Pen name:

Tajima Konosuke I

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: ??? ~ 1829

Connection:

Master: Tsuruya Nanboku IV

Career:

Before 1796: date of birth unknown. He was director of the Shogunate stable. Thanks to a family relationship with Iwai Hanshirô IV through his wife, he became sakusha in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1796: Konosuke worked at the Miyakoza, along with Masuyama Kinpachi I, Katsu Hyôzô I and Kimura Enji I ^[1], on the kaomise drama "Seiwa Nidai Ôyose Genji", which celebrated the isse ichidai performance of Ichikawa Ebizô, the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô V and which welcomed back in Edo the actor Iwai Hanshirô IV.

11th lunar month of 1806: Konosuke worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Nagawa Shimesuke I (tatesakusha), Fukumori Kyûsuke I, Segawa Jokô II, Hon'ya Sôshichi and Matsushima Hanji I, on the kaomise drama "Kawaranu Hana Yuki no Michinoku". The 13th of this month, a fire broke out from the shop of the hair-dresser Tomokurô in the district of Nihonbashi Fukiya-chô. It burnt both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza, killing many spectators.

11th lunar month of 1808: Konosuke worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Segawa Jokô II and Hon'ya Sôshichi, on the kaomise drama "Gohiiki Onga no Shimadai".

11th lunar month of 1809: Konosuke worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Matsui Kôzô I, Shinoda Kinji I and Segawa Jokô II, on the kaomise drama "Ôshû Dachiyuki no Kurogoma", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara" world.

1st lunar month of 1810: Konosuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Edo no Haru Gohiiki Soga"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Bandô Hikosaburô III, Ichikawa Omezô I and Sawamura Gennosuke I.

11th lunar month of 1813: Konosuke became disciple of Tsuruya Nanboku IV; he also became sanmaime sakusha and worked, along with his master and Hon'ya Sôshichi ^[2], at the Moritaza on the kaomise drama "Gohiiki Tsunagi Uma".

11th lunar month of 1824: Konosuke worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Sakurada Jisuke II and Segawa Jokô II, on the kaomise drama "Yamatogana Heike Monogatari".

1st lunar month of 1825: Konosuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Satsuki no Fuji Soga Hatsuyume"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Bandô Mitsugorô III, Bandô Hikosaburô IV and Bandô Mitsugorô III ^[4].

11th lunar month of 1825: Konosuke worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Matsui Kôzô II and Sakurada Jisuke II, on the kaomise drama "Azuma Dairi Kabuki no Shôgatsu".

11th lunar month of 1826: Konosuke worked at the Ichimuraza to assist the tatesakusha Nakamura Jûsuke IV, along with Mimasuya Nisôji, Nagawa Motosuke and Sakurada Jisuke II, on the kaomise drama "Ise Heiji Shô no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1827: Konosuke worked at the Kawarasakiza, along with Tsuruya Nanboku IV, Shinoda Kinji II, Matsui Kôzô II and Tsuruya Magotarô IV, on the kaomise drama "Muro no Ume Hôgan Biiki" ^[6].

1st lunar month of 1828: Konosuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Iriyamagata Soga no Saiken".

11th lunar month of 1828: Konosuke worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Tsuruya Nanboku IV and Segawa Jokô II, on the kaomise drama "Motomishi Hana Otogi Heike"; Jokô's yearly salary was 60 ryô ^[5].

1829: Konosuke died in Edo.

Comments:

Tajima Konosuke I was an Edo sakusha, who was active from the second half of the 1790s to the second half of the 1820s. As he often put horses in his dramas, he was nicknamed the Horse Playwright (uma sakusha).

[1] Others sakusha were Eii Sansuke, Katsuki Genji, Sasa Rindôsuke, Tokimoto Genji and Nata Enpachi.

[2] Others sakusha were Ichioka Washichi I, Masuyama Chûji, Narita Yasuke and Masuyama Ryôsuke.

[3] Others sakusha were Tsuchii Hyôshichi I, Katsu Hyôsuke and Matsushima Yôsuke II.

[4] Not a mistake, Bandô Mitsugorô III indeed played the two roles, Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari. This was a rare event in a sogamono.

[5] Tsuruya Nanboku IV, the best Edo playwright, was paid 175 ryô. Matsumoto Kôshirô V, the zagashira at the Nakamuraza, was paid 600 ryô.

[6] Another possible reading of this title could be "Muro no Ume Hangan Biiki". This drama was premiered in the 11th lunar month of 1817 at the Miyakoza.

The name of Tajima Konosuke I in a 1829 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red box); all the names were the sakusha at the Nakamuraza

The Tajima Konosuke line of playwrights