Stage names:

Yoshizawa Tamazuma
Yoshizawa Tamazuma
Yoshizawa Tamazuma
Yoshizawa Tamagiku

Poetry name: Kôzan (?)

Existence: ??? ~ 1742 (?)

Connection:

Master: Yoshizawa Ayame I

Disciple: Yoshizawa Kuranosuke

Family map: the Yoshizawa Clan

Career:

1709: he started his career in Kyôto as a disciple of Yoshizawa Ayame I, who gave him the name of Yoshizawa Tamagiku; he performed as a wakaonnagata actor.

1st lunar month of 1713: he took the name of Yoshizawa Tamazuma and played in Kyôto the role of Oishi in the new year drama "Keisei Yaeguruma".

Fall 1715: Tamazuma went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1715: Tamazuma played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the machi musume Oteru in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Mochimaru Chôja", which celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô III.

11th lunar month of 1717: Tamazuma played in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the role of Miwa-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Benten Chôja Uga no Tama", which was produced by Ogino Kinnojô.

11th lunar month of 1719: Tamazuma played the role of the keisei Kotoura in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Mitsu Gashiwa", which was produced by Kaneko Kichizaemon at the Ônishi no Shibai; Tamazuma changed the first ideogram in his family name:

11th lunar month of 1720: Tamazuma played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sukejûrô's nyôbô Masaki in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Nishiki no Kusazuri", which was produced by the zamoto Takeshima Kôzaemon II.

11th lunar month of 1721: Tamazuma played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Kasane Gozen in the kaomise drama "Onna Genji Musha Sugoroku", which was produced by Takeshima Kôzaemon II; Tamazuma changed the first ideogram in his family name (reverting to the classic writing):

1st lunar month of 1723: Tamazuma's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1723: Tamazuma played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Asahi-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Chûshin Futaba no Matsu", which was produced by Matsushima Hyôtarô.

11th lunar month of 1724: Tamazuma played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the keisei Echigo in the kaomise drama "Banzei no Minato", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1726: Tamazuma's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, fell to jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

15th day of the 7th lunar month of 1729 ^[1]: his master Yoshizawa Ayame I died.

Fall 1730: Tamazuma went back to Kyôto after 15 seasons spent in Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1730: Tamazuma played in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater the role of Omiki in the kaomise drama "Eiraku Shiki no Kogane", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

1st lunar month of 1731: Tamazuma's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. Tamazuma played in the same theater the role of the keisei Kotoura in the new year ni-no-kawari "Keisei Mikasayama".

11th lunar month of 1734: Tamazuma performed at Miyako Mandayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Tomi Yakata Kogane no Yaguruma".

1st lunar month of 1735: Tamazuma's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1736: Tamazuma became zamoto and produced in Kyôto at Daikokuya Takenojô's theater the kaomise drama "Hiyoku Kin no Takaragura".

1st lunar month of 1737: Tamazuma's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1737: Tamazuma performed in the kaomise drama "Hachiman Tarô Denju no Tsuzumi", which was staged at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater and celebrated the shûmei of Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II.

1st lunar month of 1738: Tamazuma's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1738: Tamazuma performed in Iwai Izaemon's kaomise drama "Furômon Tama no Kizahashi", which was produced by Anegawa Tôjûrô in Kyôto for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

1st lunar month of 1739: Tamazuma's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1740: Tamazuma played in Kyôto the role of Nagasaki's spouse in the kiri kyôgen "Hayazaki Taiheiki", which welcomed in Kyôto the actor Ogino Izaburô I; his others stage partners in this final drama were Nakajima Kanzaemon II, Nakamura Kumetarô I, Haruyama Genshichi II, Mizuki Tatsunosuke II and Bandô Sukesaburô I.

1st lunar month of 1741: Tamazuma's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke below jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1741: Tamazuma performed in the kaomise drama "Imayô Shinoda-zuma", which was staged at Miyako Mandayû's theater.

1st lunar month of 1742: Tamazuma's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes below jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

5th lunar month of 1742: Tamazuma appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater, where he played the role of Okiwa in the drama "Hayari Uta Imose no Ôgi".

Comments:

Yoshizawa Tamazuma was a talented disciple of Yoshizawa Ayame I, the most important onnagata actor in Kabuki history. He had a great kôseki, was equally at home in jidaimono or sewamono dramas and excelled in keisei roles. He most likely died in 1742.

[1] The 15th day of the 7th lunar month of the 14th year of the Kyôhô era was the 9th of August 1729 in the western calendar.

Sawamura Chôjûrô I (top/left) and Yoshizawa Tamazuma (top/right) playing the roles of Inamatsu Gengo and Yoneemon's wife Osan in Sawamura Bunji's kaomise drama "Asahi no Ichikura Eigô Seki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1731 in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater

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