Stage names:

Ichikawa Sôzaburô I
Ichikawa Katsugorô

Guild: Kawachiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Wajô (?), Wai (?), Wachû (?)

Existence: 1687 ~ 11th day of the 5th lunar month of 1752 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Ichikawa Danjûrô I

Disciple: Ichikawa Sôzaburô II

Career:

1687~1713: born in Ôsaka. He settled in Edo at an unknown time and became disciple of the Edo star Ichikawa Danjûrô I, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Katsugorô. He performed in the precincts of the Hachiman Shrine in Ichigaya.

Fall 1713: Katsugorô went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1713: Katsugorô performed as a tachiyaku in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Musume Takara no Yome Banzei Muko", which was produced at Ôsaka Tazaemon's theater by Shinozuka Shômatsu.

2nd lunar month of 1716: Ichikawa Katsugorô took the name of Ichikawa Sôzaburô.

11th lunar month of 1717: Sôzaburô became jitsuaku and played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Ôhara Bannai in the kaomise drama "Inari Yashiki Daikoku Bashira"; he also changed the writing of his first name:

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12th lunar month of 1717: Sôzaburô played in the same theater the role of Ichibê in the kiri kyôgen "Ôsaka Shinjû Hajimari" ^[2].

11th lunar month of 1720: Sôzaburô played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the roles of Okyô's brother Sagoemon and the kanekashi Riemon in Kyôya Yagoshirô's kaomise drama "Kogane no Ikioi" and in the kiri kyôgen "Nanshoku Kamo Samurai Jûshichikinenki", which were produced by Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1723: great kaomise in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai to celebrate the arrival of the Edo star Ôtani Hiroji I. The zamoto Arashi San'emon III produced the drama "Kogane no Hanagata" in which Sôzaburô played the role of the karô Katsuragawa Minbu.

1st lunar month of 1724: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of "Edoe Ukiyo Soga", an Edo-flavored new year drama welcoming in Ôsaka the Edo actor Ôtani Hiroji I; Sôzaburô played the roles of Kyô no Kojirô and Kuheiji [more details].

Fall 1724: Sôzaburô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1724: Sôzaburô performed as a katakiyaku in the kaomise drama "Ôjigawa Kogane no Mizuguruma", which was produced at Miyako Mandayû's theater by Segawa Kikunojô I.

11th lunar month of 1725: Sôzaburô became jitsuaku.

1st lunar month of 1725: Sôzaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1726: Sôzaburô played at Kameya Kumenojô's theater (Kyôto) the role of Takashina Nan'emon in the kaomise drama "Karanishiki Imose no Shitone".

1st lunar month of 1727: Sôzaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1728: Sôzaburô performed in the kaomise program "Daimyô Kogane no Uroko", which was produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater in Kyôto; his stage partners were Arashi San'emon III, Segawa Kikunojô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Sakurayama Shirosaburô I, Arashi Sangorô I and Nakamura Shingorô I.

1st lunar month of 1731: Sôzaburô played in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater the roles of Manzai Tokudayû and Hakusan Daichû in the new year ni-no-kawari "Keisei Mikasayama".

Summer 1731: Sôzaburô went to Edo and performed at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1731: Sôzaburô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Higashiyama Dono Eiga Butai"; his stage partners were Ôtani Hiroji I, Bandô Hikosaburô I, Yamamoto Hikogorô, Ichimura Takenojô IV, Sakata Hangorô I, Sanjô Kantarô II, Sodesaki Iseno I, Hayakawa Shinkatsu and Segawa Kikujirô I.

1st lunar month of 1732: Sôzaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1732: Sôzaburô moved to the Nakamuraza and performed in the kaomise drama "Yamato Kotoba Imagawajô", which welcomed in Edo the 2 Kamigata stars Anegawa Shinshirô I and Sakakiyama Koshirô I.

6th lunar month of 1733: Sôzaburô, Anegawa Shinshirô I and Sawamura Sôjûrô I played in the same theater the roles of Ôtomo Sanzen, Godai Saburô and Ôtomo no Kuronushi in the drama "Urawakami Iroha Komachi".

11th lunar month of 1733: Sôzaburô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nagi no Hana Asahi Genji".

1st lunar month of 1734: Sôzaburô played in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Jûhakkô Imayô Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Ogino Izaburô I and Sanjô Kantarô II.

11th lunar month of 1738: Sôzaburô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Mitsugibune Taiheiki".

3rd lunar month of 1739: Sôzaburô played in the same theater the role of Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku Jômon no Hanabusa"; the roles of Sukeroku and Agemaki were played by Ichikawa Ebizô II and Tomizawa Montarô I.

11th lunar month of 1740: Sôzaburô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Miya Bashira Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1741: Sôzaburô played in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Na no Hana Akebono no Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Ichikawa Ebizô II and Nakamura Shichisaburô II.

5th lunar month of 1747: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" was produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Sôzaburô played the role of Sata-mura no Shiratayû in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" [casting].

1st lunar month of 1748: Sôzaburô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Kawazu Reikon in the drama "Kazari Ebi Yoroi Soga".

5th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Sôzaburô played the role of Kawatsura Hôgen [casting].

11th lunar month of 1748: Sôzaburô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Onna Moji Heike Monogatari", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Nakamura Kumetarô I.

3rd lunar month of 1749: Sôzaburô played in the same theater the role of Ikyû in the drama Sukeroku Kuruwa no Ie Zakura; the roles of Sukeroku and Agemaki were played by Ichikawa Ebizô II and Segawa Kikujirô I. The Yoshiwara pleasure quarter of Edo started in early Spring 1749 to display cherry trees in pots in the heart of the precinct (Nakanochô) in order to draw the crowds for cherry-blossom-viewing and more. It was reproduced on stage with fake cherry trees all along the stage.

6th lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Sôzaburô played the roles of Kakogawa Honzô and Hara Goemon [casting].

4th lunar month of 1752: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki", which was staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Sôzaburô played the roles of Midaroku, Taira no Tsunemori and Hayashi [casting]; this was his last stage appearance.

11th day of the 5th lunar month of 1752 ^[1]: Sôzaburô died.

Comments:

Ichikawa Sôzaburô I was a talented and popular jitsuaku actor, who was trained in Kamigata and achieved success for himself in Edo from the beginning of the 1730s to the beginning of the 1750s. He was called "Edo Zuiichi no Jitsuaku", which meant the greatest jitsuaku of Edo, and excelled in the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in new year sogamono.

[1] The 11th day of the 5th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Hôreki era was the 22nd of June 1752 in the western calendar.

[2] This drama was a shinjûmono based on the story of Chôemon and his lover Ichinojô. The 17th day of the 5th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Tenna era (the 11th of June 1683 in the western calendar), the courtesan Yamatoya Ichinojô and her lover Goze no Chôemon committed suicide together in Ôsaka. This event caused quite a stir and three Ôsaka theaters decided to capitalize on the situation by simultaneously producing the same month the first shinjûmono of Kabuki history.

Ichikawa Sôzaburô I playing the roles of Noge no Shôhei in the drama "Kurofune Deiri Minato", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1733 in Edo at the Nakamuraza (print made by Nishimura Shigenobu)

Print made by Nishimura Shigenobu in 1733

The Ichikawa Sôzaburô line of actors