Stage names:

Ôtani Hiroemon III
Ôtani Kunizô I

Guild: Surugaya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry names: Jicchô, Banfû, Tôshû

Existence: 1726 ~ 14th day of the 9th lunar month of 1790 ^[1]

Connections:

Master: Ôtani Hiroji II

Son: Ôtani Kunizô II

Career:

1750: disciple of the star Ôtani Hiroji II, he started to perform katakiyaku roles under the name of Ôtani Kunizô I.

2nd day of the 6th lunar month of 1757 ^[2]: his master Ôtani Hiroji II died.

1st lunar month of 1758: Kunizô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Ômi no Kotôta at in the drama "Kujûsanki Ôyose Soga".

11th lunar month of 1761: Kunizô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Musashi no Saemon in the kaomise drama "Nihongahana Hôgan Biiki".

11th lunar month of 1762: Ôtani Kunizô I took the name of Ôtani Hiroemon III at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Nagi no Ha Izu no Sugatami".

11th lunar month of 1764: Hiroemon played at the Moritaza 2 roles in the drama "Gyosei Kanatami no Megumi", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Sawamura Kunitarô I.

11th lunar month of 1768: Hiroemon performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Mutsuchidori Meika no Yumitori".

2nd lunar month of 1769: the play "Sekitori Senryô Nobori", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in the 8th lunar month of 1767 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Edo at the Moritaza; Hiroemon played the role of Sawada Banryû [casting].

5th lunar month of 1769: Hiroemon played at the Moritaza the role of Abe no Munetô in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara"; his stage partners were Sakata Sajûrô I (Abe no Sadatô) and Iwai Hanshirô IV (Sodehagi).

11th lunar month of 1769: Hiroemon played at the Moritaza the role of Taira no Kiyomori in the kaomise drama "Na ni Takashi Kumoi no Yumihari", which welcomed in Edo the actors Yamashita Kinsaku II and Kasaya Matakurô II (who also celebrated his shûmei) and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Shirogorô IV.

9th lunar month of 1770: Chikamatsu Hanji's 1759 puppet theater drama "Hidakagawa Iriai Zakura" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Hiroemon played the role of a storyteller [casting].

11th lunar month of 1774: Hiroemon played 3 roles in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Tsuki no Kaomise", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Nakamura Shingorô II.

Summer 1777: the book "Yakusha Sensakuron" ('About actors prying') was published in Edo. It gave some private information on actors. Edo readers could learn that Hiroemon lived with his spouse Osumi and his son Kanematsu in the district of Hasegawa-chô and his annual salary was 650 ryô.

7th lunar month of 1778: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the play "Date Kurabe Okuni Kabuki"; Hiroemon played the roles of Nikki Danjô and Hanyûmura Kingorô [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1779: Hiroemon played at the Nakamuraza the role of the villain Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku Sato no Yozakura"; the roles of Sukeroku, Agemaki and the shirozake seller Shinbê were played by Ichikawa Monnosuke II, Iwai Hanshirô IV and Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.

11th lunar month of 1780: Hiroemon played at the Nakamuraza the role of Taira no Kiyomori in the kaomise drama "Kite Kaeru Nishiki no Wakayaka".

1st lunar month of 1783: Hiroemon performed at the Nakamuraza in the new year drama "Edo no Hana Mimasu Soga".

1783 ~ 1784: Hiroemon settled in Ôsaka and was about to perform in a play produced by the zamoto Fujikawa Kikumatsu but he suddenly fell ill and was replaced by his son Nakamura Shinji.

11th lunar month of 1784: Hiroemon was back in Edo; he performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ôakinai Hiru-ga-Kojima".

11th lunar month of 1787: Hiroemon played at the Kiriza the roles of Asahara Hachirô and Miura no Yasumura in the kaomise drama "Sanga no Shô Mutsu no Hanayome".

7th lunar month of 1788: Hiroemon played in the same theater the role of Fujiwara no Shihei [illustration] in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

3rd lunar month of 1790: Hiroemon appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Ichimuraza, where he performed in the drama "Hana Miyage Mokuboji no Yurai".

Summer 1790: Hiroemon went to Ôsaka, where he fell seriously ill.

14th day of the 9th lunar month of 1790 ^[1]: Hiroemon died.

Comments:

Ôtani Hiroemon III was a good katakiyaku actor, specialized in jitsuaku roles. He did not reach the jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) level in the Edo hyôbanki but his best rank was not very far from it. Touring in Kamigata was not a good thing for this actor, who tried twice and fell seriously ill each time just after his arrival. The second trip was fatal.

[1] The 14th day of the 9th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Kansei era was the 21st of October 1790 in the western calendar.

[2] The 2nd day of the 6th lunar month of the 7th year of the Hôreki era was the 17th of July 1757 in the western calendar.

Ôtani Hiroemon III in a print made by Katsukawa Shunshô

The Ôtani Hiroemon line of actors