Stage names:

Kataoka Nizaemon IV
Fujikawa Hanzaburô II
Fujikawa Shômatsu

Pen name: Fujikawa Sakoku

Nickname: Sakoku Iemon

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry name: Sakoku

Existence: ??? ~ 1758 (?)

Connection:

Adoptive father: Fujikawa Shigeemon

Adopted son: Fujikawa Hanzaburô III

Career:

Before 1713: born in Ôsaka outside the Kabuki world. He is adopted by Fujikawa Shigeemon and starts his career in the Ôsaka theaters as an iroko.

November 1713: he becomes wakaonnagata, playing the role of Princess Kiyo in the kaomise drama "Ôminato Kogane no Izumi", which is produced by Yamamoto Hikogorô.

November 1715: Shômatsu plays in Ôsaka the role of the keisei Suminoe in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Mochimaru Chôja", which celebrates the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô III. Shômatsu changes the writing of his first name:

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November 1726: he becomes katakiyaku and takes the name of Fujikawa Hanzaburô II at the Kado no Shibai, playing the role of Nunobiki Mikinojô in the kaomise drama "Bunbu Aioi no Matsu", which is produced by Fujii Hanamatsu.

November 1737: Hanzaburô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Fukakusa-no-In Sannô no Maki", which is produced by Nakayama Shinkurô I.

August 1738: Hanzaburô plays in the same theater the role of Ashiya Dôman in the drama "Shinoda Zuma"; the roles of Abe no Yasuna and Kuzu-no-Ha are played by Arashi San'emon III and Matsushima Hyôtarô.

November 1743: Hanzaburô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Shiki Samba Ôgi Ikusa", which is produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I.

July 1744: Hanzaburô plays in the same theater in the drama "Otoko Date Gojitsu Kagami".

December 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which starts a competition for the best performance and line-up; Hanzaburô plays the role of Mikawaya Giheiji at the Ônishi no Shibai [casting].

1746: Fujikawa Hanzaburô II takes the name of Kataoka Nizaemon IV.

January 1748: the play "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in November 1747 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time and staged in Ise; Nizaemon plays the roles of Tokaiya Gimpei, Taira no Tomomori and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan.

December 1748: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in August 1748 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Nizaemon plays the roles of Kakogawa Honzô and Ono no Kudayû [casting].

May 1749: Nizaemon plays in the same theater the role of Kichibei in the drama "Kôraibashi Hime Odori Nenbutsu". This is most likely one of his last stage appearances. He decides to give up acting to focus on the job of playwright, signing his works Fujikawa Sakoku.

1758: he most likely dies this year.

Comments:

Kataoka Nizaemon IV was an important figure in Ôsaka during the first half of the 18th century. He was a wakaonnagata in his teens but shifted to katakiyaku or jitsuaku roles at the beginning of the 1720s. He ended his career in the 1750s as a playwright and took part in the writing of 10 major plays.

Kataoka Nizaemon IV

The Fujikawa Hanzaburô line of actors

The Kataoka Nizaemon line of actors