Stage names:

Ichikawa Raizô I
Ichikawa Masuzô I
Arashi Tamagashiwa

Guilds: Kashiwaya ^[1], Ôzakaya ^[2]

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Hakusha (?)

Existence: 1724 ~ 12th day of the 4th lunar month of 1767 ^[3]

Connection:

Uncle: Arashi Kanshirô I

Master: Ichikawa Ebizô II

Son: Ichikawa Raizô II

Disciple: Ichikawa Tsunazô

Career:

1724: born in Kyôto. His father was a man named Ôgiya Seijûrô and his mother was the sister of the actor Arashi Kanshirô I. He started his career in kodomo shibai, performing as a wakaonnagata under the name of Arashi Tamagashiwa.

22nd day of the 8th lunar month of 1739 ^[4]: his uncle Arashi Kanshirô I died in Ôsaka.

Fall 1742: Tamagashiwa went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1742: Tamagashiwa performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Furisode Shinoda no Zuma", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Onoe Kikugorô I; his stage partners were Bandô Hikosaburô I, Segawa Kikunojô I, Ichimura Uzaemon VIII, Bandô Matatarô III, Nakajima Mihoemon I, Tomizawa Tatsujûrô, Ichikawa Sôzaburô I, Sanogawa Senzô, Tamazawa Saijirô I, Sawamura Utagiku and Ichimura Manzô.

Fall 1753: he became disciple of Ichikawa Ebizô II and a tachiyaku actor.

11th lunar month of 1753: Arashi Tamagashiwa took the name of Ichikawa Masuzô I at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Uemura Hikoshirô in the kaomise drama "Hyakumanki Tsuwamono Taiheiki".

24th day of the 9th lunar month of 1758 ^[5]: his master Ichikawa Ebizô II died.

1st lunar month of 1761: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's ni-no-kawari drama "Kiritarô Tengu no Sakamori"; Masuzô played the roles of Minamoto Sanetomo and Daihanji Ikkaku [more details].

11th lunar month of 1761: Ichikawa Masuzô I took the name of Ichikawa Raizô I at the Nakamuraza, playing the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the superhero of the "Shibaraku" scene and Kumai Tarô in the kaomise drama "Nihongahana Hôgan Biiki".

1st lunar month of 1764: Raizô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Kyô no Jirô and Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Hitokidori Harutsuge Soga".

3rd lunar month of 1764: Raizô achieved a great success in the same theater by playing the prestigious role of Sukeroku in the nibanme part of the new year drama; the roles of Sukeroku's lover Agemaki and Sukeroku's enemy Ikyû were played by Nakamura Matsue I and Ôtani Hiroemon III.

5th lunar month of 1764: Raizô played in the same theater the role of Umeômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Matsuômaru and Sakuramaru were played by Ichikawa Danjûrô IV and Ichikawa Komazô II.

5th lunar month of 1765: Raizô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Momonoi Wakasanosuke and Amakawaya Gihei in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

3rd lunar month of 1766: Raizô played at the Moritaza the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei and Taira no Tomomori in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

1st lunar month of 1767: Raizô appeared on stage for the last time, at the Nakamuraza, playing the roles of Yamada Saburô and Honmachi no Tsunagorô in the new year sogamono drama "Hatsu Akinai Ômise Soga". He suddenly fell ill and had to be replaced by Ichikawa Komazô II.

12th day of the 4th lunar month of 1767 ^[3]: Raizô died in Edo.

Comments:

Ichikawa Raizô I was a popular actor, who was trained in Kamigata as a wakaonnagata and made a great career in Edo in the 1750s and 1760s as a tachiyaku. He was able to perform either wagoto or aragoto roles and excelled in budôgoto roles. His most notable performances were in the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune, Sukeroku and Kudô Saemon Suketsune. He unfortunately died too young, before reaching the jô-jô-kichi rank (his last rank was slightly below).

[1] Raizô years.

[2] Masuzô years.

[3] The 12th day of the 4th lunar month of the 4th year of the Meiwa era was the 9th of May 1767 in the western calendar.

[4] The 22nd day of the 8th lunar month of the 4th year of the Genbun era was the 24th of September 1739 in the western calendar.

[5] The 24th day of the 9th lunar month of the 8th year of the Hôreki era was the 25th of October 1758 in the western calendar.

The actor Ichikawa Raizô I playing the role of Tokaiya Ginpei in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which was staged in the 3rd lunar month of 1766 at the Moritaza (print made by Kitao Shigemasa)

Print made by Kitao Shigemasa in 1766

The Ichikawa Masuzô line of actors

The Ichikawa Raizô line of actors