Pen names:

Kawatake Shinshichi III
Takeshiba Kinsaku I

Other name:

Kikugawa Kintarô

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry name: Zesui

Existence: 1842 ~ 10 January 1901

Connection:

Master: Kawatake Mokuami

Disciples: Takeshiba Kinsaku II, Takeshiba Shinkichi, Takeshiba Hyôzô II

Career:

1842: born in Edo in the district of Kanda.

1855: with the patronage of the historian Ishizuka Hôkaishi, he becomes a disciple of Kawatake Shinshichi II.

1st lunar month of 1872: Kinsaku becomes tatesakusha at the Ichimuraza.

July 1874: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Kinsaku's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Kotobuki Ninin Shôjô" [more details].

October 1875: premiere at the Nakamuraza and the Shinboriza of Takeshiba Kinsaku's drama "Minori no Aki Seishô Denki" [more details].

September 1878: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Takeshiba Kinsaku's drama "Tsûzoku Saiyûki" [casting].

November 1881: his master takes the name of Kawatake Mokuami.

March 1884: premiere at the Harukiza of Takeshiba Kinsaku's drama "Chûjô Hime Taima Engi" [casting].

April 1884: Takeshiba Kinsaku I takes the name of Kawatake Shinshichi III.

May 1888: première at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Shinshichi's drama "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame" [casting].

July 1890: premiere at the Shintomiza of "Kiyomasa Seichûroku", a revision by Shinshichi and Takeshiba Kisui of the 1875 drama "Minori no Aki Seishô Denki". It was part of a special 2-day gala program starring Ichikawa Danjûrô IX [more details].

January 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi's drama "Shiobara Tasuke Ichidaiki" [casting].

July 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi's drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô", adapted for Kabuki from a famous Rakugo story created by San'yûtei Enchô [casting].

January 1898: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi's dance-drama "Hagoromo" [casting].

May 1898: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi's drama "Edo Sodachi Omatsuri Sashichi" [casting].

10 January 1901: Shinshichi dies in Tôkyô

Comments:

Kawatake Shinshichi III was an important sakusha of the Meiji era and the most talented disciple of Kawatake Mokuami, who wrote around 80 dramas or dance-dramas. He worked for Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, Onoe Kikugorô V and Ichikawa Sadanji I, the triumvirate of Meiji stars. Many of his dramas were Kabuki adaptation of rakugo stories, kôdan tales or newspapers articles.

Kawatake Shinshichi III (left) and his master Kawatake Kisui (right) at the Chitoseza in December 1884 (print made by Toyohara Kunichika)

The Kawatake Shinshichi line of playwrights