Stage names:

Ichikawa Yaozô I
Matsushima Yaozô
Matsushima Kichisaburô

Other name:

Ichikawa Chûsha I

Guild: Hôraiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry names: Teika, Chûsha (1)

Existence: 1730 ~ 19th day of the 10th lunar month of 1759 ^[1]

Connections:

Father: Matsushima Moheiji

Master: Ichikawa Ebizô II

Brother-in-law: Ichikawa Yaozô II

Career:

1730: born in Kamigata. His father Matsushima Moheiji was a dôkegata.

1737: first stage appearance in Ôsaka, where he performed koyaku roles under the name of Matsushima Kichisaburô.

Fall 1742: Kichisaburô went to Edo to join his father Matsushima Moheiji, who had settled in Edo in Fall 1740.

11th lunar month of 1742: Kichisaburô achieved a great success at the Nakamuraza, where he performed as a koyaku in the kaomise drama "Keisei Akazawayama"; he was nicknamed koyaku no meijin ("the master of children roles").

11th lunar month of 1745: Kichisaburô became wakashugata and performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Suehiro Izu Nikki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Fujikawa Heikurô and the shûmei of Ôtani Hiroemon II and Nakamura Denkurô II.

11th lunar month of 1746: Matsushima Kichisaburô took the name of Matsushima Yaozô at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Ôtô-no-Miya in the kaomise drama "Tenchi Taiheiki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Arashi Koroku I and also the shûmei of Hanai Saizaburô III and Sanjô Kantarô III.

1st lunar month of 1748: Yaozô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He played in the same theater the role of Honda no Jirô in the new year sogamono drama "Kazari Ebi Yoroi Soga".

5th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Yaozô played the role of Kokingo [casting].

6th lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Yaozô played the role of En'ya Hangan [casting].

11th lunar month of 1749: Matsushima Yaozô became disciple of Ichikawa Ebizô II and took the name of Ichikawa Yaozô I at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Shinozuka Gorô in the kaomise drama "Onnô Taiheiki".

7th lunar month of 1751: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna", which was staged in Edo at the Nakamuraza [casting]; Yaozô played the role of Sagisaka Sanai.

11th lunar month of 1753: Yaozô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Hannya Gorô in the kaomise drama "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the actor Kasaya Matakurô I.

11th lunar month of 1754: Yaozô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Sanada no Yoichi in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Bumon no Kotobuki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Matsumoto Kôshirô III and Tsuuchi Monzaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1755: Yaozô played in the same theater the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year sogamono drama "Waka Midori Nishiki Soga".

24th day of the 9th lunar month of 1758 ^[2]: his master Ichikawa Ebizô II died.

1st lunar month of 1759: Yaozô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-jû (superior - superior - "ten") [visual]. Yaozô appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he played the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Benchô (disguised as Kobayashi no Asahina) in the new year sogamono drama "Hatsugai Wada no Sakamori".

19th day of the 10th lunar month of 1759 ^[1]: Yaozô died in Edo.

Comments:

Ichikawa Yaozô I was a promising and popular tachiyaku actor, who unfortunately died too young and did not reach the peak of his art and popularity. Jitsugotoshi, wagotoshi and aragotoshi roles were his forte. He was also the owner of a cosmetics shop located in the district of Yorozu-chô. Because of Ichikawa Yaozô I's popularity, a sweet shop in the district of Sakai-chô decided to make and sell "Yaozô Okoshi", some traditional cakes of sugar-bounded popped rice.

[1] The 19th day of the 10th lunar month of the 9th year of the Hôreki era was the 8th of December 1759 in the western calendar.

[2] The 24th day of the 9th lunar month of the 8th year of the Hôreki era was the 25th of October 1758 in the western calendar.

Ichikawa Yaozô I playing a role in the aragoto style in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Torii Kiyomitsu in 1758

The Ichikawa Chûsha line of actors

The Ichikawa Yaozô line of actors