Stage names:

Matsumoto Kingo II
Ichikawa Kingo

Guild: Kôraiya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Existence: 8 May 1895 ~ 26 January 1956

Connection:

Masters: Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII, Matsumoto Kôshirô VII

Son: Matsumoto Kingo III

Disciple: Matsumoto Kyônosuke

Career:

8 May 1895: born in Tôkyô in the district of Nihonbashi.

March 1904: first stage appearance, at the Meijiza where he received the name of Ichikawa Kingo.

Fall 1911: he became disciple of the actor Matsumoto Kôshirô VII.

November 1911: Ichikawa Kingo took the name of Matsumoto Kingo II at the Imperial Theater, performing in the drama "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô".

1916: Kingo became nadai.

1928: Kingo joined the Shunjûza, a troupe led by Ichikawa Ennosuke II.

1929: long tour in the Kansai, with a troupe led by him and Ichikawa Kodayû II.

March 1934: "Ôishi Saigo no Ichinichi", the tenth and last play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka and in Kyôto, at the Naniwaza from the 3rd to 16th of March [casting] and at the Minamiza from the 17th to the 27th of March [casting]; Kingo played the role of Shizuma, in reality Omino.

27 January 1949: his master Matsumoto Kôshirô VII died.

1955: he became a disciple of the actor Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII.

July 1955: premiere at the Tôkyô Takarazuka Theater of Uno Nobuo's drama "Mômoku Monogatari"; Kingo played the role of the rôjo Kaede [more details]. This drama was part of the first Tôhô Kabuki postwar performance. The Tôkyô Takarazuka Theater was taken over by the American occupation forces in 1945, becoming the Ernie Pyle Theater. It was forbiden to Japanese for 10 years and was finally given back to the Tôhô Company in 1955, which renamed it with its original name.

26 January 1956: Kingo died in Tôkyô.

Comments:

Matsumoto Kingo II was a supporting onnagata actor of the Kôraiya guild. He was quite active in Kansai from the 1930s to the 1950s, performing among others in Nakamura Ganjirô II's troupe. He had the opportunity to perform in Ôsaka important supporting roles like Okinoi in "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" or Oen in "Fûin Giri".

Matsumoto Kingo II playing the role of Okaru in the 7th act of "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged in November 1927 at the Miyatoza

The Matsumoto Kingo line of actors