Stage names:

Yamashita Yaozô I
Yamashita Yaozô I
Yamashita Yaozô I

Guild: Masuya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Kikô

Existence: ???

Connection:

Father: Yamashita Jirosa I

Master: Yamashita Kinsaku II.

Adopted sons: Yamashita Yaozô II, Bandô Mitsuzô I

Disciple: Yamashita Yaozô II

Career:

Before 1763: son of Yamashita Jirosa I, he started his career as a wakashugata in hama shibai, performing under the name of Yamashita Yaozô I.

Fall 1763: Yaozô became disciple of Yamashita Kinsaku II.

11th lunar month of 1763: Yaozô made his debut in ôshibai, performing with his master at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Fuyu Gomori Kôbai no Iezuto", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.

1764: Yaozô became wakaonnagata.

11th lunar month of 1768: Yaozô became zamoto and produced in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Shin-yakata Banzei no Kotobuki".

Fall 1769: Yaozô and his master Yamashita Kinsaku II went together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1769: Yaozô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Na ni Takashi Kumoi no Yumihari", which welcomed in Edo the actors Yamashita Kinsaku II and Kasaya Matakurô II (who also celebrated his shûmei) and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Shirogorô IV.

11th lunar month of 1770: Yaozô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Nakamura Shôchô, Ichikawa Monnosuke II, Nakamura Shichisaburô III and Bandô Sanpachi II.

Fall 1772: Yaozô went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1772: Yaozô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Yamana's daughter Kaoyo in the kaomise drama "Hi-no-Moto Banzei no Hôrai".

Fall 1773: Yaozô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1773: Yaozô played in Kyôto the role of Seki-no-To in the kaomise drama "Etari ya Etari Tsuwamono Majiwari", which was produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I.

1st lunar month of 1774: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1778: Yaozô performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Ume no Nazorae Azuma Hyakkan", which was produced by Somematsu Shichisaburô II at the Kitagawa no Shibai.

1st lunar month of 1779: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1779: Yaozô performed in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kikkegawara", which was produced in Kyôto by Somematsu Shichisaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1780: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Sawamura Kunitarô I. Namiki Gohê's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri" was produced for the first time in Kyôto; Yaozô played the role of Masagi [casting].

11th lunar month of 1780: Yaozô became zamoto in Kyôto, producing at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Sono Uwasa Kiku no Hataage".

1st lunar month of 1781: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, fell to jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).

11th lunar month of 1781: Yaozô produced at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", in which he played the role of Tonami.

Fall 1782: Yaozô went back to Ôsaka after 9 seasons spent in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1782: Yaozô performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Zu ni Notta Bankoku Tokai", which celebrated the shûmei of Kagaya Kashichi I.

9th lunar month of 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Yaozô plays The keisei Segawa, Hisakata Gozen and Osode [casting].

1st lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi"; Yaozô played the roles of the keisei Kachô and Kitabatake Hamaogi [casting]. His rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

5th lunar month of 1784: the play "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami", which was originally written in the 10th lunar month of 1776 by Suga Sensuke for the puppet theater, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time by Namiki Gohê, and staged in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Yaozô played the role of Chôemon's spouse Okinu [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1788: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sewa Ryôri Yaoya Kondate"; Yaozô played the role of Ochiyo [more details].

4th lunar month of 1788: Yaozô played in the same theater the roles of Nureginu and Karaori in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô".

11th lunar month of 1788: Yaozô performed at the Naka no Shibai in Nagawa Shimesuke I's kaomise drama "Toshi-ni Kanô Tori-ga-Saikô".

11th lunar month of 1790: Yaozô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Omasu in Namiki Gohei I's kaomise drama "Ittai Bunshin Nishiki no Okuyama", which was produced by Asao Yatarô and celebrated the return in Ôsaka (from a tour to Edo) of the star Asao Tamejûrô I. He also played from the 25th of the 11th lunar month the roles of Magaki and Saisaki Iga-no-Kami's wife in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".

Summer 1791: Yaozô played in Kyôto the roles of Sasaki Tan'emon's wife and Sawai Matagorô's wife in the drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; the roles of Sasaki Tan'emon and Sawai Matagorô were played by Ichikawa Danzô IV and Kataoka Nizaemon VII.

11th lunar month of 1791: Yaozô performed in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Hakubai Genji Shugi no Hajime", which was produced by Anegawa Kumajirô at the Nishigawa no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1792: Yaozô performed in Ôsaka at the Kita no Shinchi Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Hajimari"; his stage partners were Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Onoe Matsusuke I, Nakamura Tôzô I, Anegawa Shinshirô III and Sawamura Kunitarô I.

Summer 1793: Yaozô played in Kyôto the roles of Sukune's wife, Shinobu and Princess Izutsu in the drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari".

3rd lunar month of 1794: Yaozô played in Kyôto the role of Sakaki-no-Mae in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami". He also played the role of Ochiyo in "Yaoya no Kondate"; the role of Hanbei was played by Nakayama Hyôtarô I.

5th lunar month of 1794: Yaozô played in Kyôto the role of Sagami in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".

5th lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Nishi no Shibai (Kyôto) of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Yaozô played the role of the courtesan Kikuno [casting].

11th lunar month of 1794: Yaozô played in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kokaji's wife Okyô in the kaomise drama "Tatematsuru Chibako no Tamamono"; he also played from the 27th day of the 11th month to the 19th day of the 12th month the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1795: Yaozô's rank in the Ôsaka and Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Yoshizawa Iroha I in the Ôsaka hyôbanki.

11th lunar month of 1795: Yaozô performed in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Hajimete Hiraku Nanshi no Hanabusa", which celebrated the shûmei of Arashi Mitsuemon I.

8th lunar month of 1796: Yaozô played in the same theater the role of Takigawa in the drama "Deiri Minato". He also played the roles of Tatsuta-no-Mae and Yae in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

2nd lunar month of 1797: Yaozô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Otane in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô"; the roles of Jihizô and Yokozô were played by Nakayama Bunshichi II and Asao Tamejûrô I.

9th lunar month of 1798: Yaozô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Umegawa in the drama "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"; the roles of Chûbê and Magoemon were played by Onoe Koisaburô I and Asao Tamejûrô I.

10th lunar month of 1798: Yaozô played in the same theater the roles of Shinobu and Princess Izutsu in the drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1803: Yaozô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Matsukaze in the kaomise drama "Hatsu Yagura Kogane no Manmaku", which was produced by Nakamura Noshio III. The troupe moved to the Kita no Shinchi Shibai in the 12th lunar month to perform the same program for 10 days.

3rd lunar month of 1804: Yaozô played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Okaru in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1804: Yaozô performed at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ichiyô Ôgi no Kachidoki".

9th lunar month of 1805: Yaozô played in Kyôto at the Shita-no-Mori no Shibai (in the district of Kitano) the role of Shigenoi in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna".

Comments:

Yamashita Yaozô I was a popular and talented Kamigata onnagata, who made a long and successful career from the 1760s to the middle of the 1800s. He had all the features of a great actor: he was very handsome, had an amazing stage presence and perfectly delivered his lines with his beautiful voice. He was able to perform any kind of female role but in his latter years, he was particularly outstanding in sewa nyôbô roles. No more records for this actor from 1806.

Yamashita Yaozô I in a print made in 1770 by Ippitsusai Bunchô
for the Ehon Butai Ôgi series of prints

Prints & Illustrations