Stage names:

Kasaya Matakurô I
Yamatoya Kashirô

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Kujû (?)

Existence: 1712 ~ 18th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1767 ^[1]

Connection:

Father: Kamogawa Noshio I

Sons: Kasaya Matakurô II, Nakamura Noshio I

Disciple: Kasaya Matagorô

Career:

11th lunar month of 1737: he became katakiyaku, took the name of Kasaya Matakurô I and made his debut in ôshibai, playing in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Hiyô Kôsuke in the kaomise drama "Kuni no Tomi Sakae no Hachinoki", which celebrated the arrival in Kyôto of the Edo star Ôtani Hiroji I and the return from Edo of the local actor Kameya Jûjirô I.

1st lunar month of 1738: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Ichikawa Gonzô.

Fall 1739: Matakurô went to Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1740: Matakurô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Ôtani Hirohachi I, Yamamoto Koheiji and Nakamura Jiroza I.

11th lunar month of 1740: Matakurô performed at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Yaguruma Yakata no Fuji", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I; his stage partners were Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Nakamura Shingorô I, Nakayama Shinkurô I, Sanogawa Mangiku, Segawa Kikunojô I, Onoe Kikugorô I, Nakamura Sôjûrô and Arashi Shichigorô I.

1st lunar month of 1741: Matakurô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1741: Matakurô went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1741: Matakurô played at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of the yakko Chobohei, in reality Kajikawa Manzô, in the kaomise drama "Imayô Shinoda Zuma", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I.

11th lunar month of 1742: Matakurô became jitsuaku and played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Todoroki Budayû in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Konrei Nagoya", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I.

1st lunar month of 1743: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Fujikawa Hanzaburô II.

11th lunar month of 1743: Matakurô became katakiyaku and played at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater the role of Nikaidô Shinanonosuke in the kaomise drama "Yomeiri Ôshimadai", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I and celebrated the shûmei of Sanjô Mankatsu.

1st lunar month of 1744: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1745: Matakurô performed as a jitsuaku in Kyôto at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Toragoyomi Hoteibukuro".

11th lunar month of 1747: Matakurô performed as a katakiyaku in the kaomise drama "Teikin Ôrai Manzoku Kagami", which was produced by Nakamura Matsubê I at the Kitagawa no Shibai and celebrated the shûmei of Sakakiyama Kôshirô II and his son Sakakiyama Shirotarô II. Others stage partners were Fujioka Daikichi, Yamashita Matatarô I, Takenaka Heikichi, Fujikawa Heikurô, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Nakamura Shirogorô III, Asao Motogorô I and Sanogawa Hanazuma II.

1st lunar month of 1748: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, fell to jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1748: Matakurô became jitsuaku and played at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Dôjôji Danjô in the kaomise drama "Jidai Makie Chûshingura", which was produced by Nakamura Matsubê I.

1st lunar month of 1749: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, fell to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1749: Matakurô played at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater the role of Ikaruga Heima in the kaomise drama "Tokitsukazeyasu Keizu", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô II.

1st lunar month of 1750: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1750: Matakurô played in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater the role of Kajikawa Gorozaemon in Fujikawa Sakoku's kaomise drama "Taira no Miyako Onna Ezôshi", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô II.

1st lunar month of 1751: Matakurô played in the same theater the role of the kagokaki Mataichi, in reality Suminoe Daigaku, in Fujikawa Sakoku's ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kane-ga-Fuchi".

11th lunar month of 1751: Matakurô played in Kyôto the roles of Nagata no Jûrô and Kisô Kanetsugu in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Shinohara Gunki".

1st lunar month of 1752: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual].

Fall 1753: Matakurô went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1753: Matakurô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Tônai Tarô, in reality Ki-no-Nadora, in the kaomise drama "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô I, Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Bandô Sanpachi I, Ichikawa Yaozô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Segawa Kikujirô I, Arashi Wakano II, Osagawa Tsuneyo I, Nakamura Kumetarô I, Ichimura Uzaemon VIII, Ichimura Kamezô I, Arashi Otohachi I, Nakajima Kanzaemon II, Nakajima Mihozô I and Yorozuya Matazô.

1st lunar month of 1754: Matakurô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was one white stroke below jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1754: Matakurô became katakiyaku and played at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Bumon no Kotobuki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Matsumoto Kôshirô III and Tsuuchi Monzaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1755: Matakurô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Nakajima Kanzaemon II. Matakurô played in the same theater the role of Tenjiku Tokubê (in reality Kairokuô) in the new year sogamono drama "Waka Midori Nishiki Soga".

11th lunar month of 1755: Matakurô played at the Moritaza the role of Ki-no-Natora in the kaomise drama "Ôtomo no Kuronushi Sokutai Kagami".

1st lunar month of 1756: Matakurô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi [visual].

8th lunar month of 1756: Matakurô played in the same theater the role of Shiratayû in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners were Osagawa Tsuneyo I (Sakuramaru), Nakamura Denkurô II (Umeômaru) and Ichikawa Danjûrô IV (Matsuômaru). This was Matakurô's finale performance in Edo.

Fall 1756: Matakurô went back to Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1756: Matakurô played in Kyôto the roles of Asaina and Kasugaya Gengorô in the drama "Kai Genji Sakura Gunbai", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I.

11th lunar month of 1757: Matakurô performed as a jitsuaku in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôyashiro Musubu no Sanban Tsuzuki", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I and Somematsu Matsujirô for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.

1st lunar month of 1758: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual]. First Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", which was simultaneously produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai [casting] and the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting]. It used its real title at the former theater but it was entitled "Keisei Niwatoriyama" at the latter theater; Matakurô played in the former theater the role of Matsunaga Daizen.

11th lunar month of 1760: Matakurô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Sasaki Danjô in the kaomise drama "Ôshimadai Kitsune no Mukoiri".

1st lunar month of 1761: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

2nd lunar month of 1763: Matakurô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Ôtani Ittô in the kaomise drama "Otowayama Renbo no Taki", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô. This was most likely his last stage performance. He fell ill and had to retire.

3rd lunar month of 1763: Matakurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual]. He shared the same rank with Kirishima Gizaemon I.

18th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1767 ^[1]: Matakurô died in Kyôto.

Comments:

Kasaya Matakurô I was an important 18th century Kyôto katakiyaku/jitsuaku actor, who was active in ôshibai from the end of the 1730s to the beginning of the 1760s. He was quite plump and his ranking was unstable, oscillating between jô-jô-(shiro)kichi and jô-jô-kichi for more than 20 years, without being able to reach the latter rank.

[1] The 18th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 4th year of the Meiwa era was the 16th of April 1767 in the western calendar.

Kasaya Matakurô I (right) and Nakamura Senzô (left)
performing in the new year drama "Keisei Kamakurayama",
which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1762 in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai

Prints & Illustrations

The Kasaya Matakurô line of actors