Stage names:

Namie Karumo	|  |
Onogawa Karumo [1]	|

Existence: ???

Connection:

Brother: Yamanaka Heijûrô I ^[2]

Career:

1st lunar month of 1715: first record in Ôsaka, where he performed under the name of Onogawa Karumo ^[1] as a wakaonnagata in the kaomise drama "(Jingô Kôgô Sankan Taiji) Ashiwakebune" which was produced by Ogino Yaegiri I.

11th lunar month of 1715: Karumo played in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the role of Oyuki in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Mochimaru Chôja", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô III.

11th lunar month of 1718: Karumo played in Ôsaka at the Kita no Shinchi Shibai the role of Umegae in the kaomise drama "In'yô Inui no Machi-zukuri", which was produced by Kokon Shinzaemon.

Fall 1719: Karumo went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1719: he took the name of Namie Karumo and played the role of Kawa-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Chiyo no Ume Naniwa Kagami", which was produced in Kyôto by Sakakiyama Shirojûrô.

11th lunar month of 1720: Karumo played in Kyôto the role of the koshimoto Okume in the kaomise drama "Jûni Chôshi Megumi no Kodakara", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirojûrô; Karumo achieved a great success by playing shamisen on stage.

11th lunar month of 1721: Karumo performed in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Inari Fuku In'yô no Kanegura", which was produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1722: Karumo played in the same theater the role of Hamana in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Chikai no Kôbai".

Summer 1722: Karumo played in the same theater the role of Ôminosuke's nyôbô Takao in Sadoshima Saburôzaemon's drama "Ono no Takamura Senbon Ôgi".

1st lunar month of 1723: Karumo was not recorded in the Kyôto hyôbanki. He performed in Kyôto at Daikokuya Takenojô's theater in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Hitomaruzuka" which was produced by Otowa Jirosaburô I.

3rd lunar month of 1723: Karumo's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was (shiro)jô ((white) superior) [visual].

1723 ~ 1729: no record in ôshibai; he performed in tabi shibai for a few years.

9th lunar month of 1728: Karumo played in Ôsaka the role of Omaki in the drama "Danshichi Kurobê Sanjûsannenki" ^[3].

11th lunar month of 1729: Karumo played at the Naka no Shibai the role of the Naminojô in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Yakata Manpô no Mikura", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I; Karumo achieved a great success by showing his dancing skills on stage.

11th lunar month of 1730: Karumo played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Nagaoka Bunnai's nyôbô Okane in the kaomise drama "Matsukane Fukki no Ishizue", which was produced by Sadoshima Chôgorô I; the role of the rônin Nagaoka Bunnai was played by Nakamura Sôjûrô.

1st lunar month of 1731: Karumo's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He played in the same theater the role of Inoue Buhê's nyôbô Okatsu in Sadoshima Saburôzaemon's ni-no-kawari drama "Futatsu Mon Katana no Meigetsu"; the role of Inoue Buhê was played by Fujikawa Heikurô.

3rd lunar month of 1731: Karumo's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]; no record afterwards.

Comments:

Namie Karumo was a Kamigata wakaonnagata, who was active in Ôsaka, Kyôto or on the road from the middle of the 1710s to the beginning of the 1730s.

[1] Was he a disciple of Onogawa Ugenji? Both actors were in Ôsaka when Onogawa Karumo was recorded for the first time in ôshibai.

[2] He was said to be the elder brother of Yamanaka Heijûrô I.

[3] Most likely at the Ônishi no Shibai; this drama commemorated the the 33th anniversary (33rd memorial service) of late Ikeda Danshichi Kurobê (we assume he was the man who later became Danshichi Kurobê in Kabuki). Namie Karumo was not recorded as performing in ôshibai from the 11th lunar month of 1728 to fall 1729.

The actor Namie Karumo in an illustration from the 1st volume of the book "Sangoku Rôei Kyôbutai" (1731)
Courtesy of the Main Library, Kyôto University - Sangoku Rôei Kyôbutai
Image slightly edited by Shôriya Aragorô (reuse rules)