Pen names:

Tsuruya Nanboku V
Nanboku Magotarô IV
Uba Jôsuke II
Nanboku Magotarô IV
Tsurumine Sensuke I

Other name:

Tsuruya Magotarô IV

Stage names:

Tsurumine Ushizaemon
Nanboku Ushizaemon

Guild: Tsuruya

Line number: GODAIME (V)

Poetry name: Kayû

Existence: 1796 ~ 21st day of the 1st lunar month of 1852 ^[1]

Connection:

Adoptive father: Katsu Hyôzô II (Tsuruya Nanboku IV's son)

Disciples: Kawatake Shinshichi II, Segawa Jokô III, Masuyama Kinpachi III, Tsurumine Sensuke II, Tsurumine Yosuke, Harufuji Shigyoku

Career:

1739: born in Edo in the district of Fukagawa. He was the son of Matsumoto Saiemon, the owner of a chaya located within the precincts of the Hachiman Shrine.

1800: he was adopted by Naoeya Jûbê (later Katsu Hyôzô II).

11th lunar month of 1802: he made his debut on stage at the Ichimuraza, where he performed under the name of Nanboku Ushizaemon as a koyaku in Fukumori Kyûsuke I's kaomise drama "Toki-ni Ôshû Tsubo no Ishibumi".

7th lunar month of 1805: Ushizaemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Tarokichi in the drama "Genpei Nunobiki no Taki"; the roles of Saitô Bettô Sanemori, Koman, Senoo Jûrô Kaneyasu, Aoi Gozen and Kurosuke were played by Sawamura Gennosuke I, Nakamura Utagorô, Ichikawa Danzaburô IV and Arashi Kanjûrô I.

1821: he became sakusha and his first pen name was Tsurumine Sensuke I.

1824: he occasionally performed on stage as a dôkegata; his new stage name was Tsurumine Ushizaemon.

11th lunar month of 1825: he became sanmaime sakusha at the Ichimuraza and took the name of Tsuruya Magotarô IV.

27th day of the 11th lunar month of 1829 ^[6]: Tsuruya Nanboku IV died in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1830: Magotarô worked at the Nakamuraza, along with Katsu Hyôzô II, Matsuchi Shôkichi and Nakamura Jûsuke IV, on the kaomise drama "Oyobanu Ude Tsuna-ga-Kaomise" ^[3].

15th ^[4] day of the 12th lunar month of 1830 ^[5]: his adoptive father Katsu Hyôzô II died.

11th lunar month of 1831: he became tatesakusha and worked at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Matsu o Chikara Tomoe no Fujinami", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Tosshô I.

11th lunar month of 1832: he took the name of Uba Jôsuke II and worked at the Kawarasakiza on the drama "Tanomiaru Gohiiki no Tsuna", which celebrated the shûmei of Yamashita Kinsaku IV.

1833: he took back the name of Nanboku Magotarô IV.

2nd lunar month of 1835: premiere at the Ichimuraza of "Ume no Haru Gojûsan Tsugi" ^[2], a drama written by Mimasuya Nisôji, Nakamura Jûsuke IV and Magotarô.

3rd lunar month of 1837: he took the name of Tsuruya Nanboku V at the Nakamuraza, where he worked on the drama "Yayoi no Hana Oedo no Irifune".

11th lunar month of 1837: Nanboku worked, along with Mimasuya Nisôji, at the Kawarasakiza (which celebrated its reopening!) on the drama "Sekai ha Taira Ume no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1838: Nanboku worked, along with Mimasuya Nisôji, Sakurada Jisuke III, Nakamura Jûsuke IV and Matsushima Chôfu II, at the Nakamuraza on the drama "Isse Ichidai Kuriki no Myônoji", which celebrated the isse ichidai performance of the Edo star Onoe Kikugorô III.

11th lunar month of 1839: Nanboku worked at the Nakamuraza on the drama "Sumidagawa Yukimi no Jindachi".

11th lunar month of 1840: Nanboku worked at the Nakamuraza on the drama "Yasa Heike Kabuki no Gunbai" with Bandô Hikosaburô IV as zagashira.

11th lunar month of 1846: Nanboku worked at the Ichimuraza on the drama "Gekiryômaru Ichiban Ikari", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Gennosuke II.

1st lunar month of 1847: Nanboku worked in the same theater on the new year sogamono drama "Fuji Nikki Kakizome Soga".

End of 1847/beginning of 1848: Nanboku went to Kamigata.

1st lunar month of 1848: Nanboku worked at the Naka no Shibai, along with the Ôsaka sakusha Namiki Saemon, on the new year drama "Keisei Soga Kamakura Daijin".

9th lunar month of 1848: Nanboku worked at the Kado no Shibai, along with Namiki Gohei III, on the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which starred Ôkawa Hashizô I (Kan Shôjô, Shundô Genba), Ichikawa Ebizô V (Kakuju, Matsuômaru), Arashi Rikan III (Sukune Tarô), Arashi San'emon IX (Tatsuta-no-Mae, Chiyo, Yae), Ôkawa Sanchô (Umeômaru), Ichikawa Sukejurô (Takebe Genzô), Onoe Eizaburô IV (Princess Kariya) and Ichikawa Shikô III (Terukuni, Sakuramaru).

1st lunar month of 1849: Nanboku worked at the Naka no Shibai, along with the Ôsaka sakusha Namiki Saemon, on the new year drama "Keisei Ishikawa-zome".

Spring (?) or Summer (?) 1849: Nanboku went back to Edo.

9th lunar month of 1851: Nanboku worked at the Ichimuraza on the drama "Genji Moyô Furisode Hinagata".

21st day of the 1st lunar month of 1852 ^[1]: Nanboku died in Edo; his tombstone was located in the precincts of the Shingyôji temple.

Comments:

Tsuruya Nanboku V's greatest achievement was the transmission of the heritage of Tsuruya Nanboku IV, the major playwright of the first half of the 19th century, to Kawatake Shinshichi II, the major playwright of the second half of the 19th century. Tsuruya Nanboku V was not a genius like Tsuruya Nanboku IV but he successfully raised the talent of a future genius.

[1] The 21st day of the 1st lunar month of the 5th year of the Kaei era was the 10th of February 1852 in the western calendar.

[2] "Given the title, audiences might have expected a version of Jippensha Ikku's (1765–1831) best-selling comic novel Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige (popularly known as Shank's Mare), but what they got instead was a spectacle of frightening scenes, along with erotic interplay and comic spoofing of Nanboku's favorite themes. Ume no haru, like its predecessor, included a monstrous demon cat, but also added a renegade priest who masters rat magic and a thief named Nezumi Kozô ("Kid Rat"). With these elements, the play qualified as a type of drama called neko-sôdômono." (from osakaprints.com)

[3] It included the Tokiwazu/Gidayû-based shosagoto "Yama Mata Yama Shizu-ga-Kusemai", the Tokiwazu-based shosagoto "Yoi Naka no Futari-o Koko-ni Mitsu Ôgi" and the Tokiwazu-based shosagoto "Kumo no Obi Senjô-ga-Taki".

[4] The 15th day in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" and the 17th day in the 6th volume of "Kabuki Nenpyô".

[5] The 15th day of the 12th lunar month of the 1st year of the Tenpô era was the 28th of January 1831 in the western calendar. If he died the 17th day, it was the 30th of January 1831.

[6] The 27th day of the 11th lunar month of the 12th year of the Bunsei era was the 22nd of December 1829 in the western calendar.

The name of Tsuruya Nanboku V in a 1842 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red shape on the left side of the picture)

The Uba Jôsuke line of playwrights

The Tsuruya Nanboku line of playwrights