TOMIZAWA HANZABURÔ I

Existence: ???

Connection:

Masters: Nakamura Denkurô I, Tomizawa Samanosuke I

Son: Tomizawa Genzô

Disciples: Tomizawa Montarô I, Narumi Goroshirô I

Career:

Before 1684: he starts his career in Kamigata as a disciple of Tomizawa Samanosuke I, who gives him the name of Tomizawa Hanzaburô I and trains him as a wakaonnagata.

1684: Hanzaburô settles in Edo.

1685: under the patronage of Nakamura Denkurô I, he becomes tachiyaku.

11th lunar month of 1702: Hanzaburô becomes jitsuaku.

1st lunar month of 1704: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior); he plays at the Yamamuraza the role of Gentayû in the new year drama "Genji Aioi Jûnidan".

5th lunar month of 1706: Hanzaburô plays for the first time the role of Kobayashi no Asahina, with the support of Nakamura Denkurô I, in the drama "Ôyakata Yotsugi Soga", which is staged at the Ichimuraza.

3rd lunar month of 1707: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1707: Hanzaburô becomes tachiyaku and plays at the Nakamuraza the role of the senior retainer Hatano no Gorô in the kaomise drama "Suô no Naishi Azuma Nishiki", which welcomes in Edo the actor Arashi Kiyosaburô I.

2nd lunar month of 1708: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1709: Hanzaburô plays at the Moritaza the role of Minamoto no Tametomo in the kaomise drama "Tametomo Furiwakegami".

1st lunar month of 1710: Hanzaburô plays in the same theater the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year sogamono drama "Kaishun Soga".

3rd lunar month of 1710: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

25th day of the 10th lunar month of 1713: his master Nakamura Denkurô I dies.

11th lunar month of 1714: Hanzaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Wada Saemon in the kaomise drama "Banmin Daifukuchô".

1st lunar month of 1715: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent); he plays in the same theater the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year drama "Bandô Ichi Kotobuki Soga".

11th lunar month of 1715: Hanzaburô plays at the Moritaza the role of Akamatsu Mushanosuke in Mitsushima Shichirôzaemon's drama "Hayazaki Onna Shimabara".

5th lunar month of 1717: Hanzaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Kanki in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Takarabune" [casting].

11th lunar month of 1717: Hanzaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Sano no Gentôta in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Hônen Mitsugimono".

2nd lunar month of 1720: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1720: Hanzaburô becomes jitsuaku and plays at the Nakamuraza the role of the villain Katsuta no Jirô (disguised as the print master Torii Kiyonobu!) in the kaomise drama "Michinoku Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1721: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent); he plays in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year drama "Kichijô Ôtaka Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Danzô I and Katsuyama Matagorô.

1st lunar month of 1722: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1722: Hanzaburô becomes tachiyaku and plays at the Moritaza the role of Saitô Sanemori in the kaomise drama "Yoshitomo Fukujukai".

1st lunar month of 1723: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He plays in the same theater the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year sogamono drama "Suiryô Soga".

11th lunar month of 1723: Hanzaburô plays at the Moritaza the role of I no Hayata in the kaomise drama "Yorimasa Kaikeizan".

11th lunar month of 1724: Hanzaburô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Hata no Minbu Saemon in the kaomise drama "Bankoku Taiheiki", which welcomes in Edo the Kamigata actor Matsushima Hyôtarô.

11th lunar month of 1726: Hanzaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Abe no Munetô in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Jûnidan".

1st lunar month of 1727: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1728: Hanzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1729: last kaomise for Hanzaburô, who plays the role of Noto-no-Kami in the drama "Yahagi no Chôja Kogane no Ishizue", which is staged at the Moritaza.

1730: Hanzaburô appears on stage for the last time, at the Moritaza; he retires and becomes a backstage manager. The day of his death is unknown.

Comments:

Tomizawa Hanzaburô I was born in Kamigata but quickly settled in Edo, where he was active from 1684 to 1730. He was mainly a tachiyaku actor but often became jitsuaku or katakiyaku. His forte were budôgoto or jitsugoto roles.

Tomizawa Hanzaburô I (1st from left), Miyakawa Hachirôzaemon (2nd from left), Sengoku Hikosuke I (center), Tamazawa Rin'ya (2nd from right) and Katsuyama Matagorô (1st from right) playing the roles of Sano no Gentôta, Wakasa no Zenji, Sano Genzaemon Tsuneyo, Azumaya and Yukienojô in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Hônen Mitsugimono", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1717 in Edo at the Nakamuraza

Actors Tomizawa Hanzaburô and Bandô Matakurô II as Warriors
(Okumura Masanobu, MFA Boston)