Stage names:

Mihogi Gizaemon I
Miogi Gizaemon
Kataoka Hikoshirô
Miura Gizaemon
Matsuura Gizaemon
Wakamura Shôgorô
Wakamura Jûrozaemon
Wakamura Sawanosuke
Tamagawa Fujinosuke

Guild: Takasagoya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Fûkô

Existence: ??? ~ 1745 (?)

Connection:

Masters: Kataoka Nizaemon I, Tamagawa Sennojô IV (or Tamagawa Handayû I ?)

Nephew: Mihogi Shichitarô

Career:

1696: first-recorded stage performance; he performed as a wakaonnagata under the name of Tamagawa Fujinosuke in Kyôto in the drama "Daizassho Ise no Oshiroi".

11th lunar month of 1698: Tamagawa Fujinosuke took the name of Wakamura Sawanosuke in Ôsaka at Shioya Kurôemon's theater, playing the role of Danshichi's wife in the drama "Yadonashi Danshichi", which was produced by Kataoka Nizaemon I (who played the role of Danshichi).

1st lunar month of 1704: Wakamura Sawanosuke took the name of Wakamura Jûrozaemon.

11th lunar month of 1706: he became tachiyaku and took the name of Wakamura Shôgorô in Ôsaka, performing in the kaomise drama "Ebisu Otoko Onna Daigoku Hashira Gatame", which was produced by Kataoka Nizaemon I.

Fall 1709: he went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1709: he became katakiyaku and took the name of Matsuura Gizaemon at Ebisuya Shôdayû's theater, performing in the kaomise drama "Yomeiri Ôkeizu".

11th lunar month of 1710: he became jitsuaku and took the name of Miura Gizaemon in Kyôto at Ebisuya Shôdayû's theater, performing in the kaomise drama "Inari Chôja Yotsugimaru", which was produced by Yamashita Karumo.

End of 1714: Miura Gizaemon took the name of Kataoka Hikoshirô.

1st day of the 11th lunar month of 1715 ^[1]: his master Kataoka Nizaemon I died.

11th lunar month of 1715: Kataoka Hikoshirô took the name of Miogi Gizaemon.

11th lunar month of 1716: Miogi Gizaemon took the name of Mihogi Gizaemon I.

Fall 1716: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's masterpiece "Kokusen'ya Gassen", which was produced by the zamoto Sakakiyama Shirotarô I in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater; Gizaemon played the role of Ritôten [casting].

11th lunar month of 1717: Gizaemon played in Kyôto the role of Tamagushi Kazuemon in Sadoshima Saburôzaemon's kaomise drama "Iwao no Matsu Manbai no Midori", which was produced by Miyako Mandayû in his theater.

11th lunar month of 1719: Mihogi Gizaemon I took the name of Miura Gizaemon.

11th lunar month of 1720: Gizaemon played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the roles of Katsuragawa Hyôgo and Yamauchi Masudayû in Kyôya Yagoshirô's kaomise drama "Kogane no Ikioi" and in the kiri kyôgen "Nanshoku Kamo Samurai Jûshichikinenki", which were produced by Arashi San'emon III.

Fall 1721: he went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1721: Miura Gizaemon became tachiyaku and took back the name of Mihogi Gizaemon I, performing in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Yamato Uta Denju no Tomikura".

11th lunar month of 1722: Gizaemon played in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Matsugane Kanbê in the kaomise drama "Ôbashira Kogane no Sazare Ishi", which was produced by Segawa Kikunojô I.

1st lunar month of 1723: Gizaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Sakakiyama Koshirô I.

11th lunar month of 1723: Gizaemon played the role of Matsugane Kanbê in the kaomise drama "Manchô Chitose-gura", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

1st lunar month of 1724: Gizaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Osagawa Jûemon, Takeshima Kôzaemon II and Anegawa Shinshirô I.

11th lunar month of 1724: Gizaemon became zamoto in Kyôto, producing at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the kaomise drama "Sanmen Daikoku Mangoku Dawara", which starred Bandô Hikosaburô I, Arashi Sangorô I, Katayama Kozaemon, Somenoi Hanshirô, Matsumoto Tomojûrô I, Matsunami Hikojûrô, Fujikawa Heikurô, Sodeshima Genji, Tsugawa Kamon, Yamamura Utanosuke, Kirinami Onoe and Onoe Gonbê (who celebrated his shûmei).

11th lunar month of 1728: he became jitsuaku and played in Kyôto the role of Suruga Jirô in the kaomise drama "Mandai Toshigoyomi".

1st lunar month of 1729: Gizaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Ichikawa Sôzaburô I and Yashio Ikuemon.

Summer 1731: tour in Nagoya.

11th lunar month of 1731: Gizaemon played in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Todoroki Yoneemon in Sawamura Bunji's kaomise drama "Asahi no Ichikura Eigô Seki".

11th lunar month of 1734: Gizaemon played the role of Yaegaki Hyôgonosuke in the kaomise drama "Oyayuzuri Kogane no Katokugura", which was produced at Kameya Kumenojô's theater by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

11th lunar month of 1738: Gizaemon performed in the kaomise drama "Neko no Koneko", which was produced at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater (Minamigawa no Shibai) by Mizuki Tatsunosuke II.

11th lunar month of 1739: Gizaemon performed at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater in the kaomise drama "Senzai Yakata Kogane no Shikigawara", which was produced by Arashi Koroku I.

5th lunar month of 1742: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's play "Shinshû Kawanakajima Kassen" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Gizaemon played the role of Takeda Shingen [more details].

11th lunar month of 1742: Gizaemon played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shinoda's karô Matsugane Sagoemon in the kaomise drama "Sangoku Denrai no Ishi", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô III; his stage partners were Mimasu Daigorô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Ichiyama Sukegorô I, Somenoi Hanshirô and Yamashita Kinsaku I.

11th lunar month of 1744: Gizaemon played in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Kikuchi Heimanosuke in the kaomise drama "Hakata Ori Imose no Karanishiki"; his stage partners were Fujioka Daikichi, Tamiya Shirogorô, Sawamura Chôshirô, Sadoshima Chôgorô I, Matsumoto Tomojûrô I, Nakamura Danzô, Tatsuoka Hisagiku, Sanogawa Hanazuma II, Sakakiyama Danshirô I, Takenaka Hyôkichi, Ikushima Kashiwagi I, Nakamura Matsubê I, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I and Fujioka Gengorô.

2nd lunar month of 1745: Gizaemon appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater, playing two roles in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sakura Gassen". He most likely died in 1745.

Comments:

Mihogi Gizaemon I was a major 18th century Kyôto actor, who acted as tachiyaku and a jitsuaku. He reached the jô-jô-kichi in 1724 and kept it for more than 20 years. He became definitively jitsuaku in 1728 and excelled in roles of evil samurai/karô up to the end of his career in 1745.

[1] The 1st day of the 11th lunar month of the 5th year of the Shôtoku era was the 26th of November 1715 in the western calendar.

Mihogi Gizaemon I (right) and Sawamura Chôjûrô I (left) playing the roles of the karô Todoroki Yoneemon and Inamatsu Gengo in Sawamura Bunji's kaomise drama "Asahi no Ichikura Eigô Seki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1731 in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater

The Mihogi Gizaemon line of actors