| ICHIKAWA SADANJI I |
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Real name: Takahashi Eizô Guild: Takashimaya Line number: SHODAI (I) Poetry names: Shôchô (1), Enshô (1) Existence: 28th day of the 10th lunar month of 1842 [1] ~ 7 August 1904 Connections: Adoptive father: Ichikawa Kodanji IV Brothers: Nakamura Jusaburô III, Ichikawa Arajirô I Son: Ichikawa Sadanji II Daughter: Ichikawa Shôchô I Son-in-law: Ichikawa Shôchô II Disciples: Ichikawa Sashô I, Ichikawa Sashô II, Ichikawa Enjo, Ichikawa Kudanji II, Ichikawa Wakamatsu, Ichikawa Kohanji II, Ichikawa Enjûrô, Ichikawa Shôjaku II, Ichikawa Enshô III Career: 1842: born in Ôsaka. His father Nakamura Seikichi was a theater wig-dresser (tokoyama). 1848: he made his first appearance on stage at the Kado no Shibai, where he received the name of Ichikawa Tatsuzô. 1851: he became disciple of the actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Koyone. 1862: Ichikawa Koyone took the name of Ichikawa Shôjaku I. 1864: he was adopted by Ichikawa Kodanji IV, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Sadanji I. The two actors went together to Edo. 8th day of the 5th lunar month of 1866 [2]: his adoptive father Ichikawa Kodanji IV died. 2nd lunar month of 1867: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's new year sogamono "Keisei Soga Kuruwa Kagami", in which was premiered the drama "Oshizu Reiza"; Sadanji played the roles of Kyô no Jirô, Ushijima Chikara and the uekiya Yanagishima no Matsu [more details]. 3rd lunar month of 1870: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kusunoki-ryû Hanami no Makuhari" (commonly called "Keian Taiheiki" or "Marubashi Chûya"); Sadanji played the roles of Marigase Shûya and Ôtake Shozô [more details]. 10th lunar month of 1872: Sadanji took part in the opening ceremony of the Shintomiza. January 1875: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Ôgi Byôshi Ôoka Seidan" (commonly called "Ten'ichibô"); Sadanji played the roles of Yoshida Sangorô and Yamanouchi Iganosuke [casting]. May 1875: revival at the Kawarasakiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kusunoki-ryû Hanami no Makuhari", which was entitled "Hanamidoki Yui no Makuhari"; Sadanji played the role of Marubashi Chûya [more details]. June 1876: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Hototogisu Date no Kikigaki"; Sadanji played the roles of Asahino Yagorô, Karagi Wasuke and Aranami Kajinosuke [casting]. December 1877: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kômonki Osana Kôshaku"; Sadanji played the roles of Oda Echigo-no-Kami, the sakanaya Kyûgorô, Takashima Fukuhei, the Oda nakama Sakurô & Takakichi (a performer at the Niwaka Festival) [more details]. June 1878: premiere at the Shintomiza of the 2-part dance-drama "Botan-ni Chô Ôgi no Irodori". The second part, "Suehiro no Shiroharigasa", has survived and became the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Genroku Hanami Odori"; Sadanji performed in this dance [more details]. October 1878: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Sadanji played the role of the tobi Tsukimi no Bunji [casting]. February 1879: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Ningen Banji Kane no Yo no Naka"; Sadanji played the roles of Sunada Utsuzô and the rice merchant Takayasu Tokushirô [casting]. 16 July 1879: Sadanji took part in the gala night at the Shintomiza in the honor of the General Ulysses S. Grant [more details]. March 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's masterpiece "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana"; Sadanji played the role of Kaneko Ichinojô [casting]. May 1881: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Ôsakazuki Shusen no Tsuwamono"; Sadanji played the role of Hara Saisuke, in reality Baba Saburobê [casting]. June 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's jidaimono "Youchi Soga Kariba no Akebono" [casting]; Sadanji played the role of Danzaburô (Gorô's retainer). Premiere in the same theater of Kawatake Shinshichi II's dance-drama "Tsuchi-gumo", which was staged to commemorate the 32nd anniversary (33rd memorial service) of late Onoe Kikugorô III; Sadanji played the role of Hirai Yasumasa [casting]. November 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono drama "Shima Chidori Tsuki no Shiranami"; Sadanji played the role of Matsushima Senta [casting]. June 1882: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Mokuami's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Imayô Mochizuki" (commonly called "Mochizuki"); Sadanji played the role of Mochizuki Saemon Akinaga [casting]. January 1883: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Medeshi Yanagi Midori no Matsumae"; Sadanji played the role of Yagyû Tajima-no-Kami [casting]. April 1883: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Ibaraki"; Sadanji played the role of Watanabe Genji Tsuna [casting]. January 1885: two dances were staged at the Chitoseza, about to reopen in February 1885 with a new name. From the 4th to the 7th of January, two auspicious dances and a kôjô with the troupe led by Ichikawa Danjûrô IX were staged. The sanbasô was staged with Sadanji (Okina), Bandô Kakitsu I (Senzai) and Onoe Kikugorô V (Sanbasô). This was also the premiere of the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Tsuru Kame" [more details]. February 1885: Sadanji took part in the opening ceremony of the Chitoseza [more details]. Premiere at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Suitengû Megumi no Fukagawa"; Sadanji played the roles of Ogiwara Ryôsaku and the rickshaw Sangorô [casting]. November 1885: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Funa Benkei"; Sadanji played the role of Benkei [casting]. 26 April 1887: the emperor views Kabuki for the first time at the residence of Inoue Kaoru, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; the casting included the three leading Meiji era stars Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, Onoe Kikugorô V and Sadanji. October 1887: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's matsubamemono "Momijigari"; Sadanji played the role of Taira no Koremochi [casting]. May 1888: première at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame"; Sadanji played the role of Sano Jirôzaemon [casting]. March 1890: premiere at the Kiriza of Takeshiba Kisui's drama "Kami no Megumi Wagô no Torikumi"; Sadanji played the roles of Kitadashi Kisaburô and the sumôtori Kuryûzan Namiemon (previously named Mizuhiki Seigorô) [more details]. July 1890: premiere at the Shintomiza of "Kiyomasa Seichûroku", a revised version of Kawatake Shinshichi III's 1875 drama "Minori no Aki Seishô Denki". It was part of a special 2-day gala program starring Ichikawa Danjûrô IX; Sadanji played the role of Sakakibara Yasumasa [more details]. October 1890: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Mokuami's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Modoribashi"; Sadanji played the role of Watanabe Genji Tsuna [casting]. November 1892: Sadanji became the zagashira of the Ichimuraza, which was rebuilt in the district of Shitaya. November 1893: opening ceremony of the Meijiza, rebuilt and managed by Sadanji [more details]. October 1898: premiere at the Meijiza of Takeshiba Kisui's dance-drama "Sannin Katawa"; Sadanji played the role of the crawling cripple [casting]. March 1899: premiere at the Meijiza of the drama "Kurotegumi Kuruwa no Tatehiki", which gathered the main scenes from the sukerokumono part of Kawatake Shinshichi II's 1858 drama "Edo Zakura Kiyomizu Seigen"; Sadanji played the roles of the bantô Gonkurô and Sukeroku [casting]. May 1904: Sadanji appeared on stage for the last time, at the Meijiza, where he played the role of the fisherman Yatôta in Matsui Shôô's drama "Tekikoku Kôfuku". 7 August 1904: Sadanji died. Comments: Ichikawa Sadanji I belonged to the triumvirat of stars who dominated the Kabuki world during the Meiji era (the two others were Ichikawa Danjûrô IX and Onoe Kikugorô V). He was the leading actor of many shinkabuki dramas and worked on scripts written by authors who did not belong to the Kabuki world, like Matsui Shôô, or adapted contemporary popular novels, like Kôda Rohan's "Hige Otoko". His two most successful roles were Marubashi Chûya and Baba Saburobê in "Keian Taiheiki" and "Ôsakazuki". "At first he was a poor actor, and gave no sign of a promising career. Mokuami, the playwright, assisted him greatly by providing him with new plays and furnishing him with advice, and so great was his advancement that he was able to hold his own with Danjûrô and Kikugorô" (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan") [1] The 28th day of the 10th lunar month of the 13th year of the Tenpô era was the 30th of November 1842 in the western calendar. [2] The 8th day of the 5th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Keiô era was the 20th of June 1866 in the western calendar. |
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The actor Ichikawa Sadanji I playing the role of Sakuzô in the drama "Sato no Haregi Momiji no Uchikake", which was staged in April 1901 at the Meijiza (print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai) Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1874 Print made by Yôshû Chikanobu in 1881 Print made by Morikawa Chikashige in 1882 Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1883 Print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai in 1900 Print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai in 1901 The Ichikawa Sadanji line of actors |
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