Stage names:

Ichikawa Chûsha VIII
Ichikawa Yaozô VIII
Ichikawa Matsuo I

Real name: Kinoshi Shizusada

Guild: Tachibanaya, Omodakaya ^[1]

Line number: HACHIDAIME (VIII)

Poetry names: Chûsha (8), Teika

Existence: 10 November 1896 ~ 20 June 1971

Connections:

Father: Ichikawa Danshirô II

Adoptive father: Ichikawa Chûsha VII

Brothers: Ichikawa En'ô I, Ichikawa Kodayû II, Ichikawa Juen I

Disciples: Ichikawa Nakazô, Ichikawa Nakajirô, Ichikawa Nakanosuke III

Career:

10 November 1896: born in Asakusa.

July 1913: he appeared on stage for the first time, in Yamagata at the Asahiza, playing the role of Goromaru in Fukuchi Ôchi's drama "Jûnitoki Kaikei Soga".

October 1913: he made his first official appearance on stage, at the Kabukiza where he received the name of Ichikawa Matsuo I and played the role of the yakko Mitsuhei in the drama "Zôhiki".

March 1916: Matsuo was adopted by Ichikawa Yaozô VII.

October 1918: great shûmei at the Kabukiza for the Tachibanaya guild; Ichikawa Yaozô VII and Ichikawa Matsuo I respectively took the names of Ichikawa Chûsha VII and Ichikawa Yaozô VIII; the new Yaozô, who celebrated his success at the nadai exam, played the role of Ichimanmaru in the drama "Zui Ichikawa Narukami Soga".

6 February 1922: his father Ichikawa Danshirô II died.

May 1927: premiere at the Hongôza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Shinjuku Yawa"; Yaozô played the role of the countryside customer Yojirô [more details].

September 1930: revival at the Meijiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", produced under the title "Tôryû Azuma Bunshô"; Yaozô played the roles of Awazu Shichirô and Sentarô [casting].

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Edo-jô no Ninjô", the first play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Yaozô played the role of Lord Inagaki [more details].

April 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Saigo no Daihyôjô", the third play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Yaozô played the role of Isogai Jûrôzaemon [casting].

12 July 1936: his adoptive father Ichikawa Chûsha VII died.

November 1938: revival at the Kokusai Gekijô ^[2] of the drama "Fudô" ^[3]; Yaozô played the role of Hayakumo Daijin [more details].

February 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the second act of "Sengoku Yashiki", the ninth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Yaozô played the role of Takebayashi Tadashichi [casting].

November 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's dance-drama "Kurozuka"; Yaozô played the role of the yamabushi Priest Yamatobô [casting].

July 1951: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Jiisan Baasan"; Yaozô played the role of Run's brother Kyûemon [casting].

July 1952: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Kitsune to Fuefuki"; Yaozô played the role of Akinobu [casting].

November 1952: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kema Nanboku's revision of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; Yaozô played the role of the daikyôji Ishun [casting].

June 1953: great shûmei at the Kabukiza for the Tachibanaya guild; Ichikawa Yaozô VIII and Matsumoto Komagorô I took the names of Ichikawa Chûsha VIII and Ichikawa Yaozô IX ^[4]; the new Chûsha played the roles of Yashio ^[5], Masumitsu Kyûnosuke, the Kaga tobi Takegorô, Takechi Mitsuhide ^[6] and Senpei in "Meiboku Sendai Hagi", "Yoshinobu Inochigoi", "Kagatobi", "Ehon Taikôki" and "Dontsuku".

November 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of Mishima Yukio's comical play "Iwashi Uri Koi no Hikiami"; Chûsha played the role of Ebina Naamidabutsu [casting].

March 1955: Ichikawa Chûsha VIII, Iwai Hanshirô X and Ichikawa Yaozô IX celebrated their shûmei in Ôsaka at the Ôsaka Kabukiza with the troupes led by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Nakamura Tokizô III; Chûsha played the roles of Chichibu no Shôji Shigetada, Kudô Saemon Suketsune ^[7], the kagokaki Gonza ^[8], Hôjô Takatoki, the priest Yûkei and Shimojima Jin'emon in "Kagekiyo", "Kotobuki Soga Kabuki no Nigiwai", "Gonza to Sukejû", "Takatoki", "Kurozuka" and "Jiisan Baasan".

June 1955: Ichikawa Chûsha VIII celebrated his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza; he played the role of Tarô Sadamori, Musashibô Benkei ^[9], Izari Tarosuke and the tatami-maker Hanbê in "Taira no Masakado", "Kanjinchô", "Sannin Katawa" and "Kôsetsu Kyûtengiri".

October 1955: Chûsha took part in the first Kabuki tour in the Popular Republic of China; he played the roles of Yoshitsune and Shôgen in the dramas "Kanjinchô" and "Keisei Hangonkô" [casting]. Chûsha had the opportunity to meet the stars of the Chinese Traditional Opera like the famous Mei Lan-Fang.

March 1956: premiere in Kabuki at the Meijiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Ii Tairô"; Chûsha played the role of Nagano Shuzen [more details].

July 1956: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Chûsha played the role of Gunsuke [more details].

November 1959: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which was supervised by Mishima Yukio; Chûsha played the role of the priest Zangetsu [casting].

February 1960: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Shiranui Kengyô"; Chûsha played the role of Tobaya Tanji [casting].

1961: Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII and Chûsha left together, with their disciples, the Shôchiku Company to sign an exclusive contract with the Tôhô Company.

12 June 1963: his brother Ichikawa En'ô I died.

July 1963: revival at the Yomiuri Hall in Tôkyô of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Chûsha played the role of Ishidô Tatewaki [casting].

December 1966: second month of the opening ceremony of the National Theater with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in which Chûsha played the role of Kan Shôjô in the "Tenpaizan" scene [casting].

November 1969: premiere at the National Theatre of Mishima Yukio's drama "Chinsetsu Yumihari-zuki"; Chûsha played the role of Hacchôtsubute no Kiheiji [more details].

September 1970: Chûsha played at the Imperial Theater the role of Midaroku ^[10], in reality Taira no Munekiyo, in the drama "Kumagai Jin'ya".

December 1970: Chûsha played at the National Theatre the role of Horiuchi Den'emon in Mayama Seika's drama "Ôishi Saigo no Ichinichi".

March 1971: Chûsha played at the Imperial Theater the role of Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku"; the roles of Hanakawado Sukeroku and Miuraya Agemaki were played by Ichikawa Somegorô VI and Nakamura Jakuemon IV.

May 1971: Chûsha played at the National Theatre the role of Matsunaga Hisahide in Okamoto Kidô's drama "Muromachi Gojo".

June 1971: Chûsha appeared on the stage for the last time, at the National Theatre, where he played the role of Shinza's land-lord Chôbê ^[11] in the drama "Kamiyui Shinza"; he suddenly died the 20th of June 1971 ^[12].

Comments:

Ichikawa Chûsha VIII was a talented tachiyaku, trained by Ichikawa Chûsha VII and who was very active in both Kabuki and modern productions. Two of his best roles, at the end of his career, were Jinbê and Midaroku in the dramas "Sakura Giminden" and "Kumagai Jin'ya".

[1] Only during his Matsuo years.

[2] The International Theatre.

[3] This drama belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban.

[4] It was also the shûmei of Ichikawa Shun'en&nbp;I, who celebrated his success at the nadai exam.

[5] The role of Masaoka was played by Nakamura Tokizô III.

[6] The roles of Mashiba Hisayoshi, Mitsuhide's wife Misao, Mitsuhide's son Jûjirô, Jûjirô's fiancee Hatsugiku, Mitsuhide's mother Satsuki and Satô Masakiyo were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II, Nakamura Tokizô III, Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII, Nakamura Utaemon VI, Ichikawa Dannosuke VI and Ichikawa Yaozô IX.

[7] The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Yaozô IX and Iwai Hanshirô X.

[8] The kagokaki was played by Ichikawa Danshirô III.

[9] The roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Togashi Saemon were played by Hayashi Mataichirô II and Jitsukawa Enjirô II.

[10] The role of Kumagai Jirô Naozane was played by Nakamura Kichiemon II.

[11] The role of Shinza was played by Onoe Shôroku II.

[12] He was replaced by Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III.

Ichikawa Chûsha VIII (right) and Nakamura Tokizô III (left) playing the roles of Kômori Yasu and Otomi in the drama "Kirare Otomi" (oil painting made by Hasegawa Noboru in 1955)

The Ichikawa Yaozô line of actors

The Ichikawa Chûsha line of actors