Stage names:

Yamamura Kazaemon	|
Masaki Jinzaemon

Existence: ???

Connection:

Son: Yamamura Ichitarô

Disciples: Yamamura Giemon I, Yamamura Utanosuke, Yamamura Sôzaemon (?) ^[1]

Career:

7th lunar month of 1692: Jinzaemon performed as a tachiyaku in Kyôto in the drama "Kashima no Kanameishi", which was produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I.

1698: he settled in Ôsaka and took the name of Yamamura Kazaemon.

Spring 1700: Kazaemon performed in Ôsaka in Ki-no-Kaion's drama "Keisei Mugen no Kane", which was produced by Otowa Jirosaburô I and starred Kataoka Nizaemon I.

Fall 1702: Kazaemon went back to Kyôto.

1st lunar month of 1703: Kazaemon played the role of Kamei Daiemon in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Mitsu no Kuruma", which was produced in Kyôto by Yamatoya Tôkichi for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.

3rd lunar month of 1707: Kazaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô (superior) [visual].

Fall 1707: Kazaemon went back to Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1708: Kazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1708: Kazaemon played in Ôsaka the role of Tawara Masuemon in the kaomise drama "Ôkamado Uke Matsuri", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô II.

3rd lunar month of 1709: Kazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1709: Kazaemon played in Ôsaka at Shioya Kuroemon's theater the role of the karô Kuranojô in the kaomise "Inari Chôja Kokonotsu Kogura", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô II.

3rd lunar month of 1710: Kazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1710: Kazaemon performed in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Shusse Yakushi Jûnishin", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1711: Kazaemon performed in Ôsaka in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Tanba Tarô Kamado Shôgun", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1712: Kazaemon performed in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Mikawa no Kuni Yatsuhashi no Kura Saiwai Chôja", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I.

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

1st lunar month of 1715: Kazaemon performed in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "(Jingô Kôgô Sankan Taiji) Ashiwakebune" which was produced by Ogino Yaegiri I. Kazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1715: Kazaemon performed in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Seiwa Genji Kaichû Fude", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1716: Kazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual] in one hyôbanki and jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual] in another hyôbanki.

Fall 1716: Kazaemon went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1716: Kazaemon performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Tatsu no Miyako Ikuyo no Yonedawara", which was produced by Yamatoyama Jinzaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1717: Kazaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual] in one hyôbanki and jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual] in another hyôbanki.

11th lunar month of 1717: Kazaemon played in Kyôto the role of Jibudayû's son Shinohara Gekinojô in the kaomise drama "Genjôraku Biwa no Ôumi", which was produced by Yamatoyama Jinzaemon I in Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater.

1st lunar month of 1718: Kazaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kokichi ^[2] (superior - superior - (small-sized) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Sakakiyama Koshirô I.

Fall 1718: Kazaemon went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1718: Kazaemon played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Torii Banzô in the kaomise drama "Suehiro Chôja Bandaigura", which was produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I and celebrated the shûmei of Sugiyama Kanzaemon III.

1st lunar month of 1719: Kazaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1719: Kazaemon went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1719: Kazaemon played in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater the role of Kadota Inabanosuke in the kaomise drama "Hôraisan Hiyoku no Tsurukame", which was written by the sakusha Sakakiyama Kansuke I and Nakayama Kinzô and was produced by Yamatoyama Jinzaemon I

11th lunar month of 1720: Kazaemon performed in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Gosha no Yonegura Fukki no Aimuko".

1st lunar month of 1721: Kazaemon played in the same theater the role of the rônin Saitô Jitsubê in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Tôyama Matsu". This was his last-recorded performance. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Yamamura Kazaemon was the founder of the Yamamura clan in Kamigata. He was a popular and talented tachiyaku actor, who was active from the beginning of the 1690s to the beginning of the 1720s. He was said to be outstanding in budôgoto, equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. He never performed in Edo.

[1] It was recorded in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" that Yamamura Sôzaemon was the disciple of Yamamura Kazaemon. This is a bit weird as Yamamura Kazaemon started his career AFTER Yamamura Sôzaemon.

[2] This was a rarely-used visually-striking ranking.

The actors Yamamura Kazaemon (top), Matsumoto Shigemaki (bottom/left) and Sawamura Otoemon I (bottom/right) playing the roles of Torii Banzô, the menoto Okyô and the rônin Onosaka Daihachi in the kaomise drama "Suehiro Chôja Bandaigura", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1718 at the Ônishi no Shibai

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