Stage names:

Nakayama Bunshichi I
Wakayama Bunshichi
Nakayama Bunshichi I
Nakayama Yosaburô I

Other name:

Jôkô

Guilds: Izumiya, Ujiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Yoshio

Existence: 1732 ~ 22nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1813 ^[1]

Connections:

Father: Matsuya Raisuke I (playwright)

Master and adoptive father: Nakayama Shinkurô I

Brothers: Nakayama Monjûrô, Nakayama Shinkurô II

Son: Nakayama Yosaburô II

Disciples: Nakayama Hyakka (Nakayama Bunshichi III), Nakayama Kiraku I (Nakayama Shinkurô III), Nakayama Tomisaburô I, Nakayama Bungorô I, Nakayama Tatsujirô, Nakayama Otojûrô, Nakayama Tazô (?)

Career:

Summer 1737: first stage appearance; he played at the Ônishi no Shibai under the name of Nakayama Yosaburô I in the drama "Hayari Uta Imose no Maiôgi", which was produced by Yoshizawa Ayame II.

11th lunar month of 1747: Yosaburô became wakaonnagata and played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Kureha in the kaomise drama "Kogane-bana Michinoku Jikki", which was produced by Ichikawa Ryûzô. He was adopted by his master Nakayama Shinkurô I around that time.

11th lunar month of 1748: Yosaburô went to Kyôto, became tachiyaku and took the name of Nakayama Bunshichi I, playing the role of Sanada Yoichi in the kaomise drama "Sugomori Hiru-ga-Kojima", which was produced by Arashi San'emon IV.

11th lunar month of 1750: Bunshichi played in Kyôto the role of Yodogawa Gorôji [picture] in Matsuya Raisuke I's kaomise drama "Kaikei Wagô Hanayakata", which was produced by Miyako Handayû.

1st lunar month of 1751: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Asahi no Tamoto", which was produced in Kyôto by Miyako Handayû at his theater; Bunshichi played the role of Yata Dairoku [casting].

11th lunar month of 1751: Bunshichi became zamoto, working for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû in Kyôto; he produced the kaomise drama "En no Gyôja Ômine Zakura".

Fall 1752: Nakayama Shinkurô I and Bunshichi went together to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1752: Nakayama Shinkurô I and Nakayama Bunshichi I respectively took the names of Wakayama Shinkurô and Wakayama Bunshichi at the Ônishi no Shibai, performing in the kaomise program "Kyô Miyage Matsuri Zoroe", which was produced by Sanjô Sadasuke; their stage partners were Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Ôtani Hirohachi I, Iwata Somematsu I, Matsushima Kiyosaki, Ichimura Sanohachi, Kirishima Gizaemon I, Kiriyama Monji I, Matsushima Moheiji, Takenaka Heikichi, Murayama Heijûrô IV and Nakamura Shirogorô III.

11th lunar month of 1754: Bunshichi became zamoto at the Ônishi no Shibai; he produced the kaomise drama "Uda Genji Asahi no Menbako" in which he played the role of Mikinojô disguised as the farmer Yogorô.

11th lunar month of 1755: Wakayama Bunshichi took back at the Naka no Shibai the name of Nakayama Bunshichi I, playing the role of Higuchi Jirô in the kaomise drama "Jidai Sewa Kogane no Hanazoroe", which was produced by Bandô Toyosaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1756: Bunshichi played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Okada Mushanosuke in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Daimatsu Kyokusuke Tanzen Roppô", which was produced by Daimatsu Kyokusuke.

1st lunar month of 1757: premiere at the Ônishi no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Tenjiku Tokubê Kikigaki Ôrai"; Bunshichi played the roles of the Shôgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the kon'ya Shirokurô and Fuchibe Rokurô [casting].

1st lunar month of 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5-act maruhonmono drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi" in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Bunshichi played the roles of Taira no Shigemori and Kameômaru [casting].

11th lunar month of 1758: Bunshichi played the role of the spirit of a kappa in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Arigatashi Fujiwara Keizu", which he produced at the Kado no Shibai.

12th lunar month of 1758: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's ni-no-kawari drama "Sanjikkoku Yofune no Hajimari"; for the very first time in Kabuki history, a mawari-butai, invented by Namiki Shôzô I, was built and used on the stage of a theater [more details]; Bunshichi produced this drama in which he played the roles of Shindô Genpachi and the kanekashi Tsumenaga no Gonkurô.

1st lunar month of 1761: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's ni-no-kawari drama "Kiritarô Tengu no Sakamori", which was produced by Bunshichi and in which he played the roles of the kusuri-uri Kinohei, Umaya Kisanta and Ôe no Hiromoto [more details].

4th lunar month of 1761: Bunshichi produced at the Kado no Shibai the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami", in which he played the role of Yokanbê; the role of Kuzu-no-Ha was played by Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

5th lunar month of 1762: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Koi Hakke Hashira Goyomi", which was a revision of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; Bunshichi played the role of the daikyôji Ishun [more details].

7th lunar month of 1763: Bunshichi produced at the Kado no Shibai the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", in which he played the roles of Matsuômaru and Terukuni; his stage partners were Nakayama Shinkurô I (Kakuju, Fujiwara no Shihei), Arashi Hinasuke I (Haru), Anegawa Daikichi I (Tonami, Yae), Asao Tamejûrô I (Hyôe, Shundô Genba), Nakayama Raisuke I (Umeômaru), Bandô Toyosaburô I (Shiratayû), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Genzô, Sukune Tarô), Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II (Sakuramaru), Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II (Chiyo, Tatsuta) and Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kan Shôjô).

9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which was produced by Bunshichi and celebrated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of the star Anegawa Shinshirô I. A similar play was staged one day later under a different title, "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters. The performance at the Kado no Shibai was more successful than the one at the Naka no Shibai; Bunshichi played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Shundô Jirôemon and the wakatô Ihê [casting].

11th lunar month of 1764: Bunshichi produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Momotarô Obako Banashi", which celebrated the shûmei of Yoshizawa Ayame III.

4th lunar month of 1766: Bunshichi plays the prestigious role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was produced in Ôsaka by Anegawa Kikuhachi; his stage partners were Fujikawa Hachizô I (Issun Tokubê), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Tsuribune Sabu), Sawamura Kunitarô I (Otatsu), Yoshizawa Ayame III (Okaji) and Asao Tamejûrô I (Mikawaya Giheiji).

Fall 1766: Bunshichi went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1766: Bunshichi played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Yaoya Chôbê in the kaomise drama "Yuki no Asa Daimonjitsu Miyako no Fuku", which was produced by Ichiyama Sukegorô II and Yamashita Kyônosuke.

11th lunar month of 1767: Bunshichi played in Kyôto the role of Kokaji Muneyasu in the kaomise drama "Shinchoku Fukki no Kanatoko", which was produced by Ichiyama Sukegorô III and celebrated the shûmei of Sakakiyama Koshirô IV and Sakakiyama Shirotarô IV.

12th lunar month of 1768: Bunshichi played the role of the sumôtori Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki", which was produced by Mimasu Tanin I at the Naka no Shibai [casting].

7th lunar month of 1769: Bunshichi played in the same theater the role of Hiranoya Tokubê in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Sonezaki Shinjû"; the role of Tokubê's lover the courtesan Ohatsu was played by Yamashita Kinsaku II.

1771: tour in Ise.

10th lunar month of 1772: Bunshichi played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the yakko Ranpei in the drama "Yamatogana Ariwara Keizu", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I.

11th lunar month of 1772: Bunshichi went to Kyôto; he played the role of Takebe Genzô in the kaomise drama "Ôsaka Zaiku Araki no Mokuzô", which was produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I.

3rd day of the 4th lunar month of 1775 ^[2]: his adoptive father Nakayama Shinkurô I died.

8th lunar month of 1775: the play "Sekitori Senryô Nobori" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Kado no Shibai; Bunshichi played the role of Senbagawa Kichibê [more details].

12th lunar month of 1776: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; Bunshichi played the role of Karaki Masaemon [casting].

4th lunar month of 1777: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"; Bunshichi played the roles of Matsugae Fushinosuke, Chichibu no Shôji Shigetada and Izumi no Kojirô Sadakura [casting].

1st lunar month of 1778: premiere of Namiki Gohê's drama "Keisei Hakata Ori", which was produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai by Mimasu Jirokichi; Bunshichi played the role of Shima no Koheiji [picture] [casting | picture and details].

11th lunar month of 1779: Bunshichi played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Ishidô Umanojô, Kakogawa Honzô and Amagawaya Gihei in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I.

2nd lunar month of 1781: Bunshichi played in the same theater the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Matahei's wife Otoku was played by Yamashita Kamenojô IV.

9th lunar month of 1782: Bunshichi appeared on stage for the last time (isse ichidai peformance), playing the roles of Monogusa Tarô and Ranpei in the dramas "Monogusa Tarô" and "Saiwai Ariwara Keizu", which were produced at the Kado no Shibai by Fujikawa Sango. This great program also celebrated the shûmei of his brother Nakayama Shinkurô II. Bunshichi shaved his head and retired from the Kabuki world in Kyôto, in the district of Kurodani. As a monk, he took the name of Jôkô. He spent his time studying calligraphy and music.

19th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1783 ^[3]: his brother Nakayama Shinkurô II died.

11th lunar month of 1793: Nakayama Raisuke II, the adopted son of Jôkô's late brother Nakayama Shinkurô II, took the name of Nakayama Bunshichi II at the Naka no Shibai, performing in the kaomise drama "Kogane Masu Yonetarô Gitsune", which was produced by Jôkô's son Nakayama Yosaburô II and celebrated the arrival in Ôsaka of the Edo star Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

19th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1798 ^[4]: Nakayama Bunshichi II died.

11th lunar month of 1802: his disciple Nakayama Raisuke III took the name of Nakayama Shinkurô III in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1804: his disciple Nakayama Hyôtarô I took the name of Nakayama Bunshichi III in Edo at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Kiku Zumô Mikurai Sadame", which also celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô V and Ichikawa Yaozô IV.

5th lunar month of 1809: Nakayama Bunshichi III took the name of Nakayama Hyakka in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai.

22nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1813 ^[1]: Jôkô died.

Comments:

Nakayama Bunshichi I was the worthy heir of Nakayama Shinkurô I and became one of the best tachiyaku actors of the second half of the eighteenth century. He spend most of his career in Kamigata major theaters, excelling in jitsugotoshi roles. He was also an excellent shosagoto performer.

[1] The 22nd day of the 7th lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunka era was the 17th of August 1813 in the western calendar.

[2] The 3rd day of the 4th lunar month of the4th year of the An'ei era was the 2nd of May 1775 in the western calendar.

[3] The 19th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 3rd year of the Tenmei era was the 20th of April 1783 in the western calendar.

[4] The 19th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 10th year of the Kansei era was the 4th of April 1798 in the western calendar.

Nakayama Bunshichi I as depicted in an illustration from the book "Santo Yakusha Omokage Zukushi" (1784)

Prints & Illustrations

The Nakayama Bunshichi line of actors