KIRIZA

City

Edo

History

November 1784: premiere at the Kiriza (Edo) of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To", which is performed within the drama "Jûni Hitoe Komachi Zakura" with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ono no Komachi, the courtesan Sumizome, the spirit of Komachi's cherry tree	Segawa Kikunojô III
Sekibei, Ôtomo no Kuronushi	Nakamura Nakazô I
Yoshimine Munesada	Ichikawa Monnosuke II

February 1785: Segawa Kikunojô III performs at the Kiriza all the roles of a Nagauta-based 5-role hengemono, which is titled "Haru-ha Mukashi Yukari no Hanabusa". 2 of these roles became independent dances, which are still part of the current repertoire: "Hane no Kamuro" (a kamuro with a Japanese battledore and shuttlecock racket) and "Shirozake Uri" (the sweet white sake seller).

June 1795: the drama "Miura no Ôsuke Ôbai Tazuna" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Kiriza, with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki	Ichikawa Yaozô III
Rokurôdayû	Yamatoyama Tomoemon
Kozue	Sakakiyama Sangorô
Matano Gorô	Morita Kan'ya VIII
Ôba Saburô	Ichikawa Dansaku

January 1796: premiere at the Kiriza of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Suda no Haru Geisha Katagi", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ume no Yoshibei	Sawamura Sôjûrô III
Koume, Chôkichi	Segawa Kikunojô III
Kanaya Kingorô	Ichikawa Omezô I
Gengobei	Arashi Ryûzô II
Okimi	Nakayama Tomisaburô I
Shinraku Kanjûrô	Bandô Mitsugorô II
Kosan	Matsumoto Yonesaburô I
Chôgorô	Ôtani Tomoemon II
Dote no Toburoku, Jûheiji	Nakajima Kanzaemon IV

September 1796: the play "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Kiriza with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Rokusuke, Lord Koori Otonari	Sawamura Sôjûrô III
Ichimisai's elder daughter Osono	Segawa Kikunojô III
Kyôgoku no Takumi	Arashi Ryûzô II
The yakko Sagohei	Bandô Mitsugorô II
Ichimisai's younger daughter Okiku	Matsumoto Yonesaburô I
Kinugawa Yasaburô	Nakamura Denkurô IV
Yoshioka Ichimisai	Ôtani Hiroji III
Kinugawa Yasaemon, Kyôgoku Dainoshin	Ôtani Tomoemon II
Harukaze Tôzô	Matsumoto Kunigorô
Todoroki Dengoemon, the yakko Tomohei	Ichikawa Omezô I
Okô	Onoe Raisuke

"Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" is also staged at the Miyakoza [casting]

June 1797: the dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To" is revived for the first time, at the Kiriza, with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ono no Komachi, the courtesan Sumizome, the spirit of Komachi's cherry tree	Iwai Kiyotarô II
Sekibei, Ôtomo no Kuronushi	Ichikawa Omezô I
Yoshimine Munesada	Nakamura Denkurô IV

January 1798: premiere at the Kiriza (Edo) of Namiki Gohei I's play "Tomioka Koi no Yamabiraki", commonly called "Ninin Shimbei", which is performed with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Demura Shimbei	Sawamura Sôjûrô III
Tamaya Shimbei	Ichikawa Yaozô III
The courtesan Kojorô	Segawa Kikunojô III
Ujihara Yûzô	Ichikawa Omezô I
Ukai Kujûrô, Tamaya Shin'emon	Arashi Sampachi I
The Tamaya tedai Sanshirô	Ôtani Tomoemon II

September 1815: the Ichimuraza goes bankrupt and gives its license to the Kiriza.

March 1816: the Kiriza reopens; it is managed by Kiri Chôkiri and the actor Ichikawa Dannosuke III, who coproduce the drama "Tasuketamae Kami no Manimani".

12 January 1817: a fire breaks out in the district of Norimono-chô and destroys both the Nakamuraza and the Kiriza.

March 1817: the Kiriza and welcomes for its reopening a group of 13 Kamigata, which is led by the star Kataoka Nizaemon VII and Bandô Jûtarô.

October 1817: the Kiriza goes bankrupt and has to hand over its license for Kabuki performances to the Miyakoza. Ichikawa Dannosuke III falls ill and, because of both illness and the heavy burden of the Kiriza debts, commits suicide the 2nd of November 1817.