Stage names:

Osagawa Tsuneyo IV
Yamashina Jinkichi III
Yamashina Takegorô

Guilds: Wataya ^[1], Taiya ^[2]

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry names: Kyosen ^[1], Kenfu ^[2], Teifu ^[3]

Existence: ???

Connection:

Father: Yamashina Seigorô ^[4]

Disciple: Yamashina Jinkichi IV

Career:

Before 1816: born in Kamigata. His father was the actor Yamashina Seigorô ^[4]. His first stage names were Yamashina Takegorô and Yamashina Jinkichi III, which were both taken at unknown date.

Spring 1816: Jinkichi went to Edo.

4th lunar month of 1816: Jinkichi performed at the Kiriza.

Fall 1818: the Miyakoza went bankrupt and transferred the Ichimuraza license to the Tamagawaza.

11th lunar month of 1818: Jinkichi performed at the Tamagawaza in the kaomise drama "Shitennô Ubuyu no Tamagawa", which starred Matsumoto Kôshirô V, Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, Iwai Hanshirô V, Segawa Kikunojô V, Bandô Hikosaburô IV, Sôryô Jinroku II, Ichikawa Sôzaburô IV, Ôtani Bajû II and Matsumoto Yonesaburô II. The tatesakusha was Tsuruya Nanboku IV.

11th lunar month of 1823: Yamashina Jinkichi III and Yamashina Tsuchigorô took respectively the names of Osagawa Tsuneyo IV and Yamashina Jinkichi IV at the Ichimuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Yama Mata Yama Hana no Yamagatsu" which also celebrated the shûmei of Nakayama Tomisaburô II.

11th lunar month of 1828: Tsuneyo performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Mitsugi no Yuki Genji Hiiki"; his yearly salary was 250 ryô.

7th lunar month of 1837: premiere at the Ichimuraza of "Sanshô-dayû Kogane no Toridoshi", a revised and expanded version of the gidayû kyôgen drama "Yura no Minato Sengen Chôja"; Tsuneyo played the roles of the menoto Uwatake and Sanshô's nyôbô Kiyo [casting].

1st lunar month of 1842: Tsuneyo's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

10th lunar month of 1842: Tsuneyo took part in the opening ceremony of the newly-built Nakamuraza in the district of Asakusa Saruwaka-chô, performing in the drama "Kinryûzan Chikai no Ishizue", which was produced by Nakamura Kanzaburô XII; his stage partners were Iwai Tojaku, Sawamura Tosshô II, Arashi Kichisaburô III, Onoe Eizaburô III, Bandô Hikosaburô IV, Arashi Izaburô II and Ichikawa Danzaburô V.

1st lunar month of 1848: Tsuneyo's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was itaru-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent). He shared this rank with Onoe Baikô IV and Bandô Shûka I. Tsuneyo was the kanjiku for onnagata actors. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Osagawa Tsuneyo IV was a talented and popular onnagata actor, who was born and trained in Kamigata in miyaji shibai, and achieved fame for himself in Edo from the second half of the 1810s to the end of the 1840s. His field of excellence was nyôbô roles. He became an outstanding toshima in his latter years. He most likely died at the beginning of 1850. He revived the famous Osagawa Tsuneyo line of actors for only one generation, for he had no heir when he left this world.

[1] Used when his acting name was Osagawa Tsuneyo IV.

[2] Used when his acting name was Yamashina Jinkichi III.

[3] Teifu or Taifu (another possible reading). Used when his acting name was Yamashina Jinkichi III.

[4] Yamashina Seigorô in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran". Yamashina Shingorô in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten".

Osagawa Tsuneyo IV playing the role of Onoe (kagamiyamamono) in a print made by Utagawa Kunisada I

Prints & Illustrations

The Yamashina Jinkichi line of actors

The Osagawa Tsuneyo line of actors