Playwright names:

Yamazaki Shikô

Real Name: Yamazaki Shôzô

Existence: 3 March 1875 ~ 22 December 1939

Career:

3 March 1875: born in Yokohama.

May 1905: premiere at the Masagoza of Shikô's Shinpa drama "Uesugi Kenshin".

March 1908: premiere at the Meijiza of Shikô's drama "Kabuki Monogatari".

March 1911: premiere at the Imperial Theater of Shikô's drama "Yoritomo" [more details].

November 1916: premiere at the Imperial Hotel of Shikô's drama "Heishôkoku" with Ichikawa Sadanji II in the role of Ichikawa Sadanji II.

January 1917: Shikô's drama "Heishôkoku" was staged for the first time in ôshibai, in Tôkyô at the Meijiza.

March 1917: premiere at the Kabukiza of Shikô's drama "Sen no Rikyû" with Kataoka Nizaemon XI in the eponymous role.

February 1918: premiere at the Meijiza of Shikô's drama "Matsunaga Danjô" with Ichikawa Sadanji II in the roles of Matsunaga Danjô and Oda Nobunaga.

September 1919: premiere at the Kabukiza of the Kiyomoto-based dance "Sumidagawa", a Nô adapted for Kabuki by Shikô with a musical accompaniment made by Kiyomoto Umekichi II and inspired by Russian ballets seen by Ichikawa Ennosuke II during his European study tour [casting].

February 1922: premiere at the Shintomiza of Shikô's drama "Hatsushiraga". The leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi) was played by Nakamura Utaemon V.

November 1932: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Gedatsu" with a new script written by Shikô.

October 1933: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Zôhiki" with a new script written by Shikô.

April 1936: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Uwanari" with a new script written by Shikô [more details].

May 1936: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Nanatsu Men" with a new script written by Shikô [casting].

January 1937: premiere at the Kabukiza of Shikô's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Kasuga Ryûjin" [more details].

22 December 1939: Shikô died in Yokohama.

Comments:

Yamazaki Shikô was a poet, playwright and Kabuki dramatist from Yokohama who became one of the leading writers of modern historical drama during the Meiji and Taishô eras. Beginning his career as a poet, he gained fame through plays such as "Uesugi Kenshin" and "Kabuki Monogatari", which blended historical subjects with romantic, poetic storytelling and helped bring traditional Japanese theater to modern audiences. Later in life, he moved into public service, serving in local and prefectural politics in Kanagawa, but he remains best remembered for his contribution to the modernization of Japanese theater and historical drama and for the Kabuki dance-drama "Sumidagawa".

Yamazaki Shikô