Pen names:

Kimura Enbu
Kimura Benisuke [1]
Kimura Enji I [2]

Artistic name: Shôkôdô

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Sakurada Jisuke I

Disciples: Kimura Matsuroku, Kimura Tokuzô (?)

Career:

Beginning of the 1780s: he became disciple at an unknown date of Sakurada Jisuke I, who gave him the name of Kimura Enji I.

11th lunar month of 1789: first record; Enji worked at the Nakamuraza, along with his master Sakurada Jisuke I, Segawa Jokô I, Shimizu Shôshichi I, Tamamaki Kyûji and Muraoka Kôji, on the kaomise drama "Komachi-mura Shibai no Shôgatsu"; "It is a spectacular play on a grand scale, showing a struggle between two imperial princes for the imperial throne and the almost magical powers of the great poet Ono no Komachi, also considered one of the greatest beauties of her time. In ancient times, Komachi was such a famous figure that she became the subject of many Nô plays, one in which her poetry called forth rain and another in which a jealous rival tried to defeat her by claiming that a poem she wrote was actually plagiarized from an old poetic anthology. She proved her innocence by washing the book of the anthology and showing that the fresh ink of the supposedly old poem easily washed away." (source: Earphone Guide website for the revival in January 2008 at the National Theatre).

1st lunar month of 1790: Enji worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Haru no Nishiki Datezome Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Ichikawa Monnosuke II, Ichikawa Omezô I and Ichikawa Komazô III.

11th lunar month of 1790: Enji worked at the Nakamuraza for his master, the tatesakusha Sakurada Jisuke I, on the kaomise drama "Sayo no Nakayama Hiiki no Tsurigane", which welcomed back in Edo the actor Ichikawa Yaozô III and welcomed the Kamigata actors Tanimura Torazô and Nakamura Kumetarô II.

11th lunar month of 1791: Enji worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Segawa Jokô I, Katsu Hyôzô I and Kawatake Bunji, on the kaomise drama "Kin no Menuki Genke no Kakutsuba", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô and Ichikawa Danjûrô VI.

11th lunar month of 1792: Enji worked at the Kawarasakiza, along with the tatesakusha Masuyama Kinpachi I, on the kaomise drama "Ôfuna Moriebi no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1794: Enji worked at the Kiriza, along with Kasanui Sensuke I, Tamamaki Kyûji I and Matsushima Yôsuke I ^[3], on the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Oedo no Ishizue".

11th lunar month of 1795: Enji worked at the Kawarasakiza, along with Muraoka Kôji I, on the kaomise drama "Fuku Botan Azuma Dairi".

11th lunar month of 1796: Enji worked at the Miyakoza, along with Masuyama Kinpachi I and Katsu Hyôzô I, on the kaomise drama "Seiwa Nidai Ôyose Genji", which celebrated the isse ichidai performance of Ichikawa Ebizô, the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô V and which welcomed back in Edo the actor Iwai Hanshirô IV.

1st lunar month of 1797: Enji worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Edo no Haru Kichirei Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Iwai Hanshirô IV and Ichikawa Yaozô III.

1798: he started to work for the actor Ichikawa Danzô IV and received the name of Kimura Benisuke.

11th lunar month of 1798: Benisuke worked at the Moritaza, along with Katsu Hyôzô I, Matsui Kôzô, Kasanui Sensuke I, Shimizu Shôshichi I and Hon'ya Sôshichi, on the kaomise drama "Taiheiki Mitsugi no Funauta", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Aragorô I.

11th lunar month of 1799: Benisuke worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Sakurada Jisuke I and Fukumori Kyûsuke I, on the kaomise drama "Tametomo Yumiya no Oyafune", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Mitsugorô III.

11th lunar month of 1800: he took the name of Kimura Enbu and worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Namiki Gohei I, Matsui Kôzô I and Kawatake Bunji, on the kaomise drama "Genji Kumo Kogane no Kumadori", which celebrated the return in Edo of Ichikawa Omezô I.

11th lunar month of 1805: Enbu worked at the Kawarasakiza, along with Fukumori Kyûsuke I, on the kaomise drama "Chô Hanagata Koi Muko Genji", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakayama Raisuke IV and Nakamura Keishi.

1st lunar month of 1806: Enbu worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Mitsu no Homare Kaikei Soga", which celebrated the shûmei of Yoshizawa Yûshi; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were all played by Bandô Mitsugorô III.

Comments:

Kimura Enbu was an Edo sakusha, who was active from the end of the 1780s to the beginning of the 1810s. His wife Oyae was a famous Edo beauty who was nicknamed Takanawa Rokô, Takanawa being a district name and Rokô the haimyô of the great tateonnagata Segawa Kikunojô III.

[1] The first name reading could be Kôsuke, not Benisuke.

[2] The first name reading could be Sonoji, not Enji.

[3] Others minor sakusha were Masaki Eizô, Eii Yahei and Sasa Rindôsuke.

The name of Kimura Enbu in a 1806 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red box); all the names were the sakusha at the Kawarasakiza

The Kimura Enji line of playwrights