Stage names:
Azuma Tôzô III
Azuma Tomigorô
Others names:
Azuma Daikichi
Ikushima Daikichi IV
Guild: Azumaya
Line number: SANDAIME (III)
Existence: 1756 ~ 19 June 1798
Connections:
Master: Azuma Tôzô II
Career:
1756 ~ 1776: born in Edo. He becomes a disciple of the actor Azuma Tôzô II and receives the name of Azuma Tomigorô.
11 April 1776: his master Azuma Tôzô II dies.
November 1779: Azuma Tomigorô takes the name of Azuma Tôzô III at the Ichimuraza, playing in the drama "Azuma no Mori Sakae Kusunoki".
November 1782: Tôzô plays the roles of Chidori and the ghost of Sôtokuin in the drama "Ise Heiji Eika Goyomi".
1783: as a choreographer, he takes the name of Ikushima Daikichi IV.
Fall 1789: Tôzô and Ichikawa Yaozô III go together to Ôsaka.
September 1789: Tôzô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Tonami and Tatsuta in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
November 1789: Tôzô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Keisei Chigo-ga-Fuchi".
November 1791: Tôzô goes to Kyôto and plays in the drama "Hakubai Genji Shugi no Hajime", which is produced by Anegawa Kumajirô at the Nishigawa no Shibai.
November 1792: Tôzô goes to Ôsaka and plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Chûshin Futabagura".
May 1793: Tôzô plays in the same theater the roles of Fuji-no-Kata and Midaroku's daughter in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
November 1794: Tôzô moves to the Kado no Shibai and plays in the kaomise drama "Tatematsuru Chibako no Tamamono".
January 1795: Tôzô plays in the same theater in the new year drama "Ane Imôto Date no Ôkido".
October 1795: Tôzô plays in the same theater the role of Ofude in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".
November 1795: Tôzô moves to Kyôto and plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Hajimete Hiraku Nanshi no Hanabusa".
November 1796: common kaomise program for the Kitagawa no Shibai (Kyôto) and the Kado no Shibai (Ôsaka); Tôzô plays the role of Okyô in the drama "Yama Katsura Asahi no Menbako", which is staged in Kyôto from the 5th and in Ôsaka from the 18th and celebrates the shûmei of Onoe Koisaburô I.
January 1797: Tôzô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Oteru in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki".
March 1797: Tôzô plays in the same theater 2 roles in the drama "Hanawasakura Ako no Shiogama", whose plot and characters belong to the "Kanadehon Chûshingura" world. After this production, the troupe moves to Kyôto.
November 1797: Tôzô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Namboku Yuki no Miyako", which is produced by Arashi Kumanosuke and celebrates the shûmei of Arashi Raishi I and Arashi Sangorô III.
February 1798: Tôzô plays in the same theater the roles of Haginoi and Osode in the drama "Zôho Jiraiki".
19 June 1798: Tôzô dies in Kyôto.
Comments:
Azuma Tôzô III was a talented wakaonnagata actor, trained in Edo but who started to achieve fame for himself from 1789 in both Ôsaka and Kyôto. He unfortunately died too young. His last hyôbanki rank one really close to jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He was also a good choreographer, working under the name of Ikushima Daikichi IV.
Azuma Tôzô III playing the role of Sôtokuin's ghost in the drama "Ise Heiji Eika Goyomi", which was staged in November 1782 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Katsukawa Shunchô)