Stage names:

Ôkuma Utaemon
Ôkuma Utaemon

Poetry name: Minchû

Existence: 1664 ~ 22nd day of the 6th lunar month of 1721 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Ichimura Takenojô I

Career:

1664: born in Edo.

1692: first record; he performed as a tachiyaku in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1703: Utaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Tada no Manjû in the kaomise drama "Genji Rokujûjô", which welcomed in this theater Ichikawa Danjûrô I and his son Ichikawa Kuzô I.

11th lunar month of 1706: Utaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of the rich man Mano in the kaomise drama "Mano no Chôja Kogane no Torii".

1709 ~ 1712: he worked as a tôdori at the Ichimuraza without appearing on stage.

1712 ~ 1721: he worked as a tôdori at the Ichimuraza but also as an actor appearing on stage.

10th day of the 9th lunar month of 1718 ^[2]: his master Ichimura Takenojô I died.

11th lunar month of 1718: Utaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Gozen Nô Mitsu Uroko", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Onoe Samon; Utaemon's others stage partners were Mimasuya Sukejûrô I, Sodeoka Masanosuke II, Sanjô Kantarô II, Ôtani Hiroji I, Ichimura Takenojô IV, Hayakawa Denshirô, Nakajima Mihoemon I, Ogawa Zengorô I and Onogawa Orie.

11th lunar month of 1719: Utaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Tategami Teika Kazura", which celebrated the shûmei of Tsuruya Nanboku I and Nanboku Magotarô II.

1st lunar month of 1720: Utaemon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, oyajigata section, was jô-jô-kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1720: Utaemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Kodakara Imagawajô", which celebrated the shûmei of Yamanaka Takejûrô.

1st lunar month of 1721: Utaemon appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Ichimuraza, where he played the role of Hôjô Tokimasa in the new year sogamono "Tsurukame Wakayagi Soga".

22nd day of the 6th lunar month of 1721 ^[1]: Utaemon died in Edo.

Comments:

Ôkuma Utaemon was an Edo tachiyaku/oyajigata who was active in the city of the Shôgun from the beginning of the 1690s to the beginning of the 1720s. This big-sized actor was outstanding in budôgoto and evil shiraga karô roles. He was a tôdori at the Ichimuraza for 12 years.

[1] The 22nd day of the 6th lunar month of the 6th year of the Kyôhô era was the 16th of July 1721 in the western calendar.

[2] The 10th day of the 9th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kyôhô era was the 3rd of October 1718 in the western calendar.

Sodeoka Masanosuke II (left) and Ôkuma Utaemon (right) performing in the kaomise drama "Kinkazan Yoroi Biraki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1717 at the Ichimuraza

Prints & Illustrations