Yoshizawa Ayame I was an early Kabuki actor, and the most celebrated onnagata of his time. His thoughts on acting, and on onnagataacting in particular, were recorded in Ayamegusa, one section of the famous treatise on Kabuki acting, Yakusha Rongo. A.C. Scott wrote that "Yoshizawa Ayame I was regarded as the greatest onnagata or female impersonator of his time and was an artist of ability, who developed the unique technique which was to be a model for the actors of the future. His ideas and secrets were written down in a book called 'Ayamegusa', which was afterwards regarded as the Bible of the female impersonator." Ayame is famous for advocating that onnagata behave as women in all their interactions, both onstage and off. In Ayamegusa, he is quoted as saying that "if does not live his normal life as if he was a woman, it will not be possible for him to be called a skillful onnagata." Following his own advice, Ayame cultivated his femininity throughout his offstage life, and was often treated as a woman by his fellow actors. His mentor, Arashi San'emon, and others are said to have praised him on many occasions for his devotion to his art.
Names
Though most commonly known as Ayame, Yoshizawa took on the stage names of Yoshizawa Kikunojō during a brief stint performing in Edo, and Yoshizawa Gonshichi when performing as a tachiyaku. He also used the name "Gonshichi" as a nickname used when patronizing a brothel or restaurant. His haimyō was Shunsui, and his guild name Tachibanaya, after his mentor Tachibana Gorozaemon.
Ayame was born in Kyoto, where he was a male prostitute before becoming involved in the more legitimate theater world. Tachibana Gorozaemon, a samurai from Tanba Province, became his patron, arranging for him an apprenticeship first under shamisen player Mizushima Shirobei in the troupe of actor Arashi San'emon I, and later under San'emon himself. Trained in the shamisen and in the ways of Kabuki, Ayame, known as Ayanosuke in his childhood, sought to learn Noh chanting and acting as well, seeking lessons from Tachibana, but was refused. His patron insisted that he focus on learning to be an onnagata, and that he not allow the study of Noh or other disciplines to corrupt his chanting, dancing, and acting style. In his early years on stage, Yoshizawa was often compared to, and outshined by, Yoshida Ayame, another onnagata actor; however, it is said that once Yoshida began taking Noh lessons, his kabuki suffered, and soon lost popularity to Yoshizawa. Yoshizawa then took on the guild name "Tachibanaya", and Tachibana's nickname "Gonshichi" as well, in honor of his patron, and in thanks for his guidance. Ayame traveled to Edo for the first time in 1690, and performed at the Morita-za and Nakamura-za for three years. He would return to Edo again, briefly, in November 1695, performing at the Yamamura-za under the stage name Yoshizawa Kikunojō. When in Kamigata, however, he always went by Ayame. Upon his return from Edo the first time, in 1693, he performed for the first time alongside tachiyakuSakata Tōjūrō I, in the premiere of Butsumo Mayasan Kaichō by famous playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Ayame and Tōjūrō would perform as partners countless times over the course of their careers. Performing primarily in Kyoto, with some brief stints in Osaka, Ayame acted in countless plays, and became very well regarded in the Kamigata theatre world. In 1711, he was ranked in the Kyoto hyōbanki as goku-jō-jō-kichi. He achieved the same ranking in Edo three years later, a rare feat considering that most actors did not see success in both Kamigata and Edo, and many did not travel between the two regions at all. After many more successes onstage, Ayame decided, in 1721, to become a tachiyaku. He performed in male roles for two years, but was not popular in these roles, and became an onnagata once more in 1723. Later that year, he left Kyoto for the final time, settling in Osaka, and appearing onstage for the last time in 1728.
Training
The playwright Fukuoka Yagoshiro, who knew Ayame personally, put downa series of training techniques that he acquired from Ayame in a chapter titled The Words of Ayame that can be found in The Actor's Analects. The chapter outlines secrets that Ayame used to perfect his craft within himself and others.
