimura Manzô and Nakajima Mihoemon I.

2nd lunar month of 1745: the new son of the Shôgun received a name phonetically very close to Uzaemon's son name Manzô, who was forced to change his first name, taking the name of Ichimura Kamezô I.

5th lunar month of 1745: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Kyô no Jirô, Kobayashi no Asahina and Saikyô in the drama "Sato Gayoi Fujimi Saikyô".

11th lunar month of 1745: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of the ghost of Kusunoki in the kaomise drama "Onna Kusunoki Yosooi Kagami", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata onnagata Yoshizawa Ayame II.

1st lunar month of 1746: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Kyô no Jirô in the new year sogamono drama "Kikeba Mukashi Soga Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1746: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Soga no Tarô in the kaomise drama "Aioi Izu Nikki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actors Yamamoto Kyôshirô I and Iwai Hanshirô III.

4th lunar month of 1747: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of the Tedai Tajimaya Seijûrô in the second part (nibanme) of the new year sogamono drama "Tamakushige Yosooi Soga".

8th lunar month of 1747: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Seiroku, Gotô Saemon and Oguri Hangan in the drama "Mangetsu Oguri Yakata".

11th lunar month of 1747: Uzaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Shusse Momijigari"; his stage partners were Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Arashi Koroku I, Bandô Hikosaburô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Sanogawa Ichimatsu I, Ichimura Kamezô I and Ôtani Oniji I.

1st lunar month of 1748: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Bishamon in the new year sogamono drama "Mon-zukushi Nagoya Soga".

11th lunar month of 1748: Uzaemon produced at the Ichimuraza the kaomise drama "Hôkasô Yunzei Hachinoki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ôtani Hiroji II. Uzaemon changed the ideogram for 'U' in his first name, replacing the one meaning 'home' by the one meaning 'feather':

You need a Japanese Language Kit installed within your system in order to be able to read the characters

1st lunar month of 1749: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Sasaki Genzô in the new year drama "Hatsutora Kurama Genji".

5th lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was performed for the first time at the Ichimuraza; Uzaemon played the roles of Senzaki Yagorô and Yoichibê's wife.

11th lunar month of 1749: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Minamoto no Yoritomo in the kaomise drama "Yoritomo Gunbai Kagami", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actor Nakamura Kiyosaburô I. This performance was also the last one for the actor Bandô Hikosaburô I.

5th lunar month of 1750: Uzaemon performed in the same theater in 2 shosagoto written by the musician Edo Handayû II and entitled "Meisho no Nurigasa" and "Uwanari Ayame no Katsura".

10th lunar month of 1750: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Hosokawa Katsumoto in the drama "Tera Momiji Tsuizen no Nishiki", which commemorated the 13th anniversary of his shûmei.

11th lunar month of 1750: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the roles of Taira no Munekiyo and Katagiri Yashichi in the kaomise drama "Gaijin Taiheiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Sanpachi I.

11th lunar month of 1751: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Yorimasa in the kaomise drama "Kamimukae Nigiwai Genji", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Hikosaburô II and welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Arashi Shichigorô I.

1st lunar month of 1752: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Soga Brothers' mother Mankô and Morihisa in the new year sogamono drama "Suzuriha Sugatami Soga".

7th lunar month of 1752: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Nagoya Sanzaburô in the drama "Hitokanade Taihei Nagoya".

11th lunar month of 1752: Uzaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in Tsuuchi Jihê II's kaomise drama "Ume Sakura Ninin Semimaru". ^[2]

1st lunar month of 1753: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Oniô Shinzaemon in the new year sogamono drama "Haru Fukami Iroha Soga", which combined both the Soga Brothers and "Chûshingura" worlds.

7th lunar month of 1753: the play "Hirakana Seisuiki" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza [casting]; Uzaemon played the role of Enju.

11th lunar month of 1753: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Monogusa Tarô in the kaomise drama "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actor Kasaya Matakurô I.

4th lunar month of 1754: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of the ghost of Taira no Atsumori, the Buddhist priest Renshô and the deity Fudô Myôô in the drama "Waga Koromode Hachisu no Akebono".

11th lunar month of 1754: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of the Shintô priest (Kannushi) Tomonari in the kaomise drama "Keisei Asakusa no Kane".

1st lunar month of 1755: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of the ghost of Tamae Gozen and Kyô no Jirô in the new year sogamono drama "Kodakara Aigo Soga".

8th lunar month of 1755: Uzaemon performed in the same theater in the dramas "Kan Shôjô Momiji no Shitone" and "Semimaru Miyako no Ohana".

11th lunar month of 1755: Uzaemon produced and performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Kashiwagatôge Kichirei Sumô".

11th lunar month of 1756: Uzaemon produced and performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Kon'ô Zakura". He also produced the dance "Momo Chidori Musume Dôjôji" for the shûmei of Segawa Kikunojô II.

2nd lunar month of 1757: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Some Tazuna Hatsuuma Soga".

3rd lunar month of 1757: the Kamigata actor Nakamura Utaemon I arrived at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1757: Uzaemon produced and performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Matsuhata Suma no Wakezato", which starred Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Nakamura Utaemon I, Segawa Kikunojô II, Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Nakamura Shichisaburô II, Sanogawa Ichimatsu I, Nakamura Sukegorô I and Bandô Hikosaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1758: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Yoshimori and Taira no Kagekiyo in the new year sogamono drama "Kujûsanki Ôyose Soga".

11th lunar month of 1758: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Tokiyori in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Sajikigadake"; his son Ichimura Kamezô I played the leading role of the bombastic short play "Ya-no-Ne".

1st lunar month of 1759: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Oniô Shinzaemon and Taira no Kagekiyo in the new year sogamono drama "Hatachiyama Hôrai Soga"; the role of Kagekiyo's wife Akoya was played by Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1759: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Imagawa Ryôshun in the kaomise drama "Okunizome Shusse Butai", which starred Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Onoe Kikugorô I, Bandô Sanpachi I, Nakamura Utaemon I, Sanogawa Ichimatsu I, Bandô Hikosaburô II, Ichimura Kamezô I and Matsumoto Kôshirô III.

6th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1760 ^[4]: a fire broke out in the district of Kanda Hatago-chô and spreads to Susaki in Fukagawa. It destroyed both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. It was called Akashiya no Kaji ('The Akashiya fire'), based on the name of the shop where it started. Uzaemon had to finance and supervise the rebuilding of his theater.

3rd lunar month of 1760: Uzaemon played in the rebuilded Ichimuraza the roles of Oniô Shinzaemon, Soga Brothers' mother Mankô and the ghost of Shôki Daijin in the drama "Soga Mannen Bashira", which included the bombastic play "Kaneiri Gedatsu no Koromo" (commonly called "Gedatsu", a drama belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban collection).

11th lunar month of 1760: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza a ghost role in the kaomise drama "Ume Momiji Date no Ôkido".

8th lunar month of 1761: Uzaemon appeared on stage for the last time, at the Ichimuraza, playing a Buddhist priest role in the drama "Asama-ga-Dake".

17th day of the 9th lunar month of 1761: a fire broke out in the Gekiza theater and destroyed the Ichimuraza. Uzaemon had to supervise the rebuilding of his theater.

7th day of the 5th lunar month of 1762 ^[1]: Uzaemon died in Edo ^[3].

Comments:

Ichimura Uzaemon VIII started his career as wakashugata, moved to wakaonnagata roles then became a talented tachiyaku. His 2 fields of excellence were jitsugotoshi and katakiyaku roles. He spent 55 years acting on stage but it was worth noting that he was also for 60 years the successful zamoto of the Ichimuraza.

[1] The 7th day of the 5th lunar month of the 12th year of the Hôreki era was the 28th of June 1762 in the western calendar.

[2] Following Uzaemon's pieces of advice, Onoe Kikugorô I became tachiyaku in this kaomise program.

[3] His tombstone was located in the cemetery of the Daiunji Temple.

[4] The 6th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 10th year of the Hôreki era was the 22nd of March 1760 in the western calendar.

Ichimura Uzaemon VIII playing the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Wakamidori Kaneiri Soga", which was performed at the Ichimuraza in the 1st lunar month of 1741 (print made by Torii Kiyomasu II)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Nishimura Shigenaga

Print made by Okumura Toshinobu

Print made by Torii Kiyonobu in 1725

Print made by Torii Kiyomasu in 1741

The Ichimura Takenojô line of actors

The Ichimura Uzaemon line of actors and theater managers