太夫 (tayū) used as “grand master” or head of a group of street performers. So 五太夫 Godayū would imply “5th head” of Kagami troupe.
1843-4 born in Tokyo
1867 April – Baldwin & Gilbert obtain passports for 1 year for 14 people – Godayū, Chojirō, Kinjirō, Kosaburō, Kurakichi, (Ogawa) Torakichi senior, Fudekichi, Shintarō, (Hasegawa) Harukichi, (Hasegawa) Kanekichi. All from House of Shinjiro. (Kawaji) Mankichi (Marukichi) and apprentice Kanematsu, and son Torakichi junior. Moto from Tomigorō House.
“Yeddo, No. 24; name, Godayon, birthplace Mooshaski; age, 24; stature, short; eyes, large; nose, common; mouth, large; face, Roman.” The passport was for Godayū to accompany Messrs Baldwin, Gilbert & Co to France via the United States of America, as a performer. It was dated the 26th of the third month of Keio 3. [Stockton Independent, 18 June 1867 p 2 Third month of Keio was April.
1867 June – combined Great Dragon Troupe arrive in San Francisco – 24-25 members: Godaijirō (Godayū B&G) and Kawaji Marukichi (B&G), Kikumatsu (Kanematsu from B&G?), Jōshūya Matsunosuke, Torakichi senior (B&G), Torakichi junior (B&G) Kosaburō (B&G), Kinzō and Gorō (1 person, Kinjirō B&G?), Isokichi (L&S), Oshin, Kanekichi, Chojirō (B&G), Shintarō (B&G), Kurakichi (B&G), Kanekichi (B&G), Harukichi (B&G), Fudekichi (B&G), Bomji gore, Masakichi, Mitarō (L&S), Kars kee, Omotu (Tomo or Moto, L&S and B&G?), Ohatsu (L&S), Shingoro, Shinada Saboro, Ohta Gensaboro.
1867 June – Godai je ro – ball aerostationist in American press
1867 August – combined Great Dragon Troupe tour Britain
1867 August-September – perform in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Godayū mentioned.
1867 October – January 1868 – Baldwin & Gilbert section tour Hamburg, Austria, Europe
1868 October – not on the passenger list for the Lenton & Smith section on the Otago going from Melbourne to New Zealand
1869 May – Great Dragon Troupe (mostly Baldwin & Gilbert group) in Portsmouth, then Brighton Concert Hall, Crystal Palace, London – Godai (Godayū), Oide, Omotu(o), Ki-kou(n)-matsikee (Kikumatsu), Tora/Torra (Torakichi), Yarra/Tassa (Yasokichi), Professor Tjoze (Chōjirō), Little Tommy, Haro-san (Harukichi)
1869 December – Great Dragon Troupe in Dublin – Godai “Japanese juggler and curious juggling feats.”
1871 April – Kagami Godayū aged 27 – staying in a Luton boarding house with Kondo Yassokitchi aged 18, Kondo Torrokitchi aged 13, Kondo Fudekichi aged 35, Hasegawa Harukichi aged 38, Hasegawa Tomikichi aged 11, Kagami Katsugoro aged 45, Ogawa Torakichi aged 18, Frederick Blekman and Omoto.
1871 December – birth of son with Omoto
1872 April – Bradford – Godia
1872 May – 12 performers including Tommy the Wolf, Otakesan, Harrosan, Otorranese/Ottorasan, Torrakitchie, Otanny, Yasso, Godia/Godaiou, Tommysan, Bungrosan, Fuideson.
1872 October – Bath – Godia
1873 February – Godayū and Omoto’s son Little Godie dies in Sunderland.
1873 August – Tannaker’s Japanese troupe in Jersey, with Godison juggling and butterfly fanning and Miss Omotosan wire walking. The photo below was taken in Jersey, possibly in 1873 when the Tannaker troupe was touring there. Is it Godayū? Something strange happening with the forehead hair.
1873 October – Tannaker’s Japanese Troupe in Hastings, with Godaion
1873 December – Tannaker’s Japanese troupe in Bradford, with Godia/Godaiou
1874 January 10 – birth of daughter Minnie in Manchester. Tannaker Buhicrosan original Japanese troupe in Manchester – including Godison.
1874 February – with Tannaker’s Little All Right and Tommy the Wolf Japanese Troupe as Godia in Lancaster
1874 March – with Tannaker’s Japanese Troupe in Llanelli as Godia
1874 October – with Tannaker’s Little All Right and Tommy the Wolf Japanese Troupe as Godia in Leicester
1875 June – Vienna – K. Godaion, K. Omoto, C. Torra staying in a hotel, with three other people from Japan – W. Wiesemann, I. Kerchfi, G. Wast-Collingwad,
1876 April – in Leipzig with Omoto, Torra, Tommyketchie, Tommy the Wolf. Balls, ring, eggs, plate balancing.
1877 January – March – from Yeddo in Japan – Godayou with Tomi, in Denmark
1877 in Sweden – Great Japanese Dragon Troupe – with Tommy Ketchi. K Godayou director with someone called Davene to July 1878
1878 September – second daughter Ohana Godayū born and baptized in Denmark, adopted by a Danish family a year or so later
1878 September – Leipzig
1879 January – In France – La famille Godayou
1879 February – June in Genoa
1879 May M.K. Godayou (Maruichi Kagami?) manager of the Godayou troupe writes to the New York Clipper from Genoa that the troupe is desirous of returning to America. Were 14 thirteen years ago, now four, including Tommykitchi, formerly Little Allright and Miss Omoto and Little Jack Allright, 6 years old. Also a stage servant and a little Japanese girl.
1880 – third daughter Take born in Denmark
1880 Godayon’s Japs with Rosinsky’s agency in Paris
1880 February – Dresden
1880 April – Japanese Godayou family – Leipzig
1880 May – September, Amsterdam
1882 – fourth daughter Kame born in Italy
1884 November – Kikuta Godaiou in Leipzig (Leipziger Tageblatt 14 November p12)
1885 15 November – Kikuta Godaiou in Leipzig (Leipziger Tageblatt p26)
1886 January – Kikuta Godajou Saale/Halle
1887 September – Berlin Kikuta Godaju
1888 July – Madame Godayou speaks with a droll grandeur. Mr Godayou who achieves incredible feats with all sorts of apparatus. Berlin
1887 September – France – 7 in troupe, ladder acts
1887 October – Kikuda Godaya in Stuttgart
1888 February – La celebre troupe Japonaise Godayou’s Tokio equilibristes jongleurs in Belgium
1888 May – Troupe japonaise de Schonoske Godayu – Hippodrome
1888 July – August – original Japanese troupe Godayou – Berlin
1888 October – in Leipzig Tokio Godayou with Circus Corty Althoff Leipziger Tageblatt 7 October p 27
1889 February – Godayou troupe will perform some new tricks in the art of juggling – Halle
1889 April – in Vienna
1889 September – Sweden
1889 November – Paris
1890 Advertisement in The Era for Godayou’s Japanese Troupe currently in Paris – 4 artists, ladder and perch, top spinning, juggling, feet equilibrists
1891 February – Cologne
1891 July – in Sweden https://data.kb.se/dark-15694488/manifest
1891 left for Cape Town
1891 November Mr & Mrs Godayon and 2 Misses Godayon arrive in Australia on the RMS Coptic
1891 December – Godayou’s Tokio troupe perform at the Gaiety Theatre in Melbourne, Tommi Kitti, Little Matz, Little Take Godayou, Little Kame and Miss Minnie Godayou.
1892 May/June Godayou Japanese Troupe Sydney
1892 July Godayou troupe perform with Miss Kagami Mine, Miss Sasaki, Miss Okami, Mr Take, Mr Kawai Tommykich, Mr Kagimi Godayou, Sydney Royal Aquarium Theatre
1892 Godayou in New Zealand – two sons and daughter. Matz Godayou. Miss M Godayou. T. Kitchi. “Known as the Mikado Troupe”
1893 February – Godayon Troupe of Japanese at Wirth’s Circus in Sydney, Australia
1894 – with Harry Rickards New Tivoli Minstrels Sydney
1895 – with Percy St John’s Burlesque and Pantomime Company Ballarat
1895 April – daughter Minnie aged 22 marries Hajime Furusawa, chancellor at the Japanee consulate in Australia
1895 October – November – Mikado Troupe – Melbourne – Oriental Carnival.
1896 – granddaughter Yoshino born to Minnie and Hajime
1896 November – Mikado Troupe in Melbourne
1897 February – Perth – father daughter and two sons. George Harmston, Henglers Circus.
1897 October – November – Coolgardie
1897 ship to Adelaide Mr & Mrs Godayou and 2 children 1 male 1 female
1897-1900 with FitzGeralds circus
1898 to December – Australia
1898 – granddaughter Suma born to Minnie and Hajime
1898 Godayou troupe juggling and Godayou and “Little King” do perche act in New Zealand
1900 December 1 – Godayou Kagami dies in Melbourne, Australia aged 57.
FOUND DYING IN THE STREET. At 8.30 p.m. on Saturday a Japanese was found lying in Blessington Street, St. Kilda, and when questioned as to whether he was ill, he: replied, “Yes, yes.” A few minutes later he expired. Constable Johnston took the body to the Morgue, and it was ascertained that deceased was named Godayou Kazama, who had lived at 25 Herbert- street, St. Kilda. He was about 59 years old and has been under treatment at the Melbourne Hospital for partial paralysis. Death was due to Bright’s Disease (nephritis) and pleurisy.
1900 and 1904 King Godayou performs aerial bamboo balancing in Australia.
1906 – 1908 Kioday and Godayou perform in France
1909 January – Belgium
1909 November – France
1910 Kioday Godayou performing in Algeria
1910 November – France
1916 – Omoto dies at Armadale
Go-da-you and Kio Day in a Pathe film released in 1911
Ninjin 