Stage names:

Ichikawa Ebijûrô IV
Ichikawa Gangyoku I
Bandô Jutarô II
Ichikawa Shinshô I
Ichikawa Ichijûrô I
Matsushima Minosuke

Guilds: Kobeniya, Narutaya ^[5]

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry name: Gangyoku

Existence: 1809 ~ 19th day of the 10th lunar month of 1858 ^[1]

Connection:

Masters: Ichikawa Ebizô V, Matsushima Seizô

Disciples: Ichikawa Ichijûrô II, Ichikawa Benisuke I

Career:

Before 1814: he started his career at an early age as a disciple of the actor Matsushima Seizô, who gave him the name of Matsushima Minosuke.

1814: Minosuke became zamoto in Ôsaka at the Wakadayû no Shibai, a hama shibai venue.

1814 ~ 1830: he joined a troupe of kodomo shibai in Ôsaka, performing with Nakamura Tamanosuke I and Nakamura Komanosuke I. He spent many years performing with some success in hama shibai (Ôsaka) or miyaji shibai (Kyôto).

16th day of the 7th lunar month of 1827 ^[2]: Ichikawa Ebijûrô I died.

24th day of the 11th lunar month of 1829 ^[3]: Ichikawa Ebijûrô II died.

1830: he was finally spotted by the star Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, who took him on as a disciple and gave him the name of Ichikawa Ichijûrô I.

2nd lunar month of 1830: he went to Edo and played at the Kawarasakiza the roles of Kokingo and Yoshitsune in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

1830 ~ 1840: he took the name of Ichikawa Shinshô I at an unknown date.

12th day of the 9th lunar month of 1836 ^[4]: Ichikawa Ebijûrô III died in Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1843: Ichikawa Shinshô I took the name of Ichikawa Ebijûrô IV in Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1847: Ichikawa Ebijûrô IV took the name of Bandô Jutarô II at the Kado no Shibai.

1st lunar month of 1848: Jutarô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Spring 1848: tour in Ise.

Summer 1848: tour in Nagoya.

Spring 1849: he went to Edo.

5th lunar month of 1849: he took the name of Ichikawa Gangyoku I and played at the Kawarasakiza the roles of Momonoi Wakasanosuke, Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Sadakurô and Takubei in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1850: Ichikawa Gangyoku I took the name of Ichikawa Ebijûrô IV and performed at the Kawarasakiza in the new year drama "Yamawarai Haru no Kiyomizu". His rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1851: Ebijûrô went to Kyôto and played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Dôshin and Onnanosuke in the drama "Karukaya Dôshin Tsukushi no Iezuto". He also played the role of Tokijirô in the drama "Akegarasu Hana no Nureginu".

11th lunar month of 1852: Ebijûrô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Hosokawa Katsumoto and Sôroku in the dramas "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" and "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi".

1st lunar month of 1853: Ebijûrô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was (shiro)itaru-jô-jô-kichi ((white) unique - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual].

4th lunar month of 1853: Ebijûrô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Momonoi Wakasanosuke, Sadakurô, Teraoka Heiemon, Takubei, Amakawaya Gihei and Ôhashi Gengo in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1854: Ebijûrô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Shundô Jirôemon in the drama "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki". He also played the role of Sukeroku in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".

2nd lunar month of 1855: Ebijûrô played at the Chikugo no Shibai the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei, Taira no Tomomori, Igami no Gonta and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which was produced by Arashi Kitsunosuke; his stage partners were Arashi San'emon IX (Shizuka Gozen) and Arashi Rikaku II (Satô Tadanobu, Genkurô, Kokingo, Kajiwara Kagetoki).

5th lunar month of 1858: Ebijûrô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Dôshin and Mitsugi in the dramas "Karukaya Dôshin Tsukushi no Iezuto" and "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba".

8th lunar month of 1858: Ebijûrô appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Takeda no Shibai.

19th day of the 10th lunar month of 1858 ^[1]: Ebijûrô died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Ichikawa Ebijûrô IV was a talented 19th century tachiyaku actor, who was trained in Kamigata but also learnt a lot in the company of his master, the Edo star Ichikawa Ebizô V. He perfectly delivered his lines and his field of excellence was budôgoto in jidaimono.

[1] The 19th day of the 10th lunar month of the 5th year of the Ansei era was the 24th of November 1858 in the western calendar.

[2] The 24th day of the 11th lunar month of the 12th year of the Bunsei era was the 19th of December 1829 in the western calendar.

[3] The 16th day of the 7th lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunsei era was the 6th of September 1827 in the western calendar.

[4] The 12th day of the 9th lunar month of the 7th year of the Tenpô era was the 21st of October 1836 in the western calendar.

[5] Narutaya was his yagô when he was Bandô Jutarô II.

Ichikawa Ebijûrô IV playing the role of Sukeroku in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1854 at the Kitagawa no Shibai

Print made by Utagawa Hirosada in 1852

The Ichikawa Ichijûrô line of actors

The Bandô Jutarô line of actors

The Ichikawa Gangyoku line of actors

The Ichikawa Ebijûrô line of actors