TAMAZAWA KÔJÛRÔ

Stage names:

Tamazawa Kôjûrô
Tamazawa Rin'ya

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Tamazawa Oginosuke

Career:

3rd lunar month of 1707: first recorded performance, in Edo at the Nakamuraza. He is a disciple of Tamazawa Oginosuke and his stage name is Tamazawa Rin'ya.

11th lunar month of 1710: he becomes wakaonnagata at the Yamamuraza.

3rd lunar month of 1713: premiere at the Yamamuraza of the play "Hana Yakata Aigo Zakura", which is the first "Sukeroku" drama (Kabuki Jûhachiban) in Kabuki history. Rin'ya plays the role of the courtesan Agemaki [casting].

11th lunar month of 1714: Rin'ya plays at the Moritaza the role of Nishikigi in the kaomise drama "Onna Ryûko Futatsu Gashira".

11th lunar month of 1715: Rin'ya plays at the Moritaza the role of Yoshimasa's sister Yakumo-no-Mae in Mitsushima Shichirôzaemon's drama "Hayazaki Onna Shimabara".

1st lunar month of 1717: Rin'ya's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1717: Rin'ya plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Azumaya in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Hônen Mitsugimono".

11th lunar month of 1718: Rin'ya plays at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Zenkunen Yoroi Kurabe"; his stage partners are Matsumoto Kôshirô, Sawamura Sôjûrô, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Mizuki Takejûrô, Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Ichikawa Monnosuke I and Asao Jûjirô I.

Fall 1719: Rin'ya moves to the Nakamuraza.

11th lunar month of 1719: Tamazawa Rin'ya takes the name of Tamazawa Kôjûrô and becomes tachiyaku at the Nakamuraza, playing the roles of Sezaemon's nyôbô Oishi and Kusunoki Masatsura in the kaomise drama "Nyohitsu Taiheiki", which commemorates the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the passing away of Nakamura Denkurô I.

1st lunar month of 1720: Kôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He plays in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year drama "Ichi Fuji Raihai Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are played by Ichikawa Kuzô and Nakajima Mihoemon I.

11th lunar month of 1721: Tamazawa Kôjûrô takes back the name of Tamazawa Rin'ya and becomes wakaonnagata at the Moritaza, playing in the kaomise drama "Semimaru Yôrô no Taki".

11th lunar month of 1722: Rin'ya plays at the Moritaza the role of Yawata Gozen in the kaomise drama "Yoshitomo Fukujukai".

1st lunar month of 1723: Rin'ya's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shares the same rank with Fujimura Handayû II and Sanjô Kantarô II. He plays in the same theater the role of Ninomiya's elder sister in the new year sogamono drama "Suiryô Soga".

11th lunar month of 1727: Tamazawa Rin'ya takes back the name of Tamazawa Kôjûrô and becomes tachiyaku at the Moritaza, playing the role of Nitta Yoshisada in the kaomise drama "Hônen Taiheiki"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Danzô I (Hata Rokurôzaemon), Tomizawa Hanzaburô I (Moronô), Sakata Hangorô I (Nagasaki Kageyu Saemon), Ichikawa Monnosuke I (Kusunoki Masatsura), Fujimura Handayû II (Kusunoki Kikusui), Sodesaki Miwano I (Manjû no Mae), Tsuruya Nanboku I (Shinozuka Iga-no-Kami) and Yamamoto Hanasato (Kôtô-no-Naishi).

1st lunar month of 1728: last recorded performance of Kôjûrô, who plays in the same theater the roles of Komurasaki no Kamon (a tachiyaku role) and the courtesan Ôiso no Tora (an onnagata role) in the new year drama "Hatsu Midori Aioi Soga".

3rd lunar month of 1728: Kôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, falls to jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).

Comments:

Tamazawa Kôjûrô was a talented Edo actor, who achieved fame for himself during the first quarter of the 18th century. He was either an onnagata performing under the name of Tamazawa Rin'ya or a tachiyaku performing under the name of Tamazawa Kôjûrô. This ability to switch roles was quite unusual at that time. As an onnagata, he succeeded in reaching the prestigious jô-jô-kichi rank. He was specialized in keiseigoto or onna budô. His field of excellence was nuregoto, a field in which he was considered as a pioneer in the city of Edo. He was also a very good musician. According to some Kabuki experts, he ended his career as a choreographer at the Moritaza.

The actors Narumi Goroshirô I (left) and Tamazawa Kôjûrô (right) playing in the kaomise drama "Nyohitsu Taiheiki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1719 at the Nakamuraza

Print made by Torii Kiyomasu