Stage names:

Asao Tamejûrô III
Asao Okuyama III
Asao Tamejûrô III
Asao Okuyama III
Asao Tamejûrô III
Asao Okuyama III
Asao Tomozô I

Guilds: Zeniya, Kawachiya

Poetry names: Okuyama (3), Kuchiyama, Sandô

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Existence: 1780 ~ 1st lunar month of 1836

Connection:

Master: Asao Tamejûrô I

Sons: Asao Tamejûrô IV, Asao Okuyama IV

Disciple: Asao Kunigorô V

Career:

1780 ~ 1802: he started his career as a disciple of Asao Tamejûrô I, who gave him the name of Asao Tomozô I at an unknown date.

7th day of the 4th lunar month of 1804 ^[1]: his master Asao Tamejûrô I died.

25th day of the 7th lunar month of 1806 ^[2]: his master's son Asao Tamejûrô II died.

1807: Asao Tomozô I took the name of Asao Okuyama III in order to honour the memory of his late master. Okuyama was an haimyô used by his master and his master's son, who did not officially held the names of Asao Okuyama I and Asao Okuyama II but received them posthumously.

11th lunar month of 1809: Okuyama performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Keishoku Yuki-miru Yama", which was produced by Mimasu Kumesaburô and starred Nakayama Hyakka, Yoshizawa Ayame V, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Asao Kuzaemon I, Nakayama Shinkurô III, Nakamura Daikichi I and Kanô Minshi I.

1st lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Chikamatsu Tokuzô and Namiki Miyosuke ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sato no Funauta"; Okuyama played the roles of Ôdachi Kenmotsu, the boatman Gonta, Kawagoe Dôhachi and Kitsui Nariiwa (?) [casting].

1818: Asao Okuyama III took the name of Asao Tamejûrô III.

5th lunar month of 1818: Tamejûrô went to Edo and performed at the Miyakoza in the drama "Shôchikubai Azuma Kagami".

9th lunar month of 1819: first adaptation to Kabuki (in ôshibai!) of the drama "Seishû Akogi-ga-Ura"; Tamejûrô played the role of the shôya Hikosaku [casting].

9th lunar month of 1820: Tamejûrô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Midaroku and the yakko Tagohei in the epic drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".

Fall 1820: Tamejûrô went back to Kamigata and took back the name of Asao Okuyama III.

12th lunar month of 1820: Okuyama played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Nadaemon in the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô".

3rd lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Kajiwara Heizô Kôbai Tazuna", a new version of the third act of "Miura no Ôsuke Kôbai Tazuna", revised by Kanazawa Ryûgoku I; Okuyama played the role of Ôba Saburô [casting].

11th lunar month of 1822: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of the drama "Kajiwara Heizô Kitai no Ishikiri", a new version of the third act of "Miura no Ôsuke Kôbai Tazuna", revised by Kanazawa Ryûgoku I; Okuyama played the role of Ôba Saburô [casting].

2nd lunar month of 1826: Okuyama played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Kyôgoku no Takumi in the drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"; the roles of Osono and Rokusuke were played by Nakamura Utaemon III and Ichikawa Ebijûrô II.

11th lunar month of 1828: Okuyama played at the Minamigawa no Shibai 5 roles, including Sakae Gozen, in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".

Spring 1829: short stay in Edo; Asao Okuyama III took one more time the name of Asao Tamejûrô III and played at the Ichimuraza the roles of the yakko Namihei and Onigadake Dôemon in the dramas "Sugata no Hana Yayoi no Nishikie" and "Sekitori Nidai no Shôbuzuke".

Winter 1829 ~ 1830: he went back to Kamigata and took back the name of Asao Okuyama III.

3rd lunar month of 1830: Okuyama played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Gonshirô and Yokosuga Gunnai in the epic drama "Hirakana Seisuiki". He moved to Ôsaka in the middle of the month and performed at the Naka no Shibai in the dramas "Kagamiyama Gonichi no Omokage" and "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba", which were produced by Nakamura Tomisuke.

4th lunar month of 1830: tour in Ise.

11th lunar month of 1830: Okuyama performed at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the dramas "Ehon Utô Monogatari" and "Zôho Hôjô Jiraiki".

1st lunar month of 1831: Asao Okuyama III took for the third time the name of Asao Tamejûrô III, for the first time in Ôsaka, performing at the Kado no Shibai in the drama "Keisei Sato no Odamaki"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô III, Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Arashi Rikan II, Asao Gakujûrô and Arashi Tokusaburô III.

3rd lunar month of 1832: Tamejûrô played in Ôsaka at the Takeda no Shibai the roles of Sagisaka Bannai and Ono no Kudayû in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

6th lunar month of 1833: tour in Okazaki with Iwai Shijaku I, Arashi Sangorô IV and Sawamura Sawaemon.

1st lunar month of 1834: Tamejûrô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, jitsuaku/katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1835: Tamejûrô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Fujiwara no Shihei and Haji no Hyôe in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

7th lunar month of 1835: Tamejûrô appeared on stage for the last time, playing the roles of Takemura Sadanoshin, Washizuka Hachiheiji and Date no Yosaku in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna", which was staged at the Minamigawa no Shibai. He fell ill and died in the 1st lunar month of 1836.

Comments:

Asao Tamejûrô III was a katakiyaku and a jitsuaku of the first half of the nineteenth century, who spent most of his career in Kamigata (only 2 seasons (1818~1820) and a few months in 1829 spent in Edo). Handôgataki roles were his forte.

[1] The 7th day of the 4th lunar month of the 1st year of the Bunka era was the 17th of May 1804 in the western calendar.

[2] The 25th day of the 7th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Bunka era was the 7th of September 1806 in the western calendar.

Asao Tamejûrô III portraying the bantô Gihei in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

Print made by Jukôdô Yoshikuni in 1826

Print made by Utagawa Kuniyasu in 1829

The Asao Tomozô line of actors

The Asao Okuyama line of actors

The Asao Tamejûrô line of actors