Stage names:
| Ichikawa Monnosuke II |  |
| Ichikawa Benzô I | |
| Takinaka Hidematsu II | |
| Takinaka Tsuruzô | |
Guild: Takinoya
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Poetry names: Shinsha, Kaigan, Ryûsha
Existence: 1743 ~ 19th day of the 11th lunar month of 1794
Connection:
Master: Ichikawa Danjûrô IV
Sons: Ichikawa Omezô I, Ichikawa Monkichi, Ichikawa Takinosuke
Disciple: Ichikawa Sainosuke
Career:
1743 ~ 1756: born near Edo in the village of Takinogawa. He is the son of Miyako Yaedayû and his name is Senkichi. He starts his career as an actor at an early age, playing in Kamigata under the name of Takinaka Tsuruzô.
1756: Tsuruzô goes back to Edo.
11th lunar month of 1759: Takinaka Tsuruzô takes the name of Takinaka Hidematsu II at the Ichimuraza en jouant in the drama "Okunizome Shusse Butai".
1762: Hidematsu is adopted by the family of late Ichikawa Monnosuke I (who died in 1729!) and becomes disciple of the actor Ichikawa Danjûrô IV.
11th lunar month of 1762: Takinaka Hidematsu II takes the name of Ichikawa Benzô I at the Nakamuraza, playing a wakashugata role in the drama "Nagi no Ha Izu no Sugatami".
5th lunar month of 1766: premiere of the play "Yaoya Oshichi Koi no Edozome", which is staged at the Nakamuraza. Benzô plays the role of Kichisaburô. His stage partners are Nakamura Matsue I (Yaoya Oshichi) and Matsumoto Kôshirô III (Dozaemon Denkichi, Beniya Chôbei).
11th lunar month of 1770: Ichikawa Benzô I takes the name of Ichikawa Monnosuke II at the Nakamuraza, playing in the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which celebrates the shûmei of Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Nakamura Shôchô and Nakamura Shichisaburô III.
11th lunar month of 1777: Monnosuke becomes tachiyaku and plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Sadamori in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kanmuri no Hatsuyuki". His stage partners are Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Matsumoto Kôshirô IV, Iwai Hanshirô IV, Yoshizawa Sakinosuke III and Bandô Mitsugorô I.
1st lunar month of 1778: Monnosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
7th lunar month of 1778: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the play "Date Kurabe Okuni Kabuki"; Monnosuke plays the roles of Yamanaka Shikanosuke and Izutsu Onnanosuke [casting].
11th lunar month of 1778: Monnosuke plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Aoto Gorô and Nikaidô Shinanonosuke in the kaomise drama "Motomishi Yuki Sakae Hachinoki", which celebrates the shûmei of Yoshizawa Ayame IV and the first stage appearance of Bandô Mitahachi I.
1st lunar month of 1779: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Hakoômaru and Danzaburô in the new year program "Gohiiki Nennen Soga".
3rd lunar month of 1779: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Sukeroku in the drama "Sukeroku Sato no Yozakura". The roles of Agemaki, Shimbei and the villain Ikyû are played by Iwai Hanshirô IV, Matsumoto Kôshirô IV and Ôtani Hiroemon III.
5th lunar month of 1779: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Sakuramaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Matsuômaru and Umeômaru are played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV and Bandô Mitsugorô I.
11th lunar month of 1779: Monnosuke plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Ôdate Samanosuke and Wakiya Jirô in the kaomise program "Kaeribana Eiyû Taiheiki". The performance is a tremendous success.
1st lunar month of 1780: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year program "Hatsumonbi Kuruwa Soga". His stage partners in the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are Bandô Mitsugorô I and Ichikawa Danjûrô V.
2nd lunar month of 1780: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Karigane Bunshichi in "Gonin Otoko", the second part (nibanme) of the new year program "Hatsumonbi Kuruwa Soga". His stage partners are Ichikawa Danjûrô V (Gokuin Sen'emon), Sakata Hangorô II (Hotei Ichiemon), Bandô Mitsugorô I (An no Heibei) and Nakamura Sukegorô II (Kaminari Shôkurô).
9th lunar month of 1780: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Ishidô Umanojô and Hayano Kampei in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the role of Okaru is played by Iwai Hanshirô IV.
11th lunar month of 1780: Monnosuke moves to the Ichimuraza and plays the roles of Kumai Tarô (the superhero of the "Shibaraku" scene) and Yoshitsune in the kaomise drama "Mure Takamatsu Yuki no Shirahata".
11th lunar month of 1781: Monnosuke moves to the Nakamuraza and plays in the kaomise program "Shitennô Tonoi no Kisewata".
1st lunar month of 1782: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year program "Nanakusa Yosooi Soga". His stage partners in the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are Sawamura Sôjûrô III and Nakamura Nakazô I.
7th lunar month of 1782: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Ukiyo Matahei and Arajishi Otokonosuke in the drama "Datezome Shikata Kôshaku", whose plot and characters belong to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world.
11th lunar month of 1782: Monnosuke plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Kagemasa, Saeki Kurando, Kagokaki Jirôbei and Arakawa Jirô in the kaomise program "Godai Genji Mitsugi no Furisode". He also takes part in the performance of the Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Mutsumajizuki Koi no Tedori", sharing the stage with Segawa Kikunojô III, Iwai Hanshirô IV and Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
1st lunar month of 1783: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year drama "Edo no Hana Mimasu Soga". The roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
5th lunar month of 1783: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of En'ya Hangan in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Kô no Moronô are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Nakajima Kanzaemon III.
8th lunar month of 1783: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role ofthe sumô wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichi in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki". His stage partner in the role of the rival sumô wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô is Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
11th lunar month of 1783: the Nakamuraza is damaged in a fire. No kaomise program.
1st lunar month of 1784: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Koroku, Kajiwara Genta Kagesue and Suzuki Saburô in the new year drama kaomise "Fude Hajime Kanjinchô".
2nd lunar month of 1784: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Shigetada, Chôbei and Mioya Shirô in the drama "Kagekiyo Rô Yaburi", staged to commemorate the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of late Ichikawa Ebizô III.
3rd lunar month of 1784: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kobayashi no Asahina in the drama "Soga Musume Chôja". The roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Ichikawa Yaozô III. From the 22nd of this month, he plays the role of the sake seller Shimbei in the drama "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Natori Gusa", sharing the stage with Ichikawa Yaozô III (Sukeroku) and Nakamura Rikô I (Agemaki).
4th lunar month of 1784: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Hiranoya Tokubei in the drama "Tsumagasane Awase Takabira", whose plot and characters belong to the "Sonezaki Shinjû" world; the role of the courtesan Tenmaya Ohatsu is played by Iwai Hanshirô IV.
6th lunar month of 1784: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Igami no Gonta in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". Monnosuke and Segawa Kikunojô III leave the Nakamuraza before the end of the season to join the Kiriza, which receives the license to stage Kabuki plays from the closing Ichimuraza.
11th lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Kiriza of the drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To", which is performed within the kaomise drama "Jûni Hitoe Komachi Zakura"; Monnosuke plays the role of Yoshimine Munesada [casting].
3rd ~ 4th lunar months of 1785: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Tamashima Isonojô, Tokubei and Hosokawa Shûrinosuke in the drama "Edo Jitate Danshichima", whose plot and characters belong to the "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" world. The roles of Danshichi, Sabu and the courtesan Kotoura are played by Nakamura Nakazô I, Sakata Hangorô III and Osagawa Tsuneyo II.
11th lunar month of 1785: Monnosuke plays at the Kiriza the roles of Hirai Yasumasa and Miyukinosuke in the kaomise program "Otokoyama Furisode Genji", which celebrates the shûmei of Bandô Mitsugorô II.
1st lunar month of 1786: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Danzaburô and Kyô no Jirô in the new year program "Ôkazari Kotobuki Soga". The program opens the 17th and is extremely successful but a fire destroys the Kiriza the 21st.
3rd lunar month of 1786: the Kiriza reopens the 16th with the same new year program on the bill.
5th lunar month of 1786: Matsumoto Kôshirô IV joins the Kiriza after his historical reconciliation with Ichikawa Danjûrô V, ending a nine years long quarrel.
9th lunar month of 1786: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Katagiri Jôsuke in "Kôrai Giku Ukina no Irozashi", the second part (nibanme) of "Muromachi Onna Bunshô".
11th lunar month of 1786: Monnosuke plays at the Kiriza the roles of Kawazu Saburô and Hôjô Saburô in the kaomise program "Mutsu no Hana Izu no Hataage", which celebrates the shûmei of Nakayama Kojûrô VI who takes back the name of Nakamura Nakazô I.
1st lunar month of 1787: Monnosuke plays for the first time the role of the villain Kudô Saemon Suketsune, in the new year drama "Yuki Nazuna Saiwai Soga", which is staged at the Kiriza. The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Yaozô III and Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
5th lunar month of 1787: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Sagisaka Sanai and the yakko Ippei in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna".
8th lunar month of 1787: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of En'ya Hangan, Teraoka Heiemon and Amakawaya Gihei in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Kô no Moronô are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Sakata Hangorô III.
9th lunar month of 1787: Monnosuke plays in the same theater 3 roles in the drama "Tenjiku Tokubei Kokyô no Torikaji".
11th lunar month of 1787: third kaomise at the Kiriza for Monnosuke, who plays the roles of Tokiwai Jirô and Nikaidô Shinanonosuke in the drama "Sanga no Shô Mutsu no Hanayome".
1st lunar month of 1788: Monnosuke plays in the same theater in the new year program "Keisei Natori Soga".
7th lunar month of 1788: Monnosuke falls ill and can't perform in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
8th ~ 9th lunar months of 1788: last program for the Kiriza, which has to give back its license to the Ichimuraza and close its business. Monnosuke performs in the drama "Takao no Miya Honji Kaichô".
11th lunar month of 1788: Monnosuke achieves a great success at the Nakamuraza by playing the role of Oda Harunaga in Sakurada Jisuke I's kaomise drama "Tôzumô Hana no Edokata", which celebrates the return in Edo of the actor Nakamura Nakazô I.
1st lunar month of 1789: Monnosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
11th lunar month of 1789: Monnosuke plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise program "Komachi-Mura Shibai no Shôgatsu".
1st lunar month of 1790: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year program "Haru no Nishiki Datezome Soga". The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Omezô I and Ichikawa Komazô III.
3rd lunar month of 1790: tour in the province of Kôshû; Monnosuke plays in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
11th lunar month of 1790: Monnosuke moves to the Ichimuraza and plays the roles of Shinozuka Gorô (the superhero of the "Shibaraku" scene), Bigo Saburô, the farmer Yogozô and Sagami Jirô in the kaomise drama "Iwao no Hana Mine no Kusunoki".
1st lunar month of 1791: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune, Kyô no Jirô, Kanohara Gumbei and Akazawa Jûnai in the new year drama "Shunshoku Edoe Soga", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Sawamura Kunitarô I. His stage partners in the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are Sawamura Sôjûrô III and Sakata Hangorô III.
4th lunar month of 1791: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Sukeroku and Ikyû, in alternance with Sawamura Sôjûrô III (Monnosuke plays one day Sukeroku and Ikyû the next day), in the drama "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Futabagusa"; the role of Sukeroku's lover Agemaki is played by Nakayama Tomisaburô I.
9th lunar month of 1791: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Ôdate Samanosuke in the drama "Take no Haru Yoshiwara Suzume", which celebrates the coming departure of Sawamura Sôjûrô III to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1791: Monnosuke plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Itô Kurô Sukekiyo, Suzuki no Saburô, Akugenta and Kameô in the kaomise program "Kin Menuki Genke no Kakutsuba", which celebrates the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô and Ichikawa Danjûrô VI.
1st lunar month of 1792: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari, Ôtônai and Iba Jûzô in the new year drama "Wakamurasaki Edokko Soga". The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are played by Ichikawa Omezô I and Ichikawa Ebizô.
3rd lunar month of 1792: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Hiranoya Tokubei in the drama "Mie no Obi Hana no Iroage", which mixes the worlds of "Sonezaki Shinjû", "Bunshichi Mottoi" and "Ofusa Tokubei"; the roles of Tenmaya Ohatsu and Ofusa are played by Iwai Kiyotarô II and Segawa Kikunojô III.
4th lunar month of 1792: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Tsukimoto Mushanosuke in the drama "Hana Utsugi Shiraga Ganryû".
5th lunar month of 1792: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Momoi Harimanokami and Kaibara Isuke in the drama "Shijûshichi Somei no Hachiue", whose plot and characters belong to the "Chûshingura" world.
8th lunar month of 1792: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Momotarô and Daidôji Denbatanosuke in the drama "Mukashi Mukashi Tejiro no Saru".
9th lunar month of 1792: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Soga no Iruka and Daihanji no Kiyosumi in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
11th lunar month of 1792: Monnosuke plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Izu no Jirô, Benkei, Yoshitsune and the yakko Hamahei in the kaomise program "Koganegiku Date no Ôkido".
1st lunar month of 1793: Monnosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is hakudai-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent).
5th lunar month of 1793: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the roles of Ôdate Samanosuke and Shindô Genshirô in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
7th lunar month of 1793: Monnosuke achieves a great success by playing in the same theater the roles of Soga no Iruka and Daihanji no Kiyosumi in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin". He also plays the role of Takatsuna in the drama "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata".
Fall 1793: the Ichimuraza closes its business and gives its license to the Kiriza. Monnosuke takes this opportunity to move to the Kawarazakiza.
11th lunar month of 1793: Monnosuke plays at the Kawarazakiza the roles of Minamoto no Yorinobu and Usui Sadamitsu (the superhero of the "Shibaraku" scene) in the kaomise program "Nigiwai Genji Hana Saku Mon".
1st lunar month of 1794: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year drama "Gohiiki no Hana Aikyô Soga". The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are played by Ichikawa Omezô I and Bandô Hikosaburô III.
5th lunar month of 1794: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Date no Yosaku and Keimasa in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna".
7th lunar month of 1794: Monnosuke plays in the same theater the role of Arajishi Otokonosuke in the drama "Nihon Matsu Michinoku Sodachi", whose plot and characters belong to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world.
11th lunar month of 1794: his yearly salary drops from 900 ryô to 700 ryô (this is a general salary cut for all Edo actors). He has some health troubles, falls seriously ill and dies in a few days.
Comments:
Ichikawa Monnosuke II was a popular tachiyaku actor who made all his successful career in Edo in the second half of the eighteenth century, excelling in aragoto, wagoto and budôgoto roles. He was able to play either Soga Gorô Tokimune (aragoto style) or Soga Jûrô Sukenari (wagoto style) in the new year sogamono. He was also a talented dancer.
Ichikawa Monnosuke II playing the role of Karigane Bunshichi in the drama "Hatsumonbi Kuruwa Soga", which was staged in the 2nd lunar month of 1780 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Katsukawa Shunkô
4 faces of Ichikawa Monnosuke II
Print made by Katsukawa Shunkô
Print made by Katsukawa Shunkô in 1780
Print made by Katsukawa Shunjô in 1781
Print made by Katsukawa Shunkô in 1786
Print made by Katsukawa Shun'ei in 1790
The Ichikawa Monnosuke line of actors