Pen names:

Masuyama Kinpachi II
Tsuchii Hyôshichi I
Tsuchii Hyôshichi

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Gozan

Existence: ??? ~ 1826

Connection:

Master: Katsu Hyôzô I (Tsuruya Nanboku IV)

Career:

Before 1808: with the patronage of Tsuchiya Kanji, who worked at the entrance of the backstage of a theater in the district of Kobiki-chô, he was hired to work in the ôdôgu team. As the job was physically too tough for him, he moved to the kodôgu team, where he excelled and was spotted as a very reliable and talented worker. He became a disciple of Katsu Hyôzô I.

1808: the name of this new sakusha was created in the backstages of the Ichimuraza, using one ideogram from the first name or last name of 4 people. He was named Tsuchii Hyôshichi with Tsuchi coming from Tsuchiya (his previous master Tsuchiya Kanji), i coming from Matsui (Matsui Kôzô I), hyô coming from Hyôzô (the first name of the previous name of his master, Sawa Hyôzô) and Shichi coming from Shôshichi (Shimizu Shôshichi I). As it was too early to use the same ideogram as his master, a different one was selected:

11th lunar month of 1808: Hyôshichi worked at the Ichimuraza, along with Katsu Hyôzô I (tatesakusha), Matsui Kôzô I Shimizu Shôshichi I and Sone Shôkichi I, on the kaomise drama "Irosoyuru Nidai Genji", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Sawamura Tanosuke II and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Rikô II.

1st day of the 1st lunar month of 1809 ^[3]: a fire broke out in the district of Nihonbashi Sanai-chô and destroyed both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. The new year sogamono was staged at the beginning of the 4th lunar month after the rebuilding of the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1810: Hyôshichi worked with his master at the Ichimuraza on the kaomise drama "Shitennô Yagura no Ishizue".

11th lunar month of 1811: Katsu Hyôzô I took the name of Tsuruya Nanboku IV at the Ichimuraza; Hyôshichi worked with his master on the kaomise drama "Itsukushima Yuki no Mitegura", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô IV.

11th lunar month of 1818: Hyôshichi worked, along with Sakurada Jisuke II, Namiki Gohei II (who celebrated his shûmei), Tajima Konosuke I and Matsushima Hanji II (who celebrated his shûmei), on the kaomise drama "Ise Heiji Hiiki no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1820: Hyôshichi worked at the Naka no Shibai, along with Nagawa Harusuke I, on the kaomise drama "Zensei Yuki no Dategasa", starring the Edo stars Matsumoto Kôshirô V and Iwai Hanshirô V.

11th lunar month of 1822: he became tatesakusha, took the name of Masuyama Kinpachi II and worked at the Moritaza ^[1], along with Hon'ya Sôshichi, on the kaomise drama "Hanayagura Wakoku no Kachidoki", which celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Shijaku I, Ichikawa Dannosuke IV and Nakamura Gyoraku II.

1st lunar month of 1823: Kinpachi worked at the Moritaza on the new year sogamono drama "Hatsuyume Soga Takara no Irifune".

3rd lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Moritaza of the 5-role hengemono "Yamato Gana Tamuke no Itsumoji" ^[2]; the five roles were performed by Iwai Shijaku I [more details].

1826: Kinpachi died.

Comments:

Masuyama Kinpachi II was an Edo sakusha, who was active from 1808 to 1826. One of his creations is still in the Kabuki repertoire: "Komori".

[1] The Moritaza was closed from the 7th lunar month of 1818 to the 10th lunar month of 1822. Its license was used by the Kawarasakiza. This kaomise drama celebrated the reopening of the theater.

[2] The 4th role, the komori, is still in the Kabuki repertoire and is nowadays entitled "Komori".

[3] The 1st day of the 1st lunar lunar month of the 6th year of the Bunka era was the 14th of February 1809 in the western calendar.

The name of Masuyama Kinpachi II in a 1823 Edo hyôbanki (the name within the red box)

The Tsuchii Hyôshichi line of playwrights

The Masuyama Kinpachi line of playwrights