Stage names:

Arashi Shichigorô II
Ichikawa Ryûzô
Arashi Ryûzô I

Other name:

Arashi Shagan II [1]

Guild: Kyôya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Shagan

Existence: 1733 ~ 28th day of the 5th lunar month of 1788 ^[2]

Connection:

Father: Arashi Shichigorô I

Master: Ichikawa Danzô III

Disciples: Arashi Shichigorô III, Arashi Seizô

Career:

1730s ~ 1740s: son of Arashi Shichigorô I, his first stage name was Arashi Ryûzô I. He became disciple of Ichikawa Danzô III and received the name of Ichikawa Ryûzô at an unknown date.

11th lunar month of 1746: Ryûzô became zamoto and produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Genji Musha Hinode Ôgi".

8th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Naka no Shibai; it was produced by Ryûzô [casting].

1753 ~ 1757: Ryûzô was on tour, performing in inaka shibai.

2nd lunar month of 1758: Ichikawa Ryûzô took the name of Arashi Shichigorô II at the Kado no Shibai, playing the roles of Kaminari Shôkurô, the ghost of Kawazu Saburô and Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the drama "Okina Gusa Goshiki no Hanabusa".

1st lunar month of 1760: Shichigorô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Matsumoto Tomojûrô II.

8th lunar month of 1764: Shichigorô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Yahei in the drama "Fumizuki Urami no Kiriko"; the roles of Otsuma and Hachirobê were played by Nakamura Kumetarô I and Mimasu Daigorô I.

9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I. A similar play was staged one day before under a different title, "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Kado no Shibai. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters. The performance at the Kado no Shibai was more successful than the one at the Naka no Shibai; Shichigorô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of the wakatô Sahê [casting].

11th lunar month of 1768: Shichigorô performed in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Shin-yakata Banzei no Kotobuki", which was produced by Yamashita Yaozô I.

3rd lunar month of 1769: Shichigorô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

6th lunar month of 1770: Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka ôshibai, at the Kado no Shibai; Shichigorô played the role of Kyûshichi [casting].

Fall 1771: Shichigorô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1771: Shichigorô played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Osaragi Daigaku in the kaomise drama "Miyako Yoshino Mikado no Takadono", which was produced by Mimasu Tokujirô I, welcomed in Kyôto the Edo actor Sakata Hangorô II and celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Anegawa Minato II and Yamatoyama Rinzaemon II.

11th lunar month of 1774: Shichigorô played the role of Arao Gotôta in the kaomise program "Akanesasu Kogane no Maruyama", which was produced by Fujikawa Sango at Hayagumo Chôdayû and Hoteiya Umenojô theater; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô I, Arashi Hinasuke I, Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Onoe Matsusuke I (who arrived from Edo), Onoe Shinshichi I and Yoshizawa Iroha I.

12th lunar month of 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Tengajaya-mura" [casting]. A similar play was staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", at the Naka no Shibai. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters; Shichigorô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sôma Saburôemon [casting].

9th lunar month of 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Shichigorô played the roles of Sawai Matagorô, Matagorô's mother Narumi and Usami Goemon [casting].

1st lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi"; Shichigorô played the roles of Momonoi Shuridayû, Hikaki and Daiba no Niza [casting].

2nd lunar month of 1787: Shichigorô's name appeared in a hyôbanki for the last time; his rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku/jitsuaku section, was is two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual].

Spring 1788: he went on tour in Sakai with Ichikawa Danzô IV and Mimasu Daigorô II. His last stage performance was most likely in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", in which he played the role of Kô no Moronô and Ono no Kudayû.

28th day of the 5th lunar month of 1788 ^[2]: Shichigorô died in the city of Mitajiri.

Comments:

Arashi Shichigorô II was a talented actor, who was specialized in katakiyaku and jitsuaku roles and who made most of his career in Kamigata from the middle of the 1740s to the end of the 1780s. He was endowed with a powerful voice and his diction was outstanding.

[1] Not reported in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" or the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database. As Arashi Shichigorô II was the second actor to use the haimyô Shagan, we assume he was de facto Arashi Shagan II.

[2] The 28th day of the 5th lunar month of the 8th year of the Tenmei era was the 1st of July 1788 in the western calendar.

Arashi Shichigorô II performing in the 11th lunar month of 1782 at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Zu ni Notta Bankoku Tokai"

The Arashi Shagan line of actors

The Arashi Ryûzô line of actors

The Arashi Shichigorô line of actors