Pen names:

Takarada Jurai
Geki Shinsen I

Others names:

Eiga
Kindô
Kindô Kanjin
Kôeirô
Jusen
Honchô Sanjin

Poetry name: Kanga

Existence: 1740 ~ 17th day of the 8nd lunar month of 1796 ^[1]

Connection:

Masters: Nakamura Jûsuke II, Masuyama Kinpachi I

Disciple: Takarada Hôrai

Career:

1740: born in Edo. His real name was Suzuki Wahachirô. Later, he was called Kinnosuke.

1782: disciple of Masuyama Kinpachi I, his first pen name was Geki Shinsen I.

11th lunar month of 1782: Shinsen worked for the tatesakusha Kasanui Sensuke I at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Ise Heiji Eika Goyomi".

11th lunar month of 1783: Shinsen worked at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Ono no Terusaki Yuki no Akebono", which celebrated the shûmei of Sakata Hangorô III.

1784: he became disciple of Nakamura Jûsuke II and took the name of Takarada Jurai.

11th lunar month of 1784: Jurai worked for the tatesakusha Segawa Jokô I at the Kiriza on the kaomise drama "Jûni Hitoe Komachi Zakura". Premiere of the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Kyôran Kumoi no Sode" ^[2]. Premiere of the dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To" [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1785: Jurai worked in the same theater on the drama "Edo Jitate Danshich-jima", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" world.

7th lunar month of 1785: Jurai worked in the same theater on the drama "Chiyo no Hajime Ondo no Sedo".

11th lunar month of 1785: Jurai worked at the Nakamuraza, along with his master Masuyama Kinpachi I and Nakamura Jûsuke II, on the kaomise drama "Yuki Motsu Take Furisode Genji".

8th lunar month of 1786: Jurai worked in the same theater on the drama "Mitsugimono Shinoda no Dekiaki". No record afterwards.

17th day of the 8nd lunar month of 1796 ^[1]: Jurai died in Edo.

Comments:

Takarada Jurai was an Edo sakusha, who made a short career in Edo. He will stay in Kabuki history as the playwright who created the beautiful dance-drama "Seki no To".

[1] The 17th day of the 8nd lunar month of the 8th year of the Kansei era was the 18th of September 1796 in the western calendar.

[2] This dance-drama is still in the Kabuki repertoire and its common title is "Nakazô Kyôran".

The name of Takarada Jurai in a 1785 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red shape on the left side of the picture); all the names were the sakusha at the Nakamuraza, Moritaza and Kiriza