Pen names:

Okuno Sasuke
Okuno Icchô
Okuno Sasuke	|  |  |

Poetry names: Bachô, Icchô

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Horikoshi Nisôji I

Disciple: Okuno Eiji

Career:

11th lunar month of 1755: he started his career as a sakusha disciple of Horikoshi Nisôji I; he took the name of Okuno Sasuke and worked at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Arigatashi Yunzei Genji".

11th lunar month of 1756: Sasuke worked at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Masakado Shôzoku no Enoki", which celebrated the arrival of Arashi Tominosuke I in Edo. Sasuke changed the writing of his first name:

11th lunar month of 1758: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Horikoshi Nisôji I at the Ichimuraza, along with Namiki Ryôsuke, Tsuuchi Denjûrô I and Nakamura Goichi, on the kaomise drama "Kaomise Sajikigadake".

11th lunar month of 1760: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Namiki Ryôsuke at the Moritaza, along with Sawai Chûzô, Ichizuka Heihachi and Fujii Hanzô, on the kaomise drama "Miyo no Butoku Yunzei Kagami". He changed the writing of his first name:

11th lunar month of 1761: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Kanai Sanshô at the Nakamuraza, along with Tsuuchi Denjûrô I and Kanai Sanpei II, on the kaomise drama "Nihongahana Hôgan Biiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Raizô I.

11th lunar month of 1762: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Kanai Sanshô at the Nakamuraza, along with Kanai Sanpei II, Kanai Kinji and Kanai Kinpachi, on the kaomise drama "Nagi no Ha Izu no Sugatami", which celebrated the shûmei of Ôtani Hiroemon III, Ichikawa Somegorô I and Nakajima Kanzaemon III.

11th lunar month of 1763: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Namiki Ryôsuke at the Ichimuraza, along with Tsuuchi Jihê III, Sawai Chûzô and Tsuuchi Denjûrô II, on the kaomise drama "Shikai Nami Yawaragi Taiheiki".

11th lunar month of 1764: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Kanai Sanshô at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Wakaki no Hana Suma no Hatsuyuki", which celebrated the shûmei of Yoshizawa Sakinosuke III.

11th lunar month of 1765: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Kanai Sanshô at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Furitsumu Hana Nidai Genji". He changed the writing of his first name:

11th lunar month of 1766: Sasuke worked, along with the sakusha Kanai Sanshô, Sakurada Jisuke I, Yamaji Heizô and Okada Chôzô at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Tsuno Moji Izu no Irifune", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Mitsugorô I, Ichikawa Somegorô and Sawamura Yodogorô II.

11th lunar month of 1767: he temporarily took the name of Okuno Icchô and worked, along with the sakusha Sakurada Jisuke I, Hirata Hanzô and Ogi Batai, at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Sanada no Yoichi Banjaku no Iezuto", which celebrated the shûmei of Sanogawa Ichimatsu II and welcomes in Edo the Kamigata actor Yamashita Kyônosuke.

11th lunar month of 1768: he took back the name of Okuno Sasuke and worked, along with the sakusha Dontsû Yosabê I, Masuyama Kinpachi I, Kawatake Shinshichi I and Hirata Bunji, at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Ima o Sakari Suehiro Genji", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata star Nakamura Utaemon I and the shûmei of Osagawa Tsuneyo II.

11th lunar month of 1769: Sasuke worked, along with Sakurada Jisuke I (tatesakusha), Hata Bunsuke, Kawatake Shinshichi I, Nishikawa Sensuke and Shima Banroku, at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Kawaranu Hanasakae Hachinoki".

11th lunar month of 1770: Sasuke worked, along with Sakurada Jisuke I, Kawatake Shinshichi I, Toyomi Ridai and Kimura Yaichi, at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which celebrated the shûmei of Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Nakamura Shôchô, Ichikawa Monnosuke II, Nakamura Shichisaburô III and Bandô Sanpachi II.

11th lunar month of 1771: Sasuke worked, along with Nakamura Jûsuke II, Naka Kiichi, Kawatake Shinshichi I and Kimura Yaichi, at the Nakamuraza on the kaomise drama "Kuni no Hana Ono no Itsumoji".

11th lunar month of 1772: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Nakamura Jûsuke II at the Nakamuraza, along with Sakurada Jisuke I, Kimura Yaichi and Yaoki Kôsuke, on the kaomise drama "Ôyoroi Ebidô Shinozuka", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô III, Matsumoto Kôshirô IV and Ichikawa Komazô III.

11th lunar month of 1773: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the kaomise drama "Gohiiki Kanjinchô". Kawatake Shinshichi I and Sasuke worked on this drama under the supervision of the tatesakusha Sakurada Jisuke I This 46-days long performance, which also celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Rikô I, was a tremendous success.

11th lunar month of 1774: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Horikoshi Saiyô at the Ichimuraza, along with Nakamura Seikurô II, Ôkoshi Shûzô, Okuno Eiji and Nakamura Jûsuke II, on the kaomise drama "Chigo Sakura Jûsangane", which celebrated the shûmei of Segawa Kikunojô III.

11th lunar month of 1775: no record in any major theater. Was he sick?

11th lunar month of 1776: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Horikoshi Nisôji I at the Nakamuraza, along with Masuyama Kinpachi I, Namiki Risuke and Horikoshi Kikuji, on the kaomise drama "Sakuya Kono Hana no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1777: Sasuke worked, along with Horikoshi Nisôji I (his master fell ill and could not work on this drama) and Sei Basetsu, at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Hito no Kuni Yori Mitsugi no Irifune", which celebrated the return to Edo of the actor Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

11th lunar month of 1778: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Kawatake Shinshichi I at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Date Nishiki Tsui no Yumitori".

1st lunar month of 1779: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Edo Meisho Midori Soga". No record afterwards.

Comments:

Okuno Sasuke was an Edo sakusha, who was active from the middle of the 1750s to the end of the 1770s. He worked not only for his master Horikoshi Nisôji I, but also with most of the famous Edo playwrights of the Hôreki, Meiwa and An'ei eras, like Kanai Sanshô, Sakurada Jisuke I or Nakamura Jûsuke II. The only drama on which he worked and which has survived is "Gohiiki Kanjinchô".

The name of Okuno Sasuke in a 1779 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red shape in the picture); all the names were the sakusha at the Moritaza