Stage name:

Osagawa Jûemon

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Existence: ??? ~ 1731

Connections:

Disciples: Ogawa Zengorô I, Osagawa Seizaburô, Sasao Otojûrô I, Osagawa Hachiroemon, Osagawa Tatsuya, Osagawa Heizô (Osagawa Tsuneyo I's master)

Career:

1st lunar month of 1688: Jûemon went from his native Kyôto to Edo and performed at the Yamamuraza in the new year drama "Heishinnô".

Fall 1693: Jûemon went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1693: Jûemon became zamoto and produced for the nadai Miyako Mandayû Tominaga Heibê's drama "Budô no Tassha", in which he played the role of Ishidô Satayû; his stage partners were Shibazaki Rinzaemon I, Sakurayama Rinnosuke I, Kirinami Senju I, Sodesaki Karyû, Sugiyama Kanzaemon I, Adachi Saburôzaemon and Sendai Yagoshichi.

3rd lunar month of 1701: Jûemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1701: Jûemon played in Ôsaka the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the kaomise drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shichinenki"; his stage partners were Kataoka Nizaemon I (Danshichi Kurobê) and Takioka Hikoemon (Issun Tokubê).

11th lunar month of 1706: Jûemon played in Ôsaka the role of Wakakusa Gennai in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Chôhôki", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

3rd lunar month of 1707: Jûemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1707: Jûemon played in Ôsaka the role of Nishikido Magosaburô in the kaomise drama "Onna Daimyô Irekozan".

11th lunar month of 1708: Jûemon played in Ôsaka the role of Tagaya Tôsuke in the kaomise drama "Onna Tachi Origami", which was produced by Shinozuka Jirozaemon I.

3rd lunar month of 1709: Jûemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1709: Jûemon went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1709: Jûemon played the role of Iwakura Tamiemon in the kaomise drama "Kokonotsu Kogura Hitotsubu Manbai", which was produced by Miyako Mandayû for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.

3rd lunar month of 1710: Jûemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1713: Jûemon went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1713: Jûemon performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Yoshitomo Kaikeizan"; his main stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô I, Asao Jûjirô I, Mizuki Kikusaburô and Jûemon's disciple Ogawa Zengorô I.

2nd lunar month of 1714: Jûemon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1714: Jûemon went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1714: Jûemon played the role of Mochizuki Kurozaemon in the kaomise drama "Yonedawara Mangoku no Minato", which was produced by Shinozuka Shômatsu II for the nadai Ôsaka Tazaemon.

1st lunar month of 1715: Jûemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1715: Jûemon moved to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1715: Jûemon performed in the kaomise drama "Chiyogasane Kiku no Shinpai", which was produced by Yamatoyama Jinzaemon I for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû.

1st lunar month of 1716: Jûemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1716: Jûemon performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Eboshidakara Mangoku no Kaname", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I for the nadai Miyako Mandayû.

11th lunar month of 1717: Jûemon played in Kyôto the role of Amanohashi Yukienojô in Sadoshima Saburôzaemon's kaomise drama "Iwao no Matsu Manbai no Midori", which was produced by Miyako Mandayû in his theater.

11th lunar month of 1718: Jûemon played in Kyôto the role of Aomi Gôsuke in Adachi Saburôzaemon's kaomise drama "Shiga no Miyako Kogane no Hanazono", which was produced by Yamatoyama Jinzaemon I for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

Fall 1719: Jûemon went to Ôsaka, after 4 seasons spent in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1719: Jûemon performed in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Hajimari", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III at the Higashi no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1720: Jûemon moved to the Kado no Shibai and played the role of Monokawa Yasoemon in the kaomise drama "Hana Yakata Chibikizuru", which was produced by Kirinoya Gonjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1721: Jûemon moved back to the Higashi no Shibai and played the role of Kurayama Daigaku in the kaomise drama "Tenryû Chiryû Kogane no Suzunari", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1722: Jûemon moved to the Ônishi no Shibai and achieved a great success by playing the role of Ishidô Sukeemon (in reality Ikoma Gengo) in the kaomise drama "Genji Moyô Ichimai Gushi", which was produced by Yamatoyama Jinzaemon II (who celebrated his shûmei).

Fall 1723: Jûemon went to Kyôto, after 4 seasons spent in Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1723: Jûemon played the role of Tagamatsu Sanzaemon in the kaomise drama "Manchô Chitose-gura", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô I for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

11th lunar month of 1724: Jûemon played the role of Koizumi Kanbê in the kaomise drama "Yomeiri Miyako no Shimadai", which was produced by Ogino Umenosuke for the nadai Ebisuya Kichirôbê.

1st lunar month of 1725: Jûemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1725 ~ 11th lunar month of 1728: no record in any ôshibai kaomise program in Kyôto or Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1729: Jûemon was back on stage, performing in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Fukuju Yakata Wagô no Futabashira", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I for the nadai Kameya Kumenojô.

1st lunar month of 1730: Jûemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, oyajigata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He most likely retired in 1730 and died in Kyôto the following year.

Comments:

Osagawa Jûemon was an outstanding Kamigata tachiyaku actor, who was active on major stages from 1688 to 1729. "He had been a samurai in daimyô service, and became an actor from choice. As revealing the sentiment of the time, it is recorded that one of his relatives came to the theatre to kill him because the ex-samurai had the insolence to act under his own name. This the relative considered a piece of great effrontery, and but for the pacification of the theatre people would have carried out his intention. Osagawa Jûemon was good, as might have been expected, in samurai rôles. He lived to a ripe old age, and when he became too infirm to appear as a fighting man, contented himself with old men's rôles. Before his death he lost his sight, but still his usefulness upon the stage did not cease, for he was accommodating enough to act blind characters."

Osagawa Jûemon (left) and Kiyosaki Handayû (right) playing the roles of Amanohashi Yukienojô and Ochiyo in Sadoshima Saburôzaemon's kaomise drama "Iwao no Matsu Manbai no Midori", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1717 in Kyôto