Stage names:

Onogawa Ugenji	|  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ogawa Ugenji [1]

Other name:

Yamada Tôshirô

Existence: 1665 ~ ???

Connection:

Son: Haruyama Genshichi II

Disciples: Onogawa Ugenta, Onogawa Ben'ya, Onogawa Kamegiku

Career:

1683: first record; he performed under the name of Ogawa Ugenji ^[1] in Edo at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1691: he was recorded as performing under the name of Onogawa Ugenji in Kyôto.

1694: Ugenji performed in Edo at the Nakamuraza.

1st lunar month of 1695: Ugenji went back to Kyôto and played at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Ashiwara Ôenojô in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Ima Genji Rokujûjô"; his stage partners were Mizuki Tatsunosuke I, Sakata Tôjûrô I, Yamatoya Jinbê II, Sodesaki Iroha I, Matsumoto Rokuemon and Arai Hanzaemon.

11th lunar month of 1695: Ugenji played in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Hamamatsu Chikaranosuke in the drama "Hime Kura Daikoku Bashira".

11th lunar month of 1696: Ugenji performed in the same theater in the drama "Fukujumaru", which was produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I; his others stage partners were Yoshizawa Ayame I, Kokan Tarôji I and Takeshima Kôzaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1698: Ugenji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakashugata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1700: Ugenji played in Kyôto the role of Yamada Sanjûrô in the drama "Keisei Zen no Tsuna", which was produced by Yamatoya Jinbê II; his stage partners were Yoshizawa Ayame I, Mizuki Tatsunosuke I, Hayakawa Hatsuse, Onoyama Ujiemon, Takenaka Kiyonosuke, Matsunaga Rokuroemon, Sugiyama Kanzaemon I and Fujimoto Heijûrô.

7th lunar month of 1707: Ugenji performed in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater in Fukuoka Yagoshirô's bon kyôgen "Nyonin Ketsuen no Kanchô".

Fall 1707: Ugenji went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1707: Ugenji became tachiyaku and performed in Ôsaka in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Onna Daimyô Irekozan".

1st lunar month of 1708: Ugenji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Sugiyama Heihachi, Mikasa Jôemon, Yamamura Kazaemon, Arashi Sanjûrô I and Bandô Hikosaburô I.

Fall 1710: Ugenji went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1710: Ugenji played at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater the role of Mitsunojô in the kaomise drama "Tagasode Ume Sakura Matsu"; his stage partners were Takeshima Kôzaemon I, Takeshima Takisaburô, Ikushima Jûshirô and Nakamura Sen'ya I.

3rd lunar month of 1711: Ugenji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1712: Ugenji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

Fall 1712: Ugenji went to Ôsaka.

12th lunar month of 1712: Ugenji performed in Ôsaka in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Enmei Kobukuro", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1713: Ugenji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Arashi Sanjûrô I, Takeshima Kôjûrô, Sugiyama Heihachi, Kaneko Kichizaemon and Sakurayama Shirosaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1713: Ugenji played in Ôsaka at Shioya Kuroemon's theater the role of Terujirô in the kaomise drama "Yoyo Meoto Tsuru no Mago".

1st lunar month of 1717: Ugenji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell to jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Anegawa Shinshirô I, Ôtori Michiemon, Arashi Kanshirô I and Haruyama Genshichi I.

Fall 1719: Ugenji went back to Kyôto.

12th lunar month of 1719: Ugenji performed in Kyôto in Adachi Saburôzaemon's kaomise drama "Yamato Ôji Meoto Izumi", which was produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1720: Ugenji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Arashi Sanjûrô I, Yamamura Kazaemon and Karyû Sawaemon.

1st lunar month of 1721: Ugenji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell to jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Katayama Kozaemon and Yamamoto Hikogorô.

Fall 1722: Ugenji went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1722: Ugenji played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Toyohara Genzô in the kaomise drama "Tenchi Tennô Sokutai Guruma", which was produced by Arashi Kanshirô I.

1st lunar month of 1723: Ugenji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Arashi Kanshirô I. He played in the same theater the role of Tezuka no Tarô in the new year ni-no-kawari "Keisei Tomoe Daiko".

Fall 1723: Ugenji went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1723: Ugenji became jitsuaku and played in Kyôto the role of Kameyama Okinojô in Fukuoka Yagoshirô's kaomise drama "Teono Hajime Kogane no Ishizue", which was produced by Segawa Kikunojô I. This was most likely his last kaomise in a major theater.

1st lunar month of 1724: Ugenji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. Ugenji played in the same theater the role of Tomiyama Wadanojô in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Futakamiyama".

1724 ~ 1727: Ugenji's name did not appear in any major theater playbill.

2nd lunar month of 1728: Ugenji appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Nawate no Shibai, playing the role of the young master Tsurujirô in the drama "Man'yô no Hana Nishiki no Akebono". No record afterwards.

Comments:

Onogawa Ugenji was the most talented wakashugata of the Genroku era in Kamigata. He reached the heights of fame as a wakashugata from the end of the 1690s to the middle of the 1700s. He became tachiyaku but failed in reaching the prestigious jô-jô-kichi ranking.

[1] Not recorded in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten", only in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran".

Onogawa Ugenji as depicted in an illustration from the book "Amayo no Sanbai Kigen" (1693)