Stage names:

Tsugawa Kamon

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Existence: ??? ~ 1730 (?)

Connection:

Master: Tsugawa Handayû

Disciple: Tsugawa Utano

Career:

11th lunar month of 1714: disciple of Tsugawa Handayû, he received the name of Tsugawa Kamon and made his debut on stage in Ôsaka, performing as an iroko in the kaomise drama "Daikoku Shinmai Dawara", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I.

11th lunar month of 1716: he became wakaonnagata and played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Koyotsu in the kaomise drama "Futahashira Kasen Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1717: Kamon performed in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Meryû Oryû Kogane no Uroko", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1718: Kamon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was naka-no-jô-jô (superior - superior in the middle class).

11th lunar month of 1718: Kamon performed in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Seigaiha", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

3rd lunar month of 1719: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's 1708 puppet theater drama "Keisei Hangonkô" by Kyôya Yagoshirô, which was produced by Arashi San'emon III in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai; Kamon played the role of Princess Ichô-no-Mae [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1719: Kamon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was (shiro)jô ((white) superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1719: Kamon played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Miyoshino [illustration] in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Hajimari", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1720: Kamon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was naka-no-jô-jô (superior - superior in the middle class).

11th lunar month of 1720: Kamon played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Princess Takamatsu [illustration] in Kyôya Yagoshirô's kaomise drama "Kogane no Ikioi", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1721: Kamon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô (superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1721: Kamon performed at the Higashi no Shibai (Ôsaka) in the kaomise drama "Tenryû Chiryû Kogane no Suzunari", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1722: Kamon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

Fall 1722: Kamon settled in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1722: Kamon played at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Tsunaemon's younger sister Oishi in the kaomise drama "Ôbashira Kogane no Sazare Ishi", which was produced by Segawa Kikunojô I; the role of Hara Tsunaemon was played by Yamamura Giemon I.

1st lunar month of 1723: Kamon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual]. He played in the same theater the role of Ôshû in the new year drama "Keisei Asama-ga-Dake".

11th lunar month of 1723: Kamon played the role of Kanbê's younger sister Miyoshi in the kaomise drama "Manchô Chitose-gura", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê; the role of Matsugane Kanbê was played by Mihogi Gizaemon I.

11th lunar month of 1724: Kamon performed in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Sanmen Daikoku Mangoku Dawara", which was produced by Mihogi Gizaemon I and starred Bandô Hikosaburô I, Arashi Sangorô I, Somenoi Hanshirô, Katayama Kozaemon, Mihogi Shichitarô, Matsumoto Tomojûrô I, Matsunami Hikojûrô, Fujikawa Heikurô, Sodeshima Genji, Yamamura Utanosuke, Kirinami Onoe, Onoe Gonbê (who celebrated his shûmei) and Dekishima Kozarashi III.

1st lunar month of 1725: Kamon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1725: Kamon performed in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Sanpukutsui Eiga no Shikishi", which was produced by Mihogi Gizaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1726: Kamon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He performed in the same theater in the ni-no-kawari new year drama "Keisei Futagoyama".

2nd lunar month of 1726: Kamon played in the same theater the role of Ki no Aritsune's nyôbô in the san-no-kawari drama "Keisei Ise Monogatari"; the role of Ki no Aritsune was played by Anegawa Shinshirô I.

3rd lunar month of 1726: Kamon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

Fall 1726: Kamon went to Edo with Arashi Sangorô I.

11th lunar month of 1726: Kamon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Yaheibyôe Munekiyo's nyôbô Shiratae in the kaomise drama "Hinazuru Tokiwa Genji"; the role of Yaheibyôe Munekiyo was played by Arashi Sangorô I.

1st lunar month of 1727: Kamon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1727: Kamon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Ono no Otsû in the kaomise drama "Goshozome Kôyô Gunki", which celebrated the return in Edo of the actor Bandô Hikosaburô I.

1st lunar month of 1728: Kamon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Yamashita Kinsaku I, Fujimura Handayû II and Sanjô Kantarô II.

11th lunar month of 1728: Kamon moved to the Nakamuraza; he played the role of Tadanobu's wife Kowata in the kaomise drama "Hoshi Kabuto Goban Tadanobu"; his stage partners in the roles of Tadanobu, Minamoto Yoshitsune, Kajiwara Genta, Kyô-no-Kimi and Shizuka Gozen are Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Ôtani Hiroji I, Sodesaki Iseno I and Sanjô Kantarô II.

1st lunar month of 1729: Kamon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Yamashita Kinsaku I and Sanjô Kantarô II.

11th lunar month of 1729: Kamon played at the Nakamuraza the role of Ono no Otsû in the kaomise drama "Ume Goyomi Konrei Nagoya".

1st lunar month of 1730: Kamon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Sanogawa Mangiku and Sanjô Kantarô II. No record afterwards. He most likely died in 1730.

Comments:

Tsugawa Kamon was an onnagata actor, born and trained in Kamigata, who achieved fame for himself in Edo. He was active from the first half of the 1710s to the very beginning of the 1730s. He was talented, popular and ranked jô-jô-kichi for 3 seasons.

Tsugawa Kamon (top) and Arashi Sangorô I (bottom) in a print made by Torii Kiyomasu II in 1727 [Minneapolis Institute of Art (print in the public domain)]

Prints & Illustrations