Stage names:

Matsumoto Hakuô I
Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII
Ichikawa Somegorô V
Matsumoto Sumizô II

Real name: Fujima Junjirô

Guild: Kôraiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Kinshô

Blazons: Yotsu Hanabishi / Mitsu Ichô

Existence: 7 July 1910 ~ 11 January 1982

Connections:

Father: Matsumoto Kôshirô VII

Father-in-law: Nakamura Kichiemon I

Brothers: Ichikawa Danjûrô XI, Onoe Shôroku II

Sons: Matsumoto Hakuô II (Kôshirô IX), Nakamura Kichiemon II

Grandson: Matsumoto Kôshirô X

Great-grandsons: Ichikawa Somegorô VIII, Onoe Ushinosuke VII

Disciples: Matsumoto Kingo II, Matsumoto Kingo III, Ichikawa Shinsha II, Matsumoto Kôjaku I, Matsumoto Kôemon, Matsumoto Kôtarô II, Matsumoto Kôjirô, Matsumoto Kôzô I, Matsumoto Komagorô II, Matsumoto Kinshirô, Matsumoto Kônosuke

Career:

January 1925: first stage appearance under the name of Matsumoto Sumizô II.

April 1931: Matsumoto Sumizô II took the name of Ichikawa Somegorô V.

February 1934: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Ôishi Saigo no Ichinichi", the tenth and last play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Somegorô played the role of Ôishi Sezaemon [casting].

April 1936: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Uwanari" belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Somegorô played the role of the disciple Gungaku [more details].

December 1946: Somegorô was a member of the Kabuki troupe which celebrated the reopening of the rebuilt Mitsukoshi Gekijô [more details].

27 January 1949: his father Matsumoto Kôshirô VII died.

September 1949: Ichikawa Somegorô V and his son Matsumoto Kintarô II respectively took the names of Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII and Ichikawa Somegorô VI at the Tôkyô Gekijô; Kôshirô played the roles of Benkei ^[1], Higuchi Jirô Kanemitsu, the boatman and Shinsuke in "Kanjinchô" ^[1], "Sakaro", "Shizuhata no Obi" and "Chijimiya Shinsuke".

October 1949: Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII celebrated his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza, playing the roles of Benkei ^[2], Higuchi Jirô Kanemitsu and the boatman in "Kanjinchô" ^[2], "Sakaro" and "Shizuhata no Obi".

December 1950: Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII and Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII celebrated their shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza; Kôshirô played the roles of Takiguchi Kôzuke/the yakko Fudesuke, Watanabe no Tsuna, the fisherman Fukashichi (in reality Kanawa Gorô Imakuni), Katakura Kojûrô and Matsue Izumo-no-Kami ^[3] in "Izari no Adauchi", "Ibaraki", "Mikasayama Goten", "Jitsuroku Sendai Hagi" and "Kôchiyama" ^[3].

October 1951: Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII, Nakamura Utaemon VI and Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII celebrated their shûmei in Ôsaka at the Ôsaka Kabukiza; Kôshirô played the roles of Nuregami Chôgorô, Wada no Hyôe Hidemori, Benkei ^[4] and Mizuno Jûrôzaemon ^[5] in "Sumôba", "Moritsuna Jin'ya", "Kanjinchô" ^[4] and "Kiwametsuki Banzui Chôbê" ^[5].

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

July 1953: premiere at the Meijiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Ukifune"; Kôshirô played the role of Kaoru [casting]. Revival at the Meijiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's 1878 drama "Tsûzoku Saiyûki"; Kôshirô played the role of the queen of the Priest Sanzô [casting].

March 1954: first edition at the Kabukiza from the 27th to the 28th of March of the Tsubomikai, a study group led by Nakamura Utaemon VI [more details]. It included the revival of the dance-drama "Imayô Suma no Utsushie" in which Kôshirô played the roles of Ariwara no Yukihira and the ryôshi Konohê [more details].

February 1955: second edition at the Kabukiza from the 24th to the 27th of February of the Tsubomikai, a study group led by Nakamura Utaemon VI [more details]. It included the revival of Sakurada Jisuke I's dance-drama "Kumo no Hyôshimai" (entitled "Waga Sekogakoi no Aizuchi") [casting] and the premiere of Mishima Yukio's dance-drama "Yuya" [casting]; Kôshirô played the roles of Taira Munemori and Sakata Kintoki in "Yuya" and "Waga Sekogakoi no Aizuchi".

March 1955: Hasegawa Shin's drama "Ori" was staged with a full Kabuki casting for the first time, in Tôkyô at the Meijiza; Kôshirô played the role of the daiku Gen [more details].

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

July 1956: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Kôshirô played the role of Sarushima no Sôta [more details]. Revival at the Kabukiza of the michiyuki "Chô no Michiyuki", in which Kôshirô played the role of Sukekuni; the role of Komaki was played by Nakamura Utaemon VI.

March 1959: revival at the Meijiza of the dance-drama "Kumo no Ito Oyozume Banashi"; Kôshirô played the role of Minamoto Yorimitsu [more details].

November 1959: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which was supervised by Mishima Yukio; Kôshirô played the roles of the priest Seigen, Tsurigane no Gonsuke and Shinobu no Sôta [casting].

March 1961: the actors Kôshirô, Ichikawa Chûsha VIII and Nakamura Shikaku II signed exclusive contracts with the Tôhô Company and left the Shôchiku Company.

July 1963: revival at the Yomiuri Hall in Tôkyô of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Kôshirô played the roles of Kuwanaya Tokuzô and Sagami no Gorô [casting].

December 1966: second month of the opening ceremony of the National Theatre with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; Kôshirô played the role of Matsuômaru [casting].

November 1969: premiere at the National Theatre of Mishima Yukio's drama "Chinsetsu Yumihari-zuki"; Kôshirô played the role of Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo [more details].

June 1973: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV and Sakurada Jisuke II drama "Kokoro no Nazo Toketa Iroito"; Kôshirô played the roles of Omatsuri Sashichi and Hantoki Kurobê [casting].

1975: Kôshirô received the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhô in Japanese).

October 1981: great shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 generations of actors belonging to the Kôraiya guild (Kôraiya Sandai Shûmei); Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII, Ichikawa Somegorô VI, Matsumoto Kintarô III, Ichikawa Nakanosuke III and Ichikawa Momomaru respectively took the names of Matsumoto Hakuô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô IX, Ichikawa Somegorô VII, Matsumoto Kôemon and Ichikawa Shinsha II.

11 January 1982: Hakuô died in Tôkyô.

Comments:

Matsumoto Hakuô I was the leading tachiyaku of the postwar decades and the worthy heir of both his father Matsumoto Kôshirô VII and his father-in-law Nakamura Kichiemon I. He was also very active in modern or Western productions, especially during his years at the Tôhô.

Matsumoto Hakuô I's best roles: Matsuômaru ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"), Kumagai Jirô Naozane ("Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki"), Higuchi Jirô Kanemitsu ("Hirakana Seisuiki"), Sekibê/Ôtomo no Kuronushi ("Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To"), Jûbê (Tsuta Momiji Utsunoya Tôge).

[1] The roles of Togashi Saemon and Yoshitsune were played by Nakamura Kichiemon I and Ichikawa Ebizô IX.

[2] The roles of Togashi Saemon and Yoshitsune were played by Nakamura Kichiemon I and Nakamura Moshio IV.

[3] The role of Kôchiyama Sôshun was played by Nakamura Kichiemon I.

[4] The roles of Togashi Saemon and Yoshitsune were played by Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII and Nakamura Tokizô III.

[5] The role of Banzui Chôbê was played by Nakamura Kichiemon I.

Matsumoto Hakuô I (Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII) playing the role of Matsuômaru in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" (print made by Ôta Masamitsu in 1955)

Print made by Ôta Masamitsu in 1955

The Matsumoto Sumizô line of actors

The Ichikawa Somegorô line of actors

The Matsumoto Kôshirô line of actors

The Matsumoto Hakuô line of actors