Stage names:

Arashi Shichigorô III
Arashi Ryûzô II

Other name:

Arashi Shagan III [1]

Guild: Kyôya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry name: Shagan

Existence: 1761 ~ 5th day of the 11th lunar month of 1798 ^[2]

Connection:

Master: Arashi Shichigorô II

Career:

Before 1780: he started his career in Kamigata as a disciple of Arashi Shichigorô II, who trained him and gave him the name of Arashi Ryûzô II.

1780: Ryûzô went to Edo for a short stay. He went on tour in Sawara in the 6th lunar month, then went back to Ôsaka.

Fall 1786: Ryûzô definitively settled in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1786: Ryûzô played at the Moritaza the roles of Kurando Yukihira and Ishida Saburô in the kaomise drama "Onna Musha Kiku no Sen'yoki", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Kameemon and Nakamura Kichisaburô III.

28th day of the 5th lunar month of 1788 ^[3]: his master Arashi Shichigorô II died.

9th lunar month of 1790: the play "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; it celebrated the onagori kyôgen of the Kamigata star Asao Tamejûrô I; Ryûzô played the role of Date no Jirô [more details].

11th lunar month of 1791: Ryûzô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Musashi Saemon in the kaomise drama "Kinme Nuki Genji no Kakutsuba", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô and Ichikawa Danjûrô VI.

1st lunar month of 1792: Ryûzô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

9th lunar month of 1792: Ryûzô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Soga no Emiji in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

11th lunar month of 1792: Ryûzô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Koganegiku Date no Ôkido", which celebrated the shûmei of Segawa Yûjirô II.

5th lunar month of 1793: Ryûzô played in the same theater the roles of Ono no Kudayû and Ichimonjiya Saibê in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

7th lunar month of 1793: Ryûzô played in the same theater the role of Soga no Emiji in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

7th lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Miyakoza of the drama "Keisei Sanbon Karakasa"; Ryûzô played the roles of Banzaemon's yakko Ukiyo Matahei and Hasebe Genba-no-Kami [more details].

10th lunar month of 1794: due to some financial difficulties, the salaries of all the actors were drastically reduced. Ryûzô's yearly salary for the coming season was set to 250 ryô after a reduction of 10 ryô.

1st lunar month of 1795: Namiki Gohei I's drama "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Miyakoza; Ryûzô played the role of Yasuke [casting].

4th lunar month of 1795: Ryûzô played at the Miyakoza the roles of Teraoka Heiemon and Ôta Ryôchiku in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1796: premiere at the Kiriza of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Suda no Haru Geisha Katagi"; Ryûzô played the role of Genbêbori no Genbê [casting].

9th lunar month of 1796: the play "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" was staged for the first time in Edo, simultaneously at the Kiriza and the Miyakoza; Ryûzô played the role of Kyôgoku no Takumi in the former theater [casting].

9th lunar month of 1797: Ryûzô played at the Kiriza the role of Fujiwara no Shihei in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1797: Arashi Ryûzô II took the name of Arashi Shichigorô III at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Igu no Jûrô in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kokyô no Nishikigi".

1st and 3rd lunar month of 1798: Shichigorô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

9th lunar month of 1798: Shichigorô appeared on stage for the last time, at the Nakamuraza, where he played the roles of the taiko mochi Jirôemon and Yazama Kinai in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku".

5th day of the 11th lunar month of 1798 ^[2]: Shichigorô died in Edo.

Comments:

Arashi Shichigorô III was a good katakiyaku and jitsuaku actor, born and trained in Kamigata, who was very active in Edo for 12 years, from 1786 to 1798. He unfortunately died too young, before being able to reach the prestigious jô-jô-kichi level. The print-maker Tôshûzai Sharaku, who had a brief but brilliant career between 1794 and 2nd lunar month of 1795 before disappearing mysteriously, left behind a few famous prints depicting this actor.

[1] Not reported in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" or the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database. As Arashi Shichigorô III was the third actor to use the haimyô Shagan, we assume he was de facto Arashi Shagan III.

[2] The 5th day of the 11th lunar month of the 10th year of the Kansei era was the 11th of December 1798 in the western calendar.

[3] The 28th day of the 5th lunar month of the 8th year of the Tenmei era was the 1st of July 1788 in the western calendar.

Arashi Shichigorô III playing the role of Igu no Jûrô in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kokyô no Nishikigi", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1797 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

Print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku in 1794

The Arashi Shagan line of actors

The Arashi Ryûzô line of actors

The Arashi Shichigorô line of actors