Stage names:
Segawa Senjo
Segawa Rokô III
Segawa Kikunojô III
Segawa Tomisaburô I
Ichiyama Tomisaburô
Ichiyama Shichinosuke
Nickname: Senjo Rokô
Guild: Hamamuraya
Poetry names: Rokô, Senjo
Blazon: the spray of tied cotton (yui wata)
Existence: 1751 ~ 4th day of the 12th lunar month of 1810
Connections:
Father: Ichiyama Shichijûrô I (dance master)
Adoptive father: Segawa Kikunojô II
Elder brother: Segawa Jokô I
Sons-in-law: Segawa Michisaburô I, Segawa Rokô IV
Adopted son: Segawa Kamesaburô
Disciples: Segawa Tomisaburô II, Segawa Tomisaburô III, Segawa Yûjirô II, Segawa Waichi
Career:
1751: born in Ôsaka. His father, the dance master Ichiyama Shichijûrô, gives him the name of Ichiyama Shichinosuke and teaches him his art.
11th lunar month of 1765: Ichiyama Shichinosuke takes the name of Ichiyama Tomisaburô in Ôsaka.
Beginning of 1773: Segawa Kikunojô II, who is on his deathbed, requests his wife Omitsu to send a messenger to Ôsaka, asking the young Tomisaburô to come as soon as possible to Edo. Segawa Kikunojô II had spotted the young man and understood his talent while on tour in Ôsaka. He intends to adopt him and makes him his heir. He gives him the name of Segawa Tomisaburô I.
13th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1773: his adoptive father Segawa Kikunojô II dies.
5th lunar month of 1774: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the Nagauta-based dance "Sono Omokage Ninin Wankyû". The roles of Wankyû and the courtesan Matsuyama are played by Ichimura Uzaemon IX and Tomisaburô. This dance commemorates the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) of the death of Ichimura Uzaemon VIII. The drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is produced at the Ichimuraza for the first time; Tomisaburô plays the role of Otatsu [casting].
11th lunar month of 1774: Segawa Tomisaburô I takes the name of Segawa Kikunojô III.
11th lunar month of 1775: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Kanai Sanshô's Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Shijûhatte Koi no Showake", the first version of "Oshidori", which is staged within the kaomise drama "Hana Zumô Genji Biiki"; Kikunojô plays the roles of the keisei Kisegawa and the spirit of the female mandarin duck [more details].
3rd lunar month of 1776: first Kabuki adaptation of Matsu Kanshi I's puppet theater drama "Koi Musume Mukashi Hachijô", which is staged at the Nakamuraza; Kikunojô plays the role of Shirokiya Okoma [casting].
5th lunar month of 1776: the play "Honchô Nijûshikô" is performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Kikunojô plays the role of Princess Yaegaki [casting].
11th lunar month of 1776: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Sakurada Jisuke I's Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Momo Yogiku Iro no Yo no Naka"; Kikunojô plays the role of Ono no Komachi [casting].
11th lunar month of 1777: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Nakamura Jûsuke II's Tomimoto-based (musical accompaniment is written by Namizaki Tokuji) dance-drama "Meotozake Kawaranu Nakanaka" (commonly called "Kurama Jishi"); Kikunojô plays the role of Shizuka Gozen [casting].
11th lunar month of 1781: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the dance-drama "Waga Sekogakoi no Aizuchi" (commonly called "Kumo no Hyôshimai"), which is performed within the kaomise program "Shitennô Tonoi no Kisewata"; Kikunojô plays the role of the shirabyôshi Tsumagiku, in reality the spirit of a ground spider, [casting].
11th lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Kiriza of the drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To", which is performed within the drama "Jûni Hitoe Komachi Zakura"; Kikunojô plays the roles of Ono no Komachi, the courtesan Sumizome and the spirit of Komachi's cherry tree [casting].
2nd lunar month of 1785: Kikunojô performs at the Kiriza all the roles of a Nagauta-based 5-role hengemono, which is entitled "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).
1st lunar month of 1791: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the Nagauta-based dance "Taimen Hana no Harukoma", which is performed at the end of the new year program "Haru no Sekai Nigiwai Soga"; Kikunojô plays the role of a courtesan [casting].
1st lunar month of 1795: Namiki Gohei I's drama "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Miyakoza; Kikunojô plays the role of the courtesan Sakuraya no Koman [casting].
1st lunar month of 1796: premiere at the Kiriza of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Suda no Haru Geisha Katagi"; Kikunojô plays the roles of Koume and Chôkichi [casting].
9th lunar month of 1796: the play "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" is staged for the first time in Edo, simultaneously at the Kiriza and the Miyakoza; Kikunojô plays the role of Ichimisai's elder daughter Osono in the former theater [casting].
1st lunar month of 1798: premiere at the Kiriza (Edo) of Namiki Gohei I's play "Tomioka Koi no Yamabiraki", commonly called "Ninin Shinbê"; Kikunojô plays the role of the courtesan Kojorô [casting].
2nd lunar month of 1800: Namiki Gohei's drama "Gosan no Kiri" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza in a somewhat different version titled "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri" instead of "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Kikunojô plays the role of Kishida's okugata [casting].
8th lunar month of 1801: first grand shûmei for the Hamamuraya guild, at the Ichimuraza; Segawa Kikunojô III, Segawa Kikunosuke, Segawa Kikusaburô II and Segawa Matsunosuke respectively take the names of Segawa Rokô III, Segawa Michinosuke, Segawa Michisaburô I and Segawa Hamajirô. They play together in the drama "Dôjima Tamino no Tsumikomi".
2nd lunar month of 1802: Rokô goes back to his native Kamigata after 29 seasons spent in Edo.
9th lunar month of 1804: Rokô performs his onagori kyôgen at the Kado no Shibai, playing the role of Kuzu-no-Ha in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami" [illustration].
Fall 1804: Rokô goes back to Edo, along with Nakayama Hyôtarô I and Segawa Kamesaburô.
11th lunar month of 1804: Rokô plays the role of the musume Oriku, in reality Iga-no-Naishi, at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kiku Zumô Mikurai Sadame", which celebrates the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô V, Ichikawa Yaozô IV and Nakayama Bunshichi III.
11th lunar month of 1807: second grand shûmei for the Hamamuraya guild, at the Nakamuraza; Segawa Rokô III and Segawa Michinosuke respectively take the names of Segawa Senjo and Segawa Rokô IV. The two actors achieve a great success by playing in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Yuki no Konoshita".
7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Segawa Jokô II's drama "Zôho Izari no Adauchi"; Senjo plays the roles of Fudesuke's wife Oyumi and Shinzaemon's wife Shigemachi [casting].
8th lunar month of 1808: Senjo plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Sakuramaru and Chiyo in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" [illustrations].
10th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; Senjo plays the role of the courtesan Ôgiya Yûgiri [casting].
4th lunar month of 1809: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the 7-role Nagauta-based dance-drama "Kantan Sono no Kikuchô"; Senjo plays the roles of an onna date* and a yamanba [more details].
(*) "Onna Date" is still part of the current Kabuki repertoire.
Comments:
Segawa Senjo was one of the most famous actors in Kabuki history, a rival of both Iwai Hanshirô IV (during the 18th century) and Iwai Tojaku (during the Bunka era) for the title of Edo best onnagata. He excelled in Princesses or courtesans roles and reached the goku-jô-jô-kichi rank (extreme - superior - superior - excellent) in the 1st lunar month of 1789 at the age of 37. As a dancer, he was outstanding in dôjôjimono or shakkyômono. He was extremely rich (his yearly salary in the 11th lunar month of 1790 was 1850 ryô) but, unlike most actors, was economical, saving his earnings and investing in houses and land in Edo or in Kamigata. His wealth was subject of many gossips and exagerations running all over the places where he performed.
Segawa Senjo playing the role of the shirabyôshi Uneme in the dance "Michiyuki Burihana no Furisode", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1807 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)
Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1774
Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1776
Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô (1777~1781)
Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1781
Print made by Katsukawa Shunjô in 1781
Print made by Katsukawa Shunkô in 1803
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1857
The Segawa Tomisaburô line of actors
The Segawa Kikunojô line of actors
The Segawa Rokô line of actors