Stage names:
Anegawa Shinshirô I
Toyoshima Katsusaburô
Toyoshima Katsunosuke
Guild: Koiya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Existence: 1685 ~ 25 November 1749
Connections:
Master : Somegawa Jûrobei
Brother: Nakayama Shinkurô I
Adopted sons: Anegawa Shinshirô II, Anegawa Tôjûrô
Disciples: Anegawa Shinshirô III, Anegawa Kiyosaburô, Anegawa Jôemon, Anegawa Shinzô, Anegawa Minato I, Anegawa Senzô, Anegawa Ujûrô, Anegawa Daikichi
Career:
1685 ~ 1710: born in Ôsaka. We don't have much details about his prime. He is a wakashugata actor and takes the names of Toyoshima Katsunosuke and Toyoshima Katsusaburô at unknown dates. He becomes a disciple of Somegawa Jûrobei in 1710.
November 1710: Toyoshima Katsusaburô takes the name of Anegawa Shinshirô I in Ôsaka, playing in the kaomise drama "Shinzome Hinagata Chôja", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III for the nadai Ôsaka Kuzaemon.
November 1711: Shinshirô plays the role of Okinoishi Hankurô in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Hitachi Obi", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III for the nadai Ôsaka Kuzaemon.
July 1713: Shinshirô plays the role of Abe no Yasuna in the drama "Shinoda Zuma Yome Kurabe", which is produced by the zamoto Shinozuka Shômatsu I for the nadai Ôsaka Tazaemon.
November 1714: Shinshirô becomes zamoto and produces the play "Daikoku Shinmai Dawara" for the nadai Ôsaka Kuzaemon.
November 1716: Shinshirô plays in Ôsaka in the drama "Kogane no Ichizô", which is produced by Sawamura Chôjûrô I.
January 1719: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's puppet theater drama "Keisei Hangonkô", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Shinshirô plays the role of Nagoya Sanza [casting].
January 1720: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's puppet theater drama "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima", which is produced by Takeshima Kôzaemon II in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Shinshirô plays the role of Shunkan [casting].
November 1720: Shinshirô plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Hana Yakata Chibikizuru", which is produced by Kirinoya Gonjûrô I.
September 1722: Shinshirô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kurofune in the drama "Raijin Mondôki", which is produced by Kirinoya Gonjûrô I.
November 1722: Shinshirô settles in Kyôto and plays the role of Tamagaki Tôzô in the kaomise drama "Sembon Matsu Tokiwa Yakata", which is produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû. He also plays the role of Kurofune Chûemon in the dance "Otoko Moyô Nimai Hinagata". His performance is a great success and the turban (zukin) that Shinshirô uses on stage in the role of Kurofune becomes the latest fashion in the city of Kyôto; it is sold under the name "anegawa zukin".
November 1723: Shinshirô plays in Kyôto the role of Kurofune Chûemon in the kaomise drama "Teono Hajime Kogane no Ishizue", which is produced by Segawa Kikunojô I.
January 1724: Shinshirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
November 1726: Shinshirô plays at Kameya Kumenojô's theater (Kyôto) the role of Todoroki Kôemon in the kaomise drama "Karanishiki Imose no Shitone", which is produced by Matsushima Hyôtarô.
Fall 1727: Shinshirô goes back to Ôsaka.
November 1727: Shinshirô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Imose Gami Aioi no Futabayama", which is produced by Yamamoto Kyôshirô I.
January 1728: Shinshirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).
Fall 1732: the actors Shinshirô, Sakakiyama Koshirô I and Arashi Otonosuke go together to Edo.
November 1732: Shinshirô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Watanabe Mimbu in the kaomise drama "Yamato Kotoba Imagawajô".
January 1733: Shinshirô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Kurofune Chûemon in the drama "Kurofune Deiri Minato".
Spring 1734: Shinshirô plays at Nakamuraza in the new year drama "Jûhakkô Imayô Soga".
Fall 1734: Shinshirô goes back to Kamigata.
November 1734: Shinshirô plays at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Kanda Sagoemon in the kaomise drama "Asahi no Matsu Kogane no Shinbashira", which is produced by Nakamura Jûzô I. His two adopted sons, Anegawa Shinnosuke and Anegawa Tôjûrô, work as zamoto; the former in Ôsaka and the latter in Kyôto.
1735: tour in Nagoya.
November 1736: Shinshirô plays the role of Taema Sagoemon in the kaomise drama "Yamato Fumi Mannen no Ayatsuri", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô III at the Kado no Shibai.
November 1738: Shinshirô plays in Iwai Izaemon's kaomise drama "Furômon Tama no Kizahashi", which is produced by his adopted son Anegawa Tôjûrô in Kyôto for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbei.
December 1739: Shinshirô plays the role of Matahei in the drama "Kewai Musha Ômi Genji", which is produced at the Ônishi no Shibai by Yoshizawa Ayame II. His stage partners are Yoshizawa Ayame II (Okichi), Nakamura Sôjûrô (Shôgen), Sakakiyama Shirotarô I (Nagoya Sanza), Arashi Shichigorô I (Fuwa Banzaemon) and Segawa Kikunojô I (the courtesan Tôyama).
Summer 1740: Shinshirô plays the role of Jingorô in the drama "Kaga no Kuni Shinohara Gassen", which is produced at the Ônishi no Shibai by Yoshizawa Ayame II.
November 1741: Shinshirô becomes zamoto in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; he produces the kaomise drama "Genji Rokujûjô".
July 1742: Shinshirô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shunkan in the drama "Yuya Gozen Taira Monbi". His stage partners are Arashi Koisa (Chidori), Sakurayama Shirogorô (Tanzaemon) and Kamakura Heikurô (Senoo Tarô).
November 1742: Shinshirô becomes zamoto at the Naka no Shibai.
January 1743: Shinshirô produces at the Naka no Shibai the play "Kurofune Isse Ichidai Otoko" (casting) in which he plays the roles of Kurofune Chûemon and Ageya Rokuroemon. The turban (zukin) and the wooden clogs (geta), which he uses on stage, becomes the latest fashion in the city of Ôsaka; they are sold under the names of "anegawa zukin" and "anegawa geta".
November 1743: Shinshirô produces at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Shiki Samba Ôgi Ikusa".
July 1744: Shinshirô produces in the same theater the drama "Otoko Date Gojitsu Kagami" in which he plays the role of Nuregami Chôgorô. His stage partners are Yoshizawa Ayame II, Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II, Fujikawa Hanzaburô II and Yamanaka Heijûrô II.
October 1745: Shinshirô works as a zamoto for the last time, producing at the Naka no Shibai the dramas "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari" and "Imaori Daikanjima".
November 1745: Shinshirô goes to Kyôto and plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kachidoki Manzairaku", which is produced by Nakamura Kiyosaburô I for the nadai Miyako Handayû.
January 1746: Shinshirô plays in the same theater the role of Matahei in the drama "Matahei". His stage partners are Sanogawa Hanazuma II (Otoku), Anegawa Daikichi (Nagoya Sanza), Nakamura Utaemon I (Fuwa Banzaemon) and Nakamura Kiyosaburô I (the courtesan Tôyama).
September 1746: first Kabuki adaptation of Takeda Izumo I, Miyoshi Shôraku, Namiki Senryû I and Takeda Koizumo puppet theater drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which is produced by Kiyosaburô at Miyako Mandayû's theater (the Kitagawa no Shibai); Shinshirô plays the role of Takebe Genzô [casting].
January 1747: Shinshirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is shin-jô-jô-kichi (truly - superior - superior - excellent).
August 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Naka no Shibai; Shinshirô plays the roles of Yazaemon and Noritsune [casting].
December 1748: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was originally written for the puppet theater, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Shinshirô plays the roles of Ishidô Umanojô and Amakawaya Gihei [casting].
25 November 1749: Shinshirô dies in Ôsaka. Later on, somebody found in a river a pair of wooden clogs and a turban similar to Shinshirô's ones. Ôsaka people interpreted it as the proof that Shinshirô went to heaven.
Comments:
Anegawa Shinshirô I was a talented tachiyaku actor, who achieved fame for himself in Ôsaka and Kyôto during the first half of the eighteenth century: "his favourite roles were otokodate. He knew the taste of his public. The otokodate spirit was rife among the populace, and a new feeling for their rights and privileges was uppermost among the people. Shinshirô lived long enough, however, to outgrow his popularity, for in his later years he was criticised as monotonous, his acting considered antiquated, and he failed to thrill his audience with novelties--the same cry for the new that is common to all the stages of the world at all times. There was another reason why Shinshirô's popularity began to wane, for the lack of originality within Kabuki was beginning to be felt, and the reason interest in him declined was due largely to the poverty of plays and the general condition of the country." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")
Anegawa Shinshirô I playing the role of Kurofune Chûemon in the drama "Kurofune Deiri Minato", which was staged in January 1733 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Nishimura Shigenobu)