Playwright names:

Namiki Jusuke	|
Namiki Jûsuke I [1]	|
Namiki Shôjuken
Namiki Jûsuke I [1]	|
Katsura no Kichi
Namiki Tôsuke	|

Existence: ???

Connection:

Masters: Namiki Shôzô I, Namiki Eisuke I

Disciple: Namiki Sensuke, Namiki Jûsuke II ^[1]

Career:

Before 1748: disciple of Namiki Eisuke I, he received the name of Namiki Tôsuke and started to work with his master at the end of the Enkyô era.

11th lunar month of 1748: Tôsuke worked in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater on the kaomise drama "Jidai Makie Chûshingura", which was produced by Nakamura Matsubê I.

1st lunar month of 1754: he went to Ôsaka, where he took the name of Katsura no Kichi.

Fall 1758: he went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1758: he took the name of Namiki Jûsuke I and worked at the Minamigawa no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Homare Musha Senri no Kachidoki", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I and Somematsu Matsujirô.

1st lunar month of 1759: Jûsuke worked, along with Hanabusa Rochô, in the same theater on the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kachôzan".

11th lunar month of 1759: Jûsuke became tatesakusha and worked at the Minamigawa no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Hônen no Miyako Mutsuki no Kotobuki", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Kichiemon I, Nakamura Jûzô II, Matsuya Shinjûrô and Yamanaka Heijûrô II.

2nd lunar month of 1760: Jûsuke worked, along with Hanabusa Rochô, at the Kitagawa no Shibai on the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sajiki-ga-Dake".

1st lunar month of 1762: Jûsuke worked, along with Hanabusa Rochô, in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater on the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kanekake no Matsu".

Fall 1762: Jûsuke went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1762: Jûsuke worked at the Kado no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Nendaiki", which was produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I and celebrated the shûmei of Arashi Sanjûrô III.

9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which was produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I and celebrated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of the star Anegawa Shinshirô I [casting]. It was revised by Jûsuke, Ichiyama Bokuhei and Namiki Ôsuke. A similar play was staged one day later under a different title, "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters. The performance at the Kado no Shibai was more successful than the one at the Naka no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1765: Jûsuke worked, along with Namiki Shôzô I and Hanabusa Rochô, at the Naka no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Ôzatsuki Shuen no Kachidoki" ^[8], which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I and Nakamura Utaemon I.

11th lunar month of 1766: Jûsuke worked at the Naka no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Yamato Uta Hikime no Yaguruma", which was produced by Nakamura Utaemon I.

1771: his first master Namiki Eisuke I died.

17th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1773 ^[2]: his second master Namiki Shôzô I died.

11th lunar month of 1773: he took the name of Namiki Shôjuken and worked at the Kado no Shibai, along with Namiki Gohachi, on the kaomise drama "Medetai Uchimashô", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I.

11th lunar month of 1778: he took back the name of Namiki Jûsuke I and worked at the Kado no Shibai, along with Namiki Gohê, on the kaomise drama "Genpei Tatoezukushi", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I and welcomed back in Ôsaka the star Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

Fall 1782: Jûsuke went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1782: Jûsuke worked in Kyôto, along with Tatsuoka Mansaku and Tsutsui Hanji ^[3], on the kaomise drama "Gosekkyô Suehiro Keizu", which was produced by Nakayama Raisuke II and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Utaemon II.

Fall 1783: Jûsuke went back to Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi", which was written by Namiki Gohei I, Tsutsui Hanji and Jûsuke [casting].

11th lunar month of 1785: he took the name of Namiki Jusuke and worked at the Nishi no Shibai, along with Nagawa Shimesuke I ^[4], on the kaomise drama "Nanshi no Hana o Ehô no Saiwai", which was produced by Nakamura Noshio II.

11th lunar month of 1786: Jusuke worked at the Ônishi no Shibai, along with Chikamatsu Tokusô and Kawatake Bunji ^[5], on the kaomise drama "Osanago no Katakiuchi".

12th lunar month of 1787: Jusuke worked at the Kado no Shibai, along with Namiki Gohê, Nagawa Kunisuke and Kawatake Bunji ^[6], on the kaomise drama "Sanga no Tsumidori Soga".

11th lunar month of 1788: Jusuke worked at the Naka no Shibai, along with Nagawa Shimesuke I, Nagawa Kunisuke and Tatsuoka Mansaku ^[7], on the kaomise drama "Toshi-ni Kanô Tori-ga-Saikô".

5th lunar month of 1789: Jusuke worked in the same theater on the drama "Tsuizen Shigure no Matsu". No record afterwards.

Comments:

Namiki Jusuke was a Kamigata sakusha, who was active from the end of the 1740s to the end of the 1780. He was said to be equally at home in writing jidaimono, oiemono or sewamono dramas. He worked on more than 100 original dramas but only one stayed in the current Kabuki repertoire: "Keisei Yamato Zôshi".

[1] Was there really a Namiki Jûsuke II? There is no record about a nidaime in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten". In the Ritsumeikan Univ. Kabuki Hyôbanki Database, there are records for a Namiki Jûsuke from 1790 to 1799.

[2] The 17th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 2nd year of the An'ei era was the 9th of March 1773 in the western calendar.

[3] The others sakusha were Tawara Kiichi, Nakamura Kasuke and Fujikawa Hira.

[4] The others sakusha were Shimada Kôbê, Nakagawa Masaemon and Namiki Gonzô.

[5] The others sakusha were Nakagawa Masaemon, Yoshida Kahe, Yoshida Genzô and Sodesaki Hanji.

[6] The others sakusha were Namiki Sehei and Namiki Chôzô.

[7] The others sakusha were Namiki Takichi, Matsukawa Sada and Fujikawa Hira.

[8] There were two zamoto at the Naka no Shibai, Mimasu Daigorô I and Nakamura Utaemon I, and there were two kaomise dramas produced in this theater. Nakamura Utaemon I produced the two dramas and Mimasu Daigorô I produced only the second drama. The two dramas had a different casting but used the same title "Ôzatsuki Shuen no Kachidoki".

The name of Namiki Jusuke in a 1786 Ôsaka hyôbanki (the zone within the red rectangle)