Guild: Masuya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Kikô
Existence: ???
Connection:
Father: Yamashita Jirozô I
Master: Yamashita Kinsaku II.
Adopted sons: Yamashita Yaozô II, Bandô Mitsuzô I
Disciple: Yamashita Yaozô II
Career:
Before 1763: son of Yamashita Jirozô I, he starts his career as a wakashugata in hama shibai, performing under the name of Yamashita Yaozô I.
Fall 1763: Yaozô becomes disciple of Yamashita Kinsaku II.
November 1763: Yaozô makes his debut in ôshibai, performing with his master at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Fuyu Gomori Kôbai no Iezuto", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.
1764: Yaozô becomes wakaonnagata.
November 1768: Yaozô becomes zamoto and produces in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Shin-yakata Banzei no Kotobuki".
Fall 1769: Yaozô and his master Yamashita Kinsaku II go together to Edo.
November 1769: Yaozô plays at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Na ni Takashi Kumoi no Yumihari".
November 1770: Yaozô plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which celebrates the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Nakamura Shôchô, Ichikawa Monnosuke II, Nakamura Shichisaburô III and Bandô Sampachi II.
Fall 1772: Yaozô goes back to Ôsaka.
November 1772: Yaozô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Yamana's daughter Kaoyo in the kaomise drama "Hi-no-Moto Banzei no Hôrai".
Fall 1773: Yaozô goes to Kyôto.
November 1773: Yaozô plays in Kyôto the role of Seki-no-To in the kaomise drama "Etari ya Etari Tsuwamono Majiwari", which is produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I.
January 1774: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô (superior - superior).
November 1778: Yaozô plays in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Ume no Nazorae Azuma Hyakkan", which is produced by Somematsu Shichisaburô II at the Kitagawa no Shibai.
January 1779: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).
November 1779: Yaozô performs in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kikkegawara", which is produced in Kyôto by Somematsu Shichisaburô II.
January 1780: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He shares the same rank with Sawamura Kunitarô I.
November 1780: Yaozô becomes zamoto in Kyôto, producing at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Sono Uwasa Kiku no Hataage".
January 1781: Yaozô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, falls to jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).
November 1781: Yaozô produces at the Kitagawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", in which he plays the role of Tonami.
Fall 1782: Yaozô goes back to Ôsaka after 9 seasons spent in Kyôto.
November 1782: Yaozô performs at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Zu ni Notta Bankoku Tokai".
September 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Yaozô plays the courtesan Segawa, Hisakata Gozen and Osode [casting].
January 1784: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohei's drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi"; Yaozô plays the roles of The keisei Kachô and Kitabatake Hamaogi [casting]. His rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].
May 1784: the play "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami", which was originally written in October 1776 by Suga Sensuke for the puppet theater, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time by Namiki Gohei, and staged in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Yaozô plays the role of Chôemon's spouse Okinu [casting].
March 1788: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sewa Ryôri Yaoya Kondate"; Yaozô plays the role of Ochiyo [more details].
April 1788: Yaozô plays in the same theater the roles of Nureginu and Karaori in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô".
November 1788: Yaozô plays at the Naka no Shibai in Nagawa Shimesuke I's kaomise drama "Toshi-ni Kanô Tori-ga-Saikô".
November 1790: Yaozô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Omasu in Namiki Gohei I's kaomise drama "Ittai Bunshin Nishiki no Okuyama", which is produced by Asao Yatarô and celebrates the return in Ôsaka (from a tour to Edo) of the star Asao Tamejûrô I. He also plays from the 25th of November the roles of Magaki and Saisaki Iga-no-Kami's wife in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".
Summer 1791: Yaozô plays in Kyôto the roles of Sasaki Tan'emon's wife and Sawai Matagorô's wife in the drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; the roles of Sasaki Tan'emon and Sawai Matagorô are played by Ichikawa Danzô IV and Kataoka Nizaemon VII.
November 1791: Yaozô plays in Ôsaka in the kaomise drama "Hakubai Genji Shugi no Hajime", which is produced by Anegawa Kumajirô at the Nishigawa no Shibai.
November 1792: Yaozô plays in Ôsaka at the Kita-Shinchi Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Hajimari"; his stage partners are Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Onoe Matsusuke I, Nakamura Tôzô I, Anegawa Shinshirô III and Sawamura Kunitarô I.
Summer 1793: Yaozô plays in Kyôto the roles of Sukune's wife, Shinobu and Princess Izutsu in the drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari".
March 1794: Yaozô plays in Kyôto the role of Sakaki-no-Mae in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami". He also plays the role of Ochiyo in "Yaoya no Kondate"; the role of Hambei is played by Nakayama Hyôtarô I.
May 1794: Yaozô plays in Kyôto the role of Sagami in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
May 1794: premiere at the Nishi no Shibai (Kyôto) of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Yaozô plays the role of the courtesan Kikuno [casting].
November 1794: Yaozô plays in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kokaji's wife Okyô in the kaomise drama "Tatematsuru Chibako no Tamamono". He also plays from the 27th of November to the 19th of December the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
January 1795: Yaozô's rank in the Ôsaka and Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He shares the same rank with Yoshizawa Iroha I in the Ôsaka hyôbanki.
November 1795: Yaozô plays in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Hajimete Hiraku Nanshi no Hanabusa", which celebrates the shûmei of Arashi Mitsuemon I.
August 1796: Yaozô plays in the same theater the role of Takigawa in the drama "Deiri Minato". He also plays the roles of Tatsuta-no-Mae and Yae in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
February 1797: Yaozô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Otane in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô"; the roles of Jihizô and Yokozô are played by Nakayama Bunshichi II and Asao Tamejûrô I.
September 1798: Yaozô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Umegawa in the drama "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"; the roles of Chûbei and Magoemon are played by Onoe Koisaburô I and Asao Tamejûrô I.
October 1798: Yaozô plays in the same theater the roles of Shinobu and Princess Izutsu in the drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari".
November 1803: Yaozô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Matsukaze in the kaomise drama "Hatsu Yagura Kogane no Manmaku", which is produced by Nakamura Noshio III. The troupe moves to the Kita-Shinchi Shibai in December to perform the same program for 10 days.
March 1804: Yaozô plays in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Okaru in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
November 1804: Yaozô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ichiyô Ôgi no Kachidoki".
September 1805: Yaozô plays in Kyôto at the Shita-no-Mori no Shibai (in the district of Kitano) the role of Shigenoi in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna".
Comments:
Yamashita Yaozô I was a popular and talented Kamigata onnagata, who made a long and successful career from the 1760s to the middle of the 1800s. He had all the features of a great actor: he was very handsome, had an amazing stage presence and perfectly delivered his lines with his beautiful voice. He was able to perform any kind of female role but in his latter years, he was particularly outstanding in sewa nyôbô roles. No more records for this actor from 1806.
Yamashita Yaozô I in a print made in 1770 by Ippitsusai Bunchô
for the Ehon Butai Ôgi series of prints