Stage names:
Mimasu Daigorô IV
Mimasu Gennosuke I
Nakamura Gennosuke I
Mimasu Tanin III
Mimasu Yoshikame
Guild: Kyômasuya
Line number: YODAIME (IV)
Poetry names: Kikaku, Kikô, Baisha
Existence: 1798 ~ 13 May 1859
Connections:
Grandfather: Mimasu Daigorô II
Father: Mimasu Daigorô III
Brother: Mimasu Yoshisaburô
Sons: Mimasu Gengorô I, Mimasu Gengorô II
Adopted son: Mimasu Gennosuke II
Disciples: Mimasu Daigorô V, Mimasu Inemaru I, Mimasu Kamezô
Career:
1798 ~ 1807: born in Kamigata. Second son of Mimasu Daigorô III, he receives the name of Mimasu Yoshikame and becomes quickly the zagashira of a troupe of children-actors (kodomo shibai), performoing in the precincts of temples and shrines (miyaji shibai).
1807: Yoshikame becomes zamoto in Ôsaka, working at the Wakadayû no Shibai, a minor theater (hama shibai).
November 1815: Mimasu Yoshikame takes the name of Mimasu Tanin III, playing the roles of Fuwa Kazuemon and Okimi in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku", which is produced by Nakamura Utagorô at the Kado no Shibai.
Fall 1820: Mimasu Tanin III becomes disciple of the star Nakamura Utaemon III; he goes with his master to Edo.
November 1820: Mimasu Tanin III takes the name of Nakamura Gennosuke I at the Nakamuraza, playing 2 roles in the drama "Saruwaka Hisago no Gumbai".
November 1822: Nakamura Gennosuke I takes the name of Mimasu Gennosuke I and achieves a great success at the Nakamuraza by playing the role of Raikô in the drama "Shuten Dôji".
October 1824: his father Mimasu Daigorô III dies.
November 1824: Gennosuke plays at the Kawarazakiza the roles of Monokawa Kurando, Kaneuri Kichiji and Chôtarô in the drama "Otokoyama Toritate Genji".
July 1825: Gennosuke plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of En'ya Hangan, Teraoka Heiemon and Okaru's mother in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
July 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Namboku IV's ghost play "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan"; Gennosuke plays the role of Oshioda Matanojô [casting].
September 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Namboku IV's drama "Kamikakete Sango Taisetsu"; Gennosuke plays the roles of Teraoka Heiemon and Muna Hachiemon [casting].
November 1828: Gennosuke plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Nasu no Yoichi, Shibuya Tosajirô and Nagata Tarô in the drama "Motomishi Hana Otogi Heike"; his yearly salary is 530 ryô.
November 1832: Gennosuke achieves a great success at the Ichimuraza by playing 5 roles in the drama "Bandô Musha Tsuna no Te Hajime".
January 1833: Gennosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
February 1837: Gennosuke goes back to Kamigata after 18 seasons spent in Edo. He achieves a great success by playing the roles of Yurugi no Saemon and Date Yohachirô in the drama "Keisei Tamata Zuna", which is produced by the zamoto Nakamura Umetarô at the Naka no Shibai.
January 1840: Gennosuke's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
January 1846: Mimasu Gennosuke I takes the name of Mimasu Daigorô IV at the Naka no Shibai, playing the roles of Ishikawa Goemon, Konomura Ôinosuke, Omatsu, Masaemon and Saeda in the drama "Keisei Hama no Masago". His stage partners are Arashi Rikan III, Jitsukawa Enzaburô I and Nakayama Nanshi II.
March 1846: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai seven roles in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles are Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Kô no Moronô, Ichimonjiya Saibei, Tonase, Uekiya Mokuemon, Kodera Jûnai and Amakawaya Gihei.
July 1846: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Kanki in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen".
November 1846: Daigorô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of yu1, Kô no Moronô, Kakogawa Honzô, Kitahachi and Uekiya Mokuemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
March 1847: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Abe no Sadatô in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara". His stage partners are Arashi Rikan III (Sodehagi), Kataoka Ichizô I (Abe no Munetô), Jitsukawa Enzaburô I (Minamoto no Yoshiie) and Arashi Wasaburô II (Okimi).
May 1848: tour in Miyajima.
July 1848: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki in the "Sushiya" scene of the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura"; the role of Igami no Gonta is played by Kataoka Ichizô I.
January 1849: Daigorô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).
September 1849: Daigorô plays at the Chikugo no Shibai seven roles in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles are Kô no Moronô, Kakogawa Honzô, Ishidô Umanojô, Ono no Sadakurô, Ichimonjiya Saibei, Teraoka Heiemon and Amakawaya Gihei.
November 1849: Daigorô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Sonobe Hyôe in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari". He also plays the roles of Kô no Moronô, Kakogawa Honzô and Suwa Kazuemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The role of En'ya Hangan is played by Onoe Tamizô II.
March 1850: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Sadaka and Shibaroku in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
May 1850: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Issun Tokubei in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami". His stage partners are Nakamura Utaemon IV (Danshichi Kurobei) and Jitsukawa Enzaburô I (Tsuribune Sabu). He also plays the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Satsuma-no-Kami Tadanori in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
May 1851: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of En'ya Hangan, Horibe Yasubei and Teraoka Heiemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Kô no Moronô are played by Nakamura Utaemon IV.
September 1851: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Umeômaru and Kan Shôjô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
February 1852: Daigorô plays at the Chikugo no Shibai the roles of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane and Karigane Bunshichi in the dramas "Suma no Miyako Gempei Tsutsuji" and "Otokodate Itsutsu Karigane".
May 1852: Daigorô plays at the Wakadayû no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Shunkan in the drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi".
March 1853: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
May 1853: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Rokusuke in the drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"; the role of Osono is played by Fujikawa Tomokichi III.
October 1853: Daigorô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Jûbei in the "Numazu" scene of the drama "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku".
November 1853: Daigorô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of En'ya Hangan, Yazama Jûtarô and Kiheiji in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Kô no Moronô are played by Ichikawa Ebizô V and Ichikawa Danzô VI.
May 1854: Daigorô plays at the Chikugo no Shibai the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
March 1855: Daigorô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Takechi Mitsuhide in the drama "Ehon Taikôki".
May 1855: Daigorô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Oguri Sujûbei in the drama "Katakiuchi An'eiroku". He also plays at the Chikugo no Shibai the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
March 1856: Daigorô plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Sadaka and Shibaroku in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
April 1857: Daigorô plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Momoi Wakasanosuke and Fuwa Kazuemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
June 1857: tour in Miyajima; Daigorô plays the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki". The role of Kumagai Jirô Naozane's wife Sagami is played by Yamashita Kinsaku IV. He also plays the role of Date Gekizaemon in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".
June 1858: tour in Nagoya; Daigorô plays the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Kô no Moronô and Yazama Jûtarô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which is staged in the precinct of the Seijuin Temple. The role of En'ya Hangan is played by Nakayama Bunshichi IV.
October 1858: Daigorô plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Akizuki Daizen and Saisaki Iga-no-Kami in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".
November 1858: Daigorô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Amakawaya Gihei, Yazama Jûtarô and Ashikaga Tadayoshi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
January 1859: Daigorô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is hakugoku-jô-jô-kichi (almost extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
March 1859: Daigorô plays at the Takeda no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Satô Masakiyo in the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô".
May 1859: Daigorô appears on stage for the last time, playing in Kyôto the prestigious role of Kakuju in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". He suddenly falls ill and dies. His tombstone is located in the precinct of the En'myôji temple in Ôsaka.
Comments:
Mimasu Daigorô IV was an outstanding tachiyaku and katakiyaku actor, who started his career in Kamigata, spent 18 fruitful and successful seasons in Edo and went back in Kamigata to give triumphant performances in the major theaters.
Mimasu Daigorô IV playing the role of Kan Shôjô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in a print made by Utagawa Hirosada (1851~1859)
Print made by Utagawa Kunisada
Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1833
Print made by Hasegawa Sadanobu in 1837
Print made by Utagawa Hirosada in 1848
Print made by Utagawa Hirosada in 1849
Print made by Utagawa Hirosada in 1850
The Mimasu Tanin line of actors
The Mimasu Gennosuke line of actors
The Mimasu Daigorô line of actors