Stage names:

Arashi Wakano II
Sadoshima ???
Arashi Wakano II

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Senshi

Existence: 1727 ~ 9th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1763 ^[1]

Connection:

Masters: Arashi Shinpei I, Sadoshima Chôgorô I

Disciples: Arashi Kichijirô, Arashi Kunijirô, Arashi Kiyosa

Career:

Before 1749: he was recorded for the first in 1734 in Nagoya at the Seijuin no Shibai, where he performed as an iroko for the zamoto Onogawa Sennosuke. He was a disciple of Sadoshima Chôgorô I for a few years and it was recorded in 1750 that he held a Sadoshima name. He was a wakaonnagata performing in tabi shibai, not only in Kamigata or Nagoya, but also in Kyûshû.

11th lunar month of 1749: Wakano made his debut in ôshibai, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, where he performed as a wakaonnagata in the kaomise drama "Fûryû Gosho Zakura", which was produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.

1st lunar month of 1750: Wakano's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1750: Wakano performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Tachibana Gojûyongun", which was produced by Iwata Somematsu I.

1st lunar month of 1751: Wakano's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1752: Wakano went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1752: Wakano played at the Ichimuraza the role of Sakura-no-Mae in Tsuuchi Jihê II's kaomise drama "Ume Sakura Ninin Semimaru".

1st lunar month of 1753: Wakano's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. Wakano played in the same theater the role of Ôiso no Tora in Jihê II's new year sogamono drama "Haru Fukami Iroha Soga" ^[2]; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Ichimura Kamezô I.

11th lunar month of 1753: Wakano played at the Ichimuraza the role of the female fox Oran in the kaomise drama "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô I, Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Bandô Sanpachi I, Ichikawa Yaozô I, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Segawa Kikujirô I, Kasaya Matakurô I, Osagawa Tsuneyo I, Nakamura Kumetarô I, Ichimura Uzaemon VIII, Ichimura Kamezô I, Arashi Otohachi I, Nakajima Kanzaemon II, Nakajima Mihozô I and Yorozuya Matazô.

1st lunar month of 1754: Wakano played in the same theater the role of Ôiso no Tora [picture] in the new year sogamono drama "Satsuki Matsu Soga no Tachibana"; the role of Tora's lover Soga Jûrô Sukenari was played by Ichimura Kamezô I.

11th lunar month of 1754: Wakano moved to the Moritaza, where he played the role of Princess Goô in the kaomise drama "Kiichi Hôgen Shinan-guruma".

1st lunar month of 1755: Wakano played in the same theater the role of Kudô Suketsune's okugata Manju-no-Mae in Tsuuchi Eishi I's new year sogamono drama "Sono Sugata Ariake Soga"; the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune was played by Suketakaya Takasuke I.

11th lunar month of 1755: Wakano played at the Moritaza the role of Kurando's nyôbô Azechi in the kaomise drama "Ôtomo no Kuronushi Sokutai Kagami"; the role of Ki no Kurando was played by Matsuyama Sanjûrô.

1st lunar month of 1756: Wakano's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1756: Wakano played at the Moritaza, the role of Shiratae in the kaomise drama "Manazuru Heike Monogatari", which celebrated the shûmei of Agemaki Rin'ya.

1st lunar month of 1757: Wakano's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1757: Wakano moved to the Nakamuraza, where he played the role of Yoritomo's mekake Tsuki-no-Mae, in reality Morihisa's wife Ariake, in the kaomise drama "Onna Musha Kaijin Yashima"; the roles of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Morihisa were played by Onoe Kikugorô I.

1st lunar month of 1758: Wakano's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1758: Wakano played at the Nakamuraza the role of Kôga Saburô's wife Asazuma in the kaomise drama "Kigoto no Hana Aioi Hachinoki", which welcomed the Kamigata actor Nakamura Utaemon I who left the Ichimuraza and celebrated the shûmei of Mizuki Tatsunosuke III; the role of Kôga Saburô was played by Ichikawa Danjûrô IV.

1st lunar month of 1759: Wakano's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, fell to jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

Fall 1759: Wakano went back to Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1759: Wakano performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Hônen no Miyako Mutsuki no Kotobuki", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I at the Minamigawa no Shibai and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Kichiemon I, Nakamura Jûzô II and Matsuya Shinjûrô.

1st lunar month of 1760: Wakano's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1760: Wakano played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Matahei's nyôbô in the kaomise drama "Ôshimadai Kitsune no Mukoiri", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I.

1st lunar month of 1761: Wakano's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. Wakano played in the same theater the role of the keisei Hashitomi in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Ôuchiyama".

11th lunar month of 1761: Wakano played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Inode no Hachirô's nyôbô Utakata in the kaomise drama "Hitomaru Banzei no Utena", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô.

1st lunar month of 1762: Wakano's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent) [visual]. Wakano played in the same theater the roles of the keisei Shizuka and the fox Shizuka in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kamakurayama".

11th lunar month of 1762: Wakano played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of the keisei Azumaji in the kaomise drama "Tenka Taihei Kogane no Kurairi", which was produced by Onoe Montarô and Sawamura Kunitarô I.

1st lunar month of 1763: Wakano's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent) [visual]. Wakano appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai, where he played the role of the Princess Tauta in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Mitsunoyama".

9th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1763 ^[1]: Wakano died in Kyôto.

Comments:

Arashi Wakano II was an Ôsaka onnagata actor, who made a short but quite successful career not only in his native city but also in Edo and Kyôto. He was trained in tabi shibai and, as a result, was able to perform quite a wide range of female roles. He was said to be better in sewamono than in jidaimono, excelling in keisei and sewa nyôbô roles. He died before reaching the prestigious jô-jô-kichi rank.

[1] The 9th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 13th year of the Hôreki era was the 23rd of March 1763 in the western calendar.

[2] "Haru Fukami Iroha Soga" mixed two sekai: the world of the Soga brothers and the world of "Chûshingura". It was a commercial failure.

Bandô Manzô (left) and Arashi Wakano II (right) playing the roles of Sanada Yoichi and the keisei Shizuka in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kamakurayama", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1762 in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai

In the 1st lunar month of 1754 at the Ichimuraza