Stage names:
Arashi Shimpei I
Arashi San'emon III
Arashi Matsunojô I
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry names: Banko, Sugidori (?)
Existence: 1697 ~ 10 July 1754
Connection:
Grandfather: Arashi San'emon I
Father: Arashi San'emon II
Adopted son: Arashi San'emon IV
Disciples: Arashi San'emon V, Arashi Sangorô I, Arashi Tominosuke I, Arashi Koizô, Arashi Sanshirô II, Arashi Sanshirô III, Arashi Monzaburô II, Arashi Matsunojô III, Arashi Kikumatsu
Career:
7 November 1701: his father Arashi San'emon II dies.
November 1704: he takes the name of Arashi San'emon III at the age of 8 and becomes zamoto in Ôsaka. He uses on stage the the roppô technique, a trademark of his family.
January 1719: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's puppet theater drama "Keisei Hangonkô", which is produced by San'emon in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; San'emon plays the role of Matahei [casting].
January 1721: San'emon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
November 1721: San'emon produces at the Higashi no Shibai (Ôsaka) the kaomise drama "Kogane Suzunari".
November 1722: San'emon produces and plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shigemori in the kaomise drama "Shingoten Aioi no Komatsu".
November 1723: San'emon produces and plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Hanagata", which celebrates the arrival in Ôsaka of the Edo star Ôtani Hiroji I.
January 1724: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's play "Sonezaki Shinjû" is performed for the first time at the Kado no Shibai, starring San'emon and Sanogawa Mangiku in the roles of Hiranoya Tokubei and the courtesan Temmaya Ohatsu (Tokubei's lover) [casting].
21 March 1724: a fire breaks out in Ôsaka and destroys several theaters, including the the Kado no Shibai.
November 1724: San'emon produces and plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Taema Hikokurô in the kaomise drama "Banzei no Minato".
November 1725: San'emon produces and plays at the Kado no Shibai in Kaneko Kichizaemon's kaomise drama "Wagô no Futabashira".
November 1726: San'emon plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Fukubiki no Sankichi and Mantarô in the kaomise drama "Bunbu Aioi no Matsu", which is produced by Fujii Hanamatsu.
Fall 1727: San'emon moves to Kyôto with the actor Sakurayama Shirosaburô I.
November 1727: San'emon plays the roles of Fukubiki no Sankichi and Tônai Jirô in Azuma Sampachi's kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô", which is produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater.
January 1728: San'emon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
November 1728: San'emon plays the role of Asakura Hikokurô in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Kogane no Uroko", which is produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.
January 1729: San'emon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is tôfû jô-jô-kichi (fashionable - superior - superior - excellent).
November 1729: San'emon plays the role of Nozoki no Shichibyôe in the kaomise drama "Yomeiri Shichigosan", which is produced by Arashi Koroku I at Daikokuya Takenojô's theater.
November 1730: San'emon plays the roles of the zatô Shunkei and his brother Mantarô in Sawamura Bunji's kaomise drama "Inari Yakata Manpô no Kura", which is produced by Arashi Koroku I at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.
November 1731: San'emon plays the role of Toriya Manbei in the kaomise drama "Hirakana Imagawajô", which is produced in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater; his stage partners are Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Nakamura Shingorô I, Sanogawa Mangiku, Somenoi Hanshirô, Yashio Ikuemon, Anegawa Chiyosaburô and Tomizawa Montarô I.
September 1732: first Kabuki adaptation of Matsuda Bunkôdô and Hasegawa Senshi puppet theater drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which is produced in Kyôto by Arashi Kokuseki at Miyako Mandayû's theater; San'emon plays the role of Seki-ga-Hara Zennai [casting].
Fall 1732: San'emon goes back to Ôsaka after five seasons spent in Kyôto.
November 1732: San'emon produces and plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Mitsu no Hama Kogane no Irie".
March 1733: the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Kado no Shibai; San'emon produces it and plays the roles of Chichibu no Shôji Shigetada and Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi [casting].
September 1733: San'emon goes to Edo; he falls ill and can't perform in the kaomise.
January 1734: San'emon plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Soga Jûrô in the new year sogamono "Nanakusa Nigiwai Soga"; his partner in the role of Soga Gorô is Ichikawa Danjûrô II. San'emon has some voice problem and his performance is not good enough for the Edo audience.
November 1734: San'emon is back in Kyôto after a short and unsuccessful stay in Edo; he is part of the kaomise program at Miyako Mandayû's theater but does not perform any specific role.
January 1735: San'emon is the kanjiku of tachiyaku actors in the Kyôto hyôbanki.
May 1735: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami", which is produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater; San'emon plays the role of Abe no Yasuna [casting].
November 1735: San'emon plays in the kaomise drama "Bankoku Ôshimadai", which is produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I at Miyako Mandayû's theater.
January 1736: there are two kanjiku for tachiyaku actors in the Kyôto hyôbanki; Sakakiyama Koshirô I is the "jitsu kanjiku" (the real kanjiku) and San'emon is the "iro kanjiku" (the sexy kanjiku).
Fall 1736: San'emon goes back to Ôsaka.
November 1736: San'emon plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Furômon Kon no Shikigawara", which is produced by Nakayama Shinkurô I.
November 1736: San'emon plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Fukakusa-no-In Sannô no Maki", which is produced by Nakayama Shinkurô I.
August 1738: San'emon plays in the same theater the role of Abe no Yasuna in the drama "Shinoda Zuma" (similar to "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami"); the role of Kuzu-no-Ha is played by Matsushima Hyôtarô.
Fall 1738: San'emon goes to Kyôto.
November 1738: San'emon takes part in Tomimura Takichi's kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Hôrai Yakata", which is produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I at Kameya Kumenojô's theater; San'emon appears only in the kôjô.
January 1739: San'emon plays in the same theater the roles of Imagawa Nakaaki and Takamatsu Sentarô in the drama "Keisei Arashiyama".
November 1739: San'emon takes part in the kaomise drama "Oiwai Nô Nishiki no Manmaku", which is produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I at Nakamura Wakadayû's theater; he suddenly falls ill and has to be replaced by Somematsu Shichisaburô I.
November 1740: San'emon takes part in the kaomise drama "Asuka Miyako Jindai no Maki", which is produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I at Miyako Mandayû's theater; San'emon appears only in the kôjô.
November 1741: San'emon plays the role of Okamura Izuminosuke, in reality Abe no Yasuna, in the kaomise drama "Imayô Shinoda Zuma", which is staged at Miyako Mandayû's theater; the role of Kuzu-no-Ha is played by Fujii Hanamatsu.
November 1743: San'emon takes part in the kaomise drama "Wakamidori Hatsumenbako", which is produced by his adopted son Arashi Matsunojô at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater.
Fall 1744: San'emon goes back to Ôsaka after 6 seasons spent in Kyôto.
November 1744: San'emon plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Sôryô Ôenosuke and Yamazaki Yojibei in the kaomise drama "Yamazaki Yojibei Imayô Sugata".
December 1744: San'emon plays in the same theater the roles of Sonobe Saemon and Goheiji in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".
November 1745: Arashi San'emon III and his adopted son Arashi Matsunojô II respectively take the names of Arashi Shimpei I and Arashi San'emon IV at the Ônishi no Shibai, playing together in the kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô".
December 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which starts a competition for the best performance and line-up; Shimpei plays the role of Tsuribune Sabu at the Ônishi no Shibai [casting].
November 1746: Shimpei takes part at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Katakiuchi Naniwa no Ume", which is produced by his adopted son Arashi San'emon IV.
December 1746: Shimpei plays in the same theater the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Danshichi Kurobei and Issun Tokubei are played by Nakayama Shinkurô I and Sakurayama Shirosaburô II.
April 1747: Shimpei appears on stage for the last time, at the Kado no Shibai, playing the role of Mikasayama Kamonnosuke in the drama "Washû Somedono Ike"; he decides to definitively retire from the stage.
10 July 1754: Shimpei dies in Ôsaka.
Comments:
Arashi Shimpei I was a great tachiyaku actor of the first half of the eighteenth century and a successful zamoto between 1704 and 1733. He was very popular in Ôsaka or Kyôto but failed to achieve success in Edo. He was the worthy heir of both his grandfather Arashi San'emon I and his father Arashi San'emon II, excelling as a wagotoshi or with the roppô technique. One of his most notable roles was Abe no Yasuna in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami".
"He was also noted for his dancing, and played in pieces that had been handed down by his two predecessors." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")
Arashi Shimpei I performing in November 1745 at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô"
The Arashi Shimpei line of actors