Stage names:

Ichikawa Sai'nyû I
Ichikawa Udanji I
Ichikawa Fukutarô I

Real name: Ichikawa Fukutarô

Guilds: Takashimaya, Tsuruya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: 16th day of the 7th lunar month of 1843 ^[1] ~ 18 March 1916

Connections:

Father: Ichikawa Kodanji IV

Brother: Ichikawa Kodanji V

Son: Ichikawa Udanji II

Grandson: Ichikawa Unosuke II

Great-grandson: Ichikawa Sai'nyû II

Disciples: Ichikawa Kigan IV, Ichikawa Shinshô IV

Career:

16th day of the 7th lunar month of 1843 ^[1]: born in Ôsaka in the Tsuruya chaya. His father was the actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV. His father spending most of his time in Edo instead of Ôsaka, he was expected to become a decchi instead of an actor but the call of the stage was too strong.

2nd lunar month of 1852: he made his first stage appearance, in Ôsaka at the Wakadayû no Shibai, where he played under the name of Ichikawa Fukutarô I the role of the taiko mochi Fukuhachi in the drama "Igagoe".

Spring 1862: Fukutarô and his mother were invited to Edo by Ichikawa Kodanji IV.

3rd lunar month of 1862: Fukutarô performed with his father at the Moritaza.

5th lunar month of 1862: premiere at the Moritaza of the drama "Shinpan Ukina no Yomiuri"; Fukutarô played the role of Osome [more details].

Spring 1862: his father and his mother quarreled and had to separate. Fukutarô went back to Ôsaka with his mother.

8th lunar month of 1862: Ichikawa Fukutarô I took the name of Ichikawa Udanji I in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.

12th lunar month of 1862: Udanji played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Sanbasô, Sonobe Saemon and Osome in "Sanbasô", "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari" and "Some Moyô Imose no Kadomatsu".

1863: Udanji went back to Ôsaka where he received the support of Onoe Tamizô II and his son Ichikawa Ichizô III.

8th day of the 5th lunar month of 1866 ^[2]: his father Ichikawa Kodanji IV died in Edo.

May 1874: Udanji played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of En'ya Hangan and Okaru in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

Summer 1881: Udanji founded his own troupe, the Udanji Ichiza, to go on tour in Ise and Toyohashi.

June 1882: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Mokuami's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Imayô Mochizuki" (commonly called "Mochizuki"); Udanji played the role of Ozawa Gyôbu Tomofusa [casting].

November 1882: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Mokuami's kuroda-sôdômono "Imayô Mochizuki"; Udanji played the roles of Kôyô (the oshô of the An'yôji Temple), Karakiya Kôemon, Asakawa Mondo and the cha no sôshô Hishikawa Kazan [casting].

January 1883: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Medeshi Yanagi Midori no Matsumae"; Udanji played the role of Yagyû Matajûrô [casting].

December 1886: Udanji played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Satô Shirobyôe Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô in the "Shi-no-Kiri" scene of the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". He also performed as a shamisen player during the "Sushiya" scene, in duo with Nakamura Ganjirô I as a singer.

August 1888: Udanji played at the Kado Gekijô the role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Issun Tokubê and Tsuribune Sabu were played by Nakamura Ganjirô I and Nakamura Sôjûrô.

October 1888: Udanji played at the Naniwaza the roles of Kan Shôjô and Shundô Genba in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

July 1891: Udanji played in Kyôto at the Tokiwaza the role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Issun Tokubê and Tsuribune Sabu were played by Jitsukawa Enzaburô IV and Arashi Kitsusaburô IV.

November 1891: Udanji played at the Kado Gekijô the roles of Igami no Gonta, Shizuka Gozen and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

February 1907: Udanji played at the Bentenza the role of Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Kama-ga-Fuchi".

March 1907: Udanji played at the Bentenza the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Hayano Kanpei and Kakogawa Honzô in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

January 1909: Ichikawa Udanji I and his son Ichikawa Unosuke I respectively took the names of Ichikawa Sai'nyû I and Ichikawa Udanji II at the Kadoza.

1915: Sai'nyû decides to retire. He celebrated it by playing at the Kabukiza the leading role of the dance "Ayatsuri Sanbasô". "Sai'nyû, one of Ôsaka's fine old actors, came to say farewell to Tôkyô but a short time before his death. The ceremony of retirement was most appropriate. The stage was prepared for a comic dance, and while various performers were attracting the attention of the audience, a large box, such as is used to contain a toy or doll, was carried in and remained to one side while the merriment proceeded. Finally, when curiosity with regard to the box had increased considerably, property men lifted the mysterious object and placed it in the front of the stage, removed the side nearest the audience, and within was disclosed the venerable actor as a marionette. In the many-coloured garments of Sanbasô, the humoresque figure of the Nô stage, and manifestation of an ancient Shintô deity, whose semi-religious dance was performed at dawn with the opening of the theatre, he was brought forth limp and lifeless. Stage attendants attached imaginary wires to his arms and head, and he performed this characteristic dance after the fashion of the dolls. Finally, real wires were attached to his costume and he rose into the air, still making marionette motions with his arms and legs, and disappeared into the regions above stage,--a feat for an actor over seventy years of age." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

18 March 1916: Sai'nyû died.

Comments:

Ichikawa Sai'nyû I was one of the stage giants in Kamigata during the Meiji era, along with Nakamura Sôjûrô and Jitsukawa Enjaku I (Sôen'u). He was able to perform almost any kind of role as a tachiyaku, onnagata, katakiyaku or fukeyaku (in his latter years). He was an outstanding dancer and was equally at home in sewamono, jidaimono or new productions. Just like his father Ichikawa Kodanji IV, he also fond of keren like chûnori or honmizu. His most famous stage trick was a special chûnori for the robber Ishikawa Goemon: a wicker basket (tsuzura) comes into sight, flying in the air without anybody carrying it. It comes to a halt above the hanamichi and Goemon suddenly emerges from it. He places the basket on his shoulder and triumphantly flies off through the air, scornfully laughing at the powerless soldiers who can't stop his escape.

[1] The 16th day of the 7th lunar month of the 14th year of the Tenpô era was the 11th of August 1843 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.

Ichikawa Sai'nyû I performing the role of Sanbasô in the eponymous dance

Prints & Illustrations

The Ichikawa Fukutarô line of actors

The Ichikawa Udanji line of actors

The Ichikawa Sai'nyû line of actors