Stage names:

Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II
Ichinokawa Shirotarô
Ichinokawa Mikijirô

Guild: Kameya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Kakei

Existence: 1725 ~ 8th day of the 7th lunar month of 1783 ^[1]

Connection:

Father: Ichinokawa Hikoshirô I

Son-in-law: Fujikawa Hachizô II

Grandson: Fujikawa Hachizô III

Disciple: Ichinokawa Monzaburô, Ichinokawa Kyôzô, Ichinokawa Manroku

Career:

1725: born in Kamigata.

23rd day of the 7th lunar month of 1727 ^[2]: his father Ichinokawa Hikoshirô I died.

End of the 1720s ~ beginning of the 1730s: he started his career as a koyaku in Ôsaka, performing under the name of Ichinokawa Mikijirô. He became wakashugata and received the name of Ichinokawa Shirotarô at unknown times.

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

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

11th lunar month of 1735: Shirotarô played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of the temple page Tamamatsu Tomonojô in the kaomise drama "Momijigari Nishiki no Yomeiri", which was produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.

12th lunar month of 1740 : he became tachiyaku and took the name of Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II at the Ônishi no Shibai, playing the role of Izumi Kotarô in the drama "Miura Danjô Sugata no Yoroi", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

12th lunar month of 1748: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in the 8th lunar month of 1748 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Hikoshirô played the role of En'ya Hangan [casting].

12th lunar month of 1750: Hikoshirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Utanosuke in the drama "Keisei Tôyama Zakura" (similar to Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Hangonkô"), which was produced by the zamoto Nakamura Jûzô I for the nadai Shioya Kuroemon [casting].

11th lunar month of 1752: the play "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka, as a kaomise drama, at the Naka no Shibai; Hikoshirô played the role of Satsuma-no-Kami Tadanori [casting].

5th lunar month of 1762: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Koi Hakke Hashira Goyomi", which was a revision of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; Hikoshirô played the role of Mohê [more details].

7th lunar month of 1763: Hikoshirô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Sakuramaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which was produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I; his stage partners were Nakayama Bunshichi I (Matsuômaru, Terukuni), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Kakuju, Shihei), Arashi Hinasuke I (Haru), Anegawa Daikichi I (Tonami, Yae), Asao Tamejûrô I (Hyôei, Shundô Genba), Nakayama Raisuke I (Umeômaru), Bandô Toyosaburô I (Shiratayû), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Takebe Genzô, Sukune Tarô), Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II (Chiyo, Tatsuta) and Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kan Shôjô).

9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which was produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I and celebrated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of the star Anegawa Shinshirô I. A similar play was staged one day later under a different title, "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters. The performance at the Kado no Shibai was more successful than the one at the Naka no Shibai; Hikoshirô played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Shundô Jihê and Takaichi Buemon [casting].

12th lunar month of 1766: Hikoshirô played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Kajiwara Genta Kagesue in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki", which was produced by Arashi Hinasuke I; his stage partners were Arashi Hinasuke I (Umegae), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Matsuemon, Higuchi no Jirô Kanemitsu), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Gonshirô), Arashi Koroku I (Enju), Yoshizawa Ayame III (Oyoshi, Tomoe Gozen), Nakayama Raisuke I (Shigetada) and Arashi Shichigorô II (Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka).

7th lunar month of 1767: Hikoshirô played the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was staged at the Kado no Shibai to commemorate the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the passing away of Fujikawa Heikurô [casting]; the roles of Issun Tokubê and Danshichi Kurobê were played by Nakayama Raisuke I and Fujikawa Hachizô I.

12th lunar month of 1768: Hikoshirô played the role of Nan Yohê (later Nanpô Jûjibê) in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki", which was produced by Mimasu Tanin I at the Naka no Shibai [casting].

5th lunar month of 1770: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Hanji's gidayû kyôgen "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata", which was staged in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Hikoshirô played the role of Mimyô [casting].

1st lunar month of 1771: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Hikoshirô played the role of Ishidô Tatewaki [casting].

8th lunar month of 1771: Hikoshirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sadaka in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" [casting].

11th lunar month of 1771: Hikoshirô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Shikinami in the kaomise drama "Temomutsumajiya Ryûgû no Shimadai", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Otojûrô, Arashi Bungorô I and Arashi Shichisaburô II.

Fall 1772: Hikoshirô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1772: Hikoshirô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Kataoka Miki-no-Kami in the kaomise "Shiraume Genji Kuruwa no Hachinoki", which was produced by Anegawa Chiyosaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1773: Hikoshirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual].

12th lunar month of 1775: Hikoshirô played at the Higashi no Shibai (Ôsaka) the roles of Kakogawa Honzô, Amakawaya Gihei and Ishidô Umanojô in the drama "Suki Utsushi Iroha Butai", whose plot and characters were similar to "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1776: Hikoshirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He was kanjiku for tachiyaku actors.

End of the 1770s ~ beginning of the 1780s: Hikoshirô did not perform anymore in ôshibai; he performed occasionally in tabi shibai in Ise or Owari.

8th day of the 7th lunar month of 1783 ^[1]: Hikoshirô died.

Comments:

Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II was a talented Ôsaka tachiyaku, who achieved fame for himself during the second half of the 18th century. He was outstanding in yatsushigoto, jitsugoto and budôgoto.

[1] The 8th day of the 7th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Tenmei era was the 5th of August 1783 in the western calendar.

[2] The 23rd day of the 7th lunar month of the 12th year of the Kyôhô era was the 8th of September 1727 in the western calendar.

The actors Arashi Shichigorô II (left), Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II (center) and Arashi Koroku I (right) playing the roles of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka, Kajiwara Genta Kagesue and Enju in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki", which was staged in the 12th lunar month of 1766 at the Kado no Shibai

Prints & Illustrations

The Ichinokawa Hikoshirô line of actors