Stage names:

Murayama Heijûrô IV [1]
Murayama Heikurô
Murayama Kujûrô

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Existence: ???

Connection:

Father: Murayama Heijûrô I

Brothers: Murayama Heijûrô II, Murayama Heijûrô III

Career:

1707 ~ 1746: third son of Murayama Heijûrô I, his first stage name was Murayama Kujûrô ^[2].

8th lunar month of 1707: his father Murayama Heijûrô I died.

29th day of the 8th lunar month of 1738 ^[3]: Murayama Heijûrô III died.

11th lunar month of 1746: he took the name of Murayama Heikurô at the Kado no Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1747: no record in Ôsaka or Kyôto kaomise performances.

11th lunar month of 1748: Heikurô became katakiyaku and played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Asano Daizô in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Fuyugomori Tsumagoi Ikusa", which was produced by Bandô Toyosaburô I.

1st lunar month of 1749: Heikurô's ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1749: Heikurô's ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, fell to jô (superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1749: Murayama Heikurô took the name of Murayama Heijûrô IV at the Ônishi no Shibai, where he played the role of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka in the kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa" which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I and welcomed back in Ôsaka Iwai Hanshirô III.

1st lunar month of 1750: Heijûrô's ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was one stroke above jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1750: Heijûrô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Ôba Saburô in the kaomise drama "Tachibana Gojûyongun", which was produced by Iwata Somematsu I.

1st lunar month of 1751: Heijûrô's ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1751: Heijûrô's ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1751: no record in Ôsaka or Kyôto kaomise performances.

11th lunar month of 1752: Heijûrô played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Washisaka Dennai in the kaomise drama "Kyô Miyage Matsuri Zoroe"; his stage partners were Wakayama Shinkurô, Wakayama Bunshichi, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, Ôtani Hirohachi I, Iwata Somematsu I, Ichimura Sanohachi, Kirishima Gizaemon I, Kiriyama Monji I, Matsushima Moheiji, Takenaka Heikichi, Matsushima Kiyosaki (who celebrated his shûmei) and Nakamura Shirogorô III.

11th lunar month of 1753: Heijûrô played the Kado no Shibai the role of Miki Kan'emon in Fujikawa Sakoku's kaomise drama "Kashû Narihira Ishi". He also played in the same theater from the 22nd day of this month the roles of the tedai Denkurô and the old woman Okura in Fujikawa Sakoku's ni-no-kawari drama "Otokodate Sakiwake Zakura" ^[4].

11th lunar month of 1754: Heijûrô performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Amaterasu Ômikami Iwado no Akebono", which was produced by Arashi San'emon IV.

12th lunar month of 1754: Heijûrô played in the same theater the role of Imagawa Ryôkai in the ni-no-kawari drama "Dôchû Sengandoi".

1st lunar month of 1755: Heijûrô's ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1755: Heijûrô's ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

10th lunar month of 1755: He played in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai the role of Rokuroemon in Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yamato Kotoba Hinin no Katakiuchi" ^[5]. This was his last-recorded performance in ôshibai. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Murayama Heijûrô IV was an Ôsaka tachiyaku and katakiyaku actor, who was active in ôshibai from the second half of the 1740s to the second half of the 1750s.

[1] In Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten", Murayama Heijûrô IV was described as the 3rd son of Murayama Heijûrô I, who had no previous stage name and took the name of Murayama Heijûrô IV after the death of Murayama Heijûrô III. It was also recorded that he played the role of Asano Daizô in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Fuyugomori Tsumagoi Ikusa", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1748 at the Naka no Shibai. We've checked the 1749 Ôsaka hyôbanki and a picture (the one below) has revealed the truth. It was Murayama Heikurô, not Murayama Heijûrô IV. We've decided to stay in line with the "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran". The Murayama Heijûrô V in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" is Murayama Heijûrô IV in the "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran".

Murayama Heikurô, not Murayama Heijûrô IV, playing the role of Asano Daizô in the kaomise drama "Fuyugomori Tsumagoi Ikusa", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1748 at the Naka no Shibai

[2] No record at all of any performance under this name in ôshibai or hama shibai. He could have performed in kodomo shibai, miyaji shibai, tabi shibai or inaka shibai.

[3] The 29th day of the 8th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Genbun era was the 12th of October 1738 in the western calendar.

[4] The kaomise was staged from the 5th day of the 11th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Hôreki era, which was the 29th of November 1753 in the western calendar. The ni-no-kawari was staged from the 22nd day of the 11th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Hôreki era, which was the 16th of December 1753 in the western calendar.

[5] This drama was staged to commemorate the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the passing away of the star Anegawa Shinshirô I.

Arashi Wakano II, Murayama Heijûrô IV, Bandô Toyosaburô I and Nakamura Shirogorô III playing the roles of Okanoi, Ôba Saburô, Kichiroku and Miura Yoshiuji in the kaomise drama "Tachibana Gojûyongun", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1750 at the Kado no Shibai

The Murayama Heijûrô line of actors