SEKI SANJÛRÔ III

Stage names:

Seki Sanjûrô III
Ichikawa Yaozô V
Ichikawa Dankichi I

Others names:

Ichikawa Chûsha V
Fujima Kangorô

Nickname: Hana no Sanjûrô (Sanjûrô the nose)

Guilds: Owariya, Tachibanaya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry names: Chûsha (5), Kijaku, Kazan

Existence: 1805 ~ 18th day of the 12th lunar month of 1870

Connections:

Father: Fujima Kanbei III (dance master)

Brother-in-law: Nakamura Utaemon IV

Master: Ichikawa Danjûrô VII

Adopted son: Seki Sanjûrô IV

Career:

1805~1827: born in Edo. His father is the choreographer Fujima Kanbei III. He starts his career as a disciple of the star Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, who gives him the name of Ichikawa Dankichi.

11th lunar month of 1827: Ichikawa Dankichi I takes the name of Ichikawa Yaozô V at the Nakamuraza, playing the roles of the gold trader Kichiji and Motoyoshi Shirô Tadahira in the drama "Kinbusen Yosooi Genji".

3rd lunar month of 1828: Yaozô plays in the same theater the roles of Taira no Atsumori and Kumagai Kojirô in the epic drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki"; the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane is played by Nakamura Shikan II.

11th lunar month of 1828: his yearly salary for the new season at the Nakamuraza is 250 ryô.

3rd lunar month of 1829: Yaozô plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Kokingo and Suruga Jirô in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

11th lunar month of 1829: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kin no Zai Sarushima Dairi"; Yaozô plays the roles of Kitashirakawa no Anchin and Nose Gengo [more details].

8th lunar month of 1830: Yaozô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Koganosuke in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

6th lunar month of 1834: Yaozô achieves a great success at the Nakamuraza by playing the roles of Oiwa, Kohei and Yomoshichi in Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan".

9th lunar month of 1834: Yaozô appears on stage for the last time, at the Ichimuraza, playing the roles of Sakuramaru and Kakuju in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

5th lunar month of 1835: Yaozô goes on tour with Seki Sanjûrô II in Ise and Kamigata. This is an excellent opportunity for Yaozô to learn the art and techniques of such a great star.

9th lunar month of 1839: the actor Seki Sanjûrô II dies.

4th lunar month of 1840: Ichikawa Yaozô V takes the name of Seki Sanjûrô III at the Ichimuraza, playing the roles of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka and Chichibu Shôji Shigetada in the jidaimono "Hirakana Seisuiki" and the role of Umakata Hachizô in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna". The kôjô celebrating this shûmei is led by the star Nakamura Utaemon IV.

1st lunar month of 1843: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the dance "Kashiragaki Ise Monogatari" (commonly called "Noriaibune"), which is staged within the new year drama "Kioi Uta Soga no Hanadashi"; Sanjûrô is one of the seven dancers [more details].

1st lunar month of 1846: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Sakurada Jisuke III's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kagura Uta Kumoi no Kyokumari", which is commonly called "Dontsuku"; Sanjûrô dances in it [more details].

1st lunar month of 1852: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Sakurada Jisuke III's drama "Satomi Hakkenden"; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Ôtsuka Bansaku Kazunari, Inukawa Sôsuke, Kanamari Daisuke Takanori, Komiyama Kageyu Saemon, Inukai Genpachi Nobumichi and Inugawa Gakuzô [casting].

9th lunar month of 1852: the play "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; Sanjûrô plays the role of Gappô Dôshin [casting].

1853: Sanjûrô goes on tour in Kamigata.

1st lunar month of 1854: Sanjûrô goes back to Edo and performas as a jitsuaku at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Matsu Ichô Tsurukame Soga".

3rd lunar month of 1858: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Edo Zakura Kiyomizu Seigen"; the nibanme of this drama is now entitled "Kurotegumi Kuruwa no Tatehiki" in the Kabuki repertoire (commonly called "Kurotegumi Sukeroku"); Sanjûrô plays the roles of Torii Shinzaemon and the shirozake seller Shinbê [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1859: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kosode Soga Azami no Ironui" (commonly called "Izayoi Seishin"); Sanjûrô plays the role of the poet Tsukioka Hakuren, in reality the thief Ôdera Shôbê, [casting].

1st lunar month of 1860: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Sannin Kichisa Kuruwa no Hatsugai"; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Dozaemon Denkichi and Chôjiya Chôbê [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1860: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kagamiyama Gonichi no Iwafuji"; Sanjûrô plays the role of Mochizuki Danjô [casting].

7th lunar month of 1860: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Hachiman Matsuri Yomiya no Nigiwai" (commonly called "Chijimiya Shinsuke"); Sanjûrô plays the role of Genzaemon [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1862: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie" (commonly called "Shiranami Gonin Otoko"); Sanjûrô plays the role of Nippon Daemon [casting].

2nd lunar month of 1864: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Soga Moyô Tateshi no Goshozome"; Sanjûrô plays the role of Hoshikage Doemon [casting].

4th lunar month of 1864: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Wakaba no Ume Ukina no Yokogushi" (commonly called "Kirare Otomi"); Sanjûrô plays the role of Izutsu Yozaemon [casting].

2nd lunar month of 1866: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Fune-he Uchikomu Hashima no Shiranami" (commonly called "Ikake Matsu"); Sanjûrô plays the roles of Shimaya Bunzô (in reality Bonji no Shingorô) and Hanaya Sagobê [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1867: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's new year sogamono "Keisei Soga Kuruwa Kagami", in which was premiered the drama "Oshizu Reiza"; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Kobayashi no Asahina, the doctor Tsurugizawa Bakuan and the Okushûya master Yasuemon [more details].

11th lunar month of 1870: Sanjûrô appears on stage for the last time, at the Nakamuraza, playing in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki".

Comments:

Seki Sanjûrô III was an outstanding tachiyaku actor, who excelled in katakiyaku and jitsuaku roles. He looked like Matsumoto Kôshirô V, sharing the same facial feature: an amazing nose! The playwright Kawatake Mokuami considered that Seki Sanjûrô III was the best actor he ever met.

Seki Sanjûrô III playing the role of Iwami Tarô Tomohide in the drama "Kozotte Kuruwa Mimasu no Datezome", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1853 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada

Print made by Utagawa Kuniharu in 1830

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1834

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861

The Ichikawa Chûsha line of actors

The Ichikawa Yaozô line of actors

The Seki Sanjûrô line of actors