Stage names:

Azuma Tôzô II
Agemaki Rin'ya
Azuma Tôzô II
Ikushima Daikichi II
Azuma Tôzô II
Bandô Kissaku
Nakamura Seinosuke

Nickname: Kobu Tôzô

Guild: Yamagataya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Enshi

Existence: 1724 ~ 11th day of the 4th lunar month of 1776 ^[1]

Connection:

Father: Nakamura Seishichi

Uncle: Azuma Tôzô I

Master: Ichimura Uzaemon VIII

Disciples: Azuma Tôzô III, Ikushima Daikichi IV

Career:

1724: born in Edo. His father was Nakamura Seishichi, the brother of late Azuma Tôzô I. His first name was Nakamura Seinosuke. He took the name of Bandô Kissaku, when he became disciple of Ichimura Uzaemon VIII.

11th lunar month of 1730: he received the name of Azuma Tôzô II and started his career as a koyaku at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1738: Tôzô became wakashugata.

11th lunar month of 1741: Tôzô became wakaonnagata.

3rd lunar month of 1747: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; Tôzô played the roles of Yae and Midaidokoro [casting].

11th lunar month of 1747: Azuma Tôzô II took the name of Ikushima Daikichi II at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of Ayame-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Shusse Momijigari".

1st lunar month of 1748: Daikichi played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô in the new year drama "Mon-zukushi Nagoya Soga"; the role of Shôshô's lover Soga Gorô Tokimune was played by Sanogawa Ichimatsu I.

11th lunar month of 1748: Ikushima Daikichi II took back the name of Azuma Tôzô II at the Moritaza, playing the role of Chitose in the kaomise drama "Fuyu Botan Yoshino Dairi".

2nd lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Tôzô played the roles of Osono and Okaru.

11th lunar month of 1749: Tôzô played at the Moritaza in Tsuuchi Jihê II's kaomise drama "Bijo Kurabe Kiso no Kakehashi", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô II.

4th lunar month of 1750: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" was produced at the Moritaza for the first time; Tôzô played the role of Sakuramaru [casting].

11th lunar month of 1750: Tôzô played at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Hatsuyuki Reijin no Sode".

11th lunar month of 1751: Tôzô moved to the Nakamuraza and played the role of Yaehata in the kaomise drama "Honryô Hachinoki-zome", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actors Fujikawa Heikurô and Sanogawa Hanazuma II.

1st lunar month of 1752: Tôzô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year drama "Kuruwa Kuruwa Akinai Soga"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Sawamura Sôjûrô II.

4th lunar month of 1752: Tôzô played in the same theater the roles of Kiku-no-Mae and Princess Tamaori in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".

11th lunar month of 1752: Tôzô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Akazawayama Sumô Nikki".

11th lunar month of 1753: Tôzô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Kôtô-no-Naishi in the kaomise drama "Hyakumanki Tsuwamono Taiheiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Masuzô I.

1st lunar month of 1754: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year drama "Momo Chidori Kuruwa Soga"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Nakamura Shichisaburô II.

11th lunar month of 1754: Tôzô went to the Moritaza and played the roles of Katsura-no-Mae and the keisei Michinoku in the kaomise drama "Kiichi Hôgen Shinan-guruma", which welcomed in Edo the actor Matsuyama Sanjûrô.

1st lunar month of 1755: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in Tsuuchi Eishi I's new year sogamono drama "Sono Sugata Ariake Soga"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Matsuyama Sanjûrô.

5th lunar month of 1755: Tôzô played in the same theater the roles of Okaru and Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1755: Tôzô played at the Moritaza the role of Komachi in the kaomise drama "Ôtomo no Kuronushi Sokutai Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1756: Azuma Tôzô II took the name of Agemaki Rin'ya at the Moritaza, playing in the kaomise drama "Manazuru Heike Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1757: Rin'ya performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Ikioi Wada Gassen".

5th lunar month of 1758: the play "Gion Sairei Shinkôki" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Rin'ya played the role of Princess Yuki [casting].

11th lunar month of 1758: Rin'ya played at the Moritaza the role of Shigarami in the kaomise program "Akazawa Genjiyama".

1st lunar month of 1759: Rin'ya's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

5th lunar month of 1759: Rin'ya played in the same theater the role of Okaji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1759: Rin'ya played at the Moritaza the role of Yuya Gozen in the kaomise drama "Toki Tsukaze Heike Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1760: Agemaki Rin'ya took back the name of Azuma Tôzô II at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of Asaka-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Ume Momiji Date no Ôkido".

11th lunar month of 1761: Tôzô played at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Wakamusha Kokyô no Nishiki".

1st lunar month of 1762: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora in the new year drama "Nokon no Yuki Katsuiro Soga"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Ichimura Kamezô I.

7th day of the 5th lunar month of 1762 ^[2]: his master Ichimura Uzaemon VIII died.

11th lunar month of 1762: Tôzô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Tamaki-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Kisoe Uta Sakae Komachi", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichimura Uzaemon IX, Ôtani Hiroji III and Nakajima Mihoemon II.

1st lunar month of 1763: Tôzô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Segawa Kikunojô II, Yoshizawa Goroichi I and Osagawa Tsuneyo I.

11th lunar month of 1763: Tôzô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Takatoki's daughter in the kaomise drama "Shikai Nami Yawaragi Taiheiki".

11th lunar month of 1764: Tôzô moved to the Nakamuraza and performed in the kaomise drama "Azuma no Hana Sôma no Dairi".

5th lunar month of 1765: Tôzô played in the same theater the roles of Oishi and Osono in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1765: Tôzô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Kachidoki Sakae Genji".

1st lunar month of 1766: Tôzô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Segawa Kikunojô II and Yoshizawa Sakinosuke III.

3rd lunar month of 1766: Tôzô played in the same theater the roles of Suke-no-Tsubone and Tadanobu in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura"; the roles of Yoshitsune and Tomomori were played by Morita Kan'ya VI and Ichikawa Raizô I.

11th lunar month of 1766: Tôzô moved to the Ichimuraza and played in the kaomise drama "Higashiyama Dono Kabuki no Tsuitachi".

2nd lunar month of 1767: first Kabuki adaptation, at the Ichimuraza, of Chikamatsu Hanji's puppet theater drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku"; Tôzô played the roles of Ukihashi and Okiku [casting].

7th lunar month of 1767: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura"; the roles of Yoshitsune and Tomomori were played by Ichikawa Yaozô II and Ichikawa Danzô III.

11th lunar month of 1767: Tôzô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Ayame-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Nue Shigedô Sakiwake Yûsha", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Shirogorô I.

8th lunar month of 1768: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of Matsuômaru's wife Chiyo in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the role of Matsuômaru was played by Sawamura Sôjûrô II.

11th lunar month of 1768: Tôzô played at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Tomozô I and Tomizawa Hanzaburô II. This was also the premiere of the dance "Oshiegusa Yoshiwara Suzume", the first version of "Yoshiwara Suzume", in which Tôzô played the role of the spirit of a falcon disuised as a female bird seller [more details].

5th lunar month of 1769: Tôzô played in the same theater the roles of Tonase and Osono in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles of Tonase's husband Honzô and Osono's husband Gihei were played by Ichikawa Danzô III and Ôtani Hiroji III.

11th lunar month of 1769: Tôzô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Mutsu no Hana Ume no Kaomise", which welcomed in Edo the actors Onoe Kikugorô I, Ôtani Tomoemon I, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I and Onoe Tamizô I.

6th lunar month of 1770: Tôzô played in the same theater the roles of Kiku-no-Mae and Shizuka Gozen in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki"; the role of Rokuyata was played by Ichimura Uzaemon IX.

11th lunar month of 1770: Tôzô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Meoto Giku Izu no Kisewata", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata star Arashi Sangorô II and celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Hikosaburô III, Bandô Sanpachi II and Segawa Kichiji III.

11th lunar month of 1771: Tôzô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Shirotae in the kaomise drama "Kono Hana Yotsugi no Hachinoki".

1st lunar month of 1772: Tôzô played in the same theater the roles of Tatsuta-no-Mae and Chiyo in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the role of Chiyo's husband Matsuômaru was played by Ôtani Hiroji III.

11th lunar month of 1772: Tôzô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Edo Katagi Hikeya Tsunazaka", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danzaburô III.

3rd lunar month of 1773: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of Akoya in the new year drama "Edo no Haru Meisho Soga"; the role of Akoya's lover Kagekiyo was played by Ichimura Uzaemon IX.

9th lunar month of 1773: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1773: Tôzô did not take part in any kaomise.

1st lunar month of 1774: Tôzô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Onna Ômi, in reality Danzaburô's wife, in the new year drama "Yuiganoko Datezome Soga".

8th lunar month of 1774: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

11th lunar month of 1774: Tôzô did not take part in any kaomise.

1st lunar month of 1775: Tôzô was back on stage, playing the roles of Tsukisayo, Shigetada's wife Kinugasa and Suketarô's wife in the new year drama "Shida Yuzuriha Hôrai Soga", which was staged at the Moritaza.

5th lunar month of 1775: Tôzô played in the same theater the role of Tatsuta-no-Mae in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1775: Tôzô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Kikujidô Shuen no Iwaya", which welcomed in Edo the actor Yoshizawa Iroha I.

1st lunar month of 1776: Tôzô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He was the kanjiku for the onnagata actors. Tôzô appeared on stage for the last time, at the Moritaza, where he performed in the new year drama "Sono Kyôdai Fuji no Sugatami".

11th day of the 4th lunar month of 1776 ^[1]: Tôzô died in Edo.

Comments:

Azuma Tôzô II was a great Edo onnagata, who was active in his native city from 1730 to the beginning of 1776. He was outstanding in budôgoto roles and was an excellent dancer. As a master of dance, he was the 2nd iemoto of the Azuma-ryû, the Azuma school of dance, which still exists nowadays.

[1] The 11th day of the 4th lunar month of the 5th year of the An'ei era was the 28th of May 1776 in the western calendar.

[2] The 7th day of the 5th lunar month of the 12th year of the Hôreki era was the 28th of June 1762 in the western calendar.

Azuma Tôzô II in a print made in 1770 by Ippitsusai Bunchô for the Ehon Butai Ôgi series of prints

Prints & Illustrations

The Ikushima Daikichi line of actors