Stage name:

Onoe Montarô

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Guild: Yamatoya

Poetry name: Ritô

Existence: 1733 ~ 15th day of the 5th lunar month of 1772 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Onoe Kikugorô I

Brother: Onoe Kumesuke

Disciples: Onoe Monzaburô I, Onoe Kumezô, Onoe Kumazô

Career:

1733: born in Kyôto.

1749: Montarô started his career in Kyôto, where he performed as an iroko.

1750: Montarô became wakaonnagata.

1753: Montarô became tachiyaku.

11th lunar month of 1753: Montarô performed in Kyôto at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Futaba no Nishiki Midori no Onikage", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I; his stage partners were the actors Somematsu Shichisaburô I, Sakata Tôjûrô III, Fujioka Daikichi, Imamura Shichisaburô II, Arashi Tominosuke I and Bandô Sukesaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1754: Montarô played at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in Kyôto the role of Minamoto no Yoshitsune 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].

11th lunar month of 1756: Montarô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of the wakatô Sodesuke, in reality Ecchû no Saburobê, in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Bimandai Kuniiri Kamakura Kagami", which was produced in Kyôto by Sawamura Kunitarô I. He changed the first ideogram of his first name:

You need a Japanese Language Kit installed within your system in order to be able to read the characters

11th lunar month of 1757: Montarô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Hôjô Samanosuke in Sakurato Bunsaku's kaomise drama "Tsunomoji Keman no Yurai".

1st lunar month of 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5 acts puppet theater drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", which was simultaneously produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai [casting] and the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting]. It used its real title at the former theater but it was entitled "Keisei Niwatoriyama" at the latter theater; Montarô played in the latter theater the role of Kanônosuke Naonobu.

11th lunar month of 1758: Montarô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Imagawa Nakaaki in the kaomise drama "Inari Yakata Irifune no Arashi", which was produced by Arashi Sangorô II.

1st lunar month of 1759: Montarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

Fall 1759: Montarô went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1759: Montarô was expected to perform in the Nakamuraza kaomise drama but he could not take part because of his arrival in Edo 11 days after the start of the season.

Spring 1760: Montarô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year sogamono drama "Kyô Masakado Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Sawamura Sôjûrô II and Nakamura Shichisaburô II.

6th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1760 ^[2]: a fire broke out in the district of Kanda and spreads to Susaki in Fukagawa. It destroyed both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza; It was called "Akashiya no Kaji" ('the Akashiya fire'), based on the name of the shop where it started.

Fall 1760: Montarô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1760: Montarô played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of the yakko Teruhei in the kaomise drama "Kiku Nagashi Kokka Taiheiki", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Manbê.

1st lunar month of 1760: Montarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1761: Montarô played in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater the role of Minamoto no Raikô in Amano Kyûshichi's kaomise drama "Mineiri Futaba Genji", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I.

11th lunar month of 1762: Montarô coproduced with Sawamura Kunitarô I at the Minamigawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Tenka Taihei Kogane no Kurairi".

11th lunar month of 1763: Montarô played the role of Sankurô in the kaomise drama "Shôchikubai Ôshimadai", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I.

11th lunar month of 1764: Montarô performed in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Genpei Tsûrikimaru", which celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô.

11th lunar month of 1765: Montarô played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Shundô Tatewaki in the kaomise drama "Takara-Kita-Yama Kogane no Ishizue".

11th lunar month of 1767: Montarô and his brother Onoe Kumesuke produced at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Daikokuten", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Yasuke and Bandô Sukesaburô II; Montarô played the roles of Kano no Utanosuke and the zatô Kazahaya Kengyo.

8th lunar month of 1768: Montarô and his brother Onoe Kumesuke produced in the same theater the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

11th lunar month of 1768: Montarô played in Kyôto the role of the yakko Tobahei in the kaomise drama "Enmusubi Asahi no Shimadai", which was produced by his younger brother Onoe Kumesuke.

11th lunar month of 1769: Montarô performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Asahimaru Genji Kagami", which was produced by his younger brother Onoe Kumesuke, welcomed in the Imperial City the actor Sawamura Sôjûrô II and his son Sawamura Tanosuke I and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Shingorô II.

11th lunar month of 1770: Montarô performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Sakigake Yashima no Kachidoki", which was produced by his younger brother Onoe Kumesuke.

1st lunar month of 1771: Montarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Nakamura Jûzô II and Fujimatsu Sanjûrô I. Montarô played in the same theater the role of Imagawa Nakaaki in the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Ôe no Kishi". This was his last-recorded appearance on stage.

15th day of the 5th lunar month of 1772 ^[1]: Montarô died in Kyôto.

Comments:

Onoe Montarô was a talented Kyôto tachiyaku actor, who was active in his native city from the end of the 1740s to the beginning of the 1770s. Well-endowed, he was said to have a great stage presence. With the exception of a short stay in Edo, he made all his career in Kyôto. It was worthy to note that he had never performed, even once, in Ôsaka.

[1] The 15th day of the 5th lunar month of the 9th year of the Meiwa era was the 15th of June 1772 in the western calendar.

[2] The 6th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 10th year of the Hôreki era was the 22nd of March 1760 in the western calendar.

Onoe Montarô in a print made by Torii Kiyomasu II (1760?)

Prints & Illustrations