Stage names:

Yamashita Kinsaku II
Nakamura Handayû

Guild: Tennôjiya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Rikô

Existence: 1733 ~ 12th day of the 9th lunar month of 1799 ^[1]

Connections:

Master: Nakamura Tomijûrô I

Adoptive father: Yamashita Kinsaku I

Brother: Nakamura Shingorô II

Sons: Yamashita Mangiku I, Yamashita Masajirô

Adopted sons: Yamashita Mansaku, Yamashita Kinsaku III

Disciple: Yamashita Matsunojô

Career:

1733 ~ 1749: born in Ôsaka. He started his career as a disciple of the onnagata actor Nakamura Tomijûrô I, who gave him the name of Nakamura Handayû.

1749: Nakamura Handayû was adopted by the retired actor Yamashita Kinsaku I ^[2], who gave him the name of Yamashita Kinsaku II.

2nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1750 ^[3]: his adoptive father Yamashita Kinsaku I died.

Fall 1752: Nakamura Tomijûrô I and Kinsaku went together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1852: Kinsaku performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Akazawayama Sumô Nikki".

6th lunar month of 1755: Kinsaku achieved a great success at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Yaoya Oshichi in the drama "Edo Kanoko Shôchikubai".

1st lunar month of 1758: Yamashita Kinsaku played 3 roles at the Ichimuraza in the new year sogamono drama "Kujûsanki Ôyose Soga".

7th lunar month of 1758: Kinsaku achieved a great success in the same theater, playing the role of Yaoya Oshichi in the drama "Hoshiai Genji Guruma".

Fall 1758: Kinsaku went back to Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1758: Kinsaku played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the courtesan Azumaji in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Arigatashi Fujiwara Keizu", which was produced by Nakayama Bunshichi I.

12th lunar month of 1758: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's ni-no-kawari drama "Sanjikkoku Yofune no Hajimari"; for the very first time in Kabuki history, a mawari-butai, invented by Namiki Shôzô I, was built and used on the stage of a theater [more details]; Kinsaku played the role of the keisei Agemaki.

1st lunar month of 1760: Kinsaku's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1761: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's ni-no-kawari drama "Kiritarô Tengu no Sakamori"; Kinsaku played the role of the keisei Ureshino [more details].

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"; Kinsaku played the role of Kikue [more details].

9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I. A similar play was staged one day before under a different title, "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Kado no Shibai. 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; Kinsaku played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Ihê's nyôbô [casting].

5th lunar month of 1766: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5 acts puppet theater drama "Honchô Nijûshikô", in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Kinsaku played the roles of Nureginu and Karaori [casting].

Fall 1766: Kinsaku went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1766: Kinsaku performed at the Kitagawa no Shibai in Tenmaya Kyûshichi's kaomise drama "Umayadogimi Shitennôji Kuyô", which was produced by Edosaka Kyôemon and celebrated the shûmei of Sakakiyama Sagisuke, Sakakiyama Koshirô III and Sakakiyama Shirotarô III.

Fall 1768: Kinsaku went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1768: Kinsaku performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Kômei Daifukuchô", which was produced by Mimasu Tanin I.

12th lunar month of 1768: Kinsaku played in the same theater the role of Fujiya Azuma in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki", which was produced by Mimasu Tanin I [casting].

7th lunar month of 1769: Kinsaku played in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ohatsu in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Sonezaki Shinjû", staged under a different title; the role of Hiranoya Tokubê was played by Nakayama Bunshichi I.

Fall 1769: Kinsaku went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1769: Kinsaku performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Na ni Takashi Kumoi no Yumihari", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Shirogorô IV and Kasaya Matakurô II.

11th lunar month of 1770: Kinsaku performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Nakamura Shôchô, Ichikawa Monnosuke II, Nakamura Shichisaburô III and Bandô Sanpachi II.

1st lunar month of 1771: Kinsaku's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1771: Kinsaku played in the same theater the role of Ochiyo in the Miyakoji-based dance-drama "Oborozuki Tsui no Someginu", which puts in the same michiyuki the couples of lovers Tokubê/Ohatsu ("Sonezaki Shinjû"), Ochiyo/Hanbei ("Shinjû Yoi Gôshin") and Osome/Hisamatsu; the role of Ochiyo's lover Hanbei was played by Ichikawa Komazô II.

11th lunar month of 1773: Kinsaku played at the Moritaza the roles of Ran-no-Kata and Osaku in the kaomise drama "Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai".

3rd lunar month of 1776: first Kabuki adaptation of Matsu Kanshi's puppet theater drama "Koi Musume Mukashi Hachijô", which was staged at the Nakamuraza; Kinsaku played the role of Okoma's mother [casting].

5th lunar month of 1776: the play "Honchô Nijûshikô" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Kinsaku played the role of Otane [casting].

1st lunar month of 1778: the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Kinsaku played the roles of Omiwa and Sadaka [casting].

1778: tour in Sendai.

6th lunar month of 1780: tour in the province of Echigo.

8th lunar month of 1780: Kinsaku went back to Edo and performed at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Tsuma Mukae Koshiji no Fumizuki".

Fall 1780: Kinsaku went to Ôsaka after 11 seasons spent in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1780: Kinsaku performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Mô Mô Yokaro Ushi no Tamamono", which was produced by Fujikawa Sango.

1st lunar month of 1781: Kinsaku's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1781: Kinsaku became zamoto for the nadai Shioya Kuroemon and produced the kaomise drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû" at the Naka no Shibai.

12th lunar month of 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Tengajaya-mura" [casting]. A similar play was produced at the Naka no Shibai a few days later by Kinsaku under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai". The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters; Kinsaku the roles of Kôemon's wife Osumi and Kataoka Miki-no-Kami's wife Takanoha [casting].

Summer 1782: tour in Miyajima.

12th lunar month of 1782: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Keisei Kogane no Shachihoko"; Kinsaku played the roles of keisei Kasugano and Tarosuke's nyôbô Sonoo [more details].

7th lunar month of 1783: the play "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Kado no Shibai; Kinsaku played the role of Ohatsu [casting].

4th lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Shimesuke I's drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage"; Kinsaku played the role of the Eirakuya widow Oraku [casting].

5th lunar month of 1784: première in ôshibai, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, of the gidayû kyôgen "Yura no Minato Sengen Chôja"; Kinsaku played the role of the menoto Uwatake [casting].

1785: tour in Ise, Kuwana, Misaki and the Kasuga Ryôsha Shrine.

1st lunar month of 1786: Kinsaku played the roles of Minatomachi Gozen and Otane in the drama "Keisei Noi Zakura", which was staged in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater.

3rd day of the 8th lunar month of 1786 ^[4]: his first master Nakamura Tomijûrô I died.

11th lunar month of 1786: Kinsaku went back to Ôsaka.

3rd lunar month of 1787: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Taikô Shinkenki", a play similar to "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"; Kinsaku played the role of Ichimisai's elder daughter Osono [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1788: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sewa Ryôri Yaoya Kondate"; Kinsaku played the role of Ojû [more details].

Fall 1788: Kinsaku was expected to perform in Edo at the Moritaza but some health problems led him to stay in Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1793: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yanagi Zakura", the first yanagisawa-sôdômono in Kabuki history, written by Tatsuoka Mansaku and Chikamatsu Tokusô; Kinsaku played the roles of Isshiki's okugata Nezame and Kohagi [more details].

1st lunar month ~ 3rd lunar month of 1794: premiere of Tatsuoka Mansaku's drama "Keisei Haru no Tori", which was famous for its "Umagiri" scene and was produced by the zamoto Asao Okujirô I in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Kinsaku played the role of Tsuchiya Shôsuke's nyôbô Otani [more details].

9th lunar month of 1794: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Hanji's puppet theater drama "Kamakura Sandaiki"; Kinsaku played the role of Wada's nyôbô [casting].

11th lunar month of 1794: Kinsaku went to Edo and performed at the Kiriza in the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Oedo no Ishizue".

1st lunar month of 1796: Kinsaku went back to Kamigata.

5th lunar month of 1798: Kinsaku played the role of Okaji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was produced by Nakayama Yosaburô II at the Kado no Shibai; his stage partners were Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Danshichi Kurobê), Nakayama Bunzô (Issun Tokubê), Yoshizawa Iroha I (Otatsu) and Seki Sanjûrô I (Tsuribune Sabu).

8th lunar month of 1799: Kinsaku appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, where he performed in Tatsuoka Mansaku's drama "Yuki no Nadokoro Yomeodoshidani", which was produced by Yamashita Kamematsu. He suddenly fell ill.

12th day of the 9th lunar month of 1799 ^[1]: Kinsaku died.

Comments:

Yamashita Kinsaku II was an outstanding onnagata actor, who won fame for himself in both Edo and Kamigata during the second half of the eighteenth century. The role of Yaoya Oshichi was his forte.

[1] The 12th day of the 9th lunar month of the 11th year of the Kansei era was the 10th of October 1799 in the western calendar.

[2] Yamashita Kinsaku I retired in 1748.

[3] The 2nd day of the 7th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kan'en era was the 3rd of August 1750 in the western calendar.

[4] The 3rd day of the 8th lunar month of the 6th year of the Tenmei era was the 26th of August 1786 in the western calendar.

Yamashita Kinsaku II playing the role of the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô in the drama "Kurikaesu Soga no Odamaki", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1770 at the Moritaza (print made by Ippitsusai Bunchô)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Ippitsusai Bunchô

Print made by Ippitsusai Bunchô in 1771

The Yamashita Kinsaku line of actors