Stage names:

Nakamura Daikichi I
Fujikawa Daikichi 0.2

Other name:

Naruo Yatarô

Guilds: Naruoya, Tennôjiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Hajô

Existence: 1773 ~ 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1823 ^[1]

Connection:

Masters: Nakamura Noshio II, Fujikawa Tomokichi I

Career:

1773 ~ 1799: born in Kyôto. He started his career as a disciple of Fujikawa Tomokichi I, who gave him the name of Fujikawa Daikichi. He did his training in hama shibai venues, like the Takeda no Shibai or the Kadomaru no Shibai.

1800: he became disciple of Nakamura Noshio II and took the name of Nakamura Daikichi I.

20th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1800 ^[2]: his second master Nakamura Noshio II died in Ôsaka.

12th lunar month of 1800: Daikichi went to Edo.

1st lunar month of 1801: Daikichi achieved a great success at the Kawarasakiza by playing the roles of Nagi-no-Ha Gozen and the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô in the new year sogamono drama "Ataridoshi Hatsutora Soga".

Fall 1803: Daikichi and Bandô Hikosaburô III went together to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1803: Daikichi performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Sôzoku Ishibashiyama", which celebrated the shûmei of Asao Tamejûrô II. He also performed in duo with Bandô Hikosaburô III in the shosagoto "Saiwai Narukana Iro no Yumitori".

12th lunar month of 1803: Daikichi played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

1st lunar month of 1804: Daikichi's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

6th lunar month of 1804: tour in Nagoya with Bandô Hikosaburô III, Onoe Shinshichi II and Mimasu Daigorô III; Daikichi played the roles of Okaru and Tonase in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged at the Miyawaka no Shibai.

12th lunar month of 1806: Daikichi performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôsakazuki Asahi no Hôrai", which was produced by Yoshizawa Minosuke and starred Ichikawa Danzô IV, Nakamura Utaemon III, Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Yoshizawa Iroha I, Nakamura Noshio III and Ogino Izaburô II.

16th day of the 6th lunar month of 1808 ^[3]: his first master Fujikawa Tomokichi I died in Ôsaka.

7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai of the drama "Kuni Namari Futaba no Oizuru"; Daikichi played the role of Jûrobê's wife Oyumi [casting].

11th lunar month of 1809: Daikichi performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Keishoku Yuki-miru Yama", which was produced by Mimasu Kumesaburô and starred Nakayama Hyakka, Yoshizawa Ayame V, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Asao Kuzaemon I, Nakayama Shinkurô III, Kanô Minshi I and Asao Okuyama III.

1st lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Chikamatsu Tokuzô and Namiki Miyosuke ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sato no Funauta"; Daikichi played the roles of Kuranosuke's wife, Seki-no-To and Kureha [casting].

Fall 1814: Daikichi went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1814: Daikichi performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ninin Muko Mikurai Sadame", which celebrated the shûmei of Onoe Baikô III, Onoe Matsusuke III, Segawa Tomisaburô III, Segawa Michinosuke II and Nakamura Denkurô V.

11th lunar month of 1815: Daikichi performed at the Kawarasakiza in the kaomise drama "Yamato Meisho Senbon Zakura", which celebrated the shûmei of Segawa Kikunojô V.

1st lunar month of 1816: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Nazoraete Fujigane Soga"; Daikichi played the role of Kudô Suketsune's okugata Nagi-no-Ha [casting].

5th lunar month of 1816: Daikichi played in the same theater the role of Sadaka in the drama "Zôho Imoseyama".

8th lunar month of 1816: Daikichi played in the same theater the role of Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; his stage partner in the role of Hanaregoma Chôkichi was Iwai Hanshirô V.

1st lunar month of 1817: Daikichi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was (shiro)ô-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. He was the kanjiku for wakaonnagata actors.

8th lunar month of 1820: Daikichi played at the Tamagawaza the roles of Matsuômaru, Kakuju, Kan Shôjô and Hanazono Gozen in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

7th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Kumoi no Hareginu", which mixed the sekai of Gion no Nyôgo, the Two Shinbê ("Ninin Shinbê") and Tamamo-no-Mae; Daikichi played the roles of Taikenmon'in, the Miuraya yûjo Kazusano and Nasu Hachirô's nyôbô Mome [more details].

9th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kiku no En Tsuki no Shiranami"; Daikichi played the roles of En'ya Hangan's kôshitsu Kaoyo Gozen and the Momonoi okujochû Kakogawa [more details].

11th lunar month of 1821 (end of the month): premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Imoseyama Hitome Senbon", which mixed the "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" worlds; Daikichi played the roles of Medo no Kata, Kawagoe Shigeyori's wife Nishikigi and Onami [casting].

7th lunar month of 1822: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Reigen Kameyama Hoko"; Daikichi played the roles of the okujochû Fujikawa (in reality the Ishii goke Shiranami), the ama Teirin & Ôgishi Tanomo's nyôbô Tsukinoto [more details].

9th lunar month of 1822: Daikichi made his final appearance (isse ichidai), in Edo at the Kawarasakiza, where he played the roles of Masaoka, the monkey show-woman Otoku and Shirotae in "Gozonji Azuma no Kyara", "Onna Datera Saru no Hitomane" and "Hôjô Jiraiki"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô III, Matsumoto Kôshirô V and Seki Sanjûrô II. Then, Daikichi retired from the Kabuki world.

1st lunar month of 1823: Daikichi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki was shin-jô-jô-kichi (truly - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. Due to a shortage of actors, Daikichi had to join up the Kabuki world again, playing at the Moritaza the role of Sakaya Tarobê in the new year sogamono drama "Hatsuyume Soga Takara no Irifune". This was his last stage appearance.

22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1823 ^[1]: Daikichi died in Edo.

Comments:

Nakamura Daikichi I was a talented and popular actor, who was trained in Kamigata and achieved fame for himself in Edo from the middle of the 1810s to the beginning of the 1820s. He was a wakaonnagata actor, who did not hesitate at the end of his career to perform sometimes as a tachiyaku. He was excellent in sewa nyôbô or onna budô roles. He was also a gifted dancer, mastering the hayagawari technique.

[1] The 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of the 6th year of the Bunsei era was the 2nd of May 1823 in the western calendar.

[2] The 20th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 12th year of the Kansei era was the 13th of April 1800 in the western calendar.

[3] The 16th day of the 6th lunar month of the 5th year of the Bunka era was the 9th of July 1808 in the western calendar.

Nakamura Daikichi I playing the role of the katana-kaji Taroshichi's wife Otatsu (in reality the female fox Kojorô) in the kaomise drama "Ninin Muko Mikurai Sadame", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1814 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

Prints & Illustrations

The Nakamura Daikichi line of actors