Stage names:

Sengoku Hikosuke I
Sengoku Hikogorô
Sengoku Hikosuke I	|  |  |

Guild: Shôgatsuya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: 1684 ~ 26th day of the 4th lunar month of 1740 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Nakamura Shichisaburô I

Son: Nakamura Sukegorô I

Grandson: Nakamura Sukegorô II

Disciple: Sengoku Hikojûrô

Career:

1684 ~ 1691: he started his career at an early age, as a disciple of Nakamura Shichisaburô I, who gave him the name of Sengoku Hikosuke.

Summer 1691: some trouble in his Edo theater leads him to go to Kyôto.

9th lunar month of 1691: Hikosuke performed as a dôkegata at Miyako Mandayû's theater in Kyôto.

5th lunar month of 1699: Hikosuke went back to Edo to perform at the Nakamuraza.

1st lunar month of 1703: Hikosuke played at the Yamamuraza the role of Daitônai in the new year drama "Keisei Asama Soga".

3rd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1708 ^[2]: his master Nakamura Shichisaburô I died.

1st lunar month of 1713: Hikosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1714: Hikosuke played at the Moritaza the role of Gontarô in the kaomise drama "Onna Ryûko Futatsu Gashira".

11th lunar month of 1715: Hikosuke played at the Moritaza the role of Higashiyama Yoshimasa in Mitsushima Shichirôzaemon's drama "Hayazaki Onna Shimabara".

11th lunar month of 1717: Hikosuke played at the Nakamuraza the role of Sano Genzaemon Tsuneyo in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Hônen Mitsugimono".

Fall 1721: Hikosuke went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1721: he became tachiyaku, took the name of Sengoku Hikogorô and performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Shachihoko".

1st lunar month of 1722: Hikosuke's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1723: he went back to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1723: he became dôkegata, took back the name of Sengoku Hikosuke I and played at the Moritaza the role of Natorigawa Mikinojô in the kaomise drama "Yorimasa Kaikeizan".

1st lunar month of 1724: Hikosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was back to jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

26th day of the 4th lunar month of 1740 ^[1]: Hikosuke died in Edo.

Comments:

Sengoku Hikosuke I was a popular 18th century actor, who was considered as the first Edo dôkegata.

[1] The 26th day of the 4th lunar month of the 5th year of the Genbun era was the 21st of May 1740 in the western calendar.

[2] The 3rd day of the 2nd lunar month of the 5th year of the Hôei era was the 24th of March 1708 in the western calendar.

[3] Sengoku Hikosuke I's tombstone was located in the cemetery of the Zen'ôin temple, a subtemple of the famous Jôshinji in the district of Hirano.

Sengoku Hikosuke I climbing a wall in a revenge play (1711)