NAKAYAMA BUNSHICHI II

Stage names:

Nakayama Bunshichi II In Japanese
Nakayama Raisuke II In Japanese
Nakayama Ihachi I In Japanese
Arashi Ihachi In Japanese
Sawamura Ihachi In Japanese

Other name:

Bintsukeya Bunshichi In Japanese

Guilds: Bintsukeya, Tamaôgiya, Sansenya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry names: Yoshio, Sharyû

Existence: 1755 ~ 19th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1798 [1]

Connection:

Uncle: Namiki Shôzô I

Masters: Arashi Hinasuke I, Sawamura Takichi

Adoptive father: Nakayama Bunshichi I's brother Nakayama Shinkurô II

Disciples: Nakayama Yoshio I, Nakayama Raisuke IV, Nakayama Ihachi II

Career:

Before 1777: born in Kamigata. He started his career in hama shibai, as a disciple of the actor Sawamura Takichi, who gave him the name of Sawamura Ihachi.

Fall 1777: he became disciple of Arashi Hinasuke I.

11th lunar month of 1777: he took the name of Arashi Ihachi in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai, performing for the first time in ôshibai in the kaomise drama "Yunzei Nanshi no Sakigake" which was produced by Mimasu Jirokichi.

1st lunar month of 1778: premiere of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Keisei Hakata Ori", which was produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai by Mimasu Jirokichi; Ihachi played the role of Sôshichi [casting | picture and details].

3rd lunar month of 1778: he was adopted by Nakayama Raisuke I and took the name of Nakayama Ihachi I.

11th lunar month of 1779: Ihachi became zamoto and produced in Kyôto the kaomise drama "Miyako Han'ei Nanshi no Hiraki Hajime".

11th lunar month of 1780: Ihachi produced in Kyôto the kaomise drama "Hoshi Matsuri Fukki no Kurairi".

1st lunar month of 1782: the play "Tengajaya-mura" was staged for the first time in Kyôto, at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Ihachi played the role of Hayase Iori [casting].

9th lunar month of 1782: Nakayama Raisuke I and Nakayama Ihachi I respectively took the names of Nakayama Shinkurô II and Nakayama Raisuke II at the Kado no Shibai; they performed together in the drama "Monogusa Tarô", which also celebrated the isse ichidai performance of Nakayama Bunshichi I.

11th lunar month of 1782: Raisuke produced in Kyôto the kaomise drama "Gosekkyô Suehiro Keizu", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Utaemon II.

19th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1783 [2]: his adoptive father Nakayama Shinkurô II died.

11th lunar month of 1784: Raisuke played in Kyôto at the Nishi no Shibai the role of Kazusa Sakonnosuke in Tatsuoka Mansaku's kaomise drama "Kuni no Hana Ôshimadai", which was produced by Nakayama Ihachi II.

3rd lunar month of 1788: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sewa Ryôri Yaoya Kondate"; Raisuke played the role of Hanbê [more details].

7th lunar month of 1789: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I and Chikamatsu Tokusô drama "Kanjin Kanmon Tekuda no Hajimari"; Raisuke played the roles of the wakadono Nagatonosuke and the Unsenji oshô [more details].

9th lunar month of 1791: premiere of Nagawa Shimesuke I's chûshinguramono "Iroha Gana Shijûshichi Moji" in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Raisuke played the roles of Tashiro Yasubê and the taiko mochi Ryûsuke [more details].

11th lunar month of 1793: Nakayama Raisuke II took the name of Nakayama Bunshichi II at the Naka no Shibai, performing in the kaomise drama "Kogane Masu Yonetarô Gitsune", which was produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I's son Nakayama Yosaburô II and celebrated the arrival in Ôsaka of the Edo star Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

12th lunar month of 1793: Bunshichi played in the same theater the role of Koshino Kanzaemon in the drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi".

4th ~ 6th lunar months of 1794: Bunshichi played in the same theater the roles of Umeômaru and Takebe Genzô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Matsuômaru and Sakuramaru were played by Onoe Shinshichi I and Arashi Sangorô II.

1st lunar month of 1795: Bunshichi's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

2nd lunar month of 1796: Suga Sensuke's puppet theater drama "Keisei Koi no Hikyaku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time and staged at the Kado no Shibai; Bunshichi played the role of Kameya Chûbê [casting].

4th lunar month of 1796: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Hade Kurabe Ishikawa-zome", written by Chikamatsu Tokuzô, Tatsuoka Mansaku and Namiki Shôzô II; Bunshichi played the roles of Kobuna no Gengorô and Mashiba Hisatsugu [more details].

7th lunar month of 1796: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba"; Bunshichi played the role of Fukuoka Mitsugi [casting].

11th lunar month of 1797: Bunshichi appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, playing the roles of Rokusuke and Hisayoshi in the drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"; his stage partner in the role of Osono in the "Keya-mura" scene was Yoshizawa Iroha I.

1st lunar month of 1798: Bunshichi's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was (shiro)itaru-jô-jô-kichi ((white) unique - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual].

19th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1798 [1]: Bunshichi died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Nakayama Bunshichi II was popular 18th century tachiyaku actor, who made all his career in Kamigata. He excelled in yatsushigoto. He was said to act like Ogawa Kichitarô I but everybody agreed that he was the worthy heir of Nakayama Bunshichi I for he was able to perform his atariyaku roles. As a side business, he managed a successful hair pomade shop in Ôsaka.

[1] The 19th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 10th year of the Kansei era was the 4th of April 1798 in the western calendar.

[2] The 19th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 3rd year of the Tenmei era was the 20th of April 1783 in the western calendar.

Nakayama Bunshichi II (the fighter in the middle of the picture) playing the role of Raiden Genpachi in the drama "Natsu Moyô Shôbu Katabira", which was staged in the 6th lunar month of 1795 in Kyôto at the Higashi no Shibai
The actor with the lantern (top/right) was Onoe Shinshichi I

Prints & Illustrations

The Nakayama Ihachi line of actors

The Nakayama Raisuke line of actors

The Nakayama Bunshichi line of actors

 
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