Stage names:

Takeshima Kôzaemon I
Nippon Saemon

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: ??? ~ 24th day of the 11th lunar month of 1712 ^[1]

Connection:

Father: Takeshima Tenjikuzaemon (Nippon Densuke)

Brother: Takeshima Hyôhachi

Adopted (?) son: Takeshima Kôzaemon II

Son-in-law: Nakamura Sen'ya I

Disciples: Takeshima Kodayû, Takeshima Takisaburô, Sugiyama Hanroku

Career:

Before 1675: son of Nippon Densuke, who was a member of Sadoshima Denbê's Onna Kabuki ("Woman Kabuki") troupe. His first name was Nippon Saemon. He took the name of Takeshima Kôzaemon I at an unknown date.

11th lunar month of 1675: Takeshima Kôzaemon I's name appeared for the first time in a theater playbill, in Edo at the Nakamuraza. He was listed in the new children-actors section, along with Sakakibara Heiemon and Kamakura Chôkurô I. Their stage partners, in the Edo Kodomo section (Edo's children), were Nakamura Shichisaburô I, Tamagawa Sennosuke and Matsumoto Kanzaburô.

11th lunar month of 1686: Kôzaemon performed as a tachiyaku in Ôsaka at Arashi Monzaburô I's theater. His yearly salary was 150 ryô; his stage partners were Arashi San'emon I, Uemura Tatsuya, Sawamura Kodenji I, Namie Kokan I, Hanai Saijirô, Kaneko Hikotarô, Kawashima Kazuma, Yoshijima Kodayû, Sawai Hannosuke, Matsumoto Hyôzô, Ichimura Shirôji, Ôyama Giemon, Iwakura Man'emon and Sendai Yahachi.

1st lunar month of 1687: Kôzaemon's rank in "Yarô Tachiyaku Butai Ôkagami" was jô (superior) [visual]. He shared this ranking with Araki Yojibê I, Yamashita Hanzaemon I, Uemura Kichiya II, Suzuki Heizaemon I, Nakamura Kazuma II, Takenaka Kichisaburô I, Fujita Koheiji I and Karamatsu Kasen.

Spring 1693: Kôzaemon went to Kyôto.

6th lunar month of 1693: Kôzaemon played in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater in Kojima Hikojûrô's drama "Kôshoku Denju".

1694: Kôzaemon went to Ôsaka and played the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Wakoku Fûryû Kyôdai Kagami", which was produced by Murayama Heijûrô I; his stage partners were Murayama Heijûrô I (Soga Gorô Tokimune), Nishikawa Okanosuke (Jûrô's lover Ôiso no Tora) and Hayama Heiemon (the Soga brothers' mother).

1695: Kôzaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1696: Kôzaemon went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1696: Kôzaemon performed in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater in the drama "Fukujumaru", which was produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I; his stage partners were Yoshizawa Ayame I, Yamashita Hanzaemon I, Kokan Tarôji I and Onogawa Ugenji.

2nd lunar month of 1697: Kôzaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1706: Kôzaemon went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1706: Kôzaemon played at the Yamamuraza the role of Hirai no Yasumasa in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Buyû Kagami"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Ikushima Shingorô, Yamanaka Heikurô I, Mizuki Takejûrô, Murayama Jûheiji I, Saigoku Hyôsuke and Miogi Naniwa. The performance was not really successful and the program was quickly replaced by the drama "Taihei Shusse Kagekiyo Shiraume no Hata", which was considered as an earlier version of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Kagekiyo" and in which Kôzaemon played the role of the warrior Taira no Kagekiyo.

3rd lunar month of 1707: Kôzaemon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1707: Kôzaemon moved to the Ichimuraza and performed in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Ôkagami", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Otowa Jirosaburô I; his others stage partners were Ichikawa Danshirô I, Hayakawa Hatsuse and Kanazawa Goheiji I.

11th lunar month of 1708: Kôzaemon moved to the Moritaza and performed in the kaomise drama "Onna Sanbijin Imose Nishiki"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô I, Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Fujimura Handayû II, Sakurayama Shirosaburô I and Iwai Sagenta I.

Fall 1709: Kôzaemon went back to Kyôto after 3 seasons spent in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1709: Kôzaemon performed in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Takekaburi Mangokumochi", which was produced by his son Takeshima Kôjûrô.

2nd lunar month of 1712: Kôzaemon performed in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater in the drama "Keisei Nishiki no Haraobi", which was produced by Miyako Mandayû. This was most likely his last stage performance.

24th day of the 11th lunar month of 1712 ^[1]: Kôzaemon died in Kyôto.

Comments:

Takeshima Kôzaemon I was a leading actor in Kamigata during the Genroku period. He was at his best in budôgoto roles. "He was particularly partial to samurai roles and knew how to handle a sword." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

[1] The 24th day of the 11th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Shôtoku era was the 22nd of December 1712 in the western calendar.

Takeshima Kôzaemon I

Prints & Illustrations

The Takeshima Kôzaemon line of actors