Stage names:

Sôryô Jinroku II
Kirishima Giemon I
Narikomaya Komaemon

Guild: Ôzakaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry names: Tôgi, Kidô, Tokô

Existence: ??? ~ 14th day of the 8th lunar month of 1837 ^[1]

Connection:

Disciple: Sôryô Jinroku III

Career:

Before 1799: born in Enshû. His first stage name was Narikomaya Komaemon ^[2] and he most likely used it in ji shibai.

2nd lunar month of 1799: he as recorded for the first time in ôshibai, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he took the name of Kirishima Giemon I ^[3] and played the role of the rônin Saitô Gorobê in the drama "Ômiura Date no Nebiki".

6th lunar month of 1802: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was produced for the first time at the Kawarasakiza; Giemon played the role of Mikawaya Giheiji [casting].

9th lunar month of 1810: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Komochi Yamanba" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Giemon played the role of Ôta Jûrô [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Giemon played the roles of the okujochû Kirishima and the dôshinsha Murokubô [more details].

7th lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's natsu kyôgen "Imaori Hakata no Irifune"; Giemon played the role of the yotaka Oden [casting].

1st lunar month of 1816: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Nazoraete Fujigane Soga"; Giemon played the role of the nakama Buruhei [casting].

11th lunar month of 1816: Kirishima Giemon I took the name of Sôryô Jinroku II at the Kawarasakiza, playing the roles of Sekihara Yoichi and Ôshima Kiyû in the kaomise drama "Kiyomori Eiga no Utena", which also celebrated the shûmei of Ôtani Bajû II, Sakata Hanjûrô, Bandô Matajûrô III, Ichikawa Momotarô I, Tsuuchi Monzaburô III and Ichikawa Kodanji III.

3rd lunar month of 1817: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô"; Jinroku played the roles of Nagaura and Sanukiya Kinbê [casting].

1st lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Yaegasumi Soga no Kumiito"; Jinroku played the roles of Oniô Shinzaemon and the yoban Tarosuke [casting].

7th lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's natsu kyôgen "Torimazete Sekison Miyage"; Jinroku played the roles of Sasaki Dan'emon and Chôemon [casting].

8th lunar month of 1826: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Soga Nakamura Aki no Torikomi"; Jinroku played the role of Oniô Shinzaemon (Soga Jûrô's retainer), later Kibô Shuryôkai [casting].

6th lunar month of 1830: Jinroku played at the Ichimuraza the role of Mikawaya Giheiji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the role of Danshichi Kurobê was played by Kataoka Ichizô I.

9th lunar month of 1832: Jinroku played at the Kawarasakiza the roles of Sagisaka Bannai and Yoichibê in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

7th lunar month of 1837: Jinroku appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Ichimuraza, where he played the role of Ofuji in the drama "Sanshô-dayû Kogane no Toridoshi".

14th day of the 8th lunar month of 1837 ^[1]: Jinroku died in Edo.

Comments:

Sôryô Jinroku II was a 19th century popular dôkegata and handôgataki actor. From a cultural point of view, it was interesting to note that the expression sôryô no jinroku means "first born, least clever" in Japanese.

[1] The 14th day of the 8th lunar month of the 8th year of the Tenpô era was the 13th of September 1837 in the western calendar.

[2] Not recorded in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" but recorded in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran" or on the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database.

[3] There was no evidence of any relationship to the actors Kirishima Gizaemon I or Kirishima Gizaemon II.

Sôryô Jinroku II (right/seated) and Bandô Mitsugorô III (left/standing) playing the roles of Tsubô Kurôdayû and Kurofune Chûemon in the new year drama "Satsuki no Fuji Soga Hatsuyume", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1825 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Kunisada I)

Prints & Illustrations

The Sôryô Jinroku line of actors