Stage names:

Matsumoto Tomojûrô I
Matsumoto Tomonojô

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Kôbô

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Matsumoto Hyôzô

Disciple: Matsumoto Tomojûrô II

Career:

Before 1701: he started his career at an early age as a disciple of Matsumoto Hyôzô, who gave him the name of Matsumoto Tomonojô.

11th lunar month of 1701: he became wakashugata and took the name of Matsumoto Tomojûrô I in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater.

11th lunar month of 1706: Tomojûrô became tachiyaku and performed in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Hachimanzai".

11th lunar month of 1713: Tomojûrô achieved a great success by playing the role of Tsukioka Satoemon in the kaomise drama "Ôminato Kogane no Izumi", which was produced in Ôsaka by Yamamoto Hikogorô.

11th lunar month of 1715: Tomojûrô became katakiyaku and played the role of Furuichi Toraemon in the kaomise drama "Seiwa Genji Kaichû Fude", which was produced in Ôsaka by Arashi Sanjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1719: Tomojûrô played the role of Hiyoshi Daizô in the kaomise drama "Chiyo no Ume Naniwa Kagami", which was produced in Kyôto by Sakakiyama Shirojûrô.

11th/12th lunar months of 1720: Tomojûrô played in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the roles of Mikami Nuiemon and Komefumi in the kaomise drama "Gosha no Yonegura Fukki no Aimuko" and in the kiri kyôgen "Hamadaya Shirozuki no Yone", which were produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1721: Tomojûrô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1721: Tomojûrô played in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater the role of Takebara Toraemon in the kaomise drama "Yamato Uta Denju no Tomikura", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1722: Tomojûrô played in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Takehara Manzô in the kaomise drama "Ôbashira Kogane no Sazare Ishi", which was produced by Segawa Kikunojô I.

11th lunar month of 1723: Tomojûrô played the role of Kenmotsu in the kaomise drama "Manchô Chitose-gura", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

11th lunar month of 1724: Tomojûrô played in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Wada Sezaemon in the kaomise drama "Sanmen Daikoku Mangoku Dawara", which was produced by Mihogi Gizaemon I; the role of Sezameon's nyôbô Makino was played by Sodeshima Genji.

11th lunar month of 1733: Tomojûrô played at Kameya Kumenojô's theater (Kyôto) the role of Ebira Tatewaki in the kaomise drama "Chôseiden Kogane no Shikigawara", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

11th lunar month of 1737: Tomojûrô performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Yamato Uta Kamiyo no Kagami", which was produced by Mizuki Tatsunosuke II (who celebrated his shûmei) at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater; his stage partners were are Anegawa Shinshirô I, Segawa Kikunojô I ^[1], Segawa Kikujirô I ^[1], Shinozuka Kazaemon, Yashio Ikuemon, Yamanaka Heijûrô I, Arashi Sanshirô III and Somenoi Utamatsu.

2nd lunar month of 1738: premiere in Kyôto of Matsuda Bunkôdô's drama "Yukihira Isonare Matsu"; Tomojûrô played the roles of Prince Amayo and Kaji Tarô's old mother [more details].

1st lunar month of 1739: Tomojûrô played the roles of Yamana Sôzen and Sôhachi in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Arashiyama", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I at Kameya Kumenojô's theater.

11th lunar month of 1744: Tomojûrô played in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Tôma Mokunojô in the kaomise drama "Hakata Ori Imose no Karanishiki"; his stage partners were Fujioka Daikichi, Tamiya Shirogorô, Sawamura Chôshirô, Sadoshima Chôgorô I, Mihogi Gizaemon I, Nakamura Danzô, Tatsuoka Hisagiku, Sanogawa Hanazuma II, Sakakiyama Danshirô I, Takenaka Heikichi, Ikushima Kashiwagi I, Nakamura Matsubê I, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I and Fujioka Gengorô.

2nd lunar month of 1745: this was most likely the last stage performance of Tomojûrô, who played in the same theater the role of Katahei in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sakura Gassen". No record afterwards.

Comments:

Matsumoto Tomojûrô I was a popular Kyôto actor, who achieved fame for himself during the first half of the 18th century in Kamigata as a katakiyaku. He was endowed with a powerful voice and excelled as a villain in jidaimono dramas.

[1] The Segawa brothers were back in Kyôto after several seasons spent in Edo.

Matsumoto Tomojûrô I playing the role of Ebira Tatewaki in the drama "Chôseiden Kogane no Shikigawara", which was produced in Kyôto in the 11th lunar month of 1733 at Kameya Kumenojô's theater by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I

The Matsumoto Tomojûrô line of actors