Edo Sanza

Among the Edo Kabuki theaters, there were three that had official permission to perform: Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za, and Morita-za. Nakamura-za was founded in 1624 (Kan'ei 1) when the first Nakamura (Saruwaka) Kanzaburo opened it under the name Saruwaka-za in Nakahashi-nanchi (present-day Kyobashi, Chuo Ward). In 1632, it moved to Negi-cho (Nihonbashi Horidome-cho), and in 1651 (Keian 4), it moved to Sakai-cho (Nihonbashi Ningyo-cho), with successive Kanzaburos serving as the head of the theater. The Ichimura-za Theatre was originally founded in 1634 by Murayama Matasaburo in Sakai-machi (later Fukiya-cho), and was later passed on to the Ichimura family and managed by successive Ichimura Uzaemons. Morita-za Theatre was opened in Kobiki-cho (Higashi Ginza) by Morita Tarobei in 1660 (Manji 3), and the following year (Kanbun 1) he handed over the reins to Morita Kanya, who continued to perform thereafter.

In the early days, other theaters such as Miyako-za, Yamamura-za, Tamagawa-za, Kiri-za, and Kawarasaki-za rose and fell, and by the time of the Jo-o and Meireki eras (1652-58), only the four theaters of Nakamura, Ichimura, Morita, and Yamamura were given performance rights and were called "Grand Theaters." After that, in 1714 (Shotoku 4), the Yamamura-za was ordered to close due to an incident involving actor Ikushima Shingoro and his lady-in-waiting Ejima, and after that, only the three theaters of Nakamura, Ichimura, and Morita were officially licensed theaters, and they came to be known as the "Three Theaters of Edo." Furthermore, a system of "back-up yagura" was approved in which, in the event of a disruption to the operations of the three theaters, alternative theaters would assume the performance rights on their behalf; the Miyako-za was designated as the back-up yagura for the Nakamura-za, the Kiri-za for the Ichimura-za, and the Kawarazaki-za for the Morita-za.

In 1841 (Tenpo 12), the Nakamura and Ichimura theatres burned down, and as a result of Mizuno Tadakuni's austerity measures, the three theatres were relocated to Saruwaka-machi in Asakusa between the following year and the year after. In the Meiji era, the system of three theatres was abolished. The Nakamura theatre left the Nakamura family in 1875 (Meiji 8) and changed name many times. In 1884, it moved to Shintorigoe in Asakusa, and in 1892 it was called Torigoe-za, but it burned down the following January and closed down. The Ichimura theatre also left the Ichimura family, and in 1892 it moved to Shitayanichō-machi. From 1908 (Meiji 41), it became popular with young kabuki actors managed by Tamura Nariyoshi, but it declined after the late Taisho era and burned down in May 1932 (Showa 7). The Morita theatre was renamed Morita-za in 1856 (Ansei 3). In the Meiji era, the 12th head theater owner, Morita Kan'ya, planned to move the theater to the city center and moved it to Shintomi-cho in 1872. In 1875, it was renamed Shintomi-za, and after it burned down the following year, it reopened as a large theater with modern facilities in April 1877. It hosted such famous actors as Ichikawa Danjūrō ​​IX and Onoe Kikugoro V, and gave birth to the heyday of Meiji Kabuki, but in 1909 (Meiji 42), it was transferred to the Shochiku Partnership Company, and was destroyed by fire in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 (Taisho 12), and has never been rebuilt since.

[Toshiaki Matsui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸の歌舞伎(かぶき)劇場のうち、興行権の官許を得た三つの座、中村座、市村座、森田座のこと。中村座は1624年（寛永1）初世中村（猿若(さるわか)）勘三郎が猿若座の名で中橋南地(なかはしなんち)（現在の中央区京橋）に開場したのが始まりである。1632年禰宜(ねぎ)町（日本橋堀留町）に移転、1651年（慶安4）から堺町(さかいちょう)（日本橋人形町）に移り、代々の勘三郎が座元を務めた。市村座は1634年村山又三郎(またさぶろう)が堺町（のちに葺屋(ふきや)町）に創設した村山座が前身で、その後市村家に座元が譲られ、代々の市村羽左衛門(うざえもん)が経営にあたった。森田座は1660年（万治3）森田太郎兵衛が木挽町(こびきちょう)（東銀座）に開場、翌年（寛文1）から森田勘弥(かんや)に座元を譲り、以後代々の勘弥が興行を続けた。

　初期には、ほかに都(みやこ)座、山村座、玉川座、桐(きり)座、河原崎(かわらさき)座などが興亡のすえ、承応(じょうおう)・明暦(めいれき)（1652～58）のころには中村、市村、森田、山村の四座だけが興行権を与えられ「大芝居(おおしばい)」と称した。その後1714年（正徳4）山村座の俳優生島新五郎(いくしましんごろう)と奥女中絵島(えじま)の事件により同座が廃絶を命ぜられて以後は、中村、市村、森田の三座のみが官許の劇場になり、「江戸三座」とよばれるようになった。なお、三座に支障のあるときは、かわりの劇場が興行権を代行する「控櫓(ひかえやぐら)」の制度が認められ、中村座には都座、市村座には桐座、森田座には河原崎座がそれぞれ控櫓と定められた。

　1841年（天保12）中村、市村両座の火災を機に、水野忠邦(ただくに)の緊縮政策により、翌年から翌々年にかけ三座は浅草猿若町に移転した。明治になると三座の制度は廃止された。中村座は1875年（明治8）から中村家を離れ座名もしばしば変わり、84年には浅草新鳥越(しんとりごえ)に移り、92年から鳥越座と称したが、翌年1月類焼して絶えた。市村座も市村家の手から離れ、1892年には下谷二長町(したやにちょうまち)に移り、1908年（明治41）から田村成義(なりよし)の経営による若手歌舞伎で人気をよんだが、大正後期以後は衰え、1932年（昭和7）5月に焼失した。森田座は1856年（安政3）守田座と改名した。明治になると12世守田勘弥が都心進出を企て1872年新富町(しんとみちょう)に移し、75年には新富座と改称、翌年類焼したのを機に近代的機構を加えた大劇場として77年4月に再開。9世市川団十郎、5世尾上(おのえ)菊五郎らの名優を擁し、明治歌舞伎の最盛期を生んだが、1909年（明治42）には松竹合名社の手に移り、23年（大正12）の関東大震災で焼失、以後再建されなかった。

［松井俊諭］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例