Stage names:

Ichikawa Shôchô II
Ichikawa Enjaku I
Ichikawa Sakimatsu II

Real name: Suzuki Tetsuya

Guild: Wakamatsuya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Existence: 23 September 1886 ~ 19 August 1940

Connections:

Master (and father-in-law): Ichikawa Sadanji I

Brother-in-law: Ichikawa Sadanji II

Wife: Ichikawa Shôchô I

Adopted son: Ichikawa Monnosuke VII

Disciple: Ichikawa Enjaku II

Career:

23 September 1886: born in Tôkyô. His father was the owner of a brothel located in the district of Shinjuku.

September 1896: he became a disciple of Ichikawa Sadanji I and made his first stage appearance, at the Meijiza, where he received the name of Ichikawa Sakimatsu II and performed as a koyaku in the drama "Kiichi Hôgen Sanryaku no Maki".

7 August 1904: his master Ichikawa Sadanji I died.

September 1906: Ichikawa Sakimatsu II took the name of Ichikawa Enjaku I.

September 1909: revival at the Meijiza of the drama "Kenuki", a long-forgotten play belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Enjaku played the role of Hata no Hidetarô [casting].

May 1911: premiere at the Meijiza of the Okamoto Kidô's drama "Shuzenji Monogatari"; Enjaku played the role of Kaede [casting].

January 1912: Ichikawa Enjaku I took the name of Ichikawa Shôchô II. Shôchô was a haimyô used by Ichikawa Sadanji I. Yukiko, the daughter of Ichikawa Sadanji I, made a short career in a Kabuki women troupe, playing under the name of Ichikawa Shôchô but she was not considered as the first holder of this name. It was Ichikawa Sadanji I who was acknowledged as Ichikawa Shôchô I, although he never held this name during his career. Revival at the Meijiza of the drama "Fudô", belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Shôchô played the role of Kumedera Danjô's sister Matsugae [more details].

Fall 1913: wedding with Ichikawa Sadanji I's daughter Yukiko.

January 1914: revival at the Hongôza of the drama "Gedatsu", a long-forgotten play belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Shôchô played the role of Akoya [more details].

September 1914: premiere at the Hongôza of the drama "Waki Noboru Mizu-ni Koi Taki"; Shôchô played the role of Princess Kozakura [casting].

October 1914: premiere at the Meijiza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Soga Monogatari"; Shôchô played the role of Ôiso no Tora [casting].

September 1915: premiere at the Hongôza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Toribeyama Shinjû"; Shôchô played the role of the Wakamatsuya courtesan Osome [casting].

February 1916: premiere at the Hongôza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Banchô Sarayashiki"; Shôchô played the role of Okiku [casting].

September 1918: premiere at the Meijiza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Onoe Idahachi"; Shôchô played the roles of the courtesan Onoe and Osayo [casting].

November 1920: premiere at the Meijiza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Ogurusu no Chôbê"; Shôchô played the role of Kosuzu [casting].

February 1925: Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Kachi Zumô Ukina no Hanabure", commonly called "Shirafuji Genta", was revived at the Hongôza, under the supervision of the writer Nagai Kafû; Shôchô played the role of the courtesan Oshun [casting].

January 1926: Shôchô played for the first time the role of Princess Taema in the drama "Narukami", which was staged at the Kabukiza; the role of the wicked priest Narukami was played by Ichikawa Sadanji II.

July 1926: premiere at the Kabukiza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Gonza to Sukejû"; Shôchô played the role of Okan [casting].

May 1927: premiere at the Hongôza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Shinjuku Yawa"; Shôchô played the role of the kakaeko Shinanoya Ochô [more details].

Summer 1928: Shôchô joined the troupe led by Ichikawa Sadanji II, who organized the first tour of a Kabuki troupe outside Japan. The destination was the USSR and the troupe performed in Moscow and Leningrad [more details].

September 1930: revival at the Meijiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", produced under the title "Tôryû Azuma Bunshô"; Shôchô played the roles of Princess Sakura and Fûrin Ohime [casting].

April 1932: premiere at the Kabukiza of Mayama Seika's drama "Yoritomo no Shi"; Shôchô played the role of Kosuô [casting]. Premiere at the Kabukiza of Mayama Seika's ninjômono drama "Edoe Ryôgoku Hakkei" (commonly called "Arakawa no Sakichi"); Shôchô played the role of Oyae [casting].

February 1934: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Ôishi Saigo no Ichinichi", the tenth and last play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shôchô played the role of Shizuma, in reality Omino [casting].

July 1934: premiere with a Kabuki troupe at the Kabukiza of Hasegawa Shin's 1928 drama "Kutsukake Tokijirô"; Shôchô played the role of Sanzô's nyôbô Okinu [more details].

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Uno Nobuo's drama "Fubuki Tôge"; Shôchô played the role of Oen [casting].

April 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Saigo no Daihyôjô", the third play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shôchô played the role of Ôishi Kuranosuke's wife Oriku [casting].

January 1937: Shôchô played for the last time the role of Princess Taema in the drama "Narukami", which was staged at the Tôkyô Gekijô; the role of the wicked priest Narukami was played by Ichikawa Sadanji II.

May 1938: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Mayama Seika's drama "Katsu Awa no Chichi"; Shôchô played the role of Sakamotoya Yaeji [more details].

November 1938: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Nanbuzaka no Yuki Wakare", the sixth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shôchô played the role of the koshimoto Oume [casting].

23 February 1940: his best stage partner Ichikawa Sadanji II died.

19 August 1940: Shôchô followed Ichikawa Sadanji II in the afterlife.

Comments:

Ichikawa Shôchô II was a talented and popular onnagata and a great stage partner of the star Ichikawa Sadanji II. He symbolized the Tôkyô onnagata of the Taishô era.

Ichikawa Shôchô II playing the role of Oman in a print made by Yamamura Toyonari in 1920

The Ichikawa Sakimatsu line of actors

The Ichikawa Enjaku line of actors

The Ichikawa Shôchô line of actors