Stage names:
Fujikawa Heikurô
Fujikawa Daikichi
Poetry names: Ippû, Shôki
Existence: 1698 ~ 4 July 1761
Connection:
Grandfathers: Fujikawa Buzaemon I, Bandô Matajirô I
Father: Bandô Matakurô II (Morita Kan'ya II)
Brother: Morita Kan'ya IV
Sons: Fujikawa Hachizô I, Fujikawa Tôkurô, Fujikawa Kamenoi
Brother-in-law: Bandô Kunigorô I
Disciples: Fujikawa Jûrôbei, Fujikawa Iwamatsu, Fujikawa Otoemon
Career:
1698: born in Edo in the family of Morita Kan'ya II.
1701: he moves to Kyôto, settling in his grandfather Fujikawa Buzaemon I's home who gives him the name of Fujikawa Daikichi and teaches him the art of acting.
November 1719: he appears on stage for the first time, receiving the name of Fujikawa Heikurô and performing as a katakiyaku in the kaomise drama "Chiyo no Ume Naniwa Kagami", which is produced by Sakakiyama Shirojûrô at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater.
March 1729: his grandfather Fujikawa Buzaemon I dies.
Fall 1730: Heikurô goes to Ôsaka, after 11 seasons spent in Kyôto.
November 1730: Heikurô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Sekiguchi Manzô in the kaomise drama "Matsukane Fukki no Ishizue".
January 1731: Heikurô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent).
March 1733: the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki" is performed for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Kado no Shibai; Heikurô plays the roles of Iwanaga Saemon Munetsura and Ôgiya Toheiji [casting].
January 1734: Heikurô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
19 June 1734: his father Bandô Matakurô II dies.
Fall 1737: Heikurô goes to Kyôto.
November 1737: Heikurô plays the role of Fukushima Sagoemon in the kaomise drama "Hachiman Tarô Denju no Tsuzumi", which is staged at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater and celebrates the shûmei of Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II.
January 1738: Heikurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
Fall 1738: Heikurô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1738: Heikurô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Todoroki Daihachi in the kaomise drama "Sanpukutsui Kogane no Ichigura", which is produced by Nakamura Jûzô I.
November 1741: Heikurô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kikusui Kageyu in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Yakata Bandai no Kame", which is produced by his son Fujikawa Kamenoi.
Fall 1742: Heikurô goes to Kyôto.
November 1742: Heikurô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Todoroki Daihachi in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Konrei Nagoya", which is produced by Nakamura Kumetarô I.
17 September 1743: his brother Morita Kan'ya IV dies.
Fall 1745: Heikurô goes to Edo.
November 1745: Heikurô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Matano Gorô in the kaomise drama "Suehiro Izu Nikki".
January 1746: Heikurô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).
June 1746: Heikurô plays in the same theater the roles of Sonobe Hyôe, Goheiji and Masamune in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".
Fall 1746: Heikurô goes to Kyôto.
November 1746: Heikurô plays at Miyako Handayû's theater the role of Shinozuka Imakurô in the kaomise drama "Fukki no Ôshimadai", which is produced by Somematsu Shichisaburô I.
January 1747: Heikurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is goku-jô-jô-kichi (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
March 1747: Heikurô plays at Miyako Handayû's theater the role of Watônai in Chikamatsu Monaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen"; the roles of Kanki and Kinshôjo are played by Nakamura Jûzô I and Tatsuoka Hisagiku.
November 1747: Heikurô plays in the kaomise drama "Teikin Ôrai Manzoku Kagami", which is produced by Nakamura Matsubei I at the Kitagawa no Shibai and celebrates the shûmei of Sakakiyama Kôshirô II and his son Sakakiyama Shirotarô II. Others stage partners are Yamashita Matatarô I, Takenaka Heikichi, Fujioka Daikichi, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Nakamura Shirogorô III, Kasaya Matakurô I, Asao Motogorô and Sanogawa Hanazuma II.
January 1748: Heikurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, falls back to jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
November 1748: Heikurô plays at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater the roles of Matano Gorô and the wrong Benkei in the kaomise drama "Sugamori Hiru-ga-Kojima", which is produced by Arashi San'emon IV; his stage partners are Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Yamashita Matatarô I, Sakurayama Shirosaburô II, Hanakawa Ichinojô, Sanogawa Hanazuma II and Imamura Shichisaburô II.
November 1749: Heikurô plays at Miyako Handayû's theater the role of the yakko Tokizô in the kaomise drama "Imosegura Kogane no Ishizue"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Danzô III, Yamatoya Jimbei IV, Asao Motogorô, Anegawa Daikichi, Arashi San'emon IV and Ôtani Hirohachi I.
January 1750: Heikurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is back to goku-jô-jô-kichi (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
November 1750: Heikurô plays at Miyako Handayû's theater in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Wagô Hanayakata".
January 1751: Heikurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is hakugoku-jô-jô-kichi (almost extreme - superior - superior - excellent). First Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Asahi no Tamoto", which is produced in Kyôto by Miyako Handayû at his theater; Heikurô plays the roles of Washizuka Kintôji Hidekuni and Sansuke [casting].
June 1751: Heikurô plays in the same theater the role of Mochizuki Danjô in the drama "Katakiuchi Deguchi no Yanagi".
Fall 1751: Heikurô goes to Edo.
November 1751: Heikurô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Sano Gentôta in the kaomise drama "Honryô Hachinoki Zome".
January 1752: Heikurô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is hakugoku-jô-jô-kichi (almost extreme - superior - superior - excellent). He plays in the same theater the role of the Naniwa otokodate Akaushi Yasubei in the drama "Hana Sugata Sampukutsui" (the second part (nibanme) of "Kuruwa Kuruwa Akinai Soga"), sharing the stage with Matsumoto Kôshirô II (the Azuma otokodate Banzuiin Chôbei) and Nakamura Sukegorô I (the Ôshû otokodate Teppeki Shôhei) [print].
April 1752: Heikurô plays in the same theater the role of Midaroku in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
September 1752: Heikurô performs his onagori kyôgen at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Monogusa Tarô in the drama "Monogusa Monogatari". This is his final performance in his native town.
Fall 1752: Heikurô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1752: Heikurô performs at the Kado no Shibai in the play "Nagoya Ori Hinatsuru no Nishiki", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I.
November 1753: Heikurô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Fukushima Kakubei in the kaomise drama "Nakatomi Sandaijin", which is produced by Ichimura Sanohachi.
November 1754: Heikurô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Amaterasu Ômikami Iwado no Akebono", which is produced by Arashi San'emon IV.
December 1755: Heikurô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of the yakko Tsuihei, in reality Shinzaemon's son Shinzô, in the drama "Hyakumanki Tsuwamono Taiheiki".
November 1756: Heikurô plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Taihei Yamato Monogatari", which is produced by Anegawa Daikichi.
January 1757: Heikurô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is hakugoku-jô-jô-kichi (almost extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
Fall 1757: Heikurô goes to Kyôto.
November 1757: Heikurô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Tsunomoji Keman no Yurai".
January 1758: Heikurô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).
November 1758: Heikurô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Gensuke and Wada Gorô in the kaomise drama "Homare Musha Senri no Kachidoki", which is coproduced by Sawamura Kunitarô I and Somematsu Shichisaburô I.
January 1759: Heikurô is sôkanjiku ("global kanjiku") in the Kyôto hyôbanki; his rank is between dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent) and goku-jô-jô-kichi (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
Fall 1759: Heikurô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1759: Heikurô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Mibae Soga Azuma Tanzen".
January 1760: Heikurô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is goku-jô-jô-kichi (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).
July 1760: Heikurô plays in the same theater the roles of the boatman Matsuemon and the warrior Higuchi Jirô Kanemitsu in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".
November 1760: Heikurô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Mongaku and Miura Jirô in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Toshitoku Môde".
June 1761: Heikurô appears on stage for the last time, playing at the Naka no Shibai the role of Danshichi Kurobei in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Issun Tokubei and Tsuribune Sabu are played by his son Fujikawa Hachizô I and Yamamoto Kyôshirô I. Heikurô suddenly falls ill and has to be replaced by his son.
4 July 1761: Heikurô dies in Ôsaka.
Comments:
Fujikawa Heikurô was an outstanding 18th century jitsuaku actor, who achieved fame for himself in the three capital cities. He was the worthy hair of his grandfather, the stage giant Fujikawa Buzaemon I.
Fujikawa Heikurô playing the role of Matano Gorô