Stage name:

Ôtani Hirohachi I

Guild: Kyôya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Kiban

Existence: ???

Connections:

Master: Ôtani Hiroji I

Son: Ôtani Imasaburô

Disciples: Ôtani Tomoemon I, Ôtani Hikojûrô

Career:

1727: he became disciple of the actor Ôtani Hiroji I in Ôsaka and followed him to Edo.

5th lunar month of 1732: tour in Nagoya; Hirohachi performed there as a katakiyaku.

11th lunar month of 1733: Hirohachi went back to Ôsaka and performed as a tachiyaku in the kaomise drama "Funa Zukuri Mannen Goyomi", which was produced at the Kita-Shinchi no Shibai by Kirinoya Tôkurô.

11th lunar month of 1735: Hirohachi went to Kyôto, became katakiyaku and performed in the kaomise drama "Shin-yakata Banzei no Ishizue", which was produced by Arashi Koroku I.

12th lunar month of 1740: Hirohachi played in Ôsaka at the Ônishi no Shibai the roles of Kikuchi Jûrô and Katsura Ippeiji in the drama "Miura Danjô Sugata no Yoroi", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

25th day of the 5th lunar month of 1747 ^[1]: his master Ôtani Hiroji I died.

11th lunar month of 1748: Hirohachi played the role of Matsuura Gorô in the kaomise drama "Mitsu Uroko Asahi no Ume", which was produced in Kyôto at the nadai Miyako Handayû's theater by the zamoto Somematsu Shichisaburô I; his stage partners were Fujioka Daikichi, Ichikawa Danzô III, Iwata Somematsu I, Yamanaka Heijûrô I and Mihogi Shichitarô.

1st lunar month of 1749: Hirohachi's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1749: Hirohachi played at Miyako Handayû's theater the role of Kawachi Kanbei in the kaomise drama "Imosegura Kogane no Ishizue"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô III, Yamatoya Jinbê IV, Fujikawa Heikurô, Asao Motogorô I, Anegawa Daikichi I and Arashi San'emon IV.

11th lunar month of 1750: Hirohachi played in the same theater the roles of Oni no Kurobê [picture] and Kajima Hyôgô in Matsuya Raisuke I's kaomise drama "Kaikei Wagô Hanayakata".

1st lunar month of 1751: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Asahi no Tamoto", which was produced in Kyôto by Miyako Handayû at his theater; Hirohachi played the role of Agata Kenmotsu Genba [casting].

11th lunar month of 1751: Hirohachi played the role of Gunta in the kaomise drama "En no Gyôja Ômine Zakura", which was produced in Kyôto at the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater by the zamoto Nakayama Bunshichi I.

Fall 1752: Hirohachi moved to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1752: Hirohachi played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Maeda Sadaemon in the kaomise drama "Kyô Miyage Matsuri Zoroe", which was produced Sanjô Sadasuke; his stage partners were Wakayama Shinkurô, Wakayama Bunshichi, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Iwata Somematsu I, Matsushima Kiyosaki, Ichimura Sanohachi, Kirishima Gizaemon I, Kiriyama Monji I, Matsushima Moheiji, Takenaka Heikichi, Murayama Heijûrô IV and Nakamura Shirogorô III.

11th lunar month of 1753: Hirohachi played in the same theater the role of Ecchû Jirobê [picture] in the kaomise drama "Taihei Kiso Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1754: Hirohachi played in the same theater in the kaomise drama "Uda Genji Asahi no Menbako", which was produced by Wakayama Bunshichi; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô III, Wakayama Shinkurô, Nakamura Utaemon I, Wakayama Bunshichi, Arashi Sangorô II, Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II, Anegawa Daikichi I and Someyama Sôjûrô.

1st lunar month of 1755: Hirohachi's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1756: Hirohachi played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki in Namiki Eisuke I's kaomise drama "Taihei Yamato Monogatari", which was produced by Anegawa Daikichi I.

11th lunar month of 1757: Hirohachi played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Taira no Tomomori in the kaomise drama "Sakiwake Musha Kôbai no Tazuna", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô II and celebrated the shûmei of Nakayama Raisuke I.

1st lunar month of 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5-act maruhonmono drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi" in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Hirohachi played the roles of Gake no Dôroku and Hida no Saemon [casting].

Fall 1759: Hirohachi moved to Kyôto.

12th lunar month of 1759: Hirohachi played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Daimonji Shibaemon in the kaomise drama "Bandai Fueki Hôrai Yakata", which was produced by Arashi Hinasuke I.

1st lunar month of 1760: Hirohachi's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1760: Hirohachi performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Kiku Nagashi Kokka Taiheiki", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Manbê.

Fall 1761: the actors Ichikawa Danzô III, Nakamura Matsue I and Hirohachi went together to Edo to perform at the Moritaza.

11th lunar month of 1761: Hirohachi played the roles of Gappô Tarô and Terukuni in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Misonô Banzei no Hachinoki".

1st lunar month of 1762: Hirohachi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-jû (superior - superior - "ten") [visual], below his Kamigata rank. "jû" was in fact the first 2 strokes of the ideogram "kichi" and means 'ten'. Hirohachi played in the same theater the role of Yawata no Saburô in the new year sogamono drama "Koi Zakura Umewaka Soga".

Fall 1763: Hirohachi went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1763: Hirohachi played the role of Kurozuka Heima in the kaomise drama "Shôchikubai Ôshimadai".

1st lunar month of 1764: Hirohachi's ranking was back to the "superior - superior - excellent" level in the Kyôto hyôbanki.

11th lunar month of 1764 ~ 1770: Hirohachi's name did not appear anymore in licensed theaters banzuke.

Spring 1771: Hirohachi played in Ôsaka at the Horie Ichinogawa Shibai. This performance was likely to be his final stage appearance. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Ôtani Hirohachi I was a talented old-fashioned katakiyaku, who spent almost all his career in the Kamigata theaters but unfortunately did not achieve the fame he deserved.

[1] The 25th day of the 5th lunar month of the 4th year of the Enkyô era was the 2nd of July 1747 in the western calendar.

Ôtani Hirohachi I (left, standing) and Matsuyama Sanjûrô (right) playing the roles of Ecchû Jirobê and Kiso Yoshinaka in the kaomise drama "Taihei Kiso Monogatari", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1753 at the Ônishi no Shibai

Prints & Illustrations

The Ôtani Hirohachi line of actors