Stage names:

Ichikawa Monnosuke III
Ichikawa Denzô I
Ichikawa Otora I
Ichikawa Benmatsu

Other name:

Hanamichi Tsurane II

Guild: Takinoya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry name: Shinsha

Blazon: a horizontal stroke (the ideogram for "one") in a circle

Existence: 1794 ~ 27th day of the 7th lunar month of 1824 ^[1]

Connections:

Grandfather: Ichikawa Monnosuke II

Father: Ichikawa Omezô I

Brother: Ichikawa Monnosuke IV

Career:

1794 ~ 1808: born in Edo. Elder son of the actor Ichikawa Omezô I, he appeared on stage for the first time in 1801, receiving the name of Ichikawa Benmatsu. Later on, he took the name of Ichikawa Otora I at an unknown date.

4th lunar month of 1808: Ichikawa Otora I took the name of Ichikawa Denzô I at the Nakamuraza, playing as a tachiyaku in the drama "Koromo Yayoi Hanago no Keizu".

6th lunar month of 1811: Denzô became the zagashira of a troupe of children-actors performing in a minor Edo theater called Yûkiza and managed by Yûki Magosaburô; Denzô played the prestigious role of Sukeroku in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".

8th lunar month of 1811: Denzô became wakaonnagata and played at the Moritaza the role of Ohan in the drama "Nui Narai Obiya Shinanoya".

7th lunar month of 1815: Denzô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Oume in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô".

Summer 1815: Denzô became a disciple of the star Ichikawa Danjûrô VII.

1815 ~ 1820: long stay in Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1815: Ichikawa Denzô I took the name of Ichikawa Monnosuke III in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, playing in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku", which was produced by Nakamura Utagorô.

4th lunar month of 1820: Monnosuke went back to Edo and played at the Kawarasakiza the roles of Chidori and Ofude in the jidaimono "Hirakana Seisuiki". He also played the prestigious role of Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Chichibu no Shôji Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Ichikawa Danjûrô VII and Ichikawa Ebijûrô I.

7th lunar month of 1820: Monnosuke played in the same theater the role of Omiwa in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

9th lunar month of 1820: Monnosuke played in the same theater the role of Kuzu-no-Ha in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami".

7th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Kumoi no Hareginu", which mixed the sekai of Gion no Nyôgo, the Two Shinbê ("Ninin Shinbê") and Tamamo-no-Mae; Monnosuke played the roles of Heitarô's sister Oryû, the spirit of the willow tree of Meotozaka and Mikuniya Kojorô [more details].

9th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kiku no En Tsuki no Shiranami"; Monnosuke played the roles of the onna date Kinkanzashi no Okaru and Amakawaya Igo's nyôbô Orin [more details].

11th lunar month of 1821 (beginning of the month): Monnosuke achieved a great success at the Ichimuraza by playing the roles of Ono no Komachi and Sumizome the drama "Seki no To"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Omezô I (Sekibê, Kuronushi) and Ichikawa Danjûrô VII.

11th lunar month of 1821 (end of the month): premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Imoseyama Hitome Senbon", which mixed the "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" worlds; Monnosuke played the roles of Shizuka Gozen, Kyô-no-Kimi and Osato [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1822: Monnosuke played at the Ichimuraza the role of Princess Yuki in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki"; the roles of Matsunaga Daizen and Tôkichi were played by Ichikawa Omezô I and Ichikawa Danjûrô VII.

7th lunar month of 1822: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Reigen Kameyama Hoko"; Monnosuke played the roles of Omatsu (later Ôgishi Tanomo's mekake Shizuhata) & Tanbaya Otsuma [more details].

1st lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Yaegasumi Soga no Kumiito"; Monnosuke played the roles of Kewaizaka no Shôshô, Tsunagorô's nyôbô Ofusa, the Senju geisha Hanekichi and Seibê's nyôbô Osai [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Ukiyogara Hiyoku no Inazuma"; Monnosuke played the role of Miuraya Hanamurasaki [casting].

5th lunar month of 1823: Monnosuke played at the Ichimuraza the roles of Haru and Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

7th lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's natsu kyôgen "Torimazete Sekison Miyage"; Monnosuke played the roles of Masaemon's nyôbô Otani and Busuke's sister Osono [casting].

7th lunar month of 1824: Monnosuke appeared on stage for the last time, playing at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Ôtô-no-Miya Asahi no Yoroi". He suddenly died the 27th day of the 7th lunar month of 1824 ^[1] (food poisoning).

Comments:

Ichikawa Monnosuke III was a talented onnagata actor, who unfortunately died too young. In the beginning of the twenties, he was as popular as the actors Segawa Kikunojô V and Iwai Kumesaburô II. He was also excellent in musical performances and was well-versed in the writing of comic poems (his pen name was Hanamichi Tsurane II).

[1] The 27th day of the 7th lunar month of the 7th year of the Bunsei era was the 21st of August 1824 in the western calendar.

Ichikawa Monnosuke III playing the role of Otani in the drama "Torimazete Sekison Miyage", which was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1823 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1822

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1823

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852

The Ichikawa Otora line of actors

The Ichikawa Denzô line of actors

The Ichikawa Monnosuke line of actors