KAGAYA KASHICHI I

1730: he becomes disciple of Nakamura Genjûrô - the adopted son of the Kamigata actor Nakamura Genzaemon I, who was a disciple of Nakamura Shichisaburô I's disciple Nakamura Sen'ya I and later on became a playwright named Takagi Richû - who gives him the name of Nakamura Utanosuke I.

1741: he takes the name of Nakamura Utaemon I in Ise.

1742: Utaemon achieves a great success in Ise at the Furuichi Shibai by playing in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1742: Utaemon goes to Kyôto and plays in the kaomise drama "Ômi Genji Taihei no Kachidoki", which is produced by Hanakawa Ichinojô at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.

8th lunar month of 1748: première in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura"; Utaemon plays the roles of Igami no Gonta and Benkei [casting].

11th lunar month of 1748: Utaemon plays in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Fuyugomori Tsumagoi Ikusa", which is produced by Bandô Toyosaburô I at the Naka no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1749: Utaemon plays at the Ônishi no Shibai in Izumiya Shôzô's kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I, welcomes back in Ôsaka Iwai Hanshirô III and celebrates the shûmei of Murayama Heijûrô IV.

12th lunar month of 1750: Utaemon plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Fuwa Banzaemon in the drama "Keisei Tôyama Zakura" (similar to Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Hangonkô"), which is produced by the zamoto Nakamura Jûzô I for the nadai Shioya Kuroemon [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1757: Utaemon goes to Edo and plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Shunkan and Osada no Tarô in the drama "Keisei Kikaigashimabara".

Fall 1761: Utaemon goes back to Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1761: Utaemon plays at the Naka no Shibai 2 roles in the kaomise drama "Miyo no Hana Yunzei Kagami", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.

4th lunar month of 1762: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5-act puppet theater drama "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi", which is staged at the Naka no Shibai; Utaemon plays the role of Benkei [casting].

9th lunar month of 1762: Utaemon plays in the same theater the roles of Igami no Gonta and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which is produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I and celebrates the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of the star Anegawa Shinshirô I. A similar play is staged one day later under a different title, "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up is open between the 2 theaters. The performance at the Kado no Shibai is more successful than the one at the Naka no Shibai; Utaemon plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kamura Utaemon [casting].

5th lunar month of 1766: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Honchô Nijûshikô", which is performed in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Utaemon plays the role of Sekibê [casting].

11th lunar month of 1766: Utaemon produces at the Naka no Shibai in Namiki Jûsuke's kaomise drama "Yamato Uta Hikime no Yaguruma".

1st lunar month of 1771: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Utaemon plays the role of Kuwanaya Tokuzô [casting].

8th lunar month of 1771: Utaemon plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Daihanji no Kiyosumi and Soga no Iruka in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" [casting].

7th lunar month of 1772: Utaemon plays the roles of Shunkan and Kajiwara in the drama "Kachidoki Heike Monogatari" (similar to Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima"), which is produced by Ichiyama Sukegorô I at the Naka no Shibai; his stage partners are Ichiyama Tomisaburô (Chidori), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Tanzaemon) and Nakamura Shirogorô IV (Senoo Tarô).

11th lunar month of 1772: Utaemon becomes zamoto and produces at the Naka no Shibai Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Onoe Kikugorô no Baranu Banashi".

4th lunar month of 1775: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari"; Utaemon plays the roles of Ki no Aritsune and Natora's ghost [more details].

12th lunar month of 1776: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; Utaemon plays the roles of Sawai Jôgorô and Daihachi [casting].

4th lunar month of 1777: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"; Utaemon plays the role of Kajiwara Kagetoki [casting].

11th lunar month of 1777: Utaemon played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Dazaifuya Zôhachi, in reality Hata no Mantake, in the kaomise drama "Daijizai Kaminari no Kodakara", which was produced by Ichiyama Tajirô, celebrated the shûmei of Yamashita Kamenojô IV and welcomed back in Ôsaka his master Arashi Sangorô II after 3 and 7 seasons spent in Kyôto and Edo.

12th lunar month of 1777: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Amako Haruhisa in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Suô no Dairi".

9th lunar month of 1778: Utaemon plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Matsuômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which is produced by the zamoto Ichiyama Tajirô; his stage partners are 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), Mimasu Tokujirô I (Kan Shôjô, Chiyo), Arashi Sangorô II (Sakuramaru) and Nakamura Jiroza II (Hyôe, Mareyo).

12th lunar month of 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Tengajaya-mura" [casting]. A similar play is staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", at the Naka no Shibai. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up is open between the 2 theaters; Utaemon plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Kakogawa Kyûbê and Kataoka Miki-no-Kami [casting].

11th lunar month of 1782: Nakamura Utaemon I and his disciple Nakamura Tôzô I respectively take the names of Kagaya Kashichi I and Nakamura Utaemon II; the former Utaemon celebrates his shûmei in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai and the latter in Kyôto. Kashichi plays the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki in the drama "Zu ni Notta Bankoku Tokai".

9th lunar month of 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" is adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Kashichi plays the roles of Sawai Jôgorô, Heisaku and the doctor Takenaka Zeitaku [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1787: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Taikô Shinkenki", a play similar to "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"; Kashichi plays the role of Mokusokan [casting].

12th lunar month of 1788: Kashichi makes his isse ichidai performance in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, playing the roles of Akizuki Daizen and Masamune in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari", which is produced by Ichiyama Tajirô; his stage partners are Kanô Hinasuke I (Dankurô), Seki Sanjûrô I (Tsumahei), Yamashita Kinsaku II (Magaki), Ichiyama Tajirô (Princess Usuyuki), Nakamura Kumenosuke (Saemon), Bandô Iwagorô (Shibukawa Tôma), Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Kunikurô), Yamashita Yaozô I (Oren) and Yamamura Giemon II (Rai Kuniyuki).

Fall 1789: Kashichi appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater, playing the role of Tatara Shindôzaemon in the drama "Mannengusa Imose no Furisode".

Comments:

"This first Utaemon was the son of a physician, who had led a life of dissipation and finally took to the stage. He kept steadfastly to one specialty, that of katakiyaku, or villain rôles. When he played in Edo he was well received, but on a visit to Ôsaka, he said something on the stage which offended his audience, and they returned the compliment by giving him the cold shoulder for some time. The famous bad characters of the doll-dramas he made his own, particularly the heavy villain Iruka, the formidable tyrant in "Imoseyama", and the evil-doing but loyal Gonta of "Senbon Zakura", two characters that modern audiences are never tired of seeing portrayed." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

Kagaya Kashichi I playing the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki in the drama "Zu ni Notta Bankoku Tokai", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1782 at the Naka no Shibai

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Ippitsusai Bunchô (1758~1760)

Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1769

Caricature 1780

The Nakamura Kashichi line of actors

The Nakamura Utanosuke line of actors

The Nakamura Utaemon line of actors