Stage name:

Mimasu Tokujirô I

Nickname: Masutoku

Guild: Masuya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Gyokô

Existence: 1750 ~ 26th day of the 8th lunar month of 1812 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Mimasu Daigorô I

Brother: Mimasu Mitsugorô

Son: Mimasu Tokujirô II

Disciple: Mimasu Tatsujirô

Career:

1750: born in Kyôto.

1758: disciple of Mimasu Daigorô I, he received the name of Mimasu Tokujirô.

11th lunar month of 1760: Tokujirô became wakashugata, performing at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôshimadai Kitsune no Mukoiri".

11th lunar month of 1770: Tokujirô became zamoto and wakaonnagata, producing in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Sakae Genji Gojin no Kachidoki".

3rd ~ 5th lunar months of 1771: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", produced by Tokujirô at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Tokujirô played the role of Princess Tachibana [casting].

11th lunar month of 1771: Tokujirô produced in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Miyako Yoshino Mikado no Takadono", which welcomed in Kyôto the Edo actor Sakata Hangorô II and celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Anegawa Minato II and Yamatoyama Rinzaemon II.

Fall 1772: Tokujirô went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1772: Tokujirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of the keisei Miyakoji in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Onoe Kikugorô no Baranu Banashi".

1st lunar month of 1773: Tokujirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1773: Tokujirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Princess Oto (Otohime) in the kaomise drama "Itari Yaitari Mukadeyama", which was produced by Arashi Matsujirô I.

9th lunar month of 1774: Tokujirô played in the same theater the roles of Haru and Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

1st lunar month of 1775: Tokujirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Onoe Kumesuke.

4th lunar month of 1775: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari"; Tokujirô played the roles of Ariwara no Narihira, Arakawa's wife, Isonokami Mameshirô and Murasame [more details].

11th lunar month of 1775: Tokujirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of the keisei Miyamaji in the drama "Gohiiki Tenmokuzan", which was produced by Mimasu Matsunojô.

12th lunar month of 1775: Tokujirô played in the same theater the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1776: Tokujirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

10th lunar month of 1776: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Oyasu in the drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi".

11th lunar month of 1776: Tokujirô moved to the Kado no Shibai and performed in the kaomise drama "Ehôgura Sankai Meisho", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I.

12th lunar month of 1776: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Magaki in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".

4th lunar month of 1777: premiere of Namiki Gohachi's drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", co-written with Nakamura Akei and Tatsuoka Mansaku, which was staged at the Kado no Shibai; Tokujirô played the roles of Sukune's wife Kozakura and Haseo's wife [casting]; the roles of Sukune Tarô and Ki-no-Haseo were played by Ogawa Kichitarô I and Tokujirô's master Mimasu Daigorô I.

9th lunar month of 1777: Tokujirô played the role of Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura"; the role of Taira no Tomomori was played by Arashi Hinasuke I.

11th lunar month of 1777: Tokujirô performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Daijizai Kaminari no Kodakara", which was produced by the zamoto Ichiyama Tajirô, celebrated the shûmei of Yamashita Kamenojô IV and welcomed back in Ôsaka Arashi Sangorô II after 3 and 7 seasons spent in Kyôto and Edo.

12th lunar month of 1777: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of the nakai Otoku in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Suô no Dairi".

9th lunar month of 1778: Tokujirô played in the same theater the roles of Kan Shôjô and Chiyo in thye drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which was produced by Ichiyama Tajirô; his stage partners were Nakamura Utaemon I (Matsuômaru), Arashi Kichisaburô I (Shiratayû, Genzô, Terukuni), Yamashita Kamenojô IV (Tatsuta, Haru), Sawamura Kunitarô I (Tonami, Kakuju, Yae), Arashi Shichisaburô II (Umeômaru), Bandô Iwagorô (Shihei, Shundô Genba), Nakamura Jiroza II (Hyôei, Mareyo) and Arashi Sangorô II (Sakuramaru).

11th lunar month of 1778: Tokujirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of the koshimoto Wakagusa in the kaomise drama "Toki-ni Tôdai Sennin Kagami".

25th day of the 9th lunar month of 1780 ^[3]: his master Mimasu Daigorô I died.

9th lunar month of 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Tokujirô played the role of Otani [casting].

1st lunar month of 1784: Tokujirô went to Edo and played at the Moritaza the role of Izaemon's lover Yûgiri in the drama "Haru no Yo Shôji no Ume"; the role of Fujiya Izaemon was played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.

3rd lunar month of 1784: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Chûbê's lover Umegawa in the drama "Keisei Koi Bikyaku"; the role of Kameya Chûbê was played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV. He also played the role of Mohê's lover Osan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; the role of Mohê was played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.

9th lunar month of 1784: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Chôemon's lover Ohan in the drama "Tagasode Futatsu Nishikie"; the role of Obiya Chôemon was played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.

11th lunar month of 1784: Tokujirô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Okyô in the kaomise drama "Ôakinai Hiru-ga-Kojima", which celebrated the shûmei of Sanogawa Ichimatsu III and the return in Edo of Ôtani Hiroemon III.

1st lunar month of 1785: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year sogamono drama "Hatsuhana Mimasu Soga". He also played the role of Tora in the Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Shinobu Koi Yanagi ni Katsurao".

8th lunar month of 1785: Tokujirô played in the same theater the roles of Chiyo and Kakuju in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1785: Tokujirô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Yuki Motsu Take Furisode Genji".

5th lunar month of 1786: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Hayano Kanpei [illustration] in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

6th lunar month of 1786: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Otatsu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

Fall 1786: Tokujirô went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1786: Tokujirô played in Kyôto the role of the fox Otatsu in the kaomise drama "Shinchoku Niai no Enmusubi", which celebrated the shûmei of Yamamura Tomoemon I.

12th lunar month of 1786: Tokujirô played in the same theater the roles of Sonobe Saemon and Saemon's mother (hayagawari) in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".

Fall 1788: Tokujirô went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1788: Tokujirô performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Inari Yakusha Kaomise".

7th lunar month of 1789: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I and Chikamatsu Tokusô drama "Kanjin Kanmon Tekuda no Hajimari"; Tokujirô played the role of Kojorô [more details].

11th lunar month of 1789: Tokujirô became tachiyaku and played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Momokawa Kamijirô in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Chigusa Musubi".

12th lunar month of 1789: Tokujirô played in the same theater the roles of Ishidô Umanojô and Teraoka Heiemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

4th lunar month of 1790: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of the villain Soga no Iruka in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

7th lunar month of 1790: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Komagata Ikkaku Haruhide in the drama "Karukaya Dôshin Tsukushi no Iezuto".

11th lunar month of 1790: Tokujirô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of En'ya Hangan and Gihei in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku".

Fall 1791: Tokujirô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1791: Tokujirô played the role of Ema Koshirô Yoshitoki in the drama "Hakubai Genji Shugi no Hajime", which was produced by Anegawa Kumajirô at the Nishigawa no Shibai.

Summer 1793: Tokujirô played in Kyôto at the Higashigawa no Shibai the roles of Mameshirô and Yoshitsune in the dramas "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari" and "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

2nd lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Shima Meguri Uso no Kikigaki"; the last scenes were a sewamono drama, which will be staged independently in the 5th lunar month of 1794 under the title "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Tokujirô played the role of Tomitaya Oichi [more details].

Fall 1794: Tokujirô went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1794: Tokujirô became onnagata and performed at the Naka no Shibai in Nagawa Shimesuke I's kaomise drama "Kana Utsushi Azuchi Mondô" ^[2], which was produced by Nakayama Yosaburô II at the Naka no Shibai.

8th lunar month of 1795: Tokujirô played in the same theater the role of Tonase in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1799: Tokujirô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1800: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Yanagi's puppet theater drama "Ehon Taikôki", which was written in the 7th lunar month of 1799. The play was produced by Nakayama Tokujirô in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai and Tokujirô played the role of Satsuki [casting].

1st lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Tokusuke I's ni-no-kawari new year drama "Keisei Shina Sadame"; Tokujirô played the role of Kamon's mother [casting].

Fall 1811: Tokujirô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1811: Tokujirô appeared on stage for the last time, playing at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Mimyô in the kaomise drama "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Kumetarô III.

26th day of the 8th lunar month of 1812 ^[1]: Tokujirô died in Ôsaka ^[4].

Comments:

Mimasu Tokujirô I was a Kamigata actor, who made most of his career in Kyôto and Ôsaka, with the exception of 3 successful seasons in Edo (1784~1786). He was talented and popular but it took him quite a long time (24 years!) to move from the jô-jô-(shiro)kichi rank to the jô-jô-kichi rank, a quite unusual fact in Kabuki history. He was first an onnagata but shifted to tachiyaku for 5 years before switching back to onnagata roles. He was said to be able to perform a wide range of roles, equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. Sewa nyôbô and onna budô were his two fields of excellence.

[1] The 26th day of the 8th lunar month of the 9th year of the Bunka era was the 1st of October 1812 in the western calendar.

[2] This kaomise drama was divided into two dramas, an afternoon drama entitled like the program and an evening program which was entitled "Atarimasu Yuki-mo Hikikata".

[3] The 25th day of the 9th lunar month of the 9th year of the An'ei era was the 22nd of October 1780 in the western calendar.

[4] Mimasu Tokujirô I's tombstone was located in the cemetery of the Honchôji temple in Ôsaka.

Mimasu Tokujirô I

Prints & Illustrations

The Mimasu Tokujirô line of actors