JITSUKAWA GAKUJÛRÔ II

Stage names:

Jitsukawa Gakujûrô II In Japanese
Jitsukawa Enzaburô I In Japanese
Asao Enzaburô In Japanese
Asao Mankichi 0.2 [1] In Japanese

Nickname: Mekura no Gakujûrô (Gakujûrô the Blind)

Guild: Izutsuya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Enjaku

Existence: 1813 ~ 22nd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1867 [2]

Connections:

Master: Jitsukawa Gakujûrô I

Son: Jitsukawa Enzaburô II

Disciples: Jitsukawa Enjaku I, Jitsukawa Yaozô I, Jitsukawa Enzaburô III, Jitsukawa Kikuo, Jitsukawa Enji

Family map: the Jitsukawa Clan

Career:

1813 ~ 1821: born in Kyôto. He started his career at an early age, becoming a disciple of the actor Asao Yûjirô I, who gave him the name of Asao Mankichi [1]. He was adopted by his master in 1817 and took the name of Asao Enzaburô at an early age.

1st lunar month of 1822: his adoptive father took the name of Asao Gakujûrô.

1st lunar month of 1833: Asao Gakujûrô and Asao Enzaburô respectively took the names of Jitsukawa Gakujûrô I and Jitsukawa Enzaburô I. This was the foundation of the Jitsukawa clan.

6th lunar month of 1835: the play "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged in the 2nd lunar month of 1773, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Enzaburô played the role of the yakko Irihei [casting].

4th day of the 11th lunar month of 1835 [3]: his master Jitsukawa Gakujûrô I died in Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1846: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Tômanojô, Gengorô and Mashiba Hisayoshi in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Hama no Masago", which was produced by the zamoto Ichikawa Yonezô and celebrated the shûmei of Mimasu Daigorô IV.

3rd lunar month of 1847: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Hachiman Tarô in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara"; his stage partners were Mimasu Daigorô IV (Abe no Sadatô), Kataoka Ichizô I (Abe no Munetô), Arashi Rikan III (Sodehagi) and Arashi Wasaburô II (Okimi).

1st lunar month of 1848: Enzaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, Hanagata Sanpukutsui section ('A trio of young stars'), was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. The two others actors in this trio were Arashi Rikan III and Kataoka Gadô II.

1st lunar month of 1849: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Hiranoya Tokubê in the drama "Sonezaki Shinjû"; the role of the courtesan Tenmaya Ohatsu was played by Nakayama Nanshi II.

5th lunar month of 1850: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; his stage partners were Nakamura Utaemon IV (Danshichi Kurobê) and Mimasu Daigorô IV (Issun Tokubê).

11th lunar month of 1851: Enzaburô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Hachiman Tarô in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara"; his stage partners were Nakamura Tomijûrô II (Sodehagi), Kataoka Ichizô I (Abe no Sadatô) and Arashi Rikaku II (Abe no Munetô).

1st lunar month of 1853: Enzaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, Tokokazari Sanpukutsui section ('a trio of perfect decorations for a toko no ma'), was itaru-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent). The two others actors in this trio were Kataoka Gadô II and Arashi Rikaku II.

3rd lunar month of 1853: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of En'ya Hangan, Teraoka Heiemon, Hayano Kanpei and Yomoshichi in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

3rd lunar month of 1854: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Mohê in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; the role of Osan was played by Nakayama Nanshi II.

11th lunar month of 1854: Enzaburô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Mohê in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; the role of Osan was played by Arashi San'emon IX. He also played the role of Moritsuna in the drama "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata".

1st lunar month of 1859: Enzaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was (shiro)ô-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent).

3rd lunar month of 1860: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Amakawaya Gihei, Tashiro Yasubê, Yashichi and Takubei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

4th lunar month of 1860: Enzaburô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Yorikane in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"; the role of Yorikane's lover Takao was played by Onoe Kikujirô II.

9th lunar month of 1860: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Tsukimoto Enshû and Tamashima Kôbê in the drama "Akiba Gongen Kaisen Banashi"; the role of Nippon Daemon was played by Arashi Kichisaburô III.

1st lunar month of 1861: Enzaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was ô-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).

9th lunar month of 1864: Enzaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Momonoi Wakasanosuke, Ichimonjiya Osai and Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partners were Arashi Kichisaburô III, Nakamura Jakuemon I, Ogino Senjo and Arashi Hinasuke VI.

1st lunar month of 1865: Enzaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was (shiro)goku-jô-jô-kichi ((white) extreme - superior - superior - excellent).

2nd lunar month of 1865: Jitsukawa Enzaburô I took the name of Jitsukawa Gakujûrô II at the Naka no Shibai, performing in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Koi no Sekifuda".

1st lunar month of 1866: Gakujûrô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was goku-jô-jô-kichi (extreme - superior - superior - excellent).

5th lunar month of 1866: Gakujûrô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; his stage partners in the roles of Danshichi Kurobê and Issun Tokubê were Jitsukawa Enjaku I and Nakamura Komanosuke V.

11th lunar month of 1866: Gakujûrô appeared on stage for the last time, at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai in Ôsaka. He lost his eyesight and had to retire.

22nd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1867 [2]: Gakujûrô died in Ôsaka [4].

Comments:

Jitsukawa Gakujûrô II was a talented Kamigata tachiyaku and the worthy heir of Jitsukawa Gakujûrô I, excelling in wagotoshi and jitsugotoshi roles.

"In the early 1840s he became ill and went on a temple-visiting pilgrimage to pray for recovery, which is said to have resulted in sudden convalescence." (Samuel Leiter in "New Kabuki Encyclopedia")

[1] Three actors held the name of Asao Mankichi, Asao Tamejûrô I, Jitsukawa Gakujûrô II and Jitsukawa Yûjirô I, but it did not constitute an official line of actors.

[2] The 22nd day of the 2nd lunar month of the 3rd year of the Keiô era was the 27th of March 1867 in the western calendar.

[3] The 4th day of the 11th lunar month of the 6th year of the Tenpô era was the 23rd of December 1835 in the western calendar.

[4] Jitsukawa Gakujûrô II's tombstone was located in the cemetery of the Honshôji Temple in the district of Tanimachi.

Jitsukawa Gakujûrô II playing the role of Oda Sanshichirô Nobutaka in the drama "Keisei Haru no Tori", which was staged in the 5th lunar month of 1865 at the Naka no Shibai (print made by Sadahiro)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Hirosada in the 5th lunar month of 1850

Print made by Utagawa Hirosada in the 8th lunar month of 1851

Print made by Nakai Yoshitaki in 1866

The Jitsukawa Enzaburô line of actors

The Jitsukawa Gakujûrô line of actors

 
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