Stage names:

Ichikawa Chûsha VII
Ichikawa Yaozô VII
Nakayama Tsurugorô
Onoe Tsunejirô [1]

Real name: Hashio Kamejirô

Guild: Tachibanaya

Line number: SHICHIDAIME (VII)

Poetry name: Chûsha (7)

Existence: 27th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1860 ^[2] ~ 12 July 1936

Connections:

Masters: Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, Nakayama Kiraku III, Onoe Tamizô II

Adopted son: Ichikawa Chûsha VIII

Disciple: Ichikawa Nakajirô

Career:

27th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1860 ^[2]: born in Kyôto in the district of Daikoku-chô. His father Hashio Kyûhê, who was a pawnbroker, gave him the name of Kamejirô. He quickly became a disciple of the actor Onoe Tamizô II, who gave him the name of Onoe Tsunejirô ^[1].

Spring 1864: he made his first stage appearance, within the precinct of the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyôto, performing in the play "Suzuki Mondo".

1864 ~ 1875: Tsunejirô joined a travelling troupe and performed up to Ise. He met in Nagoya the actor Nakayama Kiraku III, became his disciple and received the name of Nakayama Tsurugorô around 1871. He became quickly the zagashira of a children-actors troupe.

Spring 1875: Tsurugorô settled in Tôkyô.

July 1879: Tsurugorô became disciple of the star Ichikawa Danjûrô IX and took the name of Ichikawa Yaozô VII at the Saruwakaza, performing in the play "Chûkô Somewake Tazuna".

November 1879: Yaozô moved back to Kamigata; he played at the Kadoza the roles of Rokurô and Katô Kiyomasa in the plays "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki" and "Chôsen Kôfuku Ja no Me Natsu".

Beginning of 1880: Yaozô moved back to Tôkyô.

23 May 1880: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Arimatsuzome Sumô Yukata"; Yaozô played the roles of Onogawa's disciple Hachijin Chôhachi and Chûzô [more details].

May 1881: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Ôsakazuki Shusen no Tsuwamono"; Yaozô played the role of Hiraoka Jiemon [casting].

January 1890: Yaozô played at the Harukiza the role of Miuranosuke in the drama "Kamakura Sandaiki"; his stage partners in the roles of Princess Toki and Sasaki Takatsuna were Nakamura Fukuen and Ichikawa Ennosuke I.

March 1891: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ôchi's drama "Buyû no Homare Shusse Kagekiyo", a revised revival of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's jidaimono "Shusse Kagekiyo"; Yaozô played the roles of Minamoto no Yoritomo and the carpenter Edo Shigenari [casting].

September 1891: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ôchi's drama "Zôho Onna Narukami"; Yaozô played the role of Sakuma Genba [more details]. He also achieved a great success by playing the roles of Takebe Genzô and Fujiwara no Shihei in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

December 1891: Yaozô took part in the shûmei of Nakamura Tomijûrô III at the Harukiza; he performed in the plays "Fushimi no Tokiwa", "Chûshingura Meimeiden" and "Toshi no Ichi Kuruwa no Uchiiri".

January 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Shiobara Tasuke Ichidaiki"; Yaozô played the roles of the rônin Shiobara Kakuemon and Hara Tanji [casting].

July 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô", adapted for Kabuki from a famous Rakugo story created by San'yûtei Enchô; Yaozô played the role of Miyanobe Genjirô [casting].

October 1894: Yaozô played at the Harukiza the role of Abe no Munetô in the play "Sodehagi Saimon"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Kuzô III (Sadatô), Nakamura Tomijûrô III (Sodehagi) and Ichikawa Kien (Yoshiie).

April 1897: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ochi's drama "Otokodate Harusame Gasa"; Yaozô played the role of Karigane Shôbê [more details].

January 1900: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's dance-drama "Yami no Ume Hyaku Monogatari"; Yaozô played the role of Miyamoto Musashi [more details].

October 1900: Yaozô played at the Masagoza the role of the smuggler Kezori in the drama "Koi Minato Hakata no Hitofushi".

March 1901: Yaozô played at the Masagoza the role of Takechi Mitsuhide in the drama "Ehon Taikôki".

February 1903: Yaozô played at the Tôkyôza the role of Iwafuji in the drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie"; the roles of Onoe and Ohatsu were performed by Onoe Eizaburô V and Ichimura Kakitsu VI.

March 1903: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kichirei Soga no Ishizue", which was produced to celebrate the shûmei of Onoe Kikugorô VI, Onoe Baikô VI and Onoe Eizaburô VI; Yaozô played the role of Oniô Shinzaemon [casting].

April 1904: premiere at the Kabukiza of Mori Ôgai's drama "Nichiren Shônin Tsujiseppô", in which Yaozô played the role of the priest Nichiren.

June 1904: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Meiboku Kasane Monogatari"; Yaozô played the role of Yoemon [casting].

January 1906: Yaozô played at the Kabukiza the roles of the villains Lady Yashio and Nikki Danjô in the classic "Meiboku Sendai hagi"; the role of Masaoka was played by Onoe Baikô VI.

November 1908: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Kagekiyo"; Yaozô played the role of Iwanaga Saemon Munetsura [casting].

May 1909: Yaozô played at the Suehiroza (Nagoya) the role of Yosaburô in the drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi"; the roles of Otomi and Kômori Yasu were played by Nakamura Shikan V and Ichikawa Danzô VII.

May 1913: Yaozô played at the Minamiza (Kyôto) the roles of Adachi Motoemon and Kyôya Mansuke in the drama "Tengajaya-mura"; his stage partners were Nakamura Fukusuke IV (Hayase Iori), Nakamura Shibajaku IV (Hayase Genjirô) and Nakamura Ganjirô I (Tôma Saburôemon).

January 1915: Yaozô played at the Hongôza the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the "Kumagai Jin'ya" scene of the classic "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".

December 1915: Yaozô played at the Kabukiza the role of Iwafuji in the drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie"; the roles of Onoe and Ohatsu were performed by Nakamura Utaemon V and Ichimura Uzaemon XV.

October 1918: great shûmei at the Kabukiza; Ichikawa Yaozô VII took the name of Ichikawa Chûsha VII by playing the role of Takechi Mitsuhide in the drama "Toki-ha Ima Kikyô no Hataage". His adopted son Ichikawa Matsuo I took the name of Ichikawa Yaozô VIII. Chûsha was one of the haimyô used by the Ichikawa Yaozô line of actors and Ichikawa Chûsha VII was the first actor to use it as a stage name.

May 1919: Chûsha played at the Kabukiza the role of Takechi Mitsuhide in the drama "Ehon Taikôki".

February 1922: Chûsha played at the Shintomiza the role of Iwafuji in the drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie"; the roles of Onoe and Ohatsu were performed by Nakamura Utaemon V and Onoe Baikô VI.

November 1923: Chûsha played at the Minamiza in Azabu (Tôkyô) the role of Matsuômaru in the "Terakoya" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Matsuômaru's wife Chiyo and Takebe Genzô were played by Bandô Shûchô III and Kataoka Ichizô IV. This was the first kabuki performance to be staged in Tôkyô after the terrible earthquake that hit the city the 1st of September 1923.

January 1924: Chûsha played at the Shôchiku Gekijô (Kôbe) the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the "Kumagai Jin'ya" scene of the classic "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".

January 1926: Chûsha played at the Hongôza the role of the king of thieves Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Sanmon"; the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi was played by Nakamura Kichiemon I.

May 1926: Chûsha played at the Asakusa Shôchikuza the role of Abe no Sadatô in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara"; his stage partners were Bandô Shûchô III (Sodehagi), Bandô Mitsugorô VII (Munetô) and Ichimura Kamezô III (Yoshiie).

January 1927: Chûsha played at the Kabukiza the role of the king of thieves Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Sanmon"; the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi was played by Ichimura Uzaemon XV.

February 1927: Chûsha played at the Nakaza (Ôsaka) the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the "Kumiuchi" scene of the classic "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki"; the role of Kojirô/Atsumori was played by Nakamura Ganjirô I.

July 1927: Chûsha plays for the last time the role of Takechi Mitsuhide in the play "Ehon Taikôki", which was staged at the Kabukiza.

December 1928: Chûsha played at the Minamiza (Kyôto) the role of Nikki Danjô in the "Yuka Shita" scene of the classic "Meiboku Sendai Hagi". The role of Arajishi Otokonosuke was played by Matsumoto Kôshirô VII.

March 1929: Chûsha played at the Shinbashi Enbujô the role of Togashi in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô VI (Benkei) and Ichikawa Sanshô V (Yoshitsune).

May 1930: Chûsha played at the Kabukiza in Tôkyô the role of Kakuju in the "Dômyôji" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Kan Shôjô, Sukune Tarô and Tatsuta-no-Mae were played by Nakamura Ganjirô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô VII and Bandô Shûchô III.

June 1930: Chûsha played at the Nakaza (Ôsaka) the role of Nikki Danjô in the classic "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"; the roles of Arajishi Otokonosuke and Hosokawa Katsumoto were played by Matsumoto Kôshirô VII and Nakamura Ganjirô I.

December 1931: Chûsha collapsed on the Kabukiza stage. He was very ill and had to rest for a few years.

October 1935: Chûsha appeared on stage for the last time, at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Nichiren and Kiichi Hôgen in the dramas "Nichiren Jônin Tatsu no Kuchi Hônan" and the "Kikubatake" scene of the drama "Kiichi Hôgen Sanryaku no Maki".

Comments:

Ichikawa Chûsha VII was a very talented tachiyaku, rigorously trained by Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, whose fields of excellence were the roles of jitsugoto and budôgoto.

Ichikawa Chûsha VII's best roles: Takechi Mitsuhide ("Ehon Taikôki" and "Toki-ha Ima Kikyô no Hataage"), Matsuômaru ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami") and Nikki Danjô ("Meiboku Sendai Hagi"). The kata which he created for the role of Mitsuhide were still used nowadays.

"Follower of Danjûrô, the ninth, Ichikawa Chûsha is an actor who enjoys much popularity. His restrained manner and well-modulated voice, and cleverness in the realm of the unreal have marked him as a true disciple of the Ichikawa family. He manages to make his villains more thoroughly wicked than those of any other player." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

[1] His first stage name was Onoe Tôjirô in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran". In all others sources, including Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" or the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database, it was indeed Onoe Tsunejirô.

[2] The 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month of the 7th year of the Ansei era was the 19th of March 1860 in the western calendar.

Ichikawa Chûsha VII playing the role of Takechi Mitsuhide in the drama "Ehon Taikôki" (print made by Natori Shunsen in 1926)

Print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai in 1892

The Ichikawa Yaozô line of actors

The Ichikawa Chûsha line of actors