| ICHIMURA UZAEMON IX |
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Guilds: Tachibanaya, Kikuya Line number: KUDAIME (IX) Poetry name: Kakitsu (1) Existence: 1725 ~ 25th day of the 8th lunar month of 1785 [1] Connections: Father: Ichimura Uzaemon VIII Brothers: Ichimura Zenzô, Bandô Hikosaburô III Son: Ichimura Uzaemon X Disciples: Bandô Matatarô IV, Bandô Kumajûrô I, Ikushima Koisa Career: 7th lunar month of 1731: he made his first appearance on stage, at the Ichimuraza, where he received the name of Ichimura Manzô a play and performed as a koyaku in the drama "Ôzumô Fujito Genji". 2nd lunar month of 1745: he was forced to change his first name because it was close to the first name of the Shôgun's new son; Ichimura Manzô took the name of Ichimura Kamezô I at the Ichimuraza, performing in the drama "Sato Gayoi Fujimi Saigyô". 3rd lunar month of 1747: premiere in Edo at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; Kamezô played the role of Sakuramaru [casting]. 7th lunar month of 1753: premiere in Edo at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki"; Kamezô played the role of Kajiwara Genta Kagesue [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1760: Kamezô achieved a great success at the Ichimuraza by playing the role of Tachibanaya Hikomune in the kaomise drama "Ume Momiji Date no Ôkido". 1761: short tour in Ise and in Kamigata. 11th lunar month of 1761: Kamezô was back in Edo and achieved a great success at the Ichimuraza by performing in the kaomise drama "Wakamusha Kokyô no Nishiki". 7th day of the 5th lunar month of 1762 [2]: his father Ichimura Uzaemon VIII died. 8th lunar month of 1762: Ichimura Kamezô I took the name of Ichimura Uzaemon IX and became the new zamoto of the Ichimuraza. 11th lunar month of 1762: Uzaemon produced his first kaomise drama, which was entitled "Kisoe Uta Sakae Komachi" (in which he played the role of Narihira) and celebrated the shûmei of Ôtani Hiroji III. 2nd lunar month of 1763: Uzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year sogamono drama "Fûjibumi Sakae Soga"; the roles of the courtesans Ôiso no Tora (Jûrô's lover) and Kewaizaka no Shôshô (Gorô's lover) were played by Segawa Kikunojô II. 11th lunar month of 1764: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the roles of Minamoto Yoshitsune and Taira no Tadanori in the kaomise drama "Wakaki no Hana Suma no Hatsuyuki". 29th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1766 [4]: a fire broke out in the district of Sakai-chô, in the cosmetics shop owned and managed by the actor Onoe Kikugorô I. It destroyed both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. This fire was nicknamed "Kikugorô Aburamise Kaji" ('Kikugorô's cosmetics shop fire'). Uzaemon had to rebuild his theater. 11th lunar month of 1766: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Nagoya Sanza in the kaomise drama "Higashiyama Dono Kabuki no Tsuitachi". 1st lunar month of 1767: Uzaemon played in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year drama "Soga Yawaragi Soga". 2nd lunar month of 1767: first Kabuki adaptation, at the Ichimuraza, of Chikamatsu Hanji's puppet theater drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku"; Uzaemon played the role of Ishidô Nuinosuke [casting]. 8th lunar month of 1768: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Kan Shôjô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". 11th lunar month of 1768: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Minamoto Yoshiie in the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe". This was also the premiere of the dance "Oshiegusa Yoshiwara Suzume", the first version of "Yoshiwara Suzume" [more details]. 29th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1772 [3]: a fire broke out in Meguro Gyôninzaka. It spread and destroyed both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. 11th lunar month of 1772: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza 4 roles, including Minamoto Yorimitsu, in the kaomise drama "Edo Katagi Hikeya Tsunazaka", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danzaburô III. 11th lunar month of 1777: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Meotozake Kawaranu Nakanaka" (commonly called "Kurama Jishi"); Uzaemon played the role of the male fox [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1777: Uzaemon financed the erection of a stone lantern decorated with the mon (the mandarin orange tree) of the Ichimuraza in the precincts of the Enoshima shrine. 11th lunar month of 1781: Uzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of the yakko Matahei in the kaomise drama "Mukashi Otoko Yuki no Hinagata". 1st lunar month of 1784: last program produced by Uzaemon at the Ichimuraza; the debt of the theater was huge (around 164,400 ryô) and the Ichimuraza went bankrupt. Uzaemon gave his license for Kabuki performances to his hikae yagura, the Kiriza. 11th lunar month of 1784: Uzaemon moved to the Moritaza and played 4 roles in the kaomise drama "Sakura-ga-Mine Tennyo no Yomeiri". 2nd ~ 4th lunar months of 1785: Uzaemon appeared on stage for the last time, at the Nakamuraza, where he performed in the drama "Mitsu Ningyô Yayoi no Hinagata". 25th day of the 8th lunar month of 1785 [1]: Uzaemon died in Edo. Comments: Ichimura Uzaemon IX was a talented tachiyaku actor, excelling in hengemono and sogamono. He was also the zamoto of the Ichimuraza for 22 years. He inherited a huge debt from his father and did not hesitate to get deeper into debt in order to engage the best Edo actors. Crippled by this heavy burden, he suffered great hardship during his latter years and could not avoid to go bankrupt. [1] The 25th day of the 8th lunar month of the 5th year of the Tenmei era was the 28th of September 1785 in the western calendar. [2] The 7th day of the 5th lunar month of the 12th year of the Hôreki era was the 28th of June 1762 in the western calendar. [3] The 29th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 9th year of the Meiwa era was the 1st of April 1772 in the western calendar. [4] The 29th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 3rd year of the Meiwa era was the 8th of April 1766 in the western calendar. |
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The Actor Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Teraoka Heiemon in the play "Hoshi Aikotoba Higashiyama no Sakae," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the ninth month, 1763 Print made by Torii Kiyomasu in the 1750s Print made by Torii Kiyomitsu in 1759 Print made by Torii Kiyotsune in 1763 Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1776 The Ichimura Kakitsu line of actors The Ichimura Kamezô line of actors The Ichimura Uzaemon line of actors and theater managers |
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