Stage names:

Onoe Tatsunosuke I
Onoe Sakon I

Other name:

Onoe Shôroku III

Dance names (Buyô):

Fujima Kan'emon V

Real name: Fujima Akira

Guild: Otowaya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: 26 October 1946 ~ 28 March 1987

Connections:

Grandfather: Matsumoto Kôshirô VII

Father: Onoe Shôroku II

Son: Onoe Shôroku IV

Grandson: Onoe Sakon III

Career:

26 October 1946: born in Tôkyô.

27 January 1949: his grandfather Matsumoto Kôshirô VII died.

10 July 1949: his father's master Onoe Kikugorô VI died.

February 1952: first stage appearance at the Kabukiza, where he received the name of Onoe Sakon I and played the role of Tsuruchiyo in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".

May 1965: shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 young actors of the Otowaya guild; Onoe Ushinosuke V, Bandô Kamesaburô IV and Onoe Sakon I respectively took the names of Onoe Kikunosuke IV, Bandô Shinsui VIII, and Onoe Tatsunosuke I; the new Tatsunosuke played the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune ("Kotobuki Soga no Taimen") and Matsu-no-Kimi ("Kimi-ga-Yo Shôchikubai").

February 1967: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Dattan"; Tatsunosuke played the role of a rengyôshû [casting].

August 1967: tour in Montreal (Québec).

September 1969: tour in the USA.

October 1973: Tatsunosuke played at the Kabukiza the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune, the shoke Kikanbô and the kobun Kajiwara Heizô in "Soga no Taimen", "Musume Dôjôji" and "Gosho no Gorozô", which were staged to celebrate the shûmei of Onoe Kikugorô VII.

November 1973: Tatsunosuke played at the Kabukiza the roles of the soldier Gundô, Utanosuke and Asagao Senpei in "Ibaraki", "Domo Mata" and "Sukeroku", which were staged to celebrate the second month of shûmei of Onoe Kikugorô VII.

1975: Fujima Kan'emon IV (Onoe Shôroku II) took the name of Fujima Kansai II and he received as a dance master the name of Fujima Kan'emon V.

February 1976: revival at the Kabukiza of a 5-act revised version of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Tatsunosuke played the role of the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjûrô II [casting].

March 1977: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Shiranui Monogatari"; Tatsunosuke played the role of Kikuchi Sadayuki [more details].

January 1979: tour in the Popular Republic of China.

January 1980: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's kaomise drama "Modoribashi Sena-ni Gohiiki" [more details]; Tatsunosuke played the roles of Usui Sadamitsu and the sanzoku Netsuko no Tetsuzô ^[3].

March 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Tatsunosuke played the roles of the thief Akatsuki Hoshiemon and Wakisaka Awaji-no-Kami [casting].

June 1981: Tatsunosuke played at the National Theatre the role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Ginnosuke I (Issun Tokubê), Sawamura Sôjûrô IX (Otatsu) and Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III (Tsuribune Sabu).

January 1982: revival at the National Theatre of the bombastic drama "Zôhiki" ^[2], a play in the aragoto style; Tatsunosuke played the role of Mita's brother Ryûômaru [casting].

January 1983: revival of "Nanatsu Men" at the National Theatre; Tatsunosuke played the role of Gagoze Akaemon's disciple, in reality Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi [casting].

January 1984: historic revival at the National Theatre of the play "Sankai Nagoya"; Tatsunosuke played the role of Nagoya Sanzaburô [casting].

August 1984: second tour in the USA.

January 1985: revival at the National Theatre of the bombastic drama "Kan U" ^[2]; Tatsunosuke played the role of Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo, later the Chinese general Chô Hi [casting].

Summer 1985: tour in the USA; Tatsunosuke played the roles of the priest Shinsai, the thief and Hirai Yasumasa in "Shibaraku", "Tachi Nusubito" and "Tsuchi-gumo", which celebrated the shûmei in the USA of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII [more details].

February 1986: Tatsunosuke suddenly fell ill and had to rest for a while.

November 1986: Tatsunosuke was back on stage, playing at the National Theatre the role of Sadakurô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

January 1987: Tatsunosuke appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the National Theatre, where he played the role of Kumedera Danjô in the drama "Kenuki".

28 March 1987: Tatsunosuke died in Tôkyô.

Comments:

Onoe Tatsunosuke I was a promising tachiyaku actor, who could have been the worthy heir of his father Onoe Shôroku II but he was unfortunately cut down too early. His most notable performances include Benkei ("Kanjinchô"), Ranpei ("Ranpei Monogurui"), Kumedera Danjô ("Kenuki"), Umeômaru ("Kurumabiki") and Soga Gorô Tokimune ("Soga no Taimen"). He posthumously received the name of Onoe Shôroku III in 2002.

[1] This long-forgotten name was used by Onoe Kikugorô III's son Onoe Eizaburô IV before the 11th lunar month of 1831 but not as an acting name.

[2] A drama belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban.

[3] It was also the omemie for Tatsunosuke's son Fujima Arashi.

Onoe Tatsunosuke I playing the role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" (print made by Yamamoto Hisashi in 1983)

Prints & Illustrations

The Onoe Sakon line of actors

The Onoe Tatsunosuke line of actors

The Onoe Shôroku line of actors