Stage names:
Yamashita Matatarô I
Yamashita Kyôemon II
Yamashita Tomijûrô
Yoshizawa Sennosuke
Yoshizawa Kikumatsu
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry names: Kôgen, Seika
Existence: 1712 ~ 16 September 1762
Connection:
Father: Yoshizawa Ayame I
Uncle: Yamashita Kyôemon I
Adopted father: Yamashita Kinsaku I
Brothers: Yoshizawa Ayame II, Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Yoshizawa Ayame III
Disciples: Yamashita Shirogorô, Yamashita Shungorô
Career:
18 January 1717: his uncle Yamashita Kyôemon I dies.
15 July 1729: his father Yoshizawa Ayame I dies.
1731: first stage appearance, on Miyajima Island, where he performs under the name of Yamashita Tomijûrô.
1732: Yamashita Tomijûrô takes the name of Yamashita Kyôemon II while on tour in Ise.
Fall 1734: Kyôemon settles in Ôsaka.
November 1734: Yamashita Kyôemon II takes the name of Yamashita Matatarô I, becomes tachiyaku and plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kokonoe Otowanojô in the kaomise drama "Shin Yakata In'yô no Ishizue"; his stage partners are Sawamura Otoemon I, Izumikawa Sennosuke, Tamiya Shirogorô, Kamakura Heikurô I, Matsushima Moheiji and the zamoto Nakayama Shinkurô I.
November 1735: Matatarô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shikijima Unemenosuke in the kaomise drama "Ôyamato Kane no Kinzan". He achieves a great success by performing the shôjô dance.
Fall 1747: Matatarô goes back to Kyôto.
November 1747: Matatarô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Nakahara Ukyô in the kaomise drama "Teikin Ôrai Manzoku Kagami"; his stage partners are Sakakiyama Koshirô II, Sakakiyama Shirotarô II (the two actors of the Sakakiyama clan celebrate their shûmei), Asao Motogorô, Fujioka Daikichi, Fujikawa Heikurô, Sanogawa Hanazuma II, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Kasaya Matakurô I, Nakamura Matsubei I, Takenaka Heikichi and Nakamura Shirogorô III. Matatarô achieves a great success by performing a yakko role in a yari odori.
January 1748: Matatarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
January 1751: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Asahi no Tamoto", which is produced in Kyôto by Miyako Handayû at his theater; Matatarô plays the roles of Miuranosuke Yoshiaki and Abe Unemenosuke [casting].
November 1752: Matatarô becomes zamoto in Kyôto, producing at the Minamigawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Hatsubaika Asahi no Minato", in which he plays the roles of Wanya Kyûbei and Ôtomo Irinojô.
January 1753: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5 acts puppet theater drama "Yamatogana Ariwara Keizu", which is produced as a new year drama at the Minamigawa no Shibai by Matatarô and in which he plays the roles of Kurozuka Heima's wife Murasame and Yomosaku [casting].
18 July 1754: his elder brother Yoshizawa Ayame II dies.
November 1754: Matatarô plays at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in Kyôto the role of Tsubashi Tôsaku (in reality Imai Tarô) in the kaomise drama "Fûkigusa Aioi Genji", which is produced by Somematsu Matsujirô. This drama is in fact the first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet drama "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô" [more details] and the role of Tôsaku is the same as Gotobei in "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô".
Fall 1755: Matatarô goes to Edo.
November 1755: Matatarô plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Arigatashi Yunzei Genji"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Ebizô II, Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Nakamura Shichisaburô II, Tomizawa Tatsujûrô, Ichikawa Yaozô I, Nakajima Mihoemon I, Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Miyazaki Jûshirô, Matsushima Moheiji, Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Osagawa Tsuneyo I, Nakamura Denkurô II and Yamashita Kinsaku II.
January 1756: Matatarô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
14 January 1756: the Nakamuraza and the Ichimuraza are destroyed in a fire.
February 1756: the Nakamuraza is rebuilt and Matatarô plays the role of Nagoya Sanza in the new year drama "Kotobuki Mimasu Soga"; his stage partners in the roles of Fuwa Banzaemon, Katsuragi (Sanza's lover) and Banzaemon's wife are Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I and Nakamura Tomijûrô I.
August 1756: Matatarô plays in the same theater the roles of Takebe Genzô and Kakuju in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
November 1756: Matatarô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Toyoshima Saemon in the kaomise drama "Masakado Shôzoku no Enoki", which celebrates the arrival of Arashi Tominosuke I in Edo.
November 1757: Matatarô moves to the Moritaza and plays in the kaomise drama "Ikioi Wada Gassen".
Fall 1758: Matatarô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1758: Matatarô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Shitennô Chikara Kurabe"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Danzô III, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II, Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II, Nakamura Kumetarô I and the zamoto Arashi Kichisaburô I.
January 1759: Matatarô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, "Kurokichi Shitennô" section ("the big four with the excellent character written in black"), is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). The 3 others actors, who belong to this "big four" section, are Ichikawa Danzô III, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I and Nakayama Shinkurô I.
November 1759: Matatarô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Mibae Soga Azuma Tanzen".
July 1760: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of Kajiwara Genta Kagesue in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".
November 1761: Matatarô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Miyo no Hana Yunzei Kagami".
February 1762: Matatarô appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto, playing the roles of Tatsuta Unemenosuke and Funabashi Tomonoshin in the drama "Keisei Murasakiyama".
16 September 1762: Matatarô dies in Ôsaka.
Comments:
Yamashita Matatarô I was a talented actor, who was born in an onnagata family but became a popular tachiyaku, achieving fame for himself from the middle of the 1730s to the beginning of the 1760s, not only in Kyôto or Ôsaka but also in Edo where he spent 3 successful seasons. His physical appearance and his diction were both great and he was an outstanding dancer. He was equally at ease in both sewamono and jidaimono, and excelled as a wagotoshi (yatsushi).
The actors Yamashita Matatarô I (bottom/left) and Tomizawa Tatsujûrô (top/right) playing the roles of Taira no Koremochi and Watanabe Kiô in the drama "Arigatashi Yunzei Genji", which was staged in November 1755 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Torii Kiyonobu II)
Print made by Torii Kiyonobu II in 1755
Print made by Torii Kiyohiro in 1756
The Yamashita Kyôemon line of actors
The Yamashita Matatarô line of actors