Stage names:

Arashi Shinpei I
Arashi San'emon III
Arashi Matsunojô I

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry names: Banko, Sugidori (?)

Existence: 1697 ~ 10th day of the 7th lunar month of 1754 ^[1]

Connection:

Grandfather: Arashi San'emon I

Father: Arashi San'emon II

Adopted son: Arashi San'emon IV

Disciples: Arashi San'emon V, Arashi Sangorô I, Arashi Tominosuke I, Arashi Wakano I, Arashi Wakano II, Arashi Koisa I, Arashi Sanshirô II, Arashi Sanshirô III, Arashi Monzaburô II, Arashi Matsunojô III, Arashi Kikumatsu

Career:

1697: born in Ôsaka.

7th day of the 11th lunar month of 1701 ^[2]: his father Arashi San'emon II died.

11th lunar month of 1704: he took the name of Arashi San'emon III at the age of 8 and became zamoto in Ôsaka. He performed on stage the roppô technique, a trademark of his family.

11th lunar month of 1717: San'emon produced in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the kaomise drama "Meryû Oryû Kogane no Uroko", in which he played the role of Manmatsu Hikokurô.

3rd lunar month of 1719: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's 1708 puppet theater drama "Keisei Hangonkô" by Kyôya Yagoshirô, which was produced by San'emon in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai; San'emon played the role of Ukiyo Matahei [casting].

11th lunar month of 1720: San'emon produced at the Higashi no Shibai (Ôsaka) the kaomise drama "Kogane no Ikioi" and the kiri kyôgen "Nanshoku Kamo Samurai Jûshichikinenki"; he played the roles of Okumatsu Tominojô [illustration] and Toriiôji Mondo in the former and the latter dramas.

1st lunar month of 1721: San'emon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1721: San'emon produced at the Higashi no Shibai (Ôsaka) the kaomise drama "Tenryû Chiryû Kogane no Suzunari".

11th lunar month of 1722: San'emon produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Shingoten Aioi no Komatsu", in which he played the role of Komatsu no Shigemori.

12th lunar month of 1722: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's puppet theater drama "Nebiki no Kadomatsu", which was originally written in the 1st lunar month of 1718. The play was staged in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai under the new title "Yamazaki Yojibê Hanchû Bushi"; San'emon played the role of Yamazaki Yojibê [casting].

11th lunar month of 1723: San'emon produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Kogane no Hanagata", which celebrated the arrival in Ôsaka of the Edo star Ôtani Hiroji I.

1st lunar month of 1724: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of "Edoe Ukiyo Soga", an Edo-flavored new year drama produced by San'emon and welcoming in Ôsaka the Edo actor Ôtani Hiroji I; San'emon played the roles of Soga Jûrô, Hiranoya Tokubê and Kamakuraya Gorohachi [more details].

21st day of the 3rd lunar month of 1724: a fire broke out in Ôsaka and destroyed several theaters, including the Kado no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1724: San'emon produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Banzei no Minato", in which he played the role of Taema Hikokurô.

11th lunar month of 1725: San'emon produced at the Kado no Shibai Kaneko Kichizaemon's kaomise drama "Wagô no Futabashira".

11th lunar month of 1726: San'emon played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Fukubiki no Sankichi and Mantarô in the kaomise drama "Bunbu Aioi no Matsu", which was produced by Fujii Hanamatsu and celebrated the shûmei of Fujikawa Hanzaburô II.

Fall 1727: San'emon moved to Kyôto with the actor Sakurayama Shirosaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1727: San'emon played the roles of Fukubiki no Sankichi and Tônai Jirô in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô", which was produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater.

1st lunar month of 1728: San'emon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1728: San'emon played the role of Asakura Hikokurô in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Kogane no Uroko", which was produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.

1st lunar month of 1729: San'emon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was tôfû jô-jô-kichi (fashionable - superior - superior - excellent).

11th lunar month of 1729: San'emon played the role of Nozoki no Shichibyôe in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Yomeiri Shichigosan", which was produced by Arashi Koroku I at Daikokuya Takenojô's theater.

11th lunar month of 1730: San'emon played the roles of the zatô Shunkei and his brother Mantarô in Sawamura Bunji's kaomise drama "Inari Yakata Manpô no Kura", which was produced by Arashi Koroku I at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.

11th lunar month of 1731: San'emon played the role of Toriya Manbê in the kaomise drama "Hiragana Imagawajô", which was produced in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater; his stage partners were Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Nakamura Shingorô I, Sanogawa Mangiku, Somenoi Hanshirô, Yashio Ikuemon, Anegawa Chiyosaburô I and Tomizawa Montarô I.

9th lunar month of 1732: first Kabuki adaptation of Matsuda Bunkôdô and Hasegawa Senshi puppet theater drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which was produced in Kyôto by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I at Miyako Mandayû's theater; San'emon played the role of Seki-ga-Hara Zennai [casting].

Fall 1732: San'emon went back to Ôsaka after five seasons spent in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1732: San'emon produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Mitsu no Hama Kogane no Irie".

3rd lunar month of 1733: the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Kado no Shibai; San'emon produced it and played the roles of Chichibu no Shôji Shigetada and Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi [casting].

9th lunar month of 1733: San'emon went to Edo; he fell ill and could not perform in the kaomise program.

1st lunar month of 1734: San'emon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Soga Jûrô in the new year sogamono drama "Nanakusa Nigiwai Soga"; his partner in the role of Soga Gorô was Ichikawa Danjûrô II. San'emon had some voice problem and his performance was not good enough for the Edo audience.

11th lunar month of 1734: San'emon was back in Kyôto after a short and unsuccessful stay in Edo; he was part of the kaomise program at Miyako Mandayû's theater but did not perform any specific role.

1st lunar month of 1735: San'emon was the kanjiku of tachiyaku actors in the Kyôto hyôbanki.

5th lunar month of 1735: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater; San'emon played the role of Abe no Yasuna [casting].

11th lunar month of 1735: San'emon played in the kaomise drama "Bankoku Ôshimadai", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I at Miyako Mandayû's theater.

1st lunar month of 1736: there were two kanjiku for tachiyaku actors in the Kyôto hyôbanki; Sakakiyama Koshirô I was the "jitsu kanjiku" (the real kanjiku) and San'emon was the "iro kanjiku" (the sexy kanjiku).

Fall 1736: San'emon went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1736: San'emon performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Furômon Kon no Shikigawara", which was produced by Nakayama Shinkurô I.

11th lunar month of 1737: San'emon played at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Fukakusa-no-In Sannô no Maki", which was produced by Nakayama Shinkurô I.

8th lunar month of 1738: San'emon played in the same theater the role of Abe no Yasuna in the drama "Shinoda-zuma" (similar to "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami"); the role of Kuzu-no-Ha was played by Matsushima Hyôtarô.

Fall 1738: San'emon went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1738: San'emon took part in Tomimura Takichi's kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Hôrai Yakata", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I at Kameya Kumenojô's theater; San'emon appeared only in the kôjô.

1st lunar month of 1739: San'emon played in the same theater the roles of Imagawa Nakaaki and Takamatsu Sentarô in the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Arashiyama".

11th lunar month of 1739: San'emon took part in the kaomise drama "Oiwai Nô Nishiki no Manmaku", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I at Nakamura Wakadayû's theater; he suddenly fell ill and had to be replaced by Somematsu Shichisaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1740: San'emon took part in the kaomise drama "Asuka Miyako Jindai no Maki", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I at Miyako Mandayû's theater; San'emon appeared only in the kôjô.

11th lunar month of 1741: San'emon played the role of Okamura Izuminosuke, in reality Abe no Yasuna, in the kaomise drama "Imayô Shinoda-zuma", which was staged at Miyako Mandayû's theater; the role of Kuzu-no-Ha was played by Fujii Hanamatsu.

11th lunar month of 1743: San'emon took part in the kaomise drama "Wakamidori Hatsumenbako", which was produced by his adopted son Arashi Matsunojô II at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater.

Fall 1744: San'emon went back to Ôsaka after 6 seasons spent in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1744: San'emon played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Sôryô Ôenosuke and Yamazaki Yojibê in the kaomise drama "Yamazaki Yojibê Imayô Sugata".

12th lunar month of 1744: San'emon played in the same theater the roles of Sonobe Saemon and Goheiji in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1745: Arashi San'emon III and his adopted son Arashi Matsunojô II respectively took the names of Arashi Shinpei I and Arashi San'emon IV at the Ônishi no Shibai, performing together in the kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô".

12th lunar month of 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which started a competition for the best performance and line-up; Shinpei played the role of Tsuribune Sabu at the Ônishi no Shibai [casting].

11th lunar month of 1746: Shinpei took part at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Katakiuchi Naniwa no Ume", which was produced by his adopted son Arashi San'emon IV.

12th lunar month of 1746: Shinpei played in the same theater the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Danshichi Kurobê and Issun Tokubê were played by Nakayama Shinkurô I and Sakurayama Shirosaburô II.

4th lunar month of 1747: Shinpei appeared on stage for the last time, at the Kado no Shibai, playing the role of Mikasayama Kamonnosuke in the drama "Washû Somedono Ike"; he decided to definitively retire from the stage.

10th day of the 7th lunar month of 1754 ^[1]: Shinpei died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Arashi Shinpei I was a great tachiyaku actor of the first half of the eighteenth century and a successful zamoto between 1704 and 1733. He was very popular in Ôsaka or Kyôto but failed to achieve success in Edo. He was the worthy heir of both his grandfather Arashi San'emon I and his father Arashi San'emon II, excelling as a wagotoshi or with the roppô technique. One of his most notable roles was Abe no Yasuna in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami".

"He was also noted for his dancing, and played in pieces that had been handed down by his two predecessors." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

[1] The 10th day of the 7th lunar month of the 4th year of the Hôreki era was the 27th of August 1754 in the western calendar.

[2] The 7th day of the 11th lunar month of the 14th year of the Genroku era was the 6th of December 1701 in the western calendar.

Arashi Shinpei I performing in the 11th lunar month of 1745 at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô"

Prints & Illustrations

The Arashi Matsunojô line of actors

The Arashi San'emon line of actors

The Arashi Shinpei line of actors