NAKAMURA SHICHISABURÔ I

Poetry name: Shôchô

Existence: 1662 ~ 3rd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1708^[1]

Connections:

Father: Amatsu Shichirôemon

Disciples: Nakamura Sen'ya I (master of Nakamura Genzaemon I, the adoptive father of Nakamura Utaemon I's master Nakamura Genjûrô), Sengoku Hikosuke I, Nakamura Kichisaburô I (?), Nakamura Gentarô, Nakamura Gennosuke, Nakamura Shirogorô I, Nakamura Goroshirô II

Career:

5th lunar month of 1682: Shichisaburô achieves a great success at the Ichimuraza by playing in the wagoto style the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Kôshoku Kamakura Gonin Onna". This performance definitively puts the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the repertoire of the wagotoshi.

1st lunar month of 1686: Shichisaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Ôtomo Minbu in the new year drama "Wankyû Ukiyo Jikkai"; his stage partners are Nakamura Denkurô I (Kumahara Wadanosuke), Tamagawa Sennojô III (Senju), Mikuni Hikosaku II (Wan'ya Kyûbê), Dekishima Kichiya (Hatsue-no-Mae), Uemura Kokichiya (Kiriyama), Hanai Saizaburô I (Sôhachi), Fujita Minanosuke (Sôhachi's wife), Tamai Gonpachi (Kichibei) and Hanamura Kinue (the courtesan Matsuyama).

3rd lunar month of 1688: Shichisaburô achieves a great success at the Ichimuraza by performing in dances in the style tanzen, as part of the program "Tanzen Sugata Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1689: Shichisaburô goes to Ôsaka.

Fall 1691: Shichisaburô goes back to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1691: Shichisaburô achieves a great success at the Yamamuraza by playing the role of Sano Tsuneyo in the drama "Shusse Nishikigi".

1695: Shichisaburô and Ogino Sawanojô achieve a great success together at the Nakamuraza by playing in the drama "Oguri Renri no Eda".

1st lunar month of 1696: Shichisaburô achieves a great success at the Yamamuraza by playing the role of Nagoya Sanza in the drama "Fuwa Nagoya Uikamuri"; the role of Fuwa Banzaemon, Sanza's rival in love, is played by Murayama Heijûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1696: Shichisaburô plays at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Neko no Koneko"; his stage partners are Ogino Sawanojô, Nakamura Denkurô I, Sodeoka Masanosuke II, Ôtani Hiroemon I and Nakajima Kanzaemon I.

3rd lunar month of 1697: Shichisaburô plays in the same theater in the drama "Kantô Koroku". His stage partners in the roles of Tamakura and Yagorô are Ogino Sawanojô and Ichikawa Danjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1697 ~ Fall 1699: second stay in Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1697: Shichisaburô plays in the drama "Miyako no Ehô Yomeiri Bunshô", which is produced in Kyôto by Yamashita Hanzaemon I at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.

1st lunar month of 1698: Shichisaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He plays in the same theater the role of Koroku in the drama "Kantô Koroku Imayô Sugata". Premiere at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater of the drama "Keisei Asama-ga-Dake", which is produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I; Shichisaburô plays the role of Asama Tomoenojô [casting]. Shichisaburô is the author of this long run play whose main theme, the apparition of a the ghost of a dead courtesan to her unfaithful lover, will be used again and again in countless numbers of drama. This is also the beginning of a deep friendship with the actor Sakata Tôjûrô I.

Spring 1699: Shichisaburô plays in Kyôto the roles of Tonomonosuke and Nagoya Sanzaemon in the dramas "Keisei Hana Ikada" and "Nagoya Sanza", which are produced by Yamashita Hanzaemon I.

Fall 1699: Shichisaburô and the actor Murayama Jûemon go together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1699: Shichisaburô plays at the Yamamuraza the leading roles of the dramas "Kantô Koroku Kokyô no Nishikie", "Onna Nuetsuya Yorimasa", "Kyô Miyage Keisei Asama-ga-Dake".

12th lunar month of 1699: Shichisaburô receives a gift from his friend Sakata Tôjûrô I: some water from the Kamogawa river, which flows in Kyôto.

2nd lunar month of 1702: Shichisaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Akebono Soga Yoichi"; the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune is played by Miyazaki Denkichi. This drama, which mixes elements of the akô rôshi events with the Soga brothers sekai, is forbidden for "political" reasons by the authorities after 3 days of performances.

1st lunar month of 1703: Shichisaburô plays at the Yamamuraza the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Keisei Asama Soga"; the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune is played by Bandô Matatarô I.

11th lunar month of 1703: Shichisaburô plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Shinshun Niwatori Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1707: Shichisaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Hôei Soga".

1st lunar month of 1708: Shichisaburô appears on stage for the last time, playing the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the drama "Keisei Arashi Soga", which is staged at the Nakamuraza; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kobayashi no Asahina are played by Tomizawa Hanzaburô I and Nakamura Denkurô I.

3rd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1708^[1]: Shichisaburô dies in Edo.

Comments:

Nakamura Shichisaburô I was one of the most outstanding and popular actors of the Genroku era. He was equally at home in sewamono or jidaimono dramas. His main field of excellence was wagoto, a style originally created in Kamigata but, to Shichisaburô's credit, we must point out that he created the Edo wagoto, whose most representative role is Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the sogamono plays. His others fields of excellence were nuregoto, yatsushigoto and the tanzen style.

"Nakamura Shichisaburô was exactly the opposite to Ichikawa Danjûrô in his stage methods. He belonged to Sakata Tôjûrô's real school, and was quiet and restrained on the boards. Danjûrô was bold and exaggerated, Shichisaburô effeminate and mild. They represented the two currents of the popular mind during Genroku. Danjûrô was not altogether welcome in Kyôto and Ôsaka, Tôjûrô's stronghold, where his style was not wholly appreciated, although he was acknowledged to be a great actor. Shichisaburô, on the contrary, met with great success on the stages of these towns." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

Nakamura Shichisaburô I, Ichikawa Danjûrô I and Nakamura Denkurô I were in Edo the leading triumvirat of Genroku stars.

[1] The 3rd day of the 2nd lunar month of the 5th year of the Hôei era was the 24th of March 1708 in the western calendar.

Prints & Illustrations

Nakamura Shichisaburô I in a print made by Torii Kiyonobu I (1702)

Print made by Torii Kiyonobu in 1702

The Nakamura Shichisaburô line of actors