Stage names:

Sagawa Bunzô I
Sanogawa Yoheiji
Sagawa Yoheiji

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: ??? ~ 1725 ^[1]

Activity: 1707 ~ 1724

Connection:

Master: Sanogawa Hanazuma I

Career:

Before 1707: disciple of Sanogawa Hanazuma I, he received the name of Sagawa Yoheij and made his apprenticeship in tabi shibai or in hama shibai.

11th lunar month of 1707: Yoheiji performed as a tachiyaku at Kameya Kumenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Kobuku Nifukujin".

1st lunar month of 1708: he took the name of Sanogawa Yoheiji and performed as a dôkegata in the same theater in Kurumaya Chûemon's drama "Fukubiki Urû no Shôgatsu".

Spring 1715: he took the name of Sagawa Bunzô I and performed in Ise.

11th lunar month of 1715: Bunzô became katakiyaku and played in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the role of Daidôji Iwaemon in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Mochimaru Chôja", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô III.

1st lunar month of 1716: Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô (superior) [visual].

2nd lunar month of 1716: Bunzô performed in the same theater in Sahoyama Hikozaemon's ni-no-kawari drama "Sesshû Saiji Kaichô".

4th lunar month of 1716: Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1716: Bunzô played in Ôsaka at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Hongô Tameemon in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Ichigura", which was produced by Sawamura Sôjûrô.

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

2nd lunar month of 1717: Bunzô played in the same theater the role of Izu Makiemon in the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Chibiki no Ishi".

11th lunar month of 1717: Bunzô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Man'yo Chihayanosuke in the kaomise drama "Inari Yashiki Daikoku Bashira", which was produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1718: Bunzô played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Nagaoka Bannojô in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Seigaiha", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1719: Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual] in one hyôbanki and jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual] in another hyôbanki.

3rd lunar month of 1719: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's 1708 puppet theater drama "Keisei Hangonkô" by Kyôya Yagoshirô, which was produced by Arashi San'emon III in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai; Bunzô became jitsuaku and played the role of Fuwa Banzaemon [casting]. Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was was two black strokes above jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1719: Bunzô switched back to katakiyaku and played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Iwagusu Hyôgo in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Mitsu Gashiwa", which was produced by Kaneko Kichizaemon.

1st lunar month of 1720: Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual] in one hyôbanki and jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual] in another hyôbanki.

11th lunar month of 1720: Bunzô became jitsuaku and played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Kitabatake Hyôgo [illustration] in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Nishiki no Kusazuri", which was produced by the zamoto Takeshima Kôzaemon II.

1st lunar month of 1721: Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1721: Bunzô played at the Higashi no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Kazaori Kingo in the kaomise drama "Tenryû Chiryû Kogane no Suzunari", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1722: Bunzô played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Hasebe Chôbê Nobutsura, the bashi Rokuzô and Taira no Kiyomori in the kaomise drama "Shingoten Aioi no Komatsu", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

12th lunar month of 1722: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's puppet theater drama "Nebiki no Kadomatsu", which was originally written in the 1st lunar month of 1718. The play was staged in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai under the new title "Yamazaki Yojibê Hanchû Bushi"; Bunzô played the role of the yakko Gonbei [casting].

1st lunar month of 1723: Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1723: Bunzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Ôtori Michiemon and Sawamura Otoemon I.

Fall 1723: Bunzô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1723: Bunzô become tachiyaku and played in Kyôto the role of Tôma Jûsuke in Fukuoka Yagoshirô's kaomise drama "Teono Hajime Kogane no Ishizue", which was produced by Segawa Kikunojô I.

1st lunar month of 1724: Bunzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. Bunzô played in the same theater the roles of Ôgishi Kazuemon and Sanai in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Futakamiyama". This was his last-recorded performance.

3rd lunar month of 1724: Bunzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1725 ^[1]: Bunzô died.

Comments:

Sagawa Bunzô I was a Kamigata, who was active in Kyôto and Ôsaka from the second half of the 1700s to the first half of the 1720s. He was able to play a wide range of roles, as a tachiyaku, a katakiyaku or a jitsuaku. His forte were jitsugoto and fukeyaku. He succeed in reaching the prestigious jô-jô-kichi rank, twice in two different categories: first as a jitsuaku, then as a tachiyaku.

[1] 1725 or 1727.

Sagawa Bunzô I (left) and Yamatoyama Jinzaemon I (right) playing the roles of Kitabatake Hyôgo and Honma Sukejûrô in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Nishiki no Kusazuri", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1720 in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai

Prints & Illustrations

The Sagawa Bunzô line of actors