Stage name:

Matsushima Moheiji

Poetry name: Kitei

Existence: 1700 ~ 6th day of the 10th lunar month of 1765 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Matsushima Hanshichi II

Son: Matsushima Yaozô (Ichikawa Yaozô I)

Disciples: Matsushima Sakuya IV (?), Matsushima Kiyosaki (?)

Career:

3rd lunar month of 1708: he started his career in Kyôto. Disciple of Matsushima Hanshichi II, his stage name was Matsushima Moheiji. He played the role of the farmer Shôzaburô in the drama "Shôbô Daishi Happyakunenki".

1st lunar month of 1710: Moheiji became dôkegata and played the role of the tedai Risuke in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Shijûhachi Taka".

3rd lunar month of 1710: Moheiji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was naka (middle).

11th lunar month of 1714: Moheiji played the role of Arii Shinroku in the kaomise drama "Azuma-zukuri Ôdaidokoro", which was produced at Kameya Kumenojô's theater by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

11th lunar month of 1717: Moheiji played the role of the priest Sôjô Henjô, later a fox-catcher, in Sakakiyama Kansuke I's kaomise drama "Ômu Gaeshi Momotose Gitsune", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater; his stage partners were Shibazaki Rinzaemon I, Kirinami Takie, Yamada Jinpachi, Bandô Hikosaburô I, Sawamura Otoemon I, Sakakiyama Koshirô I, Katayama Kozaemon, Bandô Matajûrô I and Onoe Samon.

11th lunar month of 1718: Moheiji played in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of the Nô master Soronoshin the kaomise drama "Chôseiden Kogane no Ishizue", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

1st lunar month of 1723: Moheiji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1723: Moheiji went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1723: Moheiji played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Kisaku in the kaomise drama "Fukujukai Kogane no Minato", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

1st lunar month of 1724: Moheiji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1724: Moheiji played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Yashiro Tôzô in the kaomise drama "Senbon Matsu Hi-no-De no Maizuru".

11th lunar month of 1725: Moheiji played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of the ahô Matasaku in kaomise drama "Gokoku Jôju Naniwa no Yakata".

11th lunar month of 1726: Moheiji played at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Hakoiri Daikoku Gane", which was produced by Kaneko Kichizaemon.

11th lunar month of 1727: Moheiji played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Mabuchi Kinzô in the kaomise drama "Onna Kabuki Chiyo no Hajime".

Fall 1728: Moheiji went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1728: Moheiji played at Kameya Kumenojô's theater (Kyôto) the role of Yamagata Oribe in the kaomise drama "Tokiwagura Kogane no Ishizue", which was produced by Tamiya Hannosuke.

1st lunar month of 1729: Moheiji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1729: Moheiji performed in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Fukuju Yakata Wagô no Futabashira", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

11th lunar month of 1730: Moheiji performed in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Eiraku Shiki no Kogane", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

1st lunar month of 1731: Moheiji played in the same theater the role of the ahô Mosuke (Gengo's servant) in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Mikasayama".

1731~1732: tour in Nagoya; Moheiji performed as a dôkegata at the Nishi no Koji Shibai.

11th lunar month of 1732: Moheiji performed in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater in the kaomise drama "Hayazaki Kogane no Hanabusa"; his stage partners were Ichiyama Sukegorô I, Arashi Kanshirô I, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Tomizawa Montarô I, Somenoi Hanshirô, Kirinami Takie, Fujioka Daikichi, Shinozuka Kazaemon and Arashi Koroku I.

1st lunar month of 1733: Moheiji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was goku-jô-jô-kichi ^[2] (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).

11th lunar month of 1733: Moheiji played at Kameya Kumenojô's theater (Kyôto) the role of the kannushi Fukudayû in the kaomise drama "Chôseiden Kogane no Shikigawara", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô I.

Fall 1734: Moheiji went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1734: Moheiji played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Sakuma Yogozô in the kaomise drama "Shin Yakata In'yô no Ishizue", which was produced by Nakayama Shinkurô I; his stage partners were Sawamura Otoemon I, Izumikawa Sennosuke, Tamiya Shirogorô, Yamashita Matatarô I and Kamakura Heikurô I.

Fall 1735: Moheiji went back to Kyôto.

11th month of 1735: Moheiji performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Bankoku Ôshimadai", which was produced by Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1736: Moheiji's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

Fall 1736: Moheiji went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1736: Moheiji performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Yamato Fumi Mannen no Ayatsuri", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô III.

1st lunar month of 1737: Moheiji's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1737: Moheiji performed at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Uta Kurabe Kachidoki no Ume", which was produced by Yoshizawa Ayame II.

11th lunar month of 1738: Moheiji played in Ôsaka at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Yamashiro no Gengorô in the kaomise drama "Kusunoki Yakata Sennen Gitsune", which was produced by Yoshizawa Ayame II.

Fall 1740: Moheiji and Ichiyama Dengorô went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1740: Moheiji played at the Ichimuraza the role of Minamoto no Yorikane in the kaomise drama "Kichirei Imagawajô".

3rd lunar month of 1741: Moheiji's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1741: Moheiji played at the Ichimuraza the role of Ochikochi Satoemon in the kaomise drama "Sugatae Onna Narihira", which celebrated the return in Edo of Ôtani Hiroji I and Segawa Kikunojô I; his others stage partners were Bandô Hikosaburô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Bandô Matatarô III, Ichimura Uzaemon VIII, Nakajima Mihoemon I, Miyazaki Jûshirô II, Ichiyama Dengorô, Tamazawa Saijirô I and Ichimura Manzô.

Fall 1742: his son Matsushima Kichisaburô went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1742: Moheiji performed, along with his son, at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Keisei Akazawayama".

11th lunar month of 1743: Moheiji performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Funayosooi Mitsugi Taiheiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ôtani Oniji I.

3rd lunar month of 1744: Moheiji's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Arashi Otohachi I. There were 2 jô-jô-kichi dôkegata in Edo in 1744.

11th lunar month of 1744: Moheiji performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kachô Taiheiki".

11th lunar month of 1745: Moheiji performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Suehiro Izu Nikki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Fujikawa Heikurô and the shûmei of Ôtani Hiroemon II and Nakamura Denkurô II.

11th lunar month of 1750: Moheiji performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Hatsuyuki Reijin no Sode".

3rd lunar month of 1751: Moheiji's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Arashi Otohachi I and Tsuruya Nanboku II. There were 3 jô-jô-kichi dôkegata in Edo in 1751 ^[3].

11th lunar month of 1751: Moheiji played at the Nakamuraza the role of Mojiemon in the kaomise drama "Honryô Hachinoki-zome".

11th lunar month of 1753: Moheiji performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kokyô no Nishiki", which celebrated the shûmei of his master Suketakaya Takasuke I and Ichikawa Sôzaburô II.

11th lunar month of 1754: Moheiji played at the Nakamuraza the role of the priest Mongaku in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Bumon no Kotobuki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Matsumoto Kôshirô III and Tsuuchi Monzaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1755: Moheiji played in the same theater the role of Ôisoya Hyakubei in the new year sogamono drama "Waka Midori Nishiki Soga".

11th lunar month of 1757: Moheiji appears on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Moritaza, where he played the role of Ôtomo Jirô in the kaomise drama "Ikioi Wada Gassen". Afterwards, he retired from the Kabuki world.

6th day of the 10th lunar month of 1765 ^[1]: Moheiji died in Edo; his tombstone was located in the cemetery of the Hôjôin Temple in Fukagawa.

Comments:

Matsushima Moheiji was an important dôkegata actor, who achieved fame for himself in the 3 main Kabuki cities in Japan : he was jô-jô-kichi for 36 years from 1723 to 1758 in Kyôto, Ôsaka and Edo (and also in Nagoya in 1732). This was indeed an amazing achievement as humour was different depending on the city. Most of successful dôkegata in city A usually failed in achieving any fame in city B or C ^[4]. Matsushima Moheiji was the first dôkegata to be highly successful in the 3 cities in any of the major theaters.

[1] The 6th day of the 10th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Meiwa era was the 18th of November 1765 in the western calendar.

[2] The ideogram for goku (the one in the red box below) was not written with the same weight and in the same aligment as jô-jô-kichi. Nevertheless, it was the first time in Kabuki history that a dôkegata actor received a goku to his jô-jô-kichi:

[3] A very rare event in Kabuki history!

[4] Just replace A, B and C with any city from the group {Kyôto;Ôsaka;Edo} in the order you like.

Asao Motogorô I (left), Matsushima Moheiji (top/center) and Kamakura Heikurô I (right) playing the roles of the keisei Takao, Sakuma Yogozô and Iwabuchi Jôshin in the kaomise drama "Shin Yakata In'yô no Ishizue", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1734 at the Kado no Shibai

Prints & Illustrations