Stage name:

Fujikawa Sango

Guild: Tosaya

Poetry name: Goryô

Existence: 1755 ~ 5th day of the 12th lunar month of 1784 ^[1]

Connection:

Grandfather: Fujikawa Shigeemon

Father: Fujikawa Sanpachi

Disciple: Fujikawa Koisa

Career:

1765: he performed in Kyôto as an iroko. His stage name was Fujikawa Sango.

1766 ~ 1768: he performed in Kyôto as a wakashugata.

1769: he became wakaonnagata in Kyôto.

5th lunar month of 1769: Sango played in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Ohan in the drama "Katsuragawa Chishio no Marutabashi" (a play belonging to the same sekai as the future "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami"); the role of Ohan's lover Chôemon was played by Onoe Kikugorô I!

11th lunar month of 1769: he switched back to wakashugata roles and played in Kyôto the role of Ushiwakamaru (disguised as a fan-selling girl) in the kaomise drama "Asahimaru Genji Kagami", which was produced by 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: Sango switched back to wakaonnagata roles and performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Sakigake Yashima no Kachidoki", which was produced by Onoe Kumesuke.

11th lunar month of 1771: Sango played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Kochô (in a dance) in the kaomise drama "Miyako Yoshino Mikado no Takadono", which was produced by Mimasu Tokujirô I, welcomed in Kyôto the Edo actor Sakata Hangorô II and celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Anegawa Minato II and Yamatoyama Rinzaemon II.

11th lunar month of 1772: Sango performed at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôsaka Zaiku Araki no Mokuzô", which was produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I.

3rd lunar month of 1773: Sango's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1774: Sango became zamoto in Kyôto and produced the kaomise program "Akanesasu Kogane no Maruyama"; his main stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô I, Onoe Matsusuke I, Sawamura Sôjûrô III and Arashi Hinasuke I.

28th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1775 ^[2]: his father Fujikawa Sanpachi died.

11th lunar month of 1775: Sango produced in Kyôto the kaomise drama "Kono Hana Sakae Hachinoki", which celebrated the shûmei of Arashi Koroku II, Somematsu Shichisaburô II, Matsuyama Kogenji and Nakamura Shôgorô; others actors were Onoe Kikugorô I, Nakamura Jûzô II, Onoe Shinshichi I, Onoe Matsusuke I, Arashi Tôjûrô, Arashi Shichigorô II, Asao Toyozô I, Sakata Raizô, Asao Kunigorô I and Arashi Shigenoi.

11th lunar month of 1776: Sango performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Oso Uji Yodo no Irifune", which was produced by Matsuyama Kogenji and celebrated the shûmei of Mihogi Gizaemon II.

1st lunar month of 1777: Sango's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

Fall 1777: Sango went to Ôsaka for the first time.

11th lunar month of 1777: Sango performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôiri Kabuki no Tsuitachi", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I and and celebrated the shûmei of Shibazaki Rinzaemon II; others main actors were Onoe Kikugorô I, Onoe Shinshichi I, Kiriyama Monji II, Hanagiri Toyomatsu III, Yamanaka Heijûrô III, Arashi Matsujirô I, Fujikawa Ryûzô and Nakamura Tamagashiwa.

4th lunar month of 1778: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's play "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Sango played the role of the courtesan Hanatachibana [casting].

11th lunar month of 1778: Sango performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Genpei Tatoezukushi", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I and welcomed back in Ôsaka the star Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1779: Sango's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1779: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's play "Sode Nikki Banshû Meguri"; Sango played the role of Momonoi Yaegikumaru [casting].

11th lunar month of 1779: Sango performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Senshû Banzei Chibako no Tamamono", which was produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Noshio II and Yamamura Giemon II.

11th lunar month of 1780: Sango became zamoto in Ôsaka and produced the kaomise drama "Mô Mô Yokaro Ushi no Tamamono", which is produced by Fujikawa Sango and welcomes back in Ôsaka the actor Yamashita Kinsaku II after 11 seasons spent in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1781: Sango produced at the Kado no Shibai Namiki Gohei I's drama "Tensha Yorozu Yoshitsune Biiki".

12th lunar month of 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Tengajaya-mura"; Sango produced it and played the role of Somenoi [casting]. A similar play was staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters.

11th lunar month of 1782: Sango produced in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Yamato Moji Sansai Zue".

12th lunar month of 1782: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Keisei Kogane no Shachihoko"; Sango played the roles of Ishidani Kachizaemon's nyôbô Ofuji and the keisei Irisawa [more details].

1st lunar month of 1784: he performed in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari", which was staged as both the kaomise drama and the new year drama.

Fall 1784: Sango went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1784: Sango was expected to perform at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ôakinai Hiru-ga-Kojima". He unfortunately fell ill and could not perform on stage.

5th day of the 12th lunar month of 1784 ^[1]: Sango died in Edo.

Comments:

Fujikawa Sango was a popular Kamigata onnagata actor, who was active from the middle of the 1760s to the middle of the 1780s. He was said to be equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. He was also said to look and speak like a woman.

[1] The 5th day of the 12th lunar month of the 4th year of the Tenmei era was the 15th of January 1785 in the western calendar.

[2] The 28th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 4th year of the An'ei era was the 27th of April 1775 in the western calendar.

Fujikawa Sango in an illustration from the book "Santo Yakusha Omokage Zukushi", which was published in Ôsaka by Yamatoya Kaemon in 1784

Prints & Illustrations