Stage names:

Asao Kuzaemon IV
Ichikawa Kigan IV
Ichikawa Kishô
Asao Kigan
Asao Ushinosuke

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry name: Kigan (4), Kashû

Existence: 20th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1853 ^[1] ~ 14 April 1924

Connection:

Father: Asao Kuzaemon III

Master: Ichikawa Udanji I

Nephew: Onoe Taganojô III

Career:

20th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1853: born in Hakata.

1st lunar month of 1860: debut on stage (hatsubutai) in miyaji shibai; he received the name of Asao Ushinosuke at the Inariza in Shimonoseki.

1872: he took the name of Asao Kigan.

January 1876: he became disciple of Ichikawa Udanji I and received the name of Ichikawa Kishô ^[2] in Kyôto.

November 1876: he took the name of Ichikawa Kigan IV ^[3] in Ôsaka at the Kadoza. Kigan was one of the haimyô used by the Asao Kuzaemon line of actors and Ichikawa Kigan IV was the first actor to use it as a stage name.

End of the 1870s or during the 1880s: Kigan settled in Tôkyô.

Mai 1905: Kigan played at the Miyatoza the role of Tôkichi in the drama "Kinkakuji"; the roles of Matsunaga Daizen and Princess Yuki were played by Ichikawa Sumizô V and Sawamura Sônosuke I.

March 1909: Kigan played at the Miyatoza the role of Oshô Kichisa in the drama "Sannin Kichisa"; the roles of Ojô Kichisa and Obô Kichisa were played by Sawamura Gennosuke IV and Arashi Yoshisaburô IV.

September 1911: Ichikawa Kigan IV and his nephew Ichikawa Kisaburô respectively took the names of Asao Kuzaemon IV and Ichikawa Kigan V at the Meijiza.

March 1913: Kuzaemon played at the Miyatoza the role of Oshô Kichisa in the drama "Sannin Kichisa"; the roles of Ojô Kichisa and Obô Kichisa were played by Sawamura Gennosuke IV and Ichikawa Ichijûrô IV.

October 1914: Kuzaemon played at the Miyatoza the role of Yoshioka Kiichi Hôgen in the drama "Kikubatake"; the roles of Princess Minazuru, Torazô (in reality Ushiwakamaru) and Chienai (in reality Yoshioka Kisanta) were played by Ichikawa Kigan V, Matsumoto Komasaburô III and Ichikawa Gonzaburô II.

October 1921: Kuzaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Kawagoe Shigeyori in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

14 April 1924: Kuzaemon died in Tôkyô.

Comments:

Asao Kuzaemon IV was a versatile koshibai actor. He was for example able to play most of the major male or female roles of the famous drama "Terakoya", not only Matsuômaru, Takebe Genzô, Chiyo or Tonami, but although the evil Shundô Genba! He was a mainstay at the Miyatoza, Sakaeza or the Misakiza in Tôkyô.

[1] The 20th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 6th year of the Kaei era was the 27th of April 1853 in the western calendar.

[2] In 1881 according to the "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" or the "Hyakunin no Kabuki Haiyû".

[3] in 1879 according to the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database; much later according to the "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" or the "Hyakunin no Kabuki Haiyû".

Asao Kuzaemon IV playing the role of Matsuômaru in the drama "Terakoya" (end of the Meiji era)

The Ichikawa Kigan line of actors

The Asao Kuzaemon line of actors