ICHIMURA YOSHIGORÔ II

December 1922: he made his first appearance on stage, in Ôsaka at the Tenma Yachiyoza, where he received the name of Kataoka Yoshinao and played the role of Santa in the drama "Mikazuki Jirokichi".

December 1940: he was adopted by Ichimura Uzaemon XV.

January 1941: Kataoka Yoshinao took the name of Ichimura Matasaburô II at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Ushiwakamaru in the dance-drama "Kuramayama no Danmari".

6 May 1945: his adoptive father Ichimura Uzaemon XV died.

February 1946: Ichimura Kakitsu VII and Ichimura Matasaburô II took at the Tôkyô Gekijô the respective names of Ichimura Uzaemon XVI and Ichimura Kakitsu VIII; the new Kakitsu played the role of Yawata no Saburô in the drama "Kotobuki Soga no Taimen".

16 March 1946: his father Kataoka Nizaemon XII was assassinated by a robber in his Tôkyô home.

May 1947: revival at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the drama "Jayanagi"; Kakitsu played the role of Kagekiyo's daughter Hitomaru [more details].

July 1951: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Kakitsu played the role of the okujochû Wakano [casting].

January 1952: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Hagiwara Yukio's Kiyomoto-based dôjôjimono "Yuki no Dôjôji"; Kakitsu played the role of a Dôjôji bonze [casting].

March 1955: Hasegawa Shin's drama "Ori" was staged with a full Kabuki casting for the first time, in Tôkyô at the Meijiza; Kakitsu played the role of the kazariya Kinzô [more details].

July 1956: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Kakitsu played the role of the yakko Tobahei [more details].

June 1958: revival at the Tôyoko Hall of the drama "Kishi no Himematsu Kutsuwa Kagami"; Kakitsu played the role of Iihara Hayatonosuke [more details].

February 1960: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Shiranui Kengyô"; Kakitsu played the role of the young master Chôjirô [casting].

April 1960: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Onizoroi Momijigari"; Kakitsu played the role of the attendant Yukirôta [casting].

November 1961: premiere in Kabuki at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Korikori Banashi"; Kakitsu played the role of Fukuzô [casting].

June 1963: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Ôeyama Shuten Dôji"; Kakitsu played the role of Watanabe Tsuna [casting].

October 1967: Ichimura Kakitsu VIII and his elder son Ichimura Hisashi took at the Kabukiza the respective names of Ichimura Yoshigorô II and Ichimura Kakitsu IX^[1]; the new Yoshigorô played the roles of Ariwara no Narihira and a young house wife in "Narihira Azuma Kagami" and "Shiki".

February 1975: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Debauchi Otama"; Yoshigorô played the role of the izakaya master Jingorô [more details].

March 1977: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Shiranui Monogatari"; Yoshigorô played the role of the spirit of a tsuchi-gumo [more details].

July 1981: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Hitori Tabi Gojûsan Tsugi"; Yoshigorô played the role of Akabori Kandayû [casting].

April 1998: Yoshigorô appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza, where he played the role of the farmer Gosaku in the drama "Terakoya".

17 February 2010: Yoshigorô died in Tôkyô.

Comments:

Ichimura Yoshigorô II was a retired actor who spent his career as a supporting tachiyaku. He was also a talented photographer and has published a book of his Kabuki photographs.

There were two ways to "count" the Ichimura Kakitsu line of actor and, as a consequence, you may find Ichimura Kakitsu VIII referenced in some documents as the sixteenth of the line.

There was no Ichimura Yoshigorô I but the famous Edo actor Bandô Hikosaburô III held the name of Ichimura Kichigorô I at the beginning of his career ("Yoshi" and "Kichi" were 2 different readings for the same ideogram).

[1] It was also the shûmei in Tôkyô of Bandô Takesaburô V and the hatsubutai of Yoshigorô's younger son, who received the name of Ichimura Isao^[2].

[2] Yoshigorô's son Ichimura Isao quickly stopped acting to become a Kiyomoto musician named Kiyomoto Yoshiedayû.

The mon of Ichimura Yoshigorô II