Ichimura-za
Encyclopedia
The was a major kabuki
theatre in the Japanese capital of Edo
(later, Tokyo
), for much of the Edo period, and into the 20th century. It was first opened in 1634 and was run by members of the Ichimura family for much of the following nearly three centuries before being destroyed by fire in 1932 and not rebuilt.
The Ichimura-za was destroyed by fire and rebuilt numerous times over the years, including during the famous 1657 "Furisode Fire" or "Great Fire of Meireki
". Ichimura Uzaemon III retired to become a priest in 1664, leaving ten-year-old Ichimura Takenojō I as his successor as zamoto
(manager) of the theatre, which was then renamed the "Ichimura-Takenojō-za" for roughly a decade.
In 1670, the shogunate
officially restricted the licensed theatres in the city to four; the Ichimura-Takenojō-za received a license along with the Nakamura-za, Morita-za
and Yamamura-za.
The Ichimura-za would be host to numerous premieres and significant historical events for the kabuki genre. March 1680 saw the very first performance of a sayaate scene, or love rivals' competition; Chikamatsu Monzaemon
's masterpiece The Battles of Coxinga
, the first kabuki play derived from a bunraku
(puppet) play to be performed in Edo, premiered simultaneously in 1717 at the Ichimura-za, and two other licensed theaters. Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami
, which remains today among the three most famous and popular kabuki plays, debuted at the Ichimura-za in 1747.
From 1784 to 1788, and again from 1793 to 1798, the Ichimura-za was forced to close due to financial difficulties, and gave its license temporarily to the Kiri-za. This circumstance was relatively common in the kabuki world, and was experienced by all of the licensed theaters at least once; in some cases, repeatedly. The Ichimura-za would be forced to declare bankruptcy and close again from 1815–1821, during which time its license traded hands several times, as other theaters too went bankrupt. It eventually reopened, under the management of Ichimura Uzaemon XII.
After the theatre was destroyed once again by fire in 1841, and forbidden by the government to be rebuilt in its old location in the Sakai-chō neighborhood, the Ichimura-za was reconstructed and reopened in the Asakusa
Saruwaka-chō area.
In 1871, Ichimura Uzaemon XIV, struggling with the theater's debts, relinquished his position as zamoto, giving control to Fukichi Mohei, who renames the theater the Murayama-za once more, and names his 10-year-old son Murayama Matasaburō II as official zamoto. The theatre would change management, and names, two more times, to Miyamoto-za in 1874 and Satsuma-za in 1875, before being destroyed by fire yet again, and reopened in 1878 as the Ichimura-za once more. The theater was no longer controlled by the Ichimura family, however, and was now managed by Ichikawa Benzō and Nakamura Zenshirō.
The theater was then acquired in 1908 by entrepreneur Tamura Nariyoshi, marking the beginning of a brief golden age for the theater. Onoe Kikugorō VI and Nakamura Kichiemon I
, the stars of the Ichimura-za productions, were extremely popular, and for ten years brought great success to the Ichimura-za.
A fire destroyed the theater for the last time, on May 21, 1932. It was not rebuilt.
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
theatre in the Japanese capital of Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(later, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
), for much of the Edo period, and into the 20th century. It was first opened in 1634 and was run by members of the Ichimura family for much of the following nearly three centuries before being destroyed by fire in 1932 and not rebuilt.
History
The theatre which would later be known as the Ichimura-za was founded as the Murayama-za, by Murayama Matasaburō I in March 1634. After being destroyed by fire in 1641 and rebuilt, the theatre, now controlled by Murayama's son-in-law Murata Kuroemon, with the help of Ichimura Uzaemon III, was renamed the Ichimura-za in 1643. Uzaemon became the official manager of the theatre in 1652, upon Kuroemon's death.The Ichimura-za was destroyed by fire and rebuilt numerous times over the years, including during the famous 1657 "Furisode Fire" or "Great Fire of Meireki
Great Fire of Meireki
The , also known as the Furisode Fire, destroyed 60-70% of the Japanese capital city of Edo on March 2, 1657, this is the third year of the Meireki Imperial era...
". Ichimura Uzaemon III retired to become a priest in 1664, leaving ten-year-old Ichimura Takenojō I as his successor as zamoto
Zamoto
A zamoto is a manager of a kabuki theatre. Historically, the zamoto owned the theatre and was responsible for obtaining performance rights from the shogun....
(manager) of the theatre, which was then renamed the "Ichimura-Takenojō-za" for roughly a decade.
In 1670, the shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
officially restricted the licensed theatres in the city to four; the Ichimura-Takenojō-za received a license along with the Nakamura-za, Morita-za
Morita-za
The Morita-za , also known later as the Shintomi-za , was one of the major Kabuki theaters in Edo during the Edo period and into the beginning of the 20th century...
and Yamamura-za.
The Ichimura-za would be host to numerous premieres and significant historical events for the kabuki genre. March 1680 saw the very first performance of a sayaate scene, or love rivals' competition; Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu Monzaemon was a Japanese dramatist of jōruri, the form of puppet theater that later came to be known as bunraku, and the live-actor drama, kabuki...
's masterpiece The Battles of Coxinga
The Battles of Coxinga
' is a puppet play by Chikamatsu. It was his most popular play: first staged on November 26, 1715, in Osaka, it ran for the next seventeen months, far longer than the usual few weeks or months...
, the first kabuki play derived from a bunraku
Bunraku
, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai—puppeteers* Tayū—the chanters* Shamisen players...
(puppet) play to be performed in Edo, premiered simultaneously in 1717 at the Ichimura-za, and two other licensed theaters. Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami
Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami
is a Japanese bunraku and kabuki play jointly written by Takeda Izumo I, Takeda Izumo II, Namiki Sōsuke and Miyoshi Shōraku. Along with Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura and Kanadehon Chūshingura, it is one of the three most famous and popular plays in the kabuki repertoire...
, which remains today among the three most famous and popular kabuki plays, debuted at the Ichimura-za in 1747.
From 1784 to 1788, and again from 1793 to 1798, the Ichimura-za was forced to close due to financial difficulties, and gave its license temporarily to the Kiri-za. This circumstance was relatively common in the kabuki world, and was experienced by all of the licensed theaters at least once; in some cases, repeatedly. The Ichimura-za would be forced to declare bankruptcy and close again from 1815–1821, during which time its license traded hands several times, as other theaters too went bankrupt. It eventually reopened, under the management of Ichimura Uzaemon XII.
After the theatre was destroyed once again by fire in 1841, and forbidden by the government to be rebuilt in its old location in the Sakai-chō neighborhood, the Ichimura-za was reconstructed and reopened in the Asakusa
Asakusa
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.- History :...
Saruwaka-chō area.
In 1871, Ichimura Uzaemon XIV, struggling with the theater's debts, relinquished his position as zamoto, giving control to Fukichi Mohei, who renames the theater the Murayama-za once more, and names his 10-year-old son Murayama Matasaburō II as official zamoto. The theatre would change management, and names, two more times, to Miyamoto-za in 1874 and Satsuma-za in 1875, before being destroyed by fire yet again, and reopened in 1878 as the Ichimura-za once more. The theater was no longer controlled by the Ichimura family, however, and was now managed by Ichikawa Benzō and Nakamura Zenshirō.
The theater was then acquired in 1908 by entrepreneur Tamura Nariyoshi, marking the beginning of a brief golden age for the theater. Onoe Kikugorō VI and Nakamura Kichiemon I
Nakamura Kichiemon I
was a Japanese actor and kabuki performer. In 1945, he became the senior living kabuki actor in Japan.Kichiemon construed his career in terms of "lifelong study" of that which cannot be seen in an actor's performance....
, the stars of the Ichimura-za productions, were extremely popular, and for ten years brought great success to the Ichimura-za.
A fire destroyed the theater for the last time, on May 21, 1932. It was not rebuilt.
Zamoto
- Murayama Matasaburō I (1634–1641)
- Murata Kuroemon (1641–1652)
- Ichimura Uzaemon III (1652–1664)
- Ichimura Takenojō I (1664–1679)
- Ichimura Uzaemon V (1679-?)
- Ichimura Uzaemon IX (?-1785)
- Ichimura Uzaemon X (1785–1799)
- Ichimura Uzaemon XII (1821–1851)
- Ichimura Uzaemon XIII (1851-1868?)
- Ichimura Uzaemon XIV (1868–1871)
- Murayama Matasaburō II (1871–1874)
- Miyamoto Kisaburō (1874)
- Satsuma Kichiemon (1875–1876)
- Ichikawa Benzō & Nakamura Zenshirō (1878-1908?)