Stage names:

Arashi Otohachi I
Arashi Otonosuke I

Guild: Ebisuya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Wakô

Existence: 1711 ~ 26th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1769 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Arashi Sangorô I

Sons: Arashi Otohachi II, Bandô Matatarô IV

Grandson: Arashi Otohachi III

Disciple: Arashi Otonosuke II

Career:

1710s ~ 1720s: he started his career in Ôsaka in kodomo shibai, as a disciple of Arashi Sangorô I, performing under the name of Arashi Otonosuke I.

Fall 1732: Otonosuke went to Edo with Anegawa Shinshirô I and Sakakiyama Koshirô I.

11th lunar month of 1732: he became tachiyaku and took the name of Arashi Otohachi I at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Yamato Kotoba Imagawajô".

11th lunar month of 1733: Otohachi became dôkegata, performing at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nagi no Hana Asahi Genji"; his stage partners were Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Anegawa Shinshirô I, Segawa Kikunojô I, Ogino Izaburô I, Hayakawa Denshirô, Nakamura Shichisaburô II, Sodesaki Iseno I, Ichikawa Sôzaburô I, Nakamura Kichibê I, Narumi Goroshirô I, Sakata Sadashirô, Yamashita Kamematsu I, Sanjô Kantarô II and Ôtani Ryûzaemon I.

3rd lunar month of 1738: Otohachi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

12th day of the 7th lunar month of 1739 ^[2]: his master Arashi Sangorô I died.

Janvier 1742: Otohachi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He played at the Nakamuraza the role of Shigehira in the new year drama "Musume Soga Gaijin Yashima".

11th lunar month of 1743: Otohachi played at the Ichimuraza the role of Akamatsu in the kaomise drama "Ishizue Taiheiki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actors Segawa Kikujirô I, Tamiya Jûzaburô I and Segawa Somematsu.

1st lunar month of 1744: Otohachi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Matsushima Moheiji.

Janvier 1748: Otohachi played at the Nakamuraza the role of Danzaburô in the new year drama "Kazari Ebi Yoroi Soga".

4th lunar month of 1750: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" was produced at the Moritaza for the first time; Otohachi played the role of Umeômaru [casting].

7th lunar month of 1751: premiere in Edo at the Nakamuraza of the play "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna"; Otohachi played the role of Umanojô [casting].

11th lunar month of 1763: Otohachi played at the Ichimuraza the role of Katagiri Yashichi in the kaomise drama "Shikai Nami Yawaragi Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1764: Otohachi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was (shiro)ô-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent).

11th lunar month of 1764: Otohachi played at the Ichimuraza the role of Sakura Sakubê in the kaomise drama "Wakaki no Hana Suma no Hatsuyuki", which celebrated the shûmei of Yoshizawa Sakinosuke III.

1st lunar month of 1765: Otohachi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was ô-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).

11th lunar month of 1765: Otohachi played at the Moritaza the role of Itamimura Tarôsaku in the kaomise drama "Kachidoki Sakae Genji".

11th lunar month of 1766: Otohachi played at the Nakamuraza the role of Asaka Numatarô in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Hana Kaijin Arasmusha", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Kirishima Gizaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1767: Otohachi played in the same theater the role of Oniô Shinzaemon in the new year drama "Hatsu Akinai Ômise Soga".

8th lunar month of 1767: Otohachi played in the same theater the role of Hakuunbô ^[3] in the drama "Sono Namo Tsuki no Irobito" (similar to "Narukami"); the roles of the wicked priest Narukami, Princess Taema and Kokuunbô ^[4] were played by Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Nakamura Matsue I and Ichikawa Komazô II.

11th lunar month of 1767: Otohachi performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Taiheiki Shizu no Furisode".

11th lunar month of 1768: Otohachi appeared on stage for the last time, at the Ichimuraza where he played the role of the thief Ippon Saemon in the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Tomozô I and Tomizawa Hanzaburô II. He fell ill and had to stop acting.

26th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1769 ^[1]: Otohachi died in Edo ^[5].

Comments:

Arashi Otohachi I was popular and talented 18th century dôkegata actor, who was born and trained in Kamigata and achieved fame for himself in the city of Edo, where he settled in 1732 and stayed up to his death in 1769. He was the first and only dôkegata in Kabuki history to reach the prestigious ô-jô-jô-kichi rank. He was also the founder of the successful Ebisuya, a kanoko mochi shop, which was located in Edo in the district of Ningyô-chô.

[1] The 26th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 6th year of the Meiwa era was the 2nd of May 1769 in the western calendar.

[2] The 12th day of the 7th lunar month of the 4th year of the Genbun era was the 16th of August 1739 in the western calendar.

[3] Literally white cloud bonze.

[4] Literally dark cloud bonze.

[5] His tombstone was located in the cemetery of the Jôshinji Temple in the district of Fukagawa.

Arashi Otohachi I playing the role of Asaka Numatarô in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Hana Kaijin Arasmusha", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1766 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Ippitsusai Bunchô)

Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1768

The Arashi Otohachi line of actors