YAMAMURA GIEMON II

Stage names:

Yamamura Giemon II In Japanese
Yamamoto Giemon In Japanese
Yamamura Giemon II In Japanese
Yamamoto Gizaemon In Japanese
Yamamura Mitsuzô In Japanese
Yamamura Kikichi In Japanese
Kameya Kikichi In Japanese

Guilds: Kyôya, Ôzakaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry names: Sonkô, Gotô

Existence: 1736 ~ 5th day of the 1st lunar month of 1803 [1]

Connection:

Disciples: Yamamura Tomoemon I, Yamamura Mitsuzô, Yamamura Tominosuke

Career:

1736 ~ 1769: born in Kamigata. He started his career in hama shibai, performing under the names of Kameya Kikichi and Yamamura Kikichi.

11th lunar month of 1769: he became katakiyaku and took the name of Yamamura Mitsuzô, performing at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Tora no Itten Sanryaku no Maki", which was produced by Nakayama Yosaburô II; this was his first stage performance in ôshibai.

11th lunar month of 1776: he became jitsuaku and took the name of Yamamoto Gizaemon, performing Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Oso Uji Yodo no Irifune", which was produced by Matsuyama Kogenji.

1st lunar month of 1777: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of the drama "Keisei Tonoi Zakura", whose plot was very close to Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; Gizaemon played the roles of Sawai Matagorô, Matagorô's mother Narumi and the doctor Sanai [casting].

Fall 1779: Gizaemon went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1779: Yamamoto Gizaemon took the name of Yamamura Giemon II, playing at the Kado no Shibai the role of Naniwa Mitsuzô in the kaomise drama "Senshû Banzei Chibako no Tamamono", which was produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I and celebrated also the shûmei of Nakamura Noshio II; his others stage partners were Nakayama Bunshichi I, Ogawa Kichitarô I, Mihogi Gizaemon II, Fujikawa Hachizô II, Arashi Sanjûrô IV, Nakamura Jiroza II, Mimasu Matsugorô I, Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Yamashita Kamenojô IV and Fujikawa Sango.

Fall 1781: Giemon went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1781: Yamamura Giemon II took the name of Yamamoto Giemon at the Kitagawa no Shibai, playing the role of Yoshikawa Saemon in the kaomise drama "Shin Yakata Fukki no Ishizue", which celebrated also the shûmei of Hanagiri Tomimatsu I (who played the role of Yoshikawa Saemon's nyôbô) and welcomed back in Kyôto the star Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

5th lunar month of 1782: Giemon played in Kyôto the role of Hanaregoma Chôkichi in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki" [illustration]; the role of Nuregami Chôgorô was played by Fujikawa Hachizô II.

1st lunar month of 1784: tour in Nagoya, where he performed under the name of the name of Yamamura Giemon II.

11th lunar month of 1784: Giemon played in Kyôto at the Nishi no Shibai the role of Miura Saemon in Tatsuoka Mansaku's kaomise drama "Kuni no Hana Ôshimadai", which was produced by Nakayama Ihachi II.

3rd lunar month of 1788: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sewa Ryôri Yaoya Kondate"; Giemon played the role of Okuma [more details].

1st lunar month of 1790: Giemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1793: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yanagi Zakura", the first yanagisawa-sôdômono in Kabuki history, written by Tatsuoka Mansaku and Chikamatsu Tokusô; Giemon played the roles of Sakai Hida-no-Kami and the Yodoya tedai Sôbê [more details].

2nd lunar month of 1796: Suga Sensuke's puppet theater drama "Keisei Koi no Hikyaku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time and staged at the Kado no Shibai; Giemon played the role of Magoemon [casting].

4th lunar month of 1796: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Hade Kurabe Ishikawa-zome", written by Chikamatsu Tokuzô, Tatsuoka Mansaku and Namiki Shôzô II; Giemon played the roles of Miura Hitachinosuke and Furuta Naribe [more details].

1st lunar month of 1798: Giemon's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was kô-jô-jô-kichi (meritorious - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual].

9th lunar month of 1799: Giemon played at the Ônishi no Shibai the roles of Enju and Gonshirô in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki"; this was most likely his last stage appearance. He fell ill and had to retire.

5th day of the 1st lunar month of 1803 [1]: Giemon died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Yamamura Giemon II was an important Kamigata actor, who achieved fame for himself on Ôsaka and Kyôto stages from the 1770s to the end of the 1790s. He was an outstanding jitsuaku, excelling in his latter years in the roles of crafty old villains in sewamono dramas.

[1] The 5th day of the 1st lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kyôwa era was the 27th of January 1803 in the western calendar.

Yamamura Giemon II playing the role of Sakae Hida-no-Kami in the new year drama "Keisei Yanagi Zakura", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1793 at the Naka no Shibai (print made by Ryûkôsai Jokei)

Prints & Illustrations

The Yamamura Giemon line of actors

 
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