Stage names:
| Fujikawa Hachizô II |  |
| Fujikawa Ryûzô | |
| Fujikawa Isematsu | |
Guild: Ôzakaya
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Poetry name: Happo
Existence: 1747 ~ 9 March 1787
Connection:
Adoptive father : Fujikawa Hachizô I
Son: Fujikawa Hachizô III
Career:
1747 ~ 1763: he starts his career at an early age as a disciple of Fujikawa Hachizô I.
1763: Isematsu performs as a katakiyaku at the Takeda no Shibai, a hama shibai venue.
1768: Fujikawa Isematsu takes the name of Fujikawa Ryûzô; he performs mainly at the Takeda no Shibai.
Fall 1772: he is adopted by his master Fujikawa Hachizô I.
November 1772: Ryûzô becomes tachiyaku and plays at the Naka no Shibai in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Onoe Kikugorô no Baranu Banashi".
February 1776: his adoptive father Fujikawa Hachizô I suddenly falls ill while performing at the Kado no Shibai in the drama "Gunjutsu Deguchi no Yanagi"; he has to retire and is replaced by his Ryûzô.
April 1777: premiere of Namiki Gohachi's drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", co-written with Nakamura Akei and Tatsuoka Mansaku, which is staged at the Kado no Shibai; Ryûzô plays the role of Terukuni [casting].
November 1777: Ryûzô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Mokubei, in reality Tsumaga Magosaburô, in the kaomise drama "Ôiri Kabuki no Tsuitachi", which is produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I.
29 December 1777: his adoptive father Fujikawa Hachizô I dies.
March 1778: Ryûzô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Hanaregoma Chôkichi in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; the role of Nuregami Chôgorô is played by Arashi Hinasuke I.
April 1778: Fujikawa Ryûzô takes the name of Fujikawa Hachizô II during the premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; the new Hachizô plays the role of Kishida Hyôgo and the yakko Yatahei.
September 1781: Hachizô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Fukashichi in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin"; the roles of Soga no Iruka and Omiwa are played by Nakamura Utaemon I and Nakamura Tomijûrô I.
Fall 1781: Hachizô goes to Kyôto.
May 1782: Hachizô plays in Kyôto the role of Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; the role of Hanaregoma Chôkichi is played by Yamamoto Giemon.
July 1782: Hachizô plays in Kyôto the role of Shibaroku in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
June 1783: Hachizô plays in Kyôto the role of Danshichi Kurobei in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Issun Tokubei and Mikawaya Giheiji are played by Nakamura Jûzô III and Shibazaki Rinzaemon II.
Fall 1783: Hachizô goes to Ôsaka.
May 1784: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Shimesuke I's drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage"; Hachizô plays the role of Jinzaburô [casting].
June 1784: Hachizô plays in Kyôto the role of Danshichi Kurobei in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Issun Tokubei and Tsuribune Sabu are played by Yamamura Giemon II and Ichikawa Danzô IV.
November 1784: Hachizô takes part in the kaomise program, which is produced by Onoe Ushinosuke I at the Kado no Shibai; he plays the roles of Matsuômaru and Sukune Tarô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
March 1785: Hachizô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kurofune Chûemon in the drama "Kurofune Deiri Minato".
April 1786: tour in Ise; Hachizô plays at the Furuichi no Shibai the role of Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; the role of Hanaregoma Chôkichi is played by Yamamura Giemon II.
August 1786: Hachizô plays at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; the role of Hanaregoma Chôkichi is played by Mimasu Daigorô II.
December 1786: Hachizô appears on stage for the last time, playing in Kyôto the role of Dankurô in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari". He falls ill at the beginning of 1787 and dies in the old capital the 9th of March 1787.
Comments:
Fujikawa Hachizô II was a popular tachiyaku and katakiyaku actor, who made all his career in Kamigata during the second half of the 18th century. He followed in the footsteps of his adoptive father Fujikawa Hachizô I, excelling like him in sumô wrestlers or otokodate roles. His last rank in the actors hyôbanki was very close to jô-jô-kichi.
Fujikawa Hachizô II in an illustration from the book "Santo Yakusha Omokage Zukushi", which was published in Ôsaka by Yamatoya Kaemon in 1784
The Fujikawa Hachizô line of actors
