Stage names:

Mihogi Shichitarô

Poetry names: Baikô, Sanshi

Existence: ???

Connection:

Uncle: Mihogi Gizaemon I

Disciples: Mihogi Gizaemon II, Mihogi Shichisaburô

Career:

11th lunar month of 1722: Shichitarô performed in Kyôto as a wakashugata in Sakakiyama Kansuke I's kaomise drama "Senbon Matsu Tokiwa Yakata", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû and welcomed in Kyôto the Ôsaka star Anegawa Shinshirô I.

11th lunar month of 1724: Shichitarô became wakaonnagata and played at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Izuminosuke's sister Ariake-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Sanmen Daikoku Mangoku Dawara", which was produced by his uncle Mihogi Gizaemon I and starred Bandô Hikosaburô I, Arashi Sangorô I, Katayama Kozaemon, Somenoi Hanshirô, Matsumoto Tomojûrô I, Matsunami Hikojûrô, Fujikawa Heikurô, Sodeshima Genji, Tsugawa Kamon, Yamamura Utanosuke, Kirinami Onoe and Onoe Gonbê (who celebrated his shûmei).

Fall 1732: Shichitarô was expected to travel to Edo to perform at the Nakamuraza; he finally decided to stay in Kamigata.

Fall 1733: Shichitarô went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1733: Shichitarô played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Okyô in the kaomise drama "Shigeri Matsu Kogane no Takaragura", which was produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.

Fall 1740: Shichitarô went back to Kyôto.

12th lunar month of 1740: Shichitarô worked in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater on the drama "Chinpô Sandai Gatana", which was produced by Sakakiyama Jûtarô I and starred Sakakiyama Koshirô I and Sakakiyama Shirotarô I. The title of this drama, literally "The Rare Treasure - Three Generations of Swords" ^[1], was an allusion to the three generations of actors of the Sakakiyama clan sharing the same stage.

1st lunar month of 1741: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

Fall 1741: Shichitarô went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1741: Shichitarô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of the keisei Nayama in the kaomise drama "Genji Rokujûjô", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I.

12th lunar month of 1741: Shichitarô played in the same theater the role of the keisei Miura in the ni-no-kawari drama "Imaori Daikanjima".

1st lunar month of 1742: Shichitarô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1742: Shichitarô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1742: Shichitarô played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Wadanojô's nyôbô Namie and Onami in the kaomise drama "Sangoku Denrai no Ishi", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô III.

12th lunar month of 1742: Shichitarô played in the same theater the role of Genpachi's younger sister Minashi in the ni-no-kawari drama "Futari Musume Yamazaki Gayoi".

1st lunar month of 1743: Shichitarô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1743: Shichitarô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1743: Shichitarô performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Tanshû Teteuchi Guri".

11th lunar month of 1744: Shichitarô played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role the widow Okuni in the kaomise drama "Azuma Soga Fujimi no Sato", which was produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.

1st lunar month of 1745: Shichitarô played in the same theater the roles of Edohei's nyôbô Okuma and Mikuni in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Mukashi Komon Yoshioka-zome".

11th lunar month of 1745: Shichitarô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Yasaemon's spouse Otsune in the kaomise drama "Murakami Genji Kogane no Niiyakata", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II.

12th lunar month of 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which started a competition for the best performance; Shichitarô played the role of Otatsu at the Kado no Shibai [casting].

1st lunar month of 1746: Shichitarô played in the same theater the role of the keisei Takasaki in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Budô Yoshiwara Ikada".

3rd lunar month of 1746: Shichitarô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1746: Shichitarô went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1746: Shichitarô played in Kyôto the role of Osuma in the kaomise drama "Taihei Asahi no Shirahata", which was produced by Asao Motogorô I; his stage partners were Fujioka Daikichi, Sakurayama Shirosaburô II, Shinozuka Kazaemon, Yamanaka Heijûrô I and Tatsuoka Hisagiku.

1st lunar month of 1747: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1747: Shichitarô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Namihei's nyôbô Omiyo in the kaomise drama "Meiken Kogane Zukuri", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I.

1st lunar month of 1748: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. Shichitarô played in the same theater the role of Kurando's nyôbô Asaka in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yoake no Kane".

11th lunar month of 1748: Shichitarô performed in the kaomise drama "Mitsu Uroko Asahi no Ume", which was produced in Kyôto at the nadai Miyako Handayû's theater by the zamoto Somematsu Shichisaburô I; Shichitarô's stage partners were Fujioka Daikichi, Ichikawa Danzô III, Ôtani Hirohachi I, Yamanaka Heijûrô I and Segawa Somematsu.

1st lunar month of 1749: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1749: no ranking for Shichitarô in the Kyôto hyôbanki. He was recorded as resting. He was most likely sick and unable to perform.

11th lunar month of 1749: no record in any Kamigata kaomise program.

11th lunar month of 1750: no record in any Kamigata kaomise program.

11th lunar month of 1751: Shichitarô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of the hairdresser Ohana in the kaomise drama "Kyôganoko Asahi no Nishiki", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô II.

1st lunar month of 1752: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. Shichitarô played in the same theater the role of Yachûta's nyôbô Osano in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Fuji Miru Chibumi".

11th lunar month of 1752: no record in any Kamigata kaomise program.

11th lunar month of 1753: no record in any Kamigata kaomise program.

11th lunar month of 1754: Shichitarô played at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in Kyôto the role of Izumi's wife Takanoya in the kaomise drama "Fûkigusa Aioi Genji", which was produced by Somematsu Matsujirô. This drama was in fact the first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet drama "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô" [more details].

1st lunar month of 1755: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1755: no record in any Kamigata kaomise program.

11th lunar month of 1756: Shichitarô played in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Oniô Shinzaemon's wife Otowa in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Bimandai Kuniiri Kamakura Kagami", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.

1st lunar month of 1757: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. Shichitarô played in the same theater the role of the ame-uri osato in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Chimoto no Taki".

3rd lunar month of 1757: Shichitarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was kô-jô-jô-kichi (meritorious - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. No stage record afterwards ^[2].

Comments:

Mihogi Shichitarô was a Kamigata jô-jô-kichi onnagata actor, who was active in Kyôto or Ôsaka from the beginning of the 1720s to the middle of the 1760s. He was said to be equally at home in both sewamono and jidaimono dramas. He excelled in keisei, nyôbô, tsubone and mekake roles.

[1] It had also a different suggestive meaning because the word chinpô is the penis in old Japanese.

[2] Last record in 1765 according to Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten".

Mihogi Shichitarô (left) and Sakakiyama Koshirô II (right) playing the roles of Oniô Shinzaemon's wife Otoha and Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Bimandai Kuniiri Kamakura Kagami", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1756 in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai

Prints & Illustrations