Stage names:
Mimasu Daigorô I
Yoshizawa Jûshirô
Yoshizawa Kuranosuke
Sagawa Kuranosuke
Guild: Masuya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Ikkô
Existence: 1718 ~ 25 September 1780
Connections:
Masters: Yoshizawa Tamazuma, Sagawa Bunzô
Brother: Mimasu Kanzô
Son: Mimasu Matsunosuke
Adopted sons: Mimasu Daigorô II, Mimasu Tanin I
Disciples: Mimasu Tokujirô I, Mimasu Matsunojô, Mimasu Chôgorô, Mimasu Uhachi, Mimasu Komazô, Mimasu Sakuzô, Mimasu Matsugorô, Mimasu Mitsugorô, Mimasu Denzô, Mimasu Chazô
Career:
1718: born in Kyôto.
Spring 1732: he becomes disciple of the actor Sagawa Bunzô, who gives him the name of Sagawa Kuranosuke. he performs as a wakashugata in Nagoya in a production of the zamoto Matsumoto Genjûrô.
November 1732: Kuranosuke becomes disciple of the wakaonnagata actor Yoshizawa Tamazuma and receives the name of Yoshizawa Kuranosuke. He plays in Ôsaka in the drama "Mitsu no Hama Kogane no Irie", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III.
November 1734: Kuranosuke plays the role of Tomogorô in the drama "Honchô Bugaku no Hajimari", which is produced by the zamoto Iwai Hanshirô III at the Naka no Shibai.
1735 ~ 1739: Yoshizawa Kuranosuke takes the name of Yoshizawa Jûshirô and joins a travelling troupe. He leaves the Kabuki world for a while in order to become a merchant. Later on, he gives up his business, takes back the name of Yoshizawa Kuranosuke and goes on tour.
November 1739: Yoshizawa Kuranosuke becomes tachiyaku and takes the name of Mimasu Daigorô I in Kyôto, playing in the kaomise drama "Keigoto Senri no Michi", which is produced by the zamoto Arashi Koroku I.
November 1741: Daigorô achieves a great success in Kyôto by playing the role of Nagao Gensuke in the kaomise drama "Chôseiden Wagô no Futahashira", which is produced by Sakata Ichitarô.
November 1742: Daigorô settles in Ôsaka and becomes katakiyaku, playing in the kaomise drama "Sangoku Denrai no Ishi", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô III at the Kado no Shibai.
November 1744: Daigorô becomes jitsuaku and plays in the kaomise drama "Yamazaki Yojibei Imayô Sugata", which is produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II at the Kado no Shibai.
November 1749: Daigorô becomes zamoto and tachiyaku at the Ônishi no Shibai; he produces the kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa", starring the actors Bandô Toyosaburô I, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Iwai Hanshirô III, Sanjô Namie, Iwata Somematsu and Nakamura Utaemon I.
Fall 1749: Daigorô plays in the city of Sakai.
December 1750: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Matahei and Nagoya Sanza in the drama "Keisei Tôyama Zakura" (similar to Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Hangonkô"), which is produced by the zamoto Nakamura Jûzô I for the nadai Shioya Kuroemon [casting].
November 1752: Daigorô becomes zamoto and produces at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Nagoya Ori Hinatsuru no Nishiki" in which he achieves a great success by playing the role of Matahei. His stage partners are Fujikawa Heikurô, Sakata Tôjûrô III, Arashi Koroku I, Fujikawa Hachizô I and Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II.
November 1752 ~ August 1754: Daigorô is zamoto at the Kado no Shibai.
November 1754: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Amaterasu Ômikami Iwado no Akebono", which is produced by Arashi San'emon IV.
November 1756: Daigorô goes back to Kyôto and plays in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Bimandai Kuniiri Kamakura Kagami", which is produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.
January 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", which is simultaneously produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai [casting] and the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting]; Daigorô plays in the former theater the role of Kusuriya Zesai.
November 1758: Daigorô goes to Ôsaka, becomes jitsuaku and plays in the kaomise drama "Arigatashi Fujiwara Keizu", which is produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I at the Kado no Shibai.
November 1761: Daigorô becomes zamoto and tachiyaku; he produces at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Miyo no Butoku Yunzei Kagami".
April 1762: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5-act puppet theater drama "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi", which is staged at the Naka no Shibai; Daigorô plays the role of Ise no Saburô [casting].
September 1762: Daigorô produces in the same theater the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", in which he plays the roles of Yazaemon, Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô. His stage partners in the roles of Yoshitsune and Yasuke is Arashi Sangorô II.
November 1762: Daigorô produces at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Uchide no Kozuchi Tezuma Urakata".
February 1763: Daigorô produces in the same theater the drama "Keisei Hangonkô", in which he plays the role of Matahei. His stage partners are Nakamura Tomijûrô I (Tôyama), Arashi Sangorô II (Shirojirô) and Iwata Somematsu (Otoku).
May 1766: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Honchô Nijûshikô", which is performed in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Daigorô plays the roles of Takasaka Danjô and Yokozô [casting].
January 1768: Daigorô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
May 1770: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Hanji's gidayû kyôgen "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata", which is staged in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Daigorô plays the role of Sasaki Moritsuna [casting].
December 1770: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Daigorô plays the roles of Tadotsu Ikkaku and Tadotsu Shinzô [casting].
August 1771: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Fukashichi in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" [casting].
September 1773: Daigorô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô", which is produced by the zamoto Ogawa Kichitarô I for the nadai Ôsaka Tazaemon. His stage partners are Arashi Hinasuke I (Otoku) and Nakayama Raisuke I (Shôgen).
Fall 1774: Daigorô plays for the last time the role Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô", which is staged in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.
January 1776: Daigorô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).
May 1776: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami". His stage partners are Arashi Kichisaburô I (Tokubei) and Arashi Hinasuke I (Danshichi Kurobei).
November 1779: Daigorô goes back to Kyôto and plays in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kikkegawara", which is produced by Somematsu Shichisaburô II.
January 1780: Daigorô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is kô-jô-jô-kichi (meritorious - superior - superior - excellent).
April 1780: Daigorô appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto, playing in the drama "Kiku Nagashi Kokka Taiheiki".
Comments:
Mimasu Daigorô I was the founder of a great line of Kamigata actors. He was mainly a tachiyaku actor but he also performed many seasons in his career as a katakiyaku or a jitsuaku. He excelled in budôgoto roles.
Mimasu Daigorô I playing the role of Sekiguchi Heita in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)
The Mimasu Daigorô line of actors