Stage names:

Asao Tamejûrô II
Asao Okujirô I

Other name:

Asao Okuyama II

Guild: Zeniya

Poetry names: Okuyama (2), Sanshi

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Existence: 1779 ~ 25th day of the 7th lunar month of 1806 ^[1]

Connection:

Father: Asao Tamejûrô I

Career:

1785: he started his career as a koyaku; his first stage name was Asao Okujirô I.

11th lunar month of 1791: Okujirô became zamoto and produced at the Kado no Shibai the kaomise drama "Keisei Shinobazu-ga-Ike". In the 12th lunar month, he produced in the same theater the drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari".

1795: Okujirô became tachiyaku.

1st lunar month of 1800: Okujirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1801: Okujirô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Magohachi and Uesugi Unai in the drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa", which was produced by Arashi Kumanosuke.

1st lunar month of 1802: Okujirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

Summer 1803: his father Asao Tamejûrô I was supposed to do his isse ichidai performance at the Naka no Shibai but he suddenly fell ill.

9th lunar month of 1803: Asao Tamejûrô I delivered his final speech during a kôjô at the Naka no Shibai; he retired from the Kabuki world.

11th lunar month of 1803: Asao Okujirô I took the name of Asao Tamejûrô II at the Naka no Shibai, playing the role of Sanada Yoichi in the kaomise drama "Sôzoku Ishibashiyama", which was produced by Fujikawa Tomokichi I and welcomed in Ôsaka the actors Bandô Hikosaburô III and Nakamura Daikichi I; his others main stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô IV, Nakayama Shinkurô III, Ichikawa Ichizô I, Fujikawa Hachizô III, Nakayama Ittoku I, Yoshizawa Iroha I, Asao Kunigorô III, Nakayama Bungorô I and Ichikawa Dannosuke III.

7th day of the 4th lunar month of 1804 ^[2]: his father Asao Tamejûrô I died in Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1805: Tamejûrô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1805: Tamejûrô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Minamoto Yoshitsune in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

12th lunar month of 1805: the troupe which was at the Minamigawa no Shibai moved to Ôsaka to perform the same drama, which was produced by Yamashita Tokujirô at the Naka no Shibai.

3rd lunar month of 1806: Tamejûrô appeared on stage for the last time, playing at the Naka no Shibai the role of Kamiya Jihê in the drama "Nobe no Kakioki", which was staged to commemorate the 2nd anniversary (3rd memorial service) of the passing away of his late father Asao Tamejûrô I.

25th day of the 7th lunar month of 1806 ^[1]: Tamejûrô died in Kyôto.

Comments:

Asao Tamejûrô II was the promising heir of the Zeniya guild but he unfortunately died too young, at the age of 27, before achieving the same fame as his legendary father.

[1] The 25th day of the 7th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Bunka era was the 7th of September 1806 in the western calendar.

[2] The 7th day of the 4th lunar month of the 1st year of the Bunka era was the 17th of May 1804 in the western calendar.

Asao Tamejûrô II playing the role of yakko Ippei in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna" in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

The Asao Okuyama line of actors

The Asao Okujirô line of actors

The Asao Tamejûrô line of actors