KANAZAWA GOHEIJI

Existence: 1646 ~ ???

Connection:

Disciples: Kanazawa Heiroku, Kanazawa Hikotarô, Kanazawa Hikogorô I

Career:

1st lunar month of 1688: the name of Kanazawa Goheiji, a disciple of Kaneko Rokuemon, appears for the first time in the Kabuki records, as a dôkegata performing in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater. Goheiji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, is naka (middle), shared with Yamada Jinpachi and Kuga Rokurôemon.

9th lunar month of 1691: Goheiji plays in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Yûgaomura-no-Sakusuke in the drama "Shikoku Henro", which is produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1693: Goheiji plays as a dôkegata in Ôsaka in the troupe led by Iwai Hanshirô I.

7th lunar month of 1694: Goheiji plays in Ôsaka the role of Ama Chôgorô in Tsuuchi Jihê I's drama "Nihon Ajase Taishi", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô I and stars the Edo actor Bandô Matatarô I.

1695: Goheiji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, is jô (superior) [visual].

1697: Goheiji performs as a dôkegata in Ôsaka at Ôsaka Tazaemon's theater, with the troupe led by Araki Yojibê I. Goheiji's stage partners are Mihara Jûdayû I, Kokon Shinzaemon, Katsuyama Ôhashi, Kamogawa Noshio I, Fujii Hachijûrô, Takashima Onoe, Dekishima Kosaburô, Yamamoto Kantarô I, Iwakura Man'emon, Iwamatsu Kizaemon and Takeshima Shichisaburô.

1st lunar month of 1698: Goheiji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1698: Goheiji goes to Kyôto.

1st lunar month of 1699: Goheiji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1700: Goheiji plays at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Matsushima Shin'emon in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Guzei no Fune", which is produced by Sakata Tôjûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1701: Goheiji plays in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater the role of Tetsudômaru in the drama "Miyako no Waka Ebisu", which is produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I. His others stage partners are Ogino Samanojô I, Yamashita Sagoemon, Okada Samanosuke and Yamamoto Kamon.

1st lunar month of 1702: Goheiji plays in Kyôto at Ebisuya Shôdayû's theater the role of Tarosuke in the drama "Ôtô-no-Miya Kumano Ochi", which is produced by Yamatoya Tôkichi. His others stage partners are Sakurayama Shirosaburô I, Fujikawa Buzaemon I and Yamada Jinpachi.

1st lunar month of 1703: Goheiji goes back to Ôsaka and plays with the troupe led by Kataoka Nizaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1705: Goheiji plays in Ôsaka in the new year drama "Miura no Ôsuke Hyakuhaimaru", which is produced by Murayama Heijûrô I.

Fall 1706: Goheiji goes to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1706: Goheiji plays at the Ichimuraza the role of the yakko Sagaemon in the kaomise drama "Mano no Chôja Kogane no Torii".

1st lunar month of 1707: Goheiji's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1709: Goheiji goes back to Ôsaka and plays the role of Tomi no Chûjô in the drama "Izumi Shikibu Sennin Otoko", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1709: Goheiji plays in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Maiôgi Masaki no Kazura", which is produced by Ogino Yaegiri I. This is the last recorded performance of Goheiji; We don't know what happens to him afterwards.

Comments:

Kanazawa Goheiji was a popular and talented dôkegata actor, who achieved fame for himself not only in his native Kamigata, but also in Edo for a few years, during the Genroku era. His popularity started to rise with the decline of the actor Sendai Yagoshichi and he was said to be able to make laugh both Kyôto and Ôsaka audiences, a rare feature for a dôkegata actor because the forms of humor in these two cities were very different. He was a pioneer in using hyôshigoto in his comical and somehow vulgar dances.

Kanazawa Goheiji (left), Yamashita Hanzaemon I (center) and Otowa Jirosaburô I (right) in an illustration from a Kyôto hyôbanki which was published in 1702

Prints & Illustrations