Stage name:

Takenaka Heikichi

Poetry names: Tôgetsu, Manchû ^[1]

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Takenaka Yaichi

Career:

Before 1718: son of Kojima Kozaemon and grandson of Tsuboya Ichibê, he was adopted by Takenaka Yaichi and received the name of Takenaka Heikichi.

1718: recorded for the first time in Kyôto where he performed at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater as an iroko.

End of the 1710s or beginning of the 1720s: he performed for a while in Edo in kodomo shibai.

1732: Heikichi performed in Nagoya as a wakaonnagata.

11th lunar month of 1733: Heikichi played in Ôsaka at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of the keisei Hanazuru in the kaomise drama "Shigeri Matsu Kogane no Takaragura", which was produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.

11th lunar month of 1734: Heikichi played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of the keisei Michishiba in the kaomise drama "Asahi no Matsu Kogane no Shinbashira", which was produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.

11th lunar month of 1735: Heikichi played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Eitarô's mekake Fuseya in the kaomise drama "Momijigari Nishiki no Yomeiri", which was produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.

Fall 1740: Heikichi settled in Kyôto.

12th lunar month of 1740: Heikichi became tachiyaku and performed in the drama "Chinpô Sandai Gatana", which was produced by Sakakiyama Jûtarô I and starred Sakakiyama Koshirô I and Sakakiyama Shirotarô I. The title of this drama, literally "The Rare Treasure - Three Generations of Swords" ^[2], was an allusion to the three generations of actors of the Sakakiyama clan sharing the same stage.

11th lunar month of 1742: Heikichi performed in the kaomise drama "Ômi Genji Taihei no Kachidoki", which was produced by Hanakawa Ichinojô at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.

1st lunar month of 1743: Heikichi played in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the ni-no-kawari new year drama "Harukoma Ikioi Soga" ^[3]; the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Soga Gorô Tokimune were played by Nakamura Utaemon I and Tsuuchi Monzaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1750: Heikichi played in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater the role of Ôgiya Kisabê in Fujikawa Sakoku's kaomise drama "Taira no Miyako Onna Ezôshi", which is produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô II.

1st lunar month of 1751: Heikichi played in the same theater the role of the umakata Sankurô, in reality Mashiba Tôzô, in Fujikawa Sakoku's ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kane-ga-Fuchi".

Fall 1752: Heikichi settled in Ôsaka after 12 seasons spent in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1752: Heikichi performed at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kyô Miyage Matsuri Zoroe"; his stage partners were Wakayama Shinkurô, Wakayama Bunshichi, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Ôtani Hirohachi I, Matsushima Kiyosaki, Ichimura Sanohachi, Kirishima Gizaemon I, Kiriyama Monji I, Matsushima Moheiji, Murayama Heijûrô IV, Daimatsu Hyakusuke and Nakamura Shirogorô III.

1st lunar month of 1757: premiere at the Ônishi no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Tenjiku Tokubê Kikigaki Ôrai"; Heikichi played the roles of the sendô Matasaku and Hosokawa Katsumoto [casting].

11th lunar month of 1761: Heikichi performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Miyo no Hana Yunzei Kagami", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.

12th lunar month of 1761: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Takeda Haruzô's ni-no-kawari drama "Akiba Gongen Kaisen Banashi". It was the first drama in Kabuki history using gandô-gaeshi on stage; Heikichi played the role of Matsukura Genmotsu [casting].

Fall 1763: Heikichi settled in Kyôto after 11 seasons spent in Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1763: Heikichi played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Ikoma Shôgen and his son Ikoma Gatajirô in Sakurato Bunsaku's kaomise drama "Hôraisan Hatsuhi no Kachidoki", which was produced by Arashi Matsunojô III. He also played the role of Hanjimono no Kihê in the drama "Kurofune Deiri Minato".

1st lunar month of 1764: Heikichi's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual]. Heikichi played in the same theater the role of Sakurai Shinbê in Namiki Shôzô I's ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Hana no Shiroyama".

3rd lunar month of 1764: Heikichi's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual]. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Takenaka Heikichi was born and trained in Kyôto and Edo. He performed as a a href="glossaire_8.php#wakaonnagata">wakaonnagata from the 1st half of the 1730s to the beginnig of the 1740s, excelling in keisei roles. Then, he became a talented and popular tachiyaku for almost 24 seasons in both Kyôto and Ôsaka. He excelled in wagoto and jitsugoto.

[1] Manchû or Manjû.

[2] It had also a different suggestive meaning because the word chinpô is the penis in old Japanese.

[3] A sogamono as a ni-no-kawari was a rare treat in Kamigata!

Ichikawa Sôzaburô II (left) and Takenaka Heikichi (right) playing the roles of the yakko Yokanpei and Abe no Yasuna in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami", which was staged in the 10th lunar month of 1754 at the Kita-Shinchi no Shibai (Ósaka)

Prints & Illustrations