Stage names:

Ôkawa Hashizô II
Ichikawa Omemaru

Dancer name: Fujima Kannojô

Real name: Niwa Tominari

Guild: Otowaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Existence: 9 April 1929 ~ 7 December 1984

Connection:

Master: Ichikawa Omezô IV

Adoptive fathers: Onoe Kikugorô VI, Ichikawa Takinojô II

Career:

9 April 1929: born in Tôkyô. His mother was a geisha of the pleasure quarter of Yanagibashi. He was adopted by the actor Ichikawa Takinojô II.

November 1935: he became disciple of Ichikawa Omezô IV, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Omemaru.

January 1936: he made his first stage apperance, at the Kabukiza, where he played the role of Tsuruchiyo in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"; the roles of Masaoka and Senmatsu were played by Onoe Kikugorô VI and Bandô Mitsunobu; his master played the role of Okinoi.

March 1945: he was adopted by the mother of Onoe Kikugorô VI.

October 1945: Ichikawa Omemaru took the name of Ôkawa Hashizô II. This prestigious name has not been held since the 4th lunar month of 1849 and the first holder of the name was the star Onoe Kikugorô III.

10 July 1949: his adoptive father Onoe Kikugorô VI died.

October 1949: creation of the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan; Hashizô joined this troupe.

December 1949: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Ikutama Shinjû" was revived at the Mitsukoshi Gekijô, using a new script written by Uno Nobuo; Hashizô played the role of Okiwa [more details].

July 1951: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Hashizô played the role of the okujochû Futaba [casting].

January 1952: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Hagiwara Yukio's Kiyomoto-based dôjôjimono "Yuki no Dôjôji"; Hashizô played the role of a Dôjôji bonze [casting].

September 1952: Hashizô played at the Meijiza the role of the Wisteria Maiden in the dance "Fuji Musume".

March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Hashizô played the role of Amitoku's daughter Ochô [casting].

January 1954: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of the Nagauta-based dance "Taimen Hana no Harukoma", which was entitled "Ataru Toshi Iwau Harukoma"; Hashizô played the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari [casting].

March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Hashizô played the role of the chûrô Matsuyama [more details].

1954: Hashizô joined the Daiei film studio.

October 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 2nd part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Hashizô played the role of the Kabuki actor Fujimura Handayû II [more details].

1955: Hashizô joined the Tôei Company.

March 1955: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 3rd (and last) part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Hashizô played the roles of the chûrô Matsuyama and the Kabuki actor Fujimura Handayû II [more details].

1960: Hashizô played the role of Tokugawa Mitsukuni in the movie "Mito Kômon", which was directed by Matsuda Sadatsugu.

1962: Hashizô played the role of Amakusa Shirô Tokisada in the eponymous movie, which was directed by Ôshima Nagisa.

December 1969: revival at the Kabukiza of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kumo no Ito Azusa no Yumihari"; Hashizô played the roles of the zatô Utashichi, the keisei Usugumo and the Spirit of the Spider (kumo no sei) [more details].

7 December 1984: Hashizô died.

Comments:

Ôkawa Hashizô II was Japan’s foremost movie star in the 1950s and 1960s. Trained as a onnagata by the stage giant Onoe Kikugorô VI, he could have become a great Kabuki actor. Unfortunately for him, he was too young when Onoe Kikugorô VI died and it was impossible for him to make a name for himself as the tateonnagata of the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan because he was outclassed by actors like Onoe Baikô VII or Nakamura Fukusuke VII. Joining the samurai movie world was the only way for him to quickly rise to stardom because of his skills as a Kabuki actor. He was one of the four leading samurai actors of the 1950s, a quadrumvirate of stars which was nicknamed "Nisuke Nizô" ("the two Suke and the two Zô"). The three others were Nakamura Kinnosuke I, Ichikawa Raizô VIII and Azuma Chiyonosuke (the two former ones being also Kabuki actors). He starred in the longest running TV series in the role of Zenigata Heiji and starred also the leading role of Aoi Shingo in the eponymous movie series. Ôkawa Hashizô II is still considered as the most popular Japanese film star of all time.

Ôkawa Hashizô II

The list of Ôkawa Hashizô II's movies (in Japanese)

Ôkawa Hashizô II at imdb.com

The Ôkawa Hashizô line of actors