Stage names:

Arashi Ganshô
Jitsukawa Enjô
Jitsukawa Ikujaku

Real name: Kitamura Yasujirô

Guild: Komuraya

Poetry name: Kikudô

Existence: 15th day of the 10th lunar month of 1862 ~ 19 November 1930

Connection:

Master: Arashi Rikan IV

Career:

10th lunar month of 1852: born in Kyôto in the famous Gion pleasure quarter. His father was a weaver in the district of Nishijin.

9th lunar month of 1870: he started his career performing under the name of Jitsukawa Ikujaku.

June 1876: Jitsukawa Ikujaku took the name of Jitsukawa Enjô.

1877: he joined the actor Arashi Rikan IV and received the name of Arashi Ganshô in December in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.

November 1890: Ganshô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kameya Chûbê in the drama "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"; the role of the courtesan Umegawa was played by Kataoka Gadô III.

June 1894: tour in the cities of Onomichi, Hiroshima and Matsue.

January 1903: Ganshô played at the Horieza the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri was played by Kataoka Gadô IV.

June 1904: Ganshô played at the Fukuiza (Ôsaka) the role of Tamate Gozen in the drama "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji"; the roles of Gappô and Takayasu Shuntokumaru were played by Kuroya Ichizô and Arashi Ritoku.

November 1906: Ganshô played at the Bentenza (Ôsaka) the roles of Benkei, Yasuke and Shizuka Gozen in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô VII (Tomomori, Gonta), Onoe Taminosuke (Yoshitsune), Ichikawa Udanji I (Tadanobu, Kajiwara) and Nakamura Fukusuke III (Suke-no-Tsubone, Kokingo).

January 1916: Ganshô played at the Naniwaza (Ôsaka) the role of Matsunaga Daizen in the drama "Kinkakuji"; the roles of Tôkichi and Princess Yuki were played by Arashi Tokusaburô V and Kataoka Gadô IV. The play was staged with the same casting in April in Nagoya at the Suehiroza.

December 1921: Ganshô played at the Naniwaza (Ôsaka) the role of Shigetada in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the role of Akoya was played by Kataoka Gadô IV.

19 November 1930: Ganshô died.

Comments:

Arashi Ganshô was a talented and popular Kamigata actor, excelling in wagotoshi and jitsugotoshi roles. He was also able to play both onnagata and katakiyaku. He never performed in Tôkyô.

Arashi Ganshô in the drama "Sekitori Senryô Nobori"