| TSURUYA NANBOKU IV |
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Line number: YODAIME (IV) Existence: 1755 ~ 27th day of the 11th lunar month of 1829 [1] Connection: Masters: Sakurada Jisuke I, Kanai Sanshô Father-in-law: Tsuruya Nanboku III Son: Katsu Hyôzô II (the adoptive father of Tsuruya Nanboku V) Son-in-laws: Katsu Hyôsuke, Musashiya Gonza Disciples: Mimasuya Nisôji, Kanai Sangyô, Matsui Kôzô II, Sakurada Jisuke II, Tajima Konosuke I, Katsui Genpachi, Masuyama Kinpachi II, Matsuchi Shôkichi, Kameya Tôsaku, Tsuruya Daihachi, Hanagasa Bunkyô Career: 1755: born in Edo; his father was the dyer Ebiya Izaburô. His first name was Katsujirô and he switched to Inosuke when he became adult. 1775: wishing to become a sakusha, he entered the Kabuki world to become a disciple of Kanai Sanshô. 11th lunar month of 1775: he worked at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Hana Zumô Genji Biiki". 1777: he became a disciple of Sakurada Jisuke I. 11th lunar month of 1777: he received the name of Sakurada Hyôzô and worked at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Masakado Kanmuri no Hatsuyuki". 1780: he joined the Ichimuraza and took the name of Sawa Hyôzô. 1780 ~ 1781: he married with Tsuruya Nanboku III's daughter. 1782: he joined the Moritaza and took the name of Katsu Hyôzô I. 11th lunar month of 1783: Hyôzô worked at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Ono no Terusaki Yuki no Akebono", which celebrated the shûmei of Sakata Hangorô III. 1787 (?): Tsuruya Nanboku III died. 11th lunar month of 1791: Hyôzô worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Segawa Jokô I, on the kaomise drama "Kin no Menuki Genke no Kakutsuba", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô and Ichikawa Danjûrô VI. 1st lunar month of 1803: he became tatesakusha at the Kawarasakiza, thanks to the support of the star Bandô Hikosaburô III. 7th lunar month of 1804: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Hyôzô's drama "Tenjiku Tokubê Ikoku Banashi" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1804: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Hyôzô's kaomise drama "Shitennô Momiji no Edoguma" [casting]. 6th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the at the Ichimuraza of Hyôzô's drama "Iroeiri Otogi Zôshi" [5] [casting]. 7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Hyôzô's drama "Toki-mo Kikyô Shusse no Ukejô" [casting]. 6th lunar month of 1809: premiere at the Moritaza of Hyôzô's ghost play "Okuni Gozen Keshô no Sugatami" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1809: Hyôzô worked at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Misao no Hana Toba no Koizuka". 1st lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Hyôzô and Sakurada Jisuke II drama "Kokoro no Nazo Toketa Iroito" [casting]. 3rd lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Hyôzô's drama "Kachi Zumô Ukina no Hanabure" (commonly called "Shirafuji Genta") [casting]. 5th lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Hyôzô and Sakurada Jisuke II drama "Ehon Gappô-ga-Tsuji" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1810: Hyôzô worked at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Shitennô Yagura no Ishizue". 11th lunar month of 1811: Katsu Hyôzô I took the name of Tsuruya Nanboku IV at the Ichimuraza; he worked on the kaomise drama "Itsukushima Yuki no Mitegura", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô IV. 11th lunar month of 1812: Nanboku worked at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Yukimo Yoshino Kigoto no Kaomise". 3rd lunar month of 1813: premiere at the Moritaza of Nanboku's play "Osome Hisamatsu Ukina no Yomiuri" (commonly called "Osome no Nanayaku", in English "The Seven Roles of Osome"); the seven roles were played by Iwai Hanshirô V [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1813: premiere at the Moritaza of Nanboku's kaomise drama "Gohiiki Tsunagi Uma" [more details]. 3rd lunar month of 1814: premiere of Nanboku's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen" [more details]. 7th lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Nanboku's natsu kyôgen "Imaori Hakata no Irifune" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1814: Nanboku worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Sakurada Jisuke II, Matsui Kôzô I and Nagawa Kunisuke on the kaomise drama "Sekai no Hana Sugawara Denju". 5th lunar month of 1815: premiere of Nanboku's drama "Kakitsubata Iro mo Edozome" (commonly called "Oroku to Gantetsu") at the Kawarasakiza, starring Iwai Hanshirô V, Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, Bandô Mitsugorô III and Matsumoto Kôshirô V. 7th lunar month of 1815: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's drama "Haji Momiji Ase no Kaomise" (commonly called "Date no Jûyaku", in English "The Ten Roles of Date"), whose plot and characters belonged to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world; the ten roles were played by Ichikawa Danjûrô VII [casting]. 1st lunar month of 1816: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's new year sogamono drama "Nazoraete Fujigane Soga" [casting]. 3rd lunar month of 1817: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1818: premiere at the Tamagawaza of Nanboku's kaomise drama "Shitennô Ubuyu no Tamagawa". 3rd lunar month of 1820: premiere at the Tamagawaza of Nanboku's drama "Sakura Butai Maku no Datezome" [casting]. 6th lunar month of 1821: Nanboku's drama "Kachi Zumô Ukina no Hanabure", commonly called "Shirafuji Genta", was revived for the first time, 11 years and 3 months after its premiere in Edo at the Ichimuraza [casting], in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting]. 7th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Kumoi no Hareginu", which mixes the sekai of Gion no Nyôgo, the Two Shinbê ("Ninin Shinbê") and Tamamo-no-Mae [more details]. 9th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's drama "Kiku no En Tsuki no Shiranami" [more details]. 11th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's drama "Imoseyama Hitome Senbon", which mixed the "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" worlds [casting]. 7th lunar month of 1822: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's drama "Reigen Kameyama Hoko" [more details]. 3rd lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Nanboku's drama "Ukiyozuka Hiyoku no Inazuma" [casting]. 6th lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Moritaza of Nanboku's drama "Kesakake Matsu Narita no Riken" [2], starring Onoe Kikugorô III and Ichikawa Danjûrô VII in the roles of Kasane and Yoemon. 7th lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Nanboku's natsu kyôgen "Torimazete Sekison Miyage" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1823: Nanboku worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Mimasuya Nisôji, Hon'ya Sôshichi and Sakurada Jisuke II, on the kaomise drama "Yama Mata Yama Hana no Yamagatsu", which celebrated the shûmei of Osagawa Tsuneyo IV, Yamashina Jinkichi IV and Nakayama Tomisaburô II. 1st lunar month of 1824: Nanboku worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Kanade Soga Nezashi no Fujigane", which mixed the sekai of the Soga Brothers and "Chûshingura". 1st lunar month of 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Nanboku's new year sogamono drama "Okuni-iri Soga Nakamura". 7th lunar month of 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Nanboku's ghost play "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan" [casting]. 9th lunar month of 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Nanboku's drama "Kamikakete Sango Taisetsu" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Nanboku's drama "Oniwaka Kongen Butai" [3]; the main roles were played by Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, Iwai Shijaku I (Osome) and Iwai Kumesaburô II (Hisamatsu). 8th lunar month of 1826: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Nanboku's drama "Soga Nakamura Aki no Torikomi" [casting]. 6th lunar month of 1827: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Nanboku's drama "Hitori Tabi Gojûsan Tsugi" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1828: Nanboku worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Segawa Jokô II and Tajima Konosuke I, on the kaomise drama "Motomishi Hana Otogi Heike"; Nanboku's yearly salary was 175 ryô [4]. 11th lunar month of 1829: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Nanboku's drama "Kin no Zai Sarushima Dairi"; this was his last drama [more details]. 27th day of the 11th lunar month of 1829 [1]: Nanboku died in Edo. Comments: Tsuruya Nanboku IV was one of Kabuki's most prolific playwrights and the creator of the kizewamono genre. He wrote during his career around 120 plays. "Tsuruya Nanboku IV (1755~1829) was active during the Bunka-Bunsei
era (1804~29), a time when Kabuki flourished in Edo and a number of talented actors
emerged. Nanboku himself was quite some talent. He wrote by reworking popular
18th-century kabuki plays, incorporating elements drawn from earlier dramas
(a method known as naimaze [mixing]). But the playwright was as much an innovator
as a copyist, creating such interesting new roles as iroaku (handsome but wicked villains)
and akuba (middle-aged women who can bluff, fight and swindle).
As might be expected from such characters, Nanboku's plays are filled with scenes of
extortion, killing and erotic entanglements. Dubbed kizewamono
(genuine sewamono), the dramas portray
people living at the bottom of Edo's hierarchical society, and they are written in a
brisk, earthy idiom typical of the townspeople. Scenes unfold rapidly and various stage
tricks add to the fun." "It was the lot of the sakusha to be poor, and Nanboku was no exception.
An incident is told of him that during a period of poverty he was kneeling in front
of his little writing-desk, when his wife entered and asked for the wherewithal
to buy some rice. He had no money, so she took the mosquito net, an indispensable
article in a Japanese house in warm weather, and went to the pawnbroker,
where she exchanged it for sufficient coin of the realm to keep the house supplied
with rice for a short period. Nanboku made good use of this domestic episode,
and has immortalised it in "Yotsuya Kaidan".
The long-suffering Oiwa is cruelly treated by her husband that she may leave the house,
as he wishes to marry another woman, younger, prettier, and richer in this world's goods.
In his attempt to get rid of her he sells everything in the house piece by piece,
the mosquito net among them, hoping by his callous cruelty to drive her away." [1] The 27th day of the 11th lunar month of the 12th year of the Bunsei era was the 22nd of December 1829 in the western calendar. [2] The michiyuki, which was commonly called "Iro Moyô Chotto Karimame", is still part of the current Kabuki repertoire. [3] The michiyuki, which was called "Ukine no Tomodori", is still part of the current Kabuki repertoire. [4] Tsuruya Nanboku IV was the best Edo playwright and, therefore, received the highest salary for sakusha. Matsumoto Kôshirô V, the zagashira at the Nakamuraza, was paid 600 ryô. [5] Another possible reading for the title was "Eiri Otogi Zôshi".
Tsuruya Nanboku IV The Uba Jôsuke line of playwrights The Katsu Hyôzô line of playwrights The Tsuruya Nanboku line of playwrights |
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