Stage names:

Iwata Somematsu I
Segawa Somematsu
Iwata Somematsu I

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Senro

Existence: 1717 ~ 9th day of the 8th lunar month of 1763 ^[1]

Connection:

Master and adoptive father: Iwata Seizaemon

Masters: Segawa Kikunojô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Iwata Seizaemon

Disciple: Iwata Somematsu II

Career:

Before 1738: disciple of Iwata Seizaemon, his stage name was Iwata Somematsu I.

1738: Somematsu performed in Ôsaka at the Ônishi no Shibai as an iroko.

1740: he became disciple of Segawa Kikunojô I and Segawa Kikujirô I, who gave him the name of Segawa Somematsu.

Fall 1743: Somematsu and his master Segawa Kikujirô I went together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1743: Somematsu performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Ishizue Taiheiki", which also celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actor Tamiya Jûzaburô I.

Fall 1745: Somematsu went back to Ôsaka without his master.

11th lunar month of 1745: Somematsu became wakaonnagata and played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Shigure in the kaomise drama "Onna Musha Ukisu Gassen", which was produced by Ichiyama Sukegorô I.

12th lunar month of 1745: Somematsu was adopted by his former master Iwata Seizaemon and took back the name of Iwata Somematsu I. The drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which starts a competition for the best performance; Somematsu played the role of Otatsu at the Naka no Shibai [casting].

1st lunar month of 1746: Somematsu's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Shibazaki Taminosuke and Matsushima Kiyosaki.

11th lunar month of 1746: Somematsu performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Genji Musha Hinode Ôgi", which was produced by Ichikawa Ryûzô.

11th lunar month of 1747: Somematsu played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Okuni in the kaomise drama "Kogane-bana Michinoku Jikki", which was produced by Ichikawa Ryûzô and celebrated the shûmei of Yamatoya Jinbê IV and Shibazaki Tamijûrô.

1st lunar month of 1748: Somematsu's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, fell to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

Fall 1748: Somematsu went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1748: Somematsu played the roles of the keisei Naniwazu and Shôji's daughter Otsuya in the kaomise drama "Mitsu Uroko Asahi no Ume", which was produced in Kyôto at the nadai Miyako Handayû's theater by the zamoto Somematsu Shichisaburô I; Somematsu's stage partners were Fujioka Daikichi, Ichikawa Danzô III, Ôtani Hirohachi I, Yamanaka Heijûrô I and Mihogi Shichitarô.

1st lunar month of 1749: Somematsu's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, fell to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

2nd day of the 9th lunar month of 1749 ^[2]: his master Segawa Kikunojô I died.

Fall 1749: Somematsu went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1749: Somematsu performed at the Ônishi no Shibai in Izumiya Shôzô's kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa", which was produced by the zamoto Mimasu Daigorô I and celebrated the shûmei of Murayama Heijûrô IV; Somematsu's stage partners were Bandô Toyosaburô I, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Iwai Hanshirô III, Sanjô Namie I and Nakamura Utaemon I.

11th lunar month of 1750: Somematsu produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Tachibana Gojûyongun"; his main stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô III, Bandô Toyosaburô I, Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II, Arashi Shichigorô I and Kirishima Gizaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1751: Somematsu's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell to jô-jô-jû (superior - superior - "ten") [visual].

Fall 1751: Somematsu went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1751: Somematsu performed in the kaomise drama "En no Gyôja Ômine Zakura", which was produced in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater by the zamoto Nakayama Bunshichi I.

1st lunar month of 1752: Somematsu's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was back to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

Fall 1752: Somematsu went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1752: Somematsu performed at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kyô Miyage Matsuri Zoroe"; his stage partners were Wakayama Shinkurô, Wakayama Bunshichi, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Ôtani Hirohachi I, Matsushima Kiyosaki, Ichimura Sanohachi, Kirishima Gizaemon I, Kiriyama Monji I, Matsushima Moheiji, Takenaka Heikichi, Murayama Heijûrô IV and Nakamura Shirogorô III.

1st lunar month of 1753: Somematsu's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1753: Somematsu played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the keisei Tsukasa in Fujikawa Sakoku's kaomise drama "Kashû Narihira Ishi".

1st lunar month of 1754: Somematsu's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1755: Somematsu performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Jidai Sewa Kogane no Hanazoroe", which was produced by Bandô Toyosaburô I.

13th day of the 11th lunar month of 1756 ^[3]: his master Segawa Kikujirô I died.

11th lunar month of 1757: Somematsu played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of the keisei Utamachi in the kaomise drama "Shiki Sanban Okina Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1759: Somematsu played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Maizuru in the kaomise drama "Mibae Soga Azuma Tanzen", which was produced by Arashi Kichisaburô I.

7th lunar month of 1760: Somematsu played in the same theater the role of Ofude in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".

11th lunar month of 1760: Somematsu played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Gihei's wife in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Toshitoku Môde", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô II.

11th lunar month of 1761: Somematsu performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Miyo no Hana Yunzei Kagami", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.

12th lunar month of 1761: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Takeda Haruzô's ni-no-kawari drama "Akiba Gongen Kaisen Banashi". It was the first drama in Kabuki history using gandô-gaeshi on stage; Somematsu played the role of Ittô's nyôbô Matsueda [casting].

1st lunar month of 1762: Somematsu's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual]. He shared the same rank with Nakamura Kumetarô I.

2nd lunar month of 1763: Somematsu played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Otoku in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; his stage partners were Mimasu Daigorô I (Matahei), Arashi Sangorô II (Shirojirô) and Nakamura Tomijûrô I (the courtesan Tôyama).

7th lunar month of 1763: Somematsu appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, where he played the role of Tonami ^[4] in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

9th day of the 8th lunar month of 1763 ^[1]: Somematsu died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Iwata Somematsu I was a talented Ôsaka wakaonnagata actor, who was active from the end of the 1730s to the beginning of the 1760s. He was said to have a close resemblance at all level, artistic or physical, with his 1740s master Segawa Kikujirô I.

[1] The 9th day of the 8th lunar month of the 13th year of the Hôreki era was the 16th of September 1763 in the western calendar.

[2] The 2nd day of the 9th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Kan'en era was the 12th of October 1749 in the western calendar.

[3] The 13th day of the 11th lunar month of the 6th year of the Hôreki era was the 4th of December 1756 in the western calendar.

[4] The roles of Takebe Genzô, Matsuômaru and Chiyo were played by Nakamura Shirogorô III, Nakamura Utaemon I and Nakamura Kumetarô I.

Iwata Somematsu I playing the role of Tajiemon's spouse Oriki in the ni-no-kawari drama "Ide no Tamagawa Shôhei Ori", which was staged in the 12th lunar month of 1762 at the Naka no Shibai