Stage names:

Nakagawa Kinnojô

Existence: ???

Career:

1664: Kinnojô performed in the first play divided into several acts of Kabuki history, which was staged in Ôsaka. The author of the drama was Fukui Yagozaemon and it was entitled "Hinin no Adauchi". It narrated the tribulations of a young man who had to disguise himself as a beggar in order to look for the murderer of his father. Kinnojô's others stage partners are Araki Yojibê I and Kaneko Rokuemon.

17th day of the 5th lunar month of 1683: the courtesan Yamatoya Ichinojô and her lover Goze no Chôemon committed suicide together in Ôsaka. This event caused quite a stir and three Ôsaka theaters decided to capitalize on the situation by simultaneously producing the first shinjûmono of Kabuki history [more details]. Araki Yojibê I produced this shinjûmono, starring the actors Yoshikawa Tamon I and Kinnojô in the roles of the courtesan and her lover.

11th lunar month of 1689: Kinnojô performed in Ôsaka in the drama "Fujiwara no Haruhime", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô I; his stage partners were Murayama Heijûrô I and Uemura Kichiya II.

1st lunar month of 1689: Kinnojô played in Ôsaka the role of Kawamura Kojirô in the drama "Genroku Ninen Nigatsu Nijûninichi Senshichi Jûnenki".

1692: Kinnojô played in Kyôto the role of Kikuchi Hikoroku in the drama "Musume Kôkôki", which was produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I.

Comments:

Nakagawa Kinnojô was a Kamigata tachiyaku actor, who was active from the 1660s to the beginning of the 1690s.

"Nakagawa Kinnojô was a fine actor, who was praised for his mastery by great actors like Tôjûrô, Kyôemon and others." (from Kaneko Ikkô's book "Nijinshû" ("Dust in the Ears") in "The Actors' Analects" by Charles J. Dunn and Torigoe Bunzô)

"The tachiyaku Nakagawa Kinnojô had a natural gift for comedy. In a certain play, when a messenger was talking to a secretary, Kinnojô came on with the task of offering him tea; he had to set down the cup and then withdraw. While he was close to him, he suddenly and mischievously thrust the stand the cup was on into his left hand. It was the moment at which the messenger was stating his business that Kinnojô thrusts the stand into his hand, so he could not get rid of it immediately, and his extreme embarrassment, as his expression showed his confusion, was comical. The audience found it extraordinarily entertaining, and roared their approval. It is said that Kinnojô drew great crowds by doing this sort of thing." (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)

Nakagawa Kinnojô