ICHIMURA TAKENOJÔ V

3rd lunar month of 1820: premiere at the Tamagawaza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sakura Butai Maku no Datezome"; Kamenosuke played the roles of Tsuruchiyo [casting].

11th day of the 7th lunar month of 1820^[2]: his father Ichimura Uzaemon XI died.

10th lunar month of 1821: the Ichimuraza was back in business.

11th lunar month of 1821: Ichimura Kamenosuke took the name of Ichimura Uzaemon XII and became the new official zamoto of the reopening Ichimuraza. The business was in reality managed from behind the scenes by Fukuchi Mohê because the new Uzaemon was too young. Fukuchi Mohê produced the special kaomise drama "Nani o Tanete Ukiki no Kaobure", starring Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, Ichikawa Omezô I, Bandô Hikosaburô IV and Ichikawa Monnosuke III. The actors Sawamura Shirogorô II and Ichikawa Raizô IV celebrated their shûmei during this performance.

1st lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Yaegasumi Soga no Kumiito"; Uzaemon played the role of Koisami no Kichi [casting].

7th lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's natsu kyôgen "Torimazete Sekison Miyage"; Uzaemon played the role of Hosokawa Tamonnosuke [casting].

8th day of the 12th lunar month of 1825^[3]: a fire broke out in the puppet theater Yûkiza, located in the district of Fukiya-chô, and destroyed the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1826: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza 2 roles in the kaomise drama "Ise Heiji Shô no Kaomise".

3rd day of the 1st lunar month of 1827^[4]: a fire broke out from the third floor of the Ichimuraza and destroyed the Ichimuraza, the Nakamuraza and 2 puppet theaters.

9th lunar month of 1827: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Shûrinosuke in the drama "Domo Mata"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô VII (Matahei), Iwai Kumesaburô II (Otoku), Bandô Hikosaburô IV (Utanosuke) and Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Shôgen).

21st day of the 3rd lunar month of 1829^[5]: a fire broke out from the shop of Owariya Tokuemon, district of Kanda Sakuma-chô, and destroyed the Edo theaters district. The Ichimuraza was burnt to ashes.

11th lunar month of 1830: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza 4 roles in the drama "Genpei Kabuki Nendaiki".

23rd day of the 12th lunar month of 1830^[6]: a fire broke out in the district of Nihonbashi Kodenma-chô and destroyed the Ichimuraza.

2nd lunar month of 1832: Uzaemon successfully played at the Ichimuraza the roles of En'ya Hangan, Hayano Kanpei, Sadakurô, Yoichibê, Shioda Matanojô, Kakogawa Honzô and Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". He also played at the end of the program the leading role of the shirabyôshi Sakuragi in the dance "Yui Narai Kanoko Musume Dôjôji".

7th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1834^[7]: a fire broke out in the district of Kanda Sakuma-chô and destroyed the Ichimuraza.

8th lunar month of 1834: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Matsuômaru in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners were Matsumoto Kôshirô V (Shihei), Ichikawa Yaozô V (Sakuramaru) and Ichikawa Komazô V (Umeômaru).

11th lunar month of 1835: Uzaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the drama "Kigoto no Hana Hitome Senbon".

7th lunar month of 1836: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Shinobi Yoru Koi no Kusemono"; the roles of Princess Takiyasha and Mitsukuni were played by Ichikawa Kuzô II and Uzaemon.

7th lunar month of 1837: premiere at the Ichimuraza of "Sanshô-dayû Kogane no Toridoshi", a revised and expanded version of the gidayû kyôgen "Yura no Minato Sengen Chôja"; Uzaemon played the roles of Yamaoka Gonroku, Iwaki Hangan Masauji and Sanshô's musume Osan [casting].

11th lunar month of 1838: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Nakamura Jûsuke IV's Tokiwazu-based dance "Hanabutai Kasumi no Saruhiki", commonly called "Utsubo Zaru"; Uzaemon played the role of Tarôkaja [casting].

9th lunar month of 1840: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Yoshinoyama Yuki no Furugoto", a revival of the 1786 Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Sode Furu Yuki Yoshino Shûi" (nowadays entitled "Meoto Gitsune"); Uzaemon played the role of Ben-no-Naishi, in reality the Chieda female fox [more details].

6th day of the 10th lunar month of 1841^[8]: a fire broke out from the backstages of the Nakamuraza in the district of Sakai-chô; it spread and also destroyed the Ichimuraza.

20th day of the 10th lunar month of 1841^[9]: the Edo authorities forbad the reconstruction of the destroyed theaters in Sakai-chô.

19th day of the 12th lunar month of 1841^[10]: the Nakamuraza, Ichimuraza and Kawarasakiza were ordered to move to the remote district of Asakusa Saruwaka-chô.

9th lunar month of 1842: the Ichimuraza reopened; Uzaemon produced the drama "Chobanzai Araki no Shimadai", starring Seki Sanjûrô III, Ichikawa Kuzô II, Nakamura Utaemon IV, Nakamura Fukusuke I, Bandô Shûka I and Onoe Kikujirô II.

1st lunar month of 1843: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the dance "Kashiragaki Ise Monogatari" (commonly called "Noriaibune"), which was staged within the new year drama "Kioi Uta Soga no Hanadashi"; Uzaemon was one of the seven dancers [more details].

11th lunar month of 1845: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza 2 roles in the drama "Kaikei Shinoda Mitsuki no Funauta".

1st lunar month of 1846: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Sakurada Jisuke III's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kagura Uta Kumoi no Kyokumari", which was commonly called "Dontsuku"; Uzaemon danced in it [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1847: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the 11-role hengemono "Kanadehon Chûshingura"^[11] (same title as the classic drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"); each role, which was performed by Uzaemon, was based on 1 act of "Chûshingura" [more details].

11th lunar month of 1849: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Yogorô in the drama "Modori Kago".

1st lunar month of 1851: Ichimura Uzaemon XII and his son Ichimura Kurôemon respectively took the names of Ichimura Takenojô V and Ichimura Uzaemon XIII at the Ichimuraza. His son became the new official zamoto of the Ichimuraza.

2nd lunar month of 1851: Takenojô played in the same theater the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Ichimonjiya Saibê and Uematsu Samonnosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

Summer 1851: Takenojô appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Ichimuraza, where he played the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane and Jûtarô in the dramas "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" and "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku". He suddenly fell ill and expressed the wish to go on pilgrimage on at the famous Kotopira Shrine on Shikoku Island. He could unfortunately not make it.

20th day of 8th lunar month of 1851^[1]: Takenojô died in Edo.

Comments:

Ichimura Takenojô V was both a talented tachiyaku actor and the dynamic zamoto of the Ichimuraza. The excesses of his lifestyle were famous. He went for example on pilgrimage at the temple dedicated to the deity Fudô Myôô in Narita in 1847, bringing with him a band of forty guests (actors, musicians, courtesans, taiko mochi and ... hairdressers). They feasted for 10 days and he generously spent around 1,200 ryô, more than one year of salary for a top-ranking actor!.

[1] The 20th day of the 8th lunar month of the 4th year of the Kaei era was the 15th of September 1851 in the western calendar.

[2] The 11th day of the 7th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Bunsei era was the 19th of August 1820 in the western calendar.

[3] The 8th day of the 12th lunar month of the 8th year of the Bunsei era was the 15th of January 1826 in the western calendar.

[4] The 3rd day of the 1st lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunsei era was the 29th of January 1827 in the western calendar.

[5] The 21st day of the 3rd lunar month of the 12th year of the Bunsei era was the 24th of April 1829 in the western calendar.

[6] The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the 1st year of the Tenpô era was the 5th of February 1831 in the western calendar.

[7] The 7th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 5th year of the Tenpô era was the 16th of March 1834 in the western calendar.

[8] The 6th day of the 10th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 18th of November 1841 in the western calendar.

[9] The 20th day of the 10th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 2nd of December 1841 in the western calendar.

[10] The 19th day of the 12th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 30th of January 1842 in the western calendar.

[11] The 6th role, the kagokaki, is still part of the current Kabuki repertoire as an independent Tokiwazu-based dance-drama entitled "Kagoya".

Memorial Portrait of the Actor Ichimura Takenojô V
Artist: Utagawa School
Date: 1851
The Art Institute of Chicago (print in the public domain)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1834

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1849

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1852

The Ichimura Uzaemon line of actors and theater managers

The Ichimura Takenojô line of actors