Stage names:

Iwai Hanshirô III
Iwai Takematsu

Guild: Zôshigaya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: 1698 ~ 26th day of the 11th lunar month of 1759 ^[1]

Connections:

Father: Iwai Hanshirô I

Brothers: Iwai Hanshirô II, Iwai Hanzaburô

Son-in-laws: Segawa Kikujirô I, Ichikawa Danjûrô IV

Disciples: Iwai Kiyotarô I, Iwai Izaemon, Iwai Yasoshichi, Iwai Harugorô

Career:

1698: born in Ôsaka.

3rd day of the 4th lunar month of 1699 ^[2]: his father Iwai Hanshirô I died.

1710: his brother Iwai Hanshirô II died.

11th lunar month of 1715: Iwai Takematsu took the name of Iwai Hanshirô III in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, became zamoto and produced the kaomise drama "Saiwai Mochimaru Chôja" for the nadai Ôsaka Tazaemon; it starred Miyazaki Denkichi, Nakamura Shingorô I, Ôtori Michiemon, Sanogawa Mangiku, Tomizawa Chiyonosuke, Sagawa Bunzô I, Yamamoto Hikogorô, Yamamoto Sakuya I, Takashima Onoe, Ogino Samanojô II, Ôshima Kajûrô and Kamei Heizaemon.

11th lunar month of 1717: Hanshirô played in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the role of Torii Nagaonosuke in the kaomise drama "Benten Chôja Uga no Tama", which was produced by Ogino Kinnojô; he also performed a kitsune dance in this drama.

11th lunar month of 1720: Hanshirô played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Fujiki Matasuke [illustration] in Kyôya Yagoshirô's kaomise drama "Kogane no Ikioi", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1722: Hanshirô played in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Todoroki Jûsuke in the kaomise drama "Ôbashira Kogane no Sazare Ishi", which was produced by Segawa Kikunojô I.

11th lunar month of 1723: Hanshirô played the role of the umakata Hadashi-no-Ichi, in reality Takaichi Sakon, in the kaomise drama "Manchô Chitose-gura", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

11th lunar month of 1724: Hanshirô played in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Yomeiri Miyako no Shimadai", which was produced by the zamoto Ogino Umenosuke for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

Fall 1725: Hanshirô played the role of Hiranoya Tokubê in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Sonezaki Shinjû", which was produced by Ogino Umenosuke at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater; the role of Tokubê's lover Ohatsu was played by Sanogawa Mangiku.

11th lunar month of 1730: Hanshirô produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Meotogura Wagô no Nakatomi"; his stage partners were Nakayama Shinkurô I, Anegawa Shinshirô I, Yamashita Kinsaku I, Kirinoya Gonjûrô I, Sakurayama Shirosaburô I, Sanogawa Hanazuma I, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Hanagiri Toyomatsu I and Izumikawa Sennosuke.

12th lunar month of 1731: Hanshirô produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Ôyamato Wagô no Tsuchi", which celebrated the arrival in the new line-up of Fujikawa Heikurô, Fujikawa Hanzaburô II and Arashi Sangorô I.

11th lunar month of 1732: Hanshirô produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Shikishima Wakô no Tsuzumi", which celebrated the arrival in the new line-up of Sawamura Chôjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1733: Hanshirô produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Genji Rokujûjô", which celebrated the arrival in the new line-up of Sawamura Otoemon I.

11th lunar month of 1734: Hanshirô produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Honchô Bugaku no Hajimari".

11th lunar month of 1735: Hanshirô produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Toyo no Asahi Eitaigura", which celebrated the arrival in Ôsaka of the Edo actor Bandô Hikosaburô I and the shûmei of Arashi Kiyosaburô III.

11th lunar month of 1742: Hanshirô produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Sangoku Denrai no Ishi"; his stage partners were Mimasu Daigorô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Yamashita Kinsaku I, Mihogi Gizaemon I, Somenoi Hanshirô and Ichiyama Sukegorô I.

11th lunar month of 1743: Hanshirô played at the Ônishi no Shibai the roles of Chûshichi and Imagawa Nakaaki in Namiki Sôsuke's kaomise drama "Futatsu Biki Nishiki no Manmaku", which was produced in Ôsaka by the zamoto Nakamura Jûzô I; his stage partners were Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Sanogawa Mangiku, Sakurayama Shirosaburô II, Nakamura Shingorô I and Arashi Shichigorô I.

11th lunar month of 1744: Hanshirô moved to the Naka no Shibai and played the role of Hikoroku in the kaomise drama "Keisei Makura Gundan", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I.

12th lunar month of 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which started a competition for the best performance; Hanshirô played the role of Issun Tokubê at the Kado no Shibai [casting].

Fall 1746: Hanshirô and Yamamoto Kyôshirô I went together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1746: Hanshirô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Itô Kurô Sukekiyo in the kaomise drama "Aioi Izu Nikki".

1st lunar month of 1747: Hanshirô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He played in the same theater the roles of Komurasaki Kamon and Yasaku in the new year drama "Tamakushige Yosooi Soga".

3rd lunar month of 1747: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; Hanshirô played the role of Kan Shôjô [casting].

5th lunar month of 1747: Hanshirô played in the same theater the role of Kan Shôjô in the drama "Onna Kan Shôjô Utsutsu no Narukami", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" world.

8th lunar month of 1747: Hanshirô performed in the same theater in the drama "Mangetsu Oguri Yakata".

11th lunar month of 1747: Hanshirô moved to the Moritaza and played the role of Aoto Saemon Fujitsuna in the kaomise drama "Aruji Môke Onna Hachinoki", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô.

11th lunar month of 1748: Hanshirô played at the Moritaza the role of Takatô Yoichi in the kaomise drama "Fuyu Botan Yoshino Dairi", which celebrated the shûmei of Azuma Tôzô II.

2nd lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Hanshirô played the roles of Teraoka Heiemon and Amakawaya Gihei.

Fall 1749: Hanshirô went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1749: Hanshirô played at the Ônishi no Shibai the roles of Eda Genzô and Azuma Hanshirô in Izumiya Shôzô's kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I and celebrated the shûmei of Murayama Heijûrô IV; his others stage partners were Bandô Toyosaburô I, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Sanjô Namie I, Iwata Somematsu I and Nakamura Utaemon I.

Beginning of the 1750s: Hanshirô's uncontrolled passion for food led him to obesity.

11th lunar month of 1752: the play "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka, as a kaomise drama, at the Naka no Shibai; Hanshirô played the roles of Midaroku and Taira no Tsunemori [casting].

7th lunar month of 1754: Hanshirô appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, playing 2 roles in the drama "Meigetsu Senri no Kane", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.

1754 ~ 1759: Hanshirô went to Edo and definitively settled there. He was too fat to perform anymore. His adopted daughter became the wife of the Edo star Ichikawa Danjûrô IV.

26th day of the 11th lunar month of 1759 ^[1]: Hanshirô died.

Comments:

Iwai Hanshirô III was an active zamoto of the first half of the eighteenth century, who spent most of his career in Ôsaka. As an actor, he was a tachiyaku and his forte were wagotoshi or jitsugotoshi roles.

[1] The 26th day of the 11th lunar month of the 9th year of the Hôreki era was the 13th of January 1760 in the western calendar.

[2] The 3rd day of the 4th lunar month of the 12th year of the Genroku era was the 2nd of May 1699 in the western calendar.

Nakamura Tomijûrô I and Iwai Hanshirô III playing the roles of the female fox Otatsu and Kajiya Nizô in the kaomise drama "Yasa Heike Sakiwake Musha", which was staged at the Naka no Shibai in the 11th lunar month of 1750

Prints & Illustrations

The Iwai Hanshirô line of actors