Pen names:

Kanai Yûsuke I
Matsui Yûsuke I
Kanai Isshô
Tsutsui Hanji

Guild: Izutsuya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Sankô

Existence: ??? ~ 1801

Connection:

Father: Kanai Sanshô

Son: Kanai Yûsuke III

Disciple: Matsui Kôzô I

Career:

Before 1778: third son of Kanai Sanshô, he settled in Kyôto where he became sakusha, calling himself Tsutsui Hanji.

4th lunar month of 1778: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's masterpiece "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri", which was produced by the zamoto Ogawa Kichitarô I with with Arashi Hinasuke I and Onoe Kikugorô I playing the roles of Ishikawa Goemon and Mashiba Hisayoshi; Hanji belonged to the sakusha team supporting Namiki Gohê [casting].

Fall 1778: he became a sakusha dedicated to Onoe Kikugorô I and went with him to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1778: Hanji worked for the tatesakusha Masuyama Kinpachi I at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Sakimasuya Ume no Kachidoki".

11th lunar month of 1779: Hanji worked at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Azuma no Mori Sakae Kusunoki", which celebrated the shûmei of Azuma Tôzô III and Segawa Otome.

1782: Hanji went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1782: Hanji worked in Kyôto, along with Tatsuoka Mansaku and Namiki Jûsuke I ^[1], on the kaomise drama "Gosekkyô Suehiro Keizu", which was produced by Nakayama Raisuke II and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Utaemon II.

1st lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi", which was written by Namiki Gohei I, Hanji and Namiki Jûsuke I [casting].

11th lunar month of 1786: he took the name of Kanai Isshô and worked at the Naka no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Neko Shakkyô Fûki no Hanabusa", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakayama Bungorô I.

Fall 1792: he went back to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1792: he became nimaime sakusha, took the name of Matsui Yûsuke I and worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Segawa Jokô I, Katsu Hyôzô I, Nakamura Jûsuke II and Kawatake Bunji, on the kaomise drama "Koganegiku Date no Ôkido", which celebrated the shûmei of Segawa Yûjirô II.

11th lunar month of 1794: Yûsuke became tatesakusha and worked at the Miyakoza, along with Namiki Gohei I, on the kaomise drama "Uruô Tosshi Meika no Homare".

11th lunar month of 1795: Yûsuke worked at the Kiriza, along with Namiki Gohei I, on the kaomise drama "Genpei Hashira Goyomi", which celebrated the shûmei of Ôtani Tomoemon II.

1st lunar month of 1796: Yûsuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Soga Daifukuchô"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Ôtani Hiroji III, Ichikawa Omezô I and Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

11th lunar month of 1796: Yûsuke worked at the Kiriza, along with Namiki Gohei I, on the kaomise drama "Ginsekai Matsu ni Yukihira".

1st lunar month of 1797: Yûsuke worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Ôkazari Soga no Kadomatsu"; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Bandô Hikosaburô III, Ichikawa Omezô I and Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

11th lunar month of 1797: Yûsuke worked at the Kiriza, along with Namiki Gohei I, on the kaomise drama "Yuki Onna Keizu no Hachinoki".

11th lunar month of 1798: Ichimura Uzaemon X reopened the Ichimuraza, producing the kaomise drama "Hanayagura Tachibana Keizu"; Matsui Yûsuke I took the name of Kanai Yûsuke I and worked with Chikamatsu Monkyô ^[2] on this drama which starred the actors Ichikawa Yaozô III, Segawa Kikunojô III, Onoe Matsusuke I, Ichikawa Omezô I, Bandô Mitsugorô II, Matsumoto Yonesaburô I and Nakamura Denkurô IV.

9th lunar month of 1799: Yûsuke worked in the same theater on the dramas "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and "Edo Murasaki Otoko Kagami". No record afterwards.

Comments:

Kanai Yûsuke I was an important Edo sakusha, who was active from the second half of the 1770s to the end of the 1790s.

[1] The others sakusha were Tawara Kiichi, Nakamura Kasuke and Fujikawa Hira.

[2] The others sakusha were Matsushima Hanji I, Tajima Konosuke I, Sasa Rindôsuke and Fujita Kinji.

The name of Kanai Yûsuke I in a 1799 Edo hyôbanki (the name within the red box)

The Matsui Yûsuke line of playwrights

The Kanai Yûsuke line of playwrights