Others names:

Ikki
Nishuban no Kichibei
Uguisu Kichibei

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: 1684 ~ 17 August 1765

Connection:

Master: Nakamura Denkurô I

Son: Nakamura Kichizô II

Career:

Before 1713: he starts his career not as an actor but as a taiko mochi. He uses different names like Ikki, Nishuban no Kichibei or Uguisu Kichibei. He takes part in November 1700 in a kôjô with Ichikawa Danjûrô I on the stage of the Nakamuraza. To learn the art of acting, he becomes a disciple of Nakamura Denkurô I.

25 October 1713: his master Nakamura Denkurô I dies.

November 1713: he makes his first appearance on a Kabuki stage, taking the name of Nakamura Kichibei I and performing at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Yorimasa Taikyoku no Mato".

January 1715: Kichibei's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior).

November 1724: Kichibei plays at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Bankoku Taiheiki"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Danzô I, Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Ogino Izaburô I, Matsushima Hyôtarô, Ogawa Zengorô I, Sodesaki Miwano I, Mimasuya Sukejûrô I, Fujimura Handayû II, Nakajima Mihoemon I and Kamakura Chôkurô II.

November 1731: Kichibei becomes dôkegata and plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Yamanaka Shikanosuke in the kaomise drama "Higashiyama Dono Eiga Butai".

January 1732: Kichibei's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, falls to jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).

November 1733: Kichibei achieves a great success at the Nakamuraza by playing the role of Soga no Tarô in the kaomise drama "Nagi no Hana Asahi Genji"; his stage partners are Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Anegawa Shinshirô I, Segawa Kikunojô I, Ogino Izaburô I, Hayagawa Denshirô, Nakamura Shichisaburô II, Sodesaki Iseno I, Ichikawa Sôzaburô I, Narumi Goroshirô I, Sakata Sadashirô, Yamashita Kamematsu, Sanjô Kantarô II and Ôtani Ryûzaemon I.

January 1734: Kichibei's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent), sharing the same rank with Tsuruya Namboku I.

November 1734: Kichibei plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kyôganoko Secchû no Tamatori", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Nakamura Shingorô I.

November 1736: Kichibei plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kuni no Tomi Sesshôseki"; his stage partners are Ôtani Hiroji I, Segawa Kikunojô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Nakajima Mihoemon I, Arashi Otohachi I, Narumi Goroshirô I, Hayakawa Denshirô, Ogino Izaburô I and Kameya Jûjirô (who arrives from Kamigata).

November 1737: the play "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Kawarazakiza, as a kaomise drama titled "Uruoizuki Ninin Kagekiyo"; Kichibei plays the role of Yatôta [casting].

November 1738: Kichibei plays at the Kawarazakiza the role of Korehiro in the kaomise drama "Kotobuki Momiji Kagemasa", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actors Bandô Toyosaburô I and Tomizawa Tatsunosuke.

24 April 1739: his son Nakamura Kichizô II dies. This sudden death is a terrible blow for Kichibei, who decides to retire from the Kabuki world to make his grieving process.

17 August 1765: Kichibei dies in Edo; his tombstone is located in the precinct of the Jôzaiji temple of the Yanaka district.

Comments:

Nakamura Kichibei I was a talented and popular Edo actor, who started his adult life as a taiko mochi, worked as a Kabuki actor from the 1710s to the 1730s and became again a taiko mochi at the beginning of the 1740s. He was a tachiyaku in the 1710s and the 1720s but achieved fame for himself as a dôkegata in the 1730s. He was an outstanding dancer and became famous for the creation of the dance titled "Daijinmai" (the Dance of the Millionaires), which was created for the Shinyoshiwara patron Kinokuniya Bunzaemon, a famous merchant from Wakayama Prefecture who made his fortune in shipping trade and spent a lot of money in the pleasure quarter.

Nakamura Kichibei I (bottom/left), his son Nakamura Kichizô II (top/left) and Nakamura Shichisaburô II (top/right) playing the roles of Yatôta, Princess Hitomaru and Chichibu no Korokurô in the kaomise drama "Uruoizuki Ninin Kagekiyo", which was staged in November 1737 at the Kawarazakiza