Stage names:

Ichikawa Sôzaburô II
Ichikawa Shôgorô

Guild: Kawachiya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Wai (?)

Existence: ??? ~ 1776

Connection:

Master: Ichikawa Sôzaburô I

Son: Ichikawa Kichitarô

Career:

Before 1751: he started his career as a disciple of Ichikawa Sôzaburô I, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Shôgorô.

11th lunar month of 1751: Shôgorô became tachiyaku and performed at the Moritaza in Tsuuchi Jihê II's kaomise drama "Aizuchi Jûnidan", which celebrated the shûmei of Morita Kan'ya VI and Tsuyama Yûzô I.

11th day of the 5th lunar month of 1752 ^[1]: his master Ichikawa Sôzaburô I died.

11th lunar month of 1753: Ichikawa Shôgorô took the name of Ichikawa Sôzaburô II at the Moritaza, playing the katakiyaku role of Kaidô no Saburô in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kokyô no Nishiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Suketakaya Takasuke I; his others stage partners were Morita Kan'ya VI, Matsushima Moheiji, Sawamura Kijûrô I, Tsuruya Nanboku II, Ogino Yaegiri II and Sawamura Utagiku.

Fall 1754: Sôzaburô went to Ôsaka.

10th lunar month of 1754: Sôzaburô played at the Kita-Shinchi no Shibai (Ósaka) the role of the yakko Yokanpei in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami".

Fall 1760: Sôzaburô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1760: Sôzaburô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Yamana Gundayû and Tôbê in the kaomise drama "Kiku Nagashi Kokka Taiheiki", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Manbê.

1st lunar month of 1761: Sôzaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

Fall 1772: Sôzaburô went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1772: Sôzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Bizen-no-Kami ^[2] in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Onoe Kikugorô no Baranu Banashi".

1st lunar month of 1773: Sôzaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1773: Sôzaburô performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Itari Yaitari Mukadeyama", which was produced by Arashi Matsujirô I.

1st lunar month of 1774: Sôzaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

4th lunar month of 1775: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari"; Sôzaburô played the roles of Dainagon Muneoka, Takayasu Saemon Michitoshi and Agata Hirosane [more details].

10th lunar month of 1776: Sôzaburô appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, where he played the role of Makiya Jirokurô in the drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi". He fell ill and died before the end of the year.

Comments:

Ichikawa Sôzaburô II was a born and trained in Edo, but he spent his last 22 years in Kamigata, where he gained some fame as a katakiyaku. He had quite an ugly face, which was a plus for villain roles.

[1] The 11th day of the 5th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Hôreki era was the 22nd of June 1752 in the western calendar.

[2] The kami of the province of Bizen.

Onoe Montarô (left) and Ichikawa Sôzaburô II (right) performing in the new year drama "Keisei Kanekake no Matsu", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1762 in Kyôto

The Ichikawa Sôzaburô line of actors