Pen names:

Horikoshi Nisôji I
Horikoshi Saiyô
Horikoshi Nisôji
Sawamura Nisôji

Existence: 1721 (?) ~ 1781 (?)

Connection:

Master: Sawamura Sôjûrô I

Disciples: Sakurada Jisuke I, Okuno Sasuke, Horikoshi Ikkô, Nakamura Sanpei, Horikoshi Zenji, Horikoshi Heijûrô, Horikoshi Tôshirô, Horikoshi Bunzô, Horikoshi Jisuke, Horikoshi Saisuke, Horikoshi Genpachi

Career:

11th lunar month of 1745: disciple of Sawamura Sôjûrô I, not an actor but a sakusha, Sawamura Nisôji works as a nimaime sakusha at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1749: Nisôji works at the Ichimuraza, along with Fujimoto Tobun and supported by Tsuuchi Sanzaemon, Tsuuchi Eisuke and Tsuda Mataichi, on the kaomise drama "Yoritomo Gunbai Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1750: he becomes tatesakusha, takes the name of Horikoshi Nisôji and works at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Hatsuyuki Reijin no Sode".

11th lunar month of 1751: Nisôji works at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Honryô Hachinoki-zome", which welcomes in Edo the Kamigata actors Fujikawa Heikurô and Sanogawa Hanazuma II.

1st lunar month of 1752: Nisôji works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Kuruwa Kuruwa Akinai Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Sawamura Chôjûrô III, Ichikawa Yaozô I and Sawamura Sôjûrô II.

11th lunar month of 1752: Nisôji, who is about to leave Edo to go to Kyôto, works as a tatesakusha at the Nakamuraza, along with Fujimoto Tobun, Sawai Chûzô and Matsuzawa Bunroku, on the kaomise drama "Akazawayama Sumô Nikki".

2nd lunar month of 1753: Nisôji works in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai on the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Matsuchiyama", which is produced by Arashi San'emon IV.

Fall 1753: Nisôji goes back to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1753: Nisôji works at the Ichimuraza, along with Tsuuchi Sanzaemon, Horikoshi Zenji, Horikoshi Heijûrô, on the kaomise drama "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi", which stars are Onoe Kikugorô I, Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Bandô Sanpachi I, Ichikawa Yaozô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Segawa Kikujirô I, Arashi Wakano II, Osagawa Tsuneyo I, Nakamura Kumetarô I, Ichimura Uzaemon VIII, Ichimura Kamezô I, Arashi Otohachi I, Kasaya Matakurô I, Nakajima Kanzaemon II, Nakajima Mihozô I and Yorozuya Matazô.

1st lunar month of 1754: Nisôji works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Satsuki Matsu Soga no Tachibana"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Ichikawa Yaozô I and Ichimura Kamezô I.

11th lunar month of 1756: Nisôji works at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Masakado Shôzoku no Enoki", which celebrates the arrival of Arashi Tominosuke I in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1757: Nisôji works at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Matsuhata Suma no Wakezato".

1st lunar month of 1758: Nisôji works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Kujûsanki Ôyose Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Ichimura Kamezô I and Nakamura Shichisaburô II.

11th lunar month of 1758: Nisôji works at the Ichimuraza, along with Namiki Ryôsuke, Tsuuchi Denjûrô I, Nakamura Goichi and Okuno Sasuke, on the kaomise drama "Kaomise Sajikigadake".

1st lunar month of 1759: Nisôji works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Hatachiyama Hôrai Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Onoe Kikugorô I, Sanogawa Ichimatsu I and Ichimura Kamezô I.

11th lunar month of 1759: Nisôji works as a tatesakusha at the Nakamuraza, along with Sawai Chûzô, Tsuuchi Seisuke and Ichizuka Heihachi, on the kaomise drama "Shôgaichi Kaomise Matsuri". He also works on the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kumo no Hana Yoshino no Obi".

11th lunar month of 1760: no kaomise drama at the Nakamuraza, where Nisôji is tatesakusha.

11th lunar month of 1761: Nisôji works as a tatesakusha at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Wakamusha Kokyô no Nishiki".

1st lunar month of 1762: Nisôji works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Nokon no Yuki Katsuiro Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Bandô Hikosaburô II and Ichimura Kamezô I.

4th lunar month of 1762: the role of the Heron Maiden ("Sagi Musume") is performed for the first time, in Edo at the Ichimuraza, by the star Segawa Kikunojô II in a 5-role hengemono, which is written by Nisôji and entitled "Yanagi Hina Shochô no Saezuri".

11th lunar month of 1762: Nisôji works as a tatesakusha at the Moritaza, along with Namiki Ryôsuke, Tsuuchi Saburôji, Horikoshi Heijûrô, Horikoshi Tôshirô, Fujii Hanzô and Ogi Ginji, on the kaomise drama "Tôzai Tôzai Wagakuni no Umeyashiki", which celebrates the shûmei of his disciple Bandô Matahachi II.

2nd lunar month: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", which is staged under the supervision of Nisôji at the Moritaza [casting|illustrations].

11th lunar month of 1763: Nisôji works as a tatesakusha at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Ume ya Suisen Izu no Irifune", which celebrates the shûmei of Nakamura Sukegorô II.

2nd lunar month of 1764: Nisôji works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Tagasode Yosooi Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Bandô Hikosaburô II and Onoe Kikugorô I.

11th lunar month of 1765: he takes the name of Horikoshi Saiyô and works as a tatesakusha at the Moritaza, along with the sakusha Sakurada Jisuke I and Sawai Chûzô, on the kaomise drama "Kachidoki Sakae Genji".

11th lunar month of 1766: Saiyô works at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Higashiyama Dono Kabuki no Tsuitachi".

1st lunar month of 1767: Saiyô works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Soga Yawaragi Soga".

Fall 1767 ~ Fall 1771: no record of any work in Edo; he retires from a Kabuki to take the tonsure in a buddhist temple.

11th lunar month of 1771: Saiyô works as a tatesakusha at the Moritaza, assisted by the sakusha Ogi Batai, Nakamura Seikurô II, Sawai Chûzô, Sei Hidezô and Sei Basetsu, on the kaomise drama "Fukikaete Tsuki no Yoshiwara", which welcomes in Edo the Kamigata actor Nakamura Jûzô II.

1st lunar month of 1772: Saiyô works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Hatsu Akebono Niwatori Soga".

11th lunar month of 1772: Saiyô works as a tatesakusha at the Moritaza, assisted by the sakusha Nakamura Torahachi, Masuyama Kinpachi I, Sei Hidezô, Kasanui Sensuke I and Sei Basetsu, on the kaomise drama "Izu Goyomi Shibai no Ganjitsu", which celebrates the shûmei of Sawamura Chôjûrô IV, Sawamura Kijûrô II and Mikuni Fujigorô.

1st lunar month of 1773: Saiyô works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Iro Makie Soga no Sakazuki"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Nakamura Noshio I and Bandô Mitsugorô I.

11th lunar month of 1773: Saiyô works as a tatesakusha at the Moritaza, assisted by the sakusha Kasanui Sensuke I, Yamada Heizô, Sawai Chûzô, Hasegawa Zenkichi and Masuyama Kinpachi I, on the kaomise drama "Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai".

1st lunar month of 1774: Saiyô works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Kite Hajime Hatsugai Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Nakamura Jûzô II, Ichikawa Yaozô II and Bandô Mitsugorô I.

11th lunar month of 1774: Saiyô moves to the Ichimuraza, where he works as a tatesakusha, assisted by the sakusha Okuno Sasuke, Nakamura Seikurô II, Ôkoshi Shûzô, Okuno Eiji and Nakamura Jûsuke II, on the kaomise drama "Chigo Sakura Jûsangane", which celebrated the shûmei of Segawa Kikunojô III.

2nd lunar month of 1775: Saiyô works in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Sakae Soga Kagura no Taiko"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Yaozô II and Arashi Sangorô II.

11th lunar month of 1776: he takes back the name of Horikoshi Nisôji and works at the Nakamuraza, along with Masuyama Kinpachi I, Okuno Sasuke, Namiki Risuke and Horikoshi Kikuji, on the kaomise drama "Sakuya Kono Hana no Kaomise". The ideogram for "Hori" is different from his previous pen name:

11th lunar month of 1777: he is expected to work at the Moritaza but he falls ill and can't work on the kaomise drama.

11th lunar month of 1781: Nisôji works at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Tokimekiya Oedo no Hatsuyuki", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata star Arashi Hinasuke I.

1781 (?): Nisôji dies in Edo.

Comments:

Horikoshi Nisôji I was an important Edo sakusha who was active from the middle of the 1740s to the beginning of the 1780s. He was the author of the lyrics of "Sagi Musume", one of the most famous dance-dramas in Kabuki history. He worked on more than 100 original dramas. "He was considered the quintessential high-toned literary man among contemporary dramatists."(Samuel Leiter in "New Kabuki Encyclopedia")

The name of Horikoshi Nisôji I in a 1751 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red shape on the left side of the picture)

The Horikoshi Nisôji line of playwrights