Nickname: Masutoku
Guild: Masuya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Gyokô
Existence: 1750 ~ 26 August 1812
Connection:
Master: Mimasu Daigorô I
Brother: Mimasu Mitsugorô
Son: Mimasu Tokujirô II
Disciple: Mimasu Tatsujirô
Career:
1750: born in Kyôto.
1758: disciple of Mimasu Daigorô I, he receives the name of Mimasu Tokujirô.
November 1760: Tokujirô becomes wakashugata, playing at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôshimadai Kitsune no Mukoiri".
November 1770: Tokujirô becomes zamoto and wakaonnagata, producing in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Sakae Genji Gojin no Kachidoki".
March ~ May 1771: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", produced by Tokujirô at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Tokujirô plays the role of Princess Tachibana [casting].
November 1771: Tokujirô produces in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Miyako Yoshino Mikado no Takadono", which celebrates the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
Fall 1772: Tokujirô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1772: Tokujirô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of the keisei Miyakoji in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Onoe Kikugorô no Baranu Banashi".
January 1773: Tokujirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô (superior - superior).
November 1773: Tokujirô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Princess Oto (Otohime) in the kaomise drama "Itari Yaitari Mukadeyama", which is produced by Arashi Matsujirô.
September 1774: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the roles of Haru and Tonami in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
January 1775: Tokujirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent). He shares the same rank with Onoe Kumesuke.
April 1775: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the roles of Narihira, Arakawa's spouse, Mameshirô and Murasame in the drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari".
November 1775: Tokujirô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of the keisei Miyamaji in the drama "Gohiiki Tenmokuzan", which is produced by Mimasu Matsunojô.
December 1775: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
January 1776: Tokujirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent).
October 1776: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Oyasu in the drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi".
November 1776: Tokujirô moves to the the Kado no Shibai and plays in the kaomise program "Ehôgura Sankai Meisho", which is produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I.
December 1776: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Magaki in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".
April 1777: premiere of Namiki Gohachi's drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", co-written with Nakamura Akei and Tatsuoka Mansaku, which is staged at the Kado no Shibai; Tokujirô plays the roles of Sukune's wife Kozakura and Haseo's wife [casting]; the roles of Sukune Tarô and Ki-no-Haseo are played by Ogawa Kichitarô I and Tokujirô's master Mimasu Daigorô I.
September 1777: Tokujirô plays the role of Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura"; the role of Taira no Tomomori is played by Arashi Hinasuke I.
November 1777: Tokujirô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Daijizai Kaminari no Kodakara", which is produced by the zamoto Ichiyama Tajirô.
September 1778: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the roles of Kan Shôjô and Chiyo in thye drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which is produced by Ichiyama Tajirô; his stage partners are Nakamura Utaemon I (Matsuômaru), Arashi Kichisaburô I (Shiratayû, Genzô, Terukuni), Yamashita Kamenojô IV (Tatsuta, Haru), Sawamura Kunitarô I (Tonami, Kakuju, Yae), Arashi Shichisaburô II (Umeômaru), Bandô Iwagorô (Shihei, Shundô Genba), Nakamura Jiroza II (Hyôei, Mareyo) and Arashi Sangorô II (Sakuramaru).
November 1778: Tokujirô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of the koshimoto Wakagusa in the kaomise drama "Toki-ni Tôdai Sennin Kagami".
25 September 1780: his master Mimasu Daigorô I dies.
September 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Tokujirô plays the role of Otani [casting].
January 1784: Tokujirô goes to Edo and plays at the Moritaza the role of Izaemon's lover Yûgiri in the drama "Haru no Yo Shôji no Ume"; the role of Fujiya Izaemon is played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.
March 1784: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Chûbei's lover Umegawa in the drama "Keisei Koi Bikyaku"; the role of Kameya Chûbei is played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV. He also plays the role of Mohei's lover Osan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; the role of Mohei is played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.
September 1784: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Chôemon's lover Ohan in the drama "Tagasode Futatsu Nishikie"; the role of Obiya Chôemon is played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.
November 1784: Tokujirô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Okyô in the kaomise program "Ôakinai Hiru-ga-Kojima", which celebrates the shûmei of Sanogawa Ichimatsu III and the return in Edo of Ôtani Hiroemon III.
January 1785: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year drama "Hatsuhana Mimasu Soga". He also plays the role of Tora in the Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Shinobu Koi Yanagi ni Katsurao".
August 1785: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the roles of Chiyo and Kakuju in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
November 1785: Tokujirô plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise program "Yuki Motsu Take Furisode Genji".
May 1786: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Hayano Kampei in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
June 1786: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Otatsu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".
Fall 1786: Tokujirô goes back to Kyôto.
November 1786: Tokujirô plays in Kyôto the role of the fox Otatsu in the kaomise drama "Shinchoku Niai no Enmusubi".
December 1786: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the roles of Sonobe Saemon and Saemon's mother (hayagawari) in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".
Fall 1788: Tokujirô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1788: Tokujirô plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Inari Yakusha Kaomise".
November 1789: Tokujirô becomes tachiyaku and plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Momokawa Kamijirô in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Chigusa Musubi".
December 1789: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the roles of Ishidô Umanojô and Teraoka Heiemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
April 1790: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of the villain Soga no Iruka in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
July 1790: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Komagata Ikkaku Haruhide in the drama "Karukaya Dôshin Tsukushi no Iezuto".
November 1790: Tokujirô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of En'ya Hangan and Gihei in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku".
Fall 1791: Tokujirô goes to Kyôto.
November 1791: Tokujirô plays the role of Ema Koshirô Yoshitoki in the drama "Hakubai Genji Shugi no Hajime", which is produced by Anegawa Kumajirô at the Nishigawa no Shibai.
Summer 1793: Tokujirô plays in Kyôto at the Higashigawa no Shibai the roles of Mameshirô and Yoshitsune in the dramas "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari" and "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
February 1794: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Shima Meguri Uso no Kikigaki"; the last scenes are a sewamono drama, which will be staged independently in May 1794 under the title "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Tokujirô plays the role of Tomitaya Oichi [more details].
Fall 1794: Tokujirô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1794: Tokujirô becomes onnagata and plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kana Utsushi Azuchi Mondô".
August 1795: Tokujirô plays in the same theater the role of Tonase in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
January 1799: Tokujirô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
November 1800: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Yanagi's puppet theater drama "Ehon Taikôki", which was written in July 1799. The play is produced by Nakayama Tokujirô in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai and Tokujirô plays the role of Satsuki [casting].
Fall 1811: Tokujirô goes to Kyôto.
November 1811: Tokujirô appears on stage for the last time, playing at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Bimyô in the kaomise drama "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata", which celebrates the shûmei of Nakamura Kumetarô III.
26 August 1812: Tokujirô dies in Ôsaka. His tombstone is located in the precinct of the Honchôji temple in Ôsaka.
Comments:
Mimasu Tokujirô I was a Kamigata actor, who made most of his career in Kyôto and Ôsaka, with the exception of 3 successful seasons in Edo (1784~1786). He was talented and popular but it took him quite a long time (24 years!) to move from the jô-jô-(shiro)kichi rank to the jô-jô-kichi rank, a quite unusual fact in Kabuki history. He was first an onnagata but shifted to tachiyaku for 5 years before switching back to onnagata roles. He was said to be able to perform a wide range of roles, equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. Sewa nyôbô and onna budô were his two fields of excellence.
Mimasu Tokujirô I
Print made by Katuskawa Shunkô 1784~1786
The Mimasu Tokujirô line of actors