Stage name:

Sodeoka Masanosuke II

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Existence: 1666 ~ 15th day of the 9th lunar month of 1724 ^[1]

Connection:

Father (adoptive father? master?): Sodeoka Masanosuke I

Disciples: Sodeoka Shôtarô, Sodeoka Kikutarô (?), Sodeoka Sasao (?)

Career:

1686: his father (adoptive father? master?) Sodeoka Masanosuke I died.

11th lunar month of 1686: he took the name of Sodeoka Masanosuke II and performed as a wakaonnagata in Ôsaka at Araki Yojibê I's theater. His yearly salary was 35 ryô; his stage partners were Yamashita Hanzaemon I, Iwai Hanshirô I, Yamamura Kanzaburô, Sakurayama Rinnosuke I, Sakata Tôkurô, Takenaka Hanzaburô, Matsushima Han'ya II, Kozakura Kodayû, Takigawa Kiyosaburô, Yoshikawa Genzaburô, Mihara Jûdayû I, Wakabayashi Shiroemon and Sadoshima Denpachi.

1691: Masanosuke settled in Edo, where he became wakaonnagata.

11th lunar month of 1696: Masanosuke performed at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Neko no Koneko", commonly called "Onna Narukami"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô I, Ogino Sawanojô, Nakamura Shichisaburô I, Nakamura Denkurô I, Nakajima Kanzaemon I and Ôtani Hiroemon I.

11th lunar month of 1698: Masanosuke became kashagata and performed at the Yamamuraza in the kaomise drama "Genji Daikoku Bashira".

3rd lunar month of 1699: Masanosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, kashagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

6th lunar month of 1699: Masanosuke became wakaonnagata and played at the Yamamuraza the role of Yamashina Hayato's wife in the drama "Isshin Onna Narukami"; the role of Yamashina Hayato was played by Suzuki Heizaemon I.

11th lunar month of 1699: Masanosuke played at the Yamamuraza the role of Otokonosuke's wife in the kaomise drama "Kantô Koroku Kokyô no Nishikie".

3rd lunar month of 1700: Masanosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

1701~1711: a 10-year gap in Masanosuke history. One possible theory was that he went back to Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1711: Masanosuke became kashagata and performed at the Yamamuraza in the kaomise drama "Shida Konjiki no Uroko".

3rd lunar month of 1712: Masanosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, kashagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1713: Masanosuke performed at the Yamamuraza in the kaomise drama "Sazare Ishi Nasu no Futahashira".

2nd lunar month of 1714: Masanosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, kashagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1714: Masanosuke performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Banmin Daifukuchô".

1st lunar month of 1715: Masanosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, kashagata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1715: Masanosuke performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Kaburi Konrei Yorimasa".

11th day of the 1st lunar month of 1716 ^[2]: a fire broke out in the district of Shitaya Ike-no-Hata and spread to others sections of Edo, destroying both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. Masanosuke had to take some unintended vacation during the rebuilding of the theater.

11th lunar month of 1716: Masanosuke performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Mitsudomoe Katoku Biraki", which celebrated the shûmei of Arashi Kiyosaburô II.

11th lunar month of 1717: Masanosuke played at the Ichimuraza the role of the tsubone Shirakawa in the kaomise drama "Kinkazan Yoroi Biraki".

11th lunar month of 1718: Masanosuke played at the Ichimuraza the role of Tsuneyo's mother in the kaomise drama "Gozen Nô Mitsu Uroko", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Onoe Samon; Masanosuke's others main stage partners were Mimasuya Sukejûrô I (he played the role of Sano Genzaemon Tsuneyo), Ogawa Zengorô I, Sanjô Kantarô II, Ôtani Hiroji I, Ichimura Takenojô IV, Ôkuma Utaemon, Nakajima Mihoemon I and Onogawa Orie.

11th lunar month of 1719: Masanosuke performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Banmin Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1720: Masanosuke played in the same theater the role of the mother of the Soga brothers in the new year sogamono drama "Yuzuriha Kongen Soga", which commemorated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of Ichikawa Danjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1720: Masanosuke played at the Moritaza the role of Watanabe's mother in the kaomise drama "Kaigô Sakiwake Shitennô"; the role of Watanabe no Taketsuna was played by Ichikawa Danjûrô II.

1st lunar month of 1721: Masanosuke played in the same theater the role of the mother of the Soga brothers in the new year sogamono drama "Nigiwai Suehiro Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Mimasuya Sukejûrô I and Ichikawa Danjûrô II.

11th lunar month of 1721: Masanosuke performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Semimaru Yôrô no Taki", which celebrated the shûmei of Suzuki Heizaemon III.

11th lunar month of 1722: Masanosuke performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Hônen Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1723: Masanosuke appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he played the role of mother of the Soga brothers in the new year drama "Soga Koyomi Biraki"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Mimasuya Sukejûrô I and Ichikawa Danjûrô II. Masanosuke fell ill afterwards and had to retire from the Kabuki stages.

15th day of the 9th lunar month of 1724 ^[1]: Masanosuke died in Edo.

Comments:

Sodeoka Masanosuke II was born and trained in Kamigata but achieved fame for himself in Edo, as it was often the case for onnagata actors at the beginning of the 18th century. He was active in Edo 4 theaters from the beginning of the 1690s to 1700, then from the beginning of the 1710s to the beginning of the 1720s. He was considered as the first important Edo kashagata, continuously holding the prestigious jô-jô-kichi rank from 1715 to 1723. He excelled in a wide range of roles, like kôshitsu, tsubone or the mother of the Soga brothers.

[1] The 15th day of the 9th lunar month of the 9th year of the Kyôhô era was the 31st of October 1724 in the western calendar.

[2] The 11th day of the 1st lunar month of the 6th year of the Shôtoku era was the 4th of February 1716 in the western calendar.

Sodeoka Masanosuke II (left) and Sakata Hangorô I (right) performing in the kaomise drama "Banmin Taiheiki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1719 at the Moritaza

Prints & Illustrations

The Sodeoka Masanosuke line of actors