Stage names:

Nakayama Bungorô I
Nakayama Toyogorô
Nakayama Kosaburô I

Guilds: Daikokuya, Yamatoya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry names: Yoshio, Shiba (?)

Existence: 1761 ~ 19th day of the 8th lunar month of 1814

Connection:

Master: Nakayama Bunshichi I

Career:

1761 ~ 1784: born in Kamigata. He starts his career as a disciple of Nakayama Bunshichi I, who gives him the name of Nakayama Kosaburô I and trains him in hama shibai.

Fall 1784: he becomes katakiyaku and makes his debut in ôshibai (Kado no Shibai).

11th lunar month of 1786: Nakayama Kosaburô I takes the name of Nakayama Bungorô I at the Naka no Shibai, playing in the kaomise drama "Neko Shakkyô Fûki no Hanabusa".

1st lunar month of 1793: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yanagi Zakura", the first yanagisawa-sôdômono in Kabuki history, written by Tatsuoka Mansaku and Chikamatsu Tokusô; Bungorô plays the role of Yamana Kumatarô [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Shima Meguri Uso no Kikigaki"; the last scenes are a sewamono drama, which will be staged independently in the 5th lunar month of 1794 under the title "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Bungorô plays the role of Yasuke [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1796: Suga Sensuke's puppet theater drama "Keisei Koi no Hikyaku" is adapted for Kabuki for the first time and staged at the Kado no Shibai; Bungorô plays the role of Tanbaya Hachiemon [casting].

4th lunar month of 1796: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Hade Kurabe Ishikawa-zome", written by Chikamatsu Tokuzô, Tatsuoka Mansaku and Namiki Shôzô II; Bungorô plays the roles of Sesonji Chûnagon Kiminari, Ueno's sister, Sannigorobê and Hei no Heibei [more details].

7th lunar month of 1796: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba"; Bungorô plays the role of Manno [casting].

11th lunar month of 1796: Bungorô plays in Kyôto at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Yama Katsura Asahi no Menbako", which celebrates the shûmei of Onoe Koisaburô I; the same kaomise program with the same casting is staged from the 18th of the 11th lunar month in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Bungorô's others stage partners are Arashi Sangorô II, Arashi Hinasuke II, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Seki San'emon, Yamamura Giemon, Arashi Mitsuemon I, Sawamura Kunitarô I, Yoshizawa Iroha I and Azuma Tôzô III.

9th lunar month of 1801: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of Shiba Shisô's drama "Hakone Reigen Izari no Adauchi"; Bungorô plays the role of Hôjô Ujimasa [casting].

4th ~ 6th lunar months of 1806: tour in Nagoya for a troupe led by Bungorô, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Yoshizawa Iroha I, Arashi Sangorô III and Sawamura Tanosuke II; they perform at the Tachibana no Shibai in dramas like "Keisei Sakura no Shima", "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", "Hirakana Seisuiki", "Sarumawashi Kadode no Hitofushi" or "Komochi Yamanba".

6th lunar month of 1808: tour in Nagoya for a troupe led by Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Nakayama Tomisaburô I, Ogino Izaburô II, Ichikawa Ichizô I, Bungorô and Ichikawa Yaozô IV; they perform at the Tachibana no Shibai in dramas like "Keisei Takasago no Matsu", "Futa Meoto Sarashi no Hinagata" or "Azuma Kagami Mikari no Maki".

Spring 1812: Bungorô and 20 Kamigata actors (including Bandô Jûtarô and Ôtani Tomoemon II) go to Edo.

4th lunar month of 1812: Nakayama Bungorô I takes the name of Nakayama Toyogorô at the Moritaza, playing two roles in the drama "Tomoyobi Kawasu Shimabara no Saiken".

Fall 1812: he goes back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1812: Nakayama Toyogorô takes back the name of Nakayama Bungorô I at the Naka no Shibai, playing the roles of Ono no Kudayû, Ôta Ryôchiku and Ichimonjiya in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

Summer 1814: tour in Nagoya with Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Mimasu Daigorô III and Sawamura Tanosuke II. He dies the 19th of the 8th lunar month of 1814 while performing the roles of Yosaburô and Sôtarô in the drama "Kagamiyama". His main tombstone is located in the precincts of the Honshôji Temple in the district of Tanimachi. Another tombstone is in Nagoya in the precinct of the Genjôji Temple.

Comments:

Nakayama Bungorô I was a katakiyaku actor, who made almost all his career in Kamigata from the middle of the 1780s to the middle of the 1810s. He was very popular, especially in sewamono, and his final ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki was only three strokes below jô-jô-kichi.

Nakayama Bungorô I (1799~1801)

The Nakayama Bungorô line of actors