Stage name:

Mihara Jûdayû I

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: ??? ~ ???

Connection:

Son: Mitsuyama Shichisaburô

Disciple: Mihara Jûdayû II

Career:

1681: his name appeared for the first time in the Kabuki records, as a katakiyaku actor performing in Ôsaka for a yearly salary of 35 ryô.

1st lunar month of 1690: Jûdayû successfully performed in Ôsaka in the drama "Ume no Yoshibê", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô I.

1691: Jûdayû went to Kyôto; he played the role of Hirayama Sueshige in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Sakaotoshi", which was produced by Yamatoya Jinbê II.

3rd lunar month of 1693: Jûdayû performed in Ôsaka in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Butsumo Mayasan Kaichô", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô I and starred Sugiyama Kanzaemon I, Iwai Sagenta I and Murayama Heijûrô I; this production was a success and a long run (150 days).

1697: Jûdayû performed as a katakiyaku in Ôsaka at Ôsaka Tazaemon's theater, with the troupe led by Araki Yojibê I. Jûdayû's stage partners were Kanazawa Goheiji I, Kokon Shinzaemon, Katsuyama Ôhashi, Kamogawa Noshio I, Fujii Hachijûrô, Takashima Onoe, Dekishima Kosaburô, Yamamoto Kantarô, Iwakura Man'emon, Iwamatsu Kizaemon and Takeshima Shichisaburô.

3rd lunar month of 1707: Jûdayû's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1707: Jûdayû played in Ôsaka the role of the senior retainer Nishikito Chikaranosuke in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Onna Daimyô Irekozan".

1st lunar month of 1708: Jûdayû's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1710: Jûdayû performed in Ôsaka in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Hako Denju Ise Monogatari", which was produced by Shinozuka Shômatsu I.

1st lunar month of 1711: Jûdayû's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1712: Jûdayû played the role of Denjunojô in the kaomise drama "Inari Daimyô Shintaku no Kamado", which was produced in Ôsaka by his son Mitsuyama Shichisaburô.

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

1st lunar month of 1714: Jûdayû and his son Mitsuyama Shichisaburô went to Kyôto; the latter produced at Ebisuya Hatsudayû's theater the kaomise drama "Toshitokujin Midoribune", in which the former played the role of Sakaya Tôbê.

2nd lunar month of 1714: Jûdayû's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1714: Jûdayû went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1714: Jûdayû played the role of Katsuodera Genba in the kaomise drama "Yonedawara Mangoku no Minato", which was produced at Ôsaka Tazaemon's theater by Shinozuka Shômatsu II.

1st lunar month of 1715: Jûdayû's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Mihara Jûdayû I was an important katakiyaku of the Genroku era. He spent all his career in Kamigata and was placed very high in the actors ratings at the beginning of the 1710s. He was nicknamed katakiyaku no taishô ("the boss of katakiyaku").

"A katakiyaku named Mihara Jûdayû was short in stature, but nevertheless when he made his entrance wearing his long pair of swords and struck his vivid pose and walked his swaggering walk, he looked a big man and struck terror." (from Tamiya Shirogorô's book "Zoku Nijinshû", a sequel to Kaneko Ikkô's book "Nijinshû" ("Dust in the Ears"), in "The Actors' Analects" by Charles J. Dunn and Torigoe Bunzô)

Mihara Jûdayû I