Stage names:

Nakamura Tomosa I
Nakamura Tomosaburô

Guild: Kyôya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Gankô

Existence: 1762 ~ 14th day of the 1st lunar month of 1819 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Nakamura Jiroza II

Son: Nakamura Tomosa II

Career:

End of the 1780s: this disciple of Nakamura Jiroza II started his career in Ôsaka in hama shibai. His first stage name was Nakamura Tomosaburô. Later on, he was called Nakamura Tomosa I.

2nd lunar month of 1790: his master Nakamura Jiroza II died.

1798: Tomosa was considered as the best katakiyaku in hama shibai.

1st lunar month of 1814: Tomosa's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He achieved a great success at the Kado no Shibai by playing the role of Hagino Yûzen in the drama "Keisei Tsukushi no Tsumagoto". This was the first performance in Kabuki history of a play based on the "Asagao Nikki" world [casting].

4th lunar month of 1814: "Keisei Tsukushi no Tsumagoto" was staged with the same casting in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1814: Tomosa played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Jûbê and Gentôta in the drama "Hôjô Jiraiki". He also achieved a great success by playing the role of the decchi Chôkichi in the drama "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami". No record afterwards.

14th day of the 1st lunar month of 1819 ^[1]: Tomosa died.

Comments:

Nakamura Tomosa I was a katakiyaku and dôkegata actor, who gained in popularity in Ôsaka in hama shibai at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. He joined the ôshibai in 1813 and was very good in roles like Yûzen ("Keisei Tsukushi no Tsumagoto"), Yajirobê ("Kamikakete Chikai no Tsumagushi"), the evil clerk Zenroku ("Some Moyô Imose no Kadomatsu") or the decchi Chôkichi ("Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami").

[1] The 14th day of the 1st lunar month of the 2nd year of the Bunsei era was the 8th of February 1819 in the western calendar.

The actors Nakamura Tomosa I (bottom) and Arashi Kanjûrô I (top/right) playing the roles of Hagino Yûzen and Keian in the drama "Keisei Tsukushi no Tsumagoto", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1814 at the Kado no Shibai

The Nakamura Tomosa line of actors