Initially about a dozen performers (4 females and 6 males), including children, down to five by 1903. Headed by Sinchiki/Sankichi/Senkichi Akimoto. Manager was H Friedman. Slide for Life, great ladder act, acrobats, tumblers, somersault throwers. Possibly merged with the Andos?
1890 September – Royal Akimoto Japanese Troupe, just arrived from Japan – Orpheum, San Francisco
1890 October – S Akimoto arrested in San Francisco for using a 7 year old child in an acrobatic performance. At the instigation of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
1891 – two cute little Allrights, Miss Yukin, the charming, demure little Japanese sword walker, Akimoto the superb foot juggler, Toyokichi, Japan’s greatest tumbler, Sanchi in his perilous bamboo act. Utah
1891 August – 3 Little Allrights boy tumblers, Miss Zukin, the ladder of swords, Genkichi and Sam, Japanese tubs and balancing, Akimoto the human spider, Ogawa, artistic top spinner, Toyokichi, Japanese block balancing, Mata and Sam catch as catch can, wrestling on globes, Tenkichi and Mata, breakaway ladder. Salt Lake City
1893 May have been with Wirth’s Circus in Australia
1894 Minnesota, Indiana, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin
1895 Illinois
1896 April – arrive in Liverpool from New York. Sinci Akimoto, 38, wife Agea 36, Y N Nakamura 27 (m), Yosomoto 25 (m), Sanko 12 (m), Tomokichi 11 (m), Fugo (f) 10, Koboro (f) 9, Kickamots (f) 8, Chico 5 (m).
1896 April – May – Akimoto Royal Troupe of Japanese Acrobats – first appearance in Europe at the Olympia. Trio.
1896 November – arrive in Liverpool from Pernambuco Brazil on same ship as Wirth’s Circus – Mr S and Mrs Okin Akimoto married, Nackamoura (male, married), Yosonita (female, married), H Tomokichi (male, unmarried), F Opugo (female, unmarried), K Kukomoto (male, unmarried), K Kotora (male, child)
1896 December – The Great Akimoto Troupe, so successful “on the other side” (USA) with Barnum and Forepaugh will give their equilibristic and acrobatic entertainment at the Crystal Palace. Headed by Sankichi Akimoto. The wardrobe has been manufactured entirely in Japan (The Era)
1896 December -Akimoto’s Royal Yedo Japanese Troupe, Olympia, London
1897 March – depart Liverpool for New York via Norway – Sinkichi Akimoto 36 (married, m), Okin Akimoto 29 (married f), Azuma Muraky 42 (single male), Hasakawa Yoshimatsu 25 (single male), Hasegawa Tomikichi 18 (single male), Sankichi Akimoto 17 (single male), Kotora Kimura (single f) 17, Yuku Yukada (single f) 20, Kikumatsu Kimura 9 (female child)
1897 June Okin Akimoto dies in Illinois aged 29
1897 July onwards, Boston, Ohio, New Jersey
1898 January – March, Aberdeen, Arbroath for W Hamilton’s excursions. Simultaneous to another Akimoto troupe headed by Prince Akimoto performing in America to May 1898 and then July-December 1898.
Special engagement at enormous expense –Akimoto Royal Yedo Japanese Troupe – from Olympia, London. Hamilton’s Excursions – Music Hall, Union Street. “The Japanese troupe consisted four gentlemen and lady, who gave series balancing and acrobatic performances, which were greatly admired.” Aberdeen Press & Journal, 1 February 1898 p6
1898 March – San Kiche Akimoto 42, Otama Akimoto 25, San Kehe 17, Tomalle Keeche 9, All Right 8 depart Liverpool for New York
1898 November Sentaro Akimoto born of Omasa and Rikimatsu/Senkichi in Illinois
1899 Montana, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland 8 in number.
1899 December – Netherlands
1899 December – 1900 January – Germany – 12 Akimotos
1900 February – 10 Akimotos in Netherlands
1900 February – performing at the Olympia in Paris
1900 April – in the Netherlands
1900 September – October Germany – 10 Akimotos
1901 January – Yujiro Akimoto born, of Senkichi Akimoto and Omasa Tanaka, in Milan, Italy.
1901 July – Germany
1901 September – Sweden – 7 Japanese
1901 November – December – France
1902 January – Toulouse – 8 people in Akimotos troupe – Sankichi rope, Yamamoto juggler, Huo contortionist, Hayabusa Kingo and Masa on double bamboo, Kirukawa and Kingo perche and trapeze, Daihoro as Icarus.
1902 February – performing in Paris.
Japanese Troupe of equilibrists— Akimotos—gave an excellent exhibition of the style of entertainment for which they are so famous. The head of the troupe balances a huge frame on his feet to which are attached two enormous poles, up which two of the younger members of the company climb to the top, which is on a level with the proscenium. The tall poles bent and swayed under their weight, but they performed as gracefully and as unconcernedly as though on an ordinary trapeze. Another member does some wonderful back and front turns, balanced on a high pedestal on which he has graduated blocks and bricks, the top one of which is barely broad enough to hold his feet. It was a dangerous trick cleverly and neatly performed. Another trick which was well received was the balancing of an enormous pole on the shoulder ; at the other end a trapeze was attached on which one of the apprentices did a clever horizontal bar act. A tiny little lad, whose features struggled between Mongolian and Milesian, went through some perilous exercises in a Risley act ; whilst another climbed a rote attached from the stage to the roof, ending with a sensational slide to the ground. (Music Hall & Theatre Review)
1902 November – France
1903 March -1906 September touring Britain – Akimoto Troupe of Imperial Japanese – juggling, balancing – five in number. “Akimotos Royal Yedo Japanese Troupe” in Norwich, 6 in number, top spinning, umbrella feats, juggling and balancing.
1903 Akimotos twenty foot ladder – New Empire Theatre, St Helens Slide for life, foot equilibrism
1904 Rikimatsu Akimoto junior born Lancaster
1904 January – Akimoto Royal Yedo
1904 April – Akimoto Royal Yedo
1904 July – Akimoto Royal Yedo
1905 May – Sankichi Akimoto (junior) dies aged 25 in Morecambe, Lancashire. According to Lancashire Evening Post, was a member of the Andos troupe.
1905 December – France
1906 January – Akimoto Royal Yedo
1906 April – Akimoto troupe balancing and water spinning in Yarmouth Hippodrome
1906 May – Akimoto Royal Yedo
1906 August – Akimoto Royal Yedo
1906 September Akimoto troupe of Japanese jugglers – Empire, Camberwell. 9 Akimotos
1906 Omasa Suwa and Rikimatsu Akimoto go to Buenos Aires leaving son Sentaro with someone in Morecambe.
1906 October – Akimotos in Paris
1908 Rikimatsu became an alcoholic and returned to Britain. Took back Sentaro and lived with Mitsukichi Ando in Manchester.
1908 January – February Royal Yedo Akimotos perform in Peterborough
1908 September – Akimotos Chinese illusionists in the Netherlands
1909 October – January 1910 in the Netherlands Illusions Chinoises
1910 Omasa Suwa returns to Britain, lives with Rikimatsu Akimoto.
1910 November – Rikimatsu (Senkischi) Akimoto dies aged 49 in London. Mitsukichi Ando pays Omasa Suwa 5s a week for Sentaro.
1911 July – Akimotos Chinese magicians – Netherlands
1912 – December – Omasa Suwa claimed in Manchester court that Mitsukichi Ando was unlawfully detaining her 14 year old son Sentaro Akimoto – whose father had died in 1910.
1913-4 Akimotos Chinese illusionist – Netherlands
1916 May – Akimoto’s Mechanical Ventriloquist Puppets, Shadow Images – Hague
1918 November – Akimotos illusions and hand shadows Netherlands
1919 November – Akimoto Chinese illusionist, Netherlands
1921 June – Census Yujiro Akimoto, Music Hall Artiste, Hackney, born Milan, aged 20, employed by Fuji, living with Osuka Zenshiro, Takahashi Miyoshi, Takahashi Haruyoshi
1921 September – Chinese illusionist, Netherlands
1922 April – Professor Akimoto, Netherlands, conjuring and magic
1923 April – Akimoto Chinese magician – Netherlands
1924 October – Yujiro Akimoto marries Marguerite Gauld in Leicester
1925 January – Masao Akimoto born to Marguerite and Yujiro in Leicester
1925 December – 2 famous Chinese magicians, Akimoto, Netherlands
1927 February – Les Akimotos – clever Japanese magicians – Netherlands
1928 April – Netherlands
1928 December – Netherlands
1929 July – Hatsuko Akimoto born to Marguerite and Yujiro in Leicester
1929 August – in Lille, “Chinese”
1930 July – the Netherlands Chinese magician
1932 December – Chinese magician, Netherlands
1933 January – The Akimotos, Netherlands
1933 December – The Akimotos, Netherlands
1934 – troupe Fuji-Akimotos – France
1934 December – Germany/Netherlands 4 Akimotos. Chinese jugglers and balancers.
1935 March – Netherlands
1935 April – 4 Akimotos in Germany
1935 May – Netherlands
1935 June – 4 Akimotos in Paris – Japanese acrobats and jugglers
1935 November – Germany
1936 February – 4 Akimotos – Sweden
1938 April,May, July, September – in Sweden
1938 Mr Y Akimoto and Mrs M Akimoto place a death notice in “Organ” for Masaichi Takahashi – who died in Uppsala, Sweden of pneumonia. Presumably the same Masaichi Takahashi (b 1888) who was in the Riogoku Troupe when they toured Australia in 1916.
1939 January – 5 Akimotos in Germany
1939 August – “Mr. Yüjiro Akimoto remembers that years ago he was like that somewhere in London with an elegant tap dancer. That tap dancer is now Mrs. Akimoto and together with their son Masao, their daughter Hatsuko and a fellow countryman of Mr. Akimoto” “Practicing means more than repeating and rehearsing, it has become a necessity of life for us. That’s what my grandfather Rikïmatsu Akimoto thought about it and he could judge it because he operated a large theater in Kyoto. And my father, Senkichi Akimoto, was also of the same opinion. He was one of the first Japanese artists to leave his country. Already in 1895 he made with his own company in America, part of Barnum and Baily’s wonders-show. Mr. Akimoto, one can see him even under the impassive oriental mask, is proud of his ancestors, and that is not surprising when one considers that exactly the same numbers that his father and grandfather showed are still performed today in 5 continents. ” De Avonpost 12 August 1939
1940 January – February – in the Netherlands
1940 April – Yujiro, Marguerite, Masao and Hatsuko emigrate to the United States with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus.
1941 December – Harry Ringling North does not renew their contracts, saying it was nothing to do with them being Japanese. Yujiro is using the professional name “Ming Foo”.
1942 Yujiro, Marguerite, Masao and Hatsuko are recorded as living in Sarasota, Florida
1949-1951 tour Brazil from their base in Argentina.
1953 Maguerite and Hatsuko pass through Britain en route for Sweden, giving their permanent residence as Brazil.
1953 June – 3 Akimotos, Sweden.
1954 October – magician Akimoto in Netherlands
1954 November Les Akimoto at the Cirque Medrano, Paris
1955 September – Sweden – 2 Akimotos
1957 March – Japanese stilt walker Akimoto in Netherlands
1957 June – 2 Akimotos trapeze, Netherlands
1962 – in Cirque Medrano in Paris
1963 Circus Roland – An unusual number from Japan is the Akimotos ladder balancing speciality, with a swinging lantern act 30 ft high from which Lufong thrills the crowds. The Stage
1963 – Coty and Sue Akimoto, Sweden
1966 Sweden Chinese/Japanese acrobatics
1967 The Good Old Days on BBC features The Akimotos, a Continental Speciality with a Chinese flavour
1968 3 Akimotos – with Johnnie & Harvey Riscoe agency
1968 August – in Newcastle, with Cilla Black
1969 Les Akimotos – Sweden
Ninjin 