Stage names:

Gatten Yazaemon	|
Shimada Jûrobê

Existence: ???

Career:

2nd lunar month of 1692: the name of Shimada Jûrobê was recorded in the hyôbanki "Yakusha Ôkagami", tachiyaku section. His rank was naka (middle class).

11th lunar month of 1710: he took the name of Gatten Yazaemon, became dôkegata and performed in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Sasaki Uji Ôshimadai", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

3rd lunar month of 1711: Yazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was naka-no-jô (superior in the middle class).

11th lunar month of 1713: Yazaemon performed in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Musume Takara no Yome Banzei Muko", which was produced at Ôsaka Tazaemon's theater by Shinozuka Shômatsu I. He changed the writing of his family name:

11th lunar month of 1715: Yazaemon performed in the kaomise drama "Ugashin Kogane no Hokora", which was produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I and celebrated the shûmei of Takeshima Kôzaemon II.

1st lunar month of 1716: Yazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô (superior) [visual].

Fall 1716 ~ Fall 1717: no record in ôshibai; he most likely performed in tabi shibai.

11th lunar month of 1717: Yazaemon performed in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Inari Yashiki Daikoku Bashira", which was produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1718: Yazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

Fall 1718 ~ Fall 1721: no record in ôshibai; he most likely performed in tabi shibai.

11th lunar month of 1721: Yazaemon performed in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Shachihoko".

1st lunar month of 1722: Yazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, fell to jô (superior) [visual].

Fall 1722: Yazaemon went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1722: Yazaemon performed at Miyako Mandayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Ôbashira Kogane no Sazare Ishi", which was produced by Segawa Kikunojô I.

1st lunar month of 1723: Yazaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô (superior) [visual].

Fall 1723: Yazaemon went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1723: Yazaemon performed at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Fukujukai Kogane no Minato", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

1st lunar month of 1724: Yazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1722: Yazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, fell to jô (superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1725: Yazaemon performed at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Azuma in the kaomise drama "Gokoku Jôju Naniwa no Yakata".

Fall 1726 ~ 1732: no record in Kyôto or Ôsaka ôshibai.

1732: Yazaemon performed in Nagoya as an oyajigata.

Comments:

Gatten Yazaemon was a Kamigata dôkegata actor, who was active from the 1690s to the beginning of the 1730s. His ranking was average during all his career. His most original feature was his stage name, Gatten, which was not a classic family name like Nakamura or Ichikawa, but a word meaning apprehend, comprehend or consent to.

Kuwabara Sanzaemon (left) and Gatten Yazaemon (right) performing in the kaomise drama "Bandai-ga-Ike no Tsurukame", which was staged in Ôsaka in the 11th lunar month of 1714