Playwright names:

Shinoda Sasuke
Shinoda Sasuke

Existence: ??? ~ 11th lunar month of 1859

Connection:

Master: Shinoda Kinji II

Career:

Before 1830: born in Edo. Disciple of Shinoda Kinji II, he received the name of Shinoda Sasuke.

11th lunar month of 1830: Sasuke worked for the tatesakusha Segawa Jokô II at the Kawarasakiza on the kaomise drama "Ichiyô Raifuku Shibuya Tsuwamono".

11th lunar month of 1836: Sasuke worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Nakamura Jûsuke IV and Takarada Jusuke, on the kaomise drama "Seiwa Nidai Oshi no Tsuwamono" ^[15].

11th lunar month of 1837: Sasuke worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Nakamura Jûsuke IV, Hon'ya Hanshichi, Tsuuchi Jihê IV, Fukumori Kyûsuke II and Kanai Yûsuke III, on the kaomise drama "Onikirimaru Mimasu no Kakutsubo".

11th lunar month of 1838: Sasuke worked, along with Mimasuya Nisôji, Sakurada Jisuke III, Nakamura Jûsuke IV, Matsushima Chôfu II and Tsuruya Nanboku V, at the Nakamuraza on the drama "Isse Ichidai Kuriki no Myônoji", which celebrated the isse ichidai performance of the Edo star Onoe Kikugorô III.

11th lunar month of 1839: Sasuke became nimaime sakusha and worked, along with Tsuruya Nanboku V, at the Nakamuraza on the drama "Sumidagawa Yukimi no Jindachi". Sasuke changed the writing of his first name:

11th lunar month of 1840: Sasuke worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Sakurada Jisuke III, on the drama "Chinzei Hachirô Gôma no Kaburaya". He most likely also worked on the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Meoto Dôjôji".

1842: beginning of the Tenpô reforms led by Mizuno Tadakuni; sumptuary laws were enforced and the Kabuki world was targeted: the theaters had to move to the remote district of Saruwaka-chô, performances within the precincts of temples or shrines were forbidden, actors prints were temporarily proscribed and the Edo star Ichikawa Ebizô V was exiled to Kamigata. Tough times for the Kabuki world, including all the sakusha.

11th lunar month of 1843: Sasuke worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Sakurada Jisuke III, Hon'ya Hanshichi and Fukumori Kyûji, on the kaomise drama "Wakatonobara Sharin no Ôyose", which commemorated the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) of the passing away of Bandô Mitsugorô III.

11th lunar month of 1844: Sasuke wrote the lyrics of the Kiyomoto-based dance-drama "Tsukurimono Kiku no Mutsugoto", which was staged at the Ichimuraza and starred Onoe Kikujirô II and Sawamura Tosshô I.

11th lunar month of 1845: Sasuke worked at the Kawarasakiza, along with Tsuruya Nanboku V and Kawatake Shinshichi II, on the dramas "Ehon Taitôki" and "Sekitori Senryô Nobori".

1st lunar month of 1846: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the drama "Sato Moyô Hiyoku no Inazuma", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Takesaburô I.

7th lunar month of 1846: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the drama "Gochûmon Kameyama-zome" (a drama similar to "Kameyama no Adauchi").

11th lunar month of 1846: Sasuke worked at the Kawarasakiza, along with Sakurada Jisuke III and Kawatake Shinshichi II ^[2], on the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Yukimi no Takadono", which celebrated the shûmei of Matsumoto Kinshô I.

1st lunar month of 1847: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Norikake Soga Dôchû Sugoroku"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Nakamura Utaemon IV, Matsumoto Kinshô I and Ichikawa Kuzô II.

11th lunar month of 1847: Sasuke worked, along with Kawatake Shinshichi II and Matsumoto Kôji II, at the Kawarasakiza on "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", "Shinobi Yoru Rinki no Tsu no Moji" and "Sawamura Saki Hakata no Hanabishi". The latter drama was similar to Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kezori" with Matsumoto Kinshô I, Onoe Baikô IV and Sawamura Sôjûrô V in the roles of Kezori Kuemon, Kojorô and Komatsuya Sôshichi.

4th lunar month of 1848: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the drama "Oto-ni Kiku Tengajaya-mura", which starred Bandô Hikosaburô IV (Iori, Kôemon), Bandô Takesaburô I (Genjirô), Ôtani Tomoemon IV (Motoemon), Matsumoto Kinshô I (Tôma, Mansuke, Yasuke) and Onoe Baikô IV (Somenoi).

11th lunar month of 1848: Sasuke worked, along with Mimasuya Nisôji and Kawatake Shinshichi II ^[3], at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Azuma Dairi Hana mo Yoshikado". He also worked on Mimasuya Nisôji's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Takigi Ôyukima no Ichikawa" ^[9].

1st lunar month of 1849: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Hatsumotoyui Soga no Kyôdai".

8th lunar month of 1849: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the drama "Ichinotani Mushae no Iezuto". He also worked on the play "Kagekiyo" belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban collection.

11th lunar month of 1849: Sasuke worked, along with Kawatake Shinshichi II ^[4], at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Muro no Ume Mibae Genji", which starred Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Ichikawa Shinsha I, Onoe Kikujirô II, Ôtani Tomoemon IV, Bandô Hikosaburô IV, Bandô Takesaburô I, Onoe Shôroku, Ichikawa Gangyoku I, Ichikawa Dannosuke V, Asao Tamejûrô IV and Asao Okuyama IV.

11th lunar month of 1850: Sasuke worked, along with Kawatake Shinshichi II ^[5], at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Oda no Yuki Mitsugi no Tamamono". The drama "Sanemori Monogatari" and the dance-drama "Seki no To" were also staged. The main actors were Ichikawa Ebizô V, Seki Sanjûrô III, Sawamura Chôjûrô V, Onoe Baikô IV, Ichikawa Dannosuke V, Onoe Matsusuke III, Asao Okuyama IV and Ichikawa Saruzô I.

11th lunar month of 1851: Sasuke worked, along with Kawatake Shinshichi II ^[6], at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Nobori Goi Taki no Shirahata", which welcomed in Edo the actors Arashi Rikan III and his son Arashi Wasaburô II. The dramas "Ono no Tôfû" and "Komochi Yamanba" were also staged.

7th lunar month of 1852: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of the drama "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari", which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke [casting].

11th lunar month of 1852: Sasuke worked, along with Kawatake Shinshichi II ^[7], at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Chûkô Kanagaki Kôshaku".

2nd lunar month of 1853: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of the drama "Shiranui Monogatari", which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke and which was based on Ryûkatei Tanekazu's long novel of the same title. Premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Sasuke's dance "Yanagi no Ito Hikuya Gohiiki"; the role of the sanbasô was performed by Arashi Rikaku II.

3rd lunar month of 1854: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of the drama "Miyakodori Nagare no Shiranami", which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke [casting].

6th lunar month of 1854: Sasuke worked at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Kaikei Dengajaya-mura", which starred Arashi Rikan III (Iori, Kôemon), Bandô Takesaburô I (Genjirô), Ôtani Tomoemon IV (Motoemon, Mansuke), Ichikawa Kodanji IV (Tôma, Yasuke) and Bandô Shûka I (Somenoi). Premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Sasuke's drama "Kumo no Uwasa Onna Narukami" [casting].

8th lunar month of 1854: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the drama "Azuma Kudari Gojûsan Tsugi" ^[11].

3rd lunar month of 1855: Sasuke worked at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Kagamiyama Hiyoku no Sugatami".

5th lunar month of 1855: Sasuke worked in the same theater on the drama "Jiraiya Gonichi Monogatari", a sequel of 1852 "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari".

14th day of the 10th lunar month of 1855 ^[1]: his master Namiki Gohei III died in Edo.

3rd lunar month of 1856: Sasuke worked at the Ichimuraza on the new year sogamono drama "Tsuruhachi to Suehiro Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Onoe Kikugorô IV, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô I and Bandô Hikosaburô V (who celebrated his shûmei along with Bandô Kamezô I).

9th lunar month of 1856: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the 9-act drama "Tsuta Momiji Utsunoya Tôge", which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke; the two leading stars were Ichikawa Kodanji IV (the blind masseur Bun'ya and the thief Niza) and Bandô Kamezô I (Itamiya Jûbê).

11th lunar month of 1856: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Shôchikubai Yuki no Akebono" [casting], which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke.

1st lunar month of 1857: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Nezumi Komon Haru no Shingata" ^[13], which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke.

7th lunar month: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Ami Moyô Tôro no Kikukiri", which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1858: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Edo Zakura Kiyomizu Seigen", which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke ^[8] [more details]. It welcomed in Edo and celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Yonejûrô II.

2nd lunar month of 1859: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Kosode Soga Azami no Ironui" ^[10], which was written by Kawatake Shinshichi II and Sasuke [casting].

7th lunar month of 1859: Sasuke worked in the same theater, along with Kawatake Shinshichi II, on the drama "Kohada no Kaii Ame no Furunuma".

11th lunar month of 1859: Sasuke died in Edo.

Comments:

Shinoda Sasuke was an Edo sakusha, who was active from the beginning of the 1830s to the end of the 1850s. He worked on several early masterpieces of Kawatake Shinshichi II like "Jiraiya", "Shiranui Monogatari", "Shinobu no Sôta", "Utsunoya Tôge", "Kurotegumi Sukeroku", "Nezumi Kozô", "Kozaru Shichinosuke" or "Izayoi Seishin". He was a mainstay at the Kawarasakiza for 10 seasons, from 1845 to 1855.

[1] The 14th day of the 10th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Ansei era was the 23rd of November 1855 in the western calendar.

[2] The others sakusha were Hon'ya Harusuke and Katsumi Chôzô.

[3] The others sakusha were Umezawa Sôroku, Matsumoto Kôji II and Katsumi Chôzô.

[4] The others sakusha were Umezawa Sôji, Matsumoto Kôji II and Katsumi Chôzô.

[5] The others sakusha were Ki no Bunzaemon and Katsumi Chôzô.

[6] The others sakusha were Umezawa Sôroku and Katsumi Chôzô.

[7] The others sakusha were Umezawa Sôroku, Yamada Tôji and Katsumi Chôzô.

[8] The others sakusha were Takeshiba Genzô I, Umezawa Sôroku and Nagawa Harusuke II.

[9] This dance-drama is still in the Kabuki repertoire and it is commonly called "Shin Yamanba" (the new yamanba) or "Yamanba".

[10] This drama is commonly called "Izayoi Seishin".

[11] This drama was revived in June 2012 and July 2012, under the title "Tennichibô", at the Cocoon Kabuki [more details].

[12] The nibanme of this drama is now entitled "Kurotegumi Kuruwa no Tatehiki" in the Kabuki repertoire (commonly called "Kurotegumi Sukeroku").

[13] This drama is still in the Kabuki repertoire and it is commonly called "Nezumi Kozô".

[14] This drama is commonly called "Kozaru Shichinosuke".

[15] Another possible reading was "Semewa Nidai Kishi no Tsuwamono".

The name of Shinoda Sasuke in a 1842 Edo hyôbanki (the name within the red box)