Stage names:
Onoe Kikugorô VII
Onoe Kikunosuke IV
Onoe Ushinosuke V
Real name: Terashima Hideyuki
Guild: Otowaya
Line number: SHICHIDAIME (VII)
Birthday: 2 October 1942
Connections:
Father: Onoe Baikô VII
Son: Onoe Kikunosuke V
Career:
April 1948: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Shimbashi Embujô, receiving the name of Onoe Ushinosuke V and playing a kamuro role in the drama "Sukeroku".
September 1962: Ushinosuke plays for the first time the role of Sakuramaru in the "Kurumabiki" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which is staged at the Tôyoko Hall. His stage partners are Ichikawa Omezô V (Matsuômaru) and Bandô Kamesaburô IV (Umeômaru).
January 1964: Ushinosuke plays at the Tôyoko Hall the roles of Soga Jûrô and Yoshitsune in the dramas "Kotobuki Soga no Taimen" and "Kanjinchô". His stage partners in "Kanjinchô" are Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI (Benkei) and Onoe Sakon I (Togashi).
May 1965: shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 young actors of the Otowaya guild; Onoe Ushinosuke V, Bandô Kamesaburô IV and Onoe Sakon I respectively take the names of Onoe Kikunosuke IV, Bandô Shinsui VIII, and Onoe Tatsunosuke I. The new Kikunosuke plays the roles of Soga Jûrô and Matsu-no-Kimi in the dramas "Kotobuki Soga no Taimen" and "Kimi-ga-Yo Shôchikubai".
June 1965: Kikunosuke plays for the first time the role of Benten Kozô Kikunosuke in the drama "Shiranami Gonin no Otoko", which is performed at the Tôyoko Hall.
October 1965: Kikunosuke takes part in the first Kabuki tour in Western Europe; he plays the roles of Rikiya and a butterfly in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura" and the dance "Kagami Jishi" [casting].
1966: he grows in popularity with his performance in the TV drama "Minamoto Yoshitsune" produced by the NHK. The threesome called the "Three Suke" (san no suke in Japanese), made up of Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI, Onoe Tatsunosuke I and Kikunosuke, starts to bring large audience in the theaters for their performances.
May 1966: Kikunosuke plays at the Kabukiza the role of princess Minazuru in the drama "Kikubatake".
September 1966: Kikunosuke plays at the Kabukiza the role of Otomi in the drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi"; the role of Yosaburô is played by Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI.
January 1967: Kikunosuke plays at the Tôyoko Hall the roles of Hanako and Satsuki in the dance "Kyôganoko Musume Dôjôji" and the play "Gosho no Gorozô".
October 1967: Kikunosuke plays for the first time the role of the princess Yaegaki in the classic "Honchô Nijûshikô" ("Jusshukô"), which is staged at the Tôkyô Gekijô. His stage partners in the roles of Nureginu and Katsuyori are Ichikawa Monnosuke VII and Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI.
January 1968: Kikunosuke plays at the Tôyoko Hall the role of Ojô Kichisa in the drama "Sannin Kichisa". His stage partners are Onoe Tatsunosuke I (Obô Kichisa) and Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI (Oshô Kichisa).
February 1968: Kikunosuke plays at the Kabukiza the difficult role of princess Toki in the drama "Kamakura Sandaiki".
May 1973: Kikunosuke plays for the first time, at the Kabukiza, the role of Kasane in the dance "Iro Moyô Chotto Karimame"; the role of Yoemon is played by Ichikawa Ebizô X.
October 1973: Onoe Kikunosuke IV takes the prestigious name of Onoe Kikugorô VII at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Hanako and Benten Kozô in dance "Kyôganoko Musume Dôjôji" and the play "Shiranami Gonin Otoko".
November 1973: Kikugorô celebrates his second month of shûmei at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Sukerouku and princess Yaegaki in the dramas "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa" and "Honchô Nijûshikô" ("Jusshukô").
January 1974: Kikugorô plays at the National Theater the colorful and bombastic role of Tomoe Gozen in the drama "Onna Shibaraku".
February 1974: Kikugorô plays at the Kabukiza the role of the courtesan Yaegiri in the drama "Komochi Yamamba".
May 1974: Kikugorô celebrates his shûmei in Ôsaka at the Shinkabukiza, playing the roles of Sukeroku and the princess Sarashina in the drama "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa" and the dance "Momijigari".
October 1974: Kikugorô celebrates his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza, playing the roles of Benten Kozô and the shirabyôshi Hanako in the drama "Shiranami Gonin Otoko" and the dance "Kyôganoko Musume Dôjôji".
December 1974: Kikugorô celebrates his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza, playing the roles of the spirit of the Lion and Tomoe Gozen in the dance "Kagami jishi" and the drama "Onna Shibaraku".
February 1976: Kikugorô plays for the first time the difficult role of Omiwa in the "Mikasayama Goten" scene of the classic "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", which is staged at the Kabukiza.
February 1978: Kikugorô plays for the first time the role of Sakuramaru in the "Ga no Iwai" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which is staged at the Kabukiza; the role of Yae is played by Ichimura Manjirô.
November 1979: Kikugorô plays for the first time, at the Kabukiza, the role of Yoemon in the dance "Iro Moyô Chotto Karimame"; the role of Kasane is played by his father Onoe Baikô VII.
October 1982: Kikugorô plays for the first time, at the Kabukiza, the role of Matsuwaka in the drama "Miyakodori Nagare no Shiranami".
December 1985: Kikugorô plays for the first time, at the Kabukiza, the role of Naojirô in the drama "Yuki no Yûbe Iriya no Azemichi"; the role of the courtesan Michitose is played by Sawamura Sôjûrô IX.
January 1986: Kikugorô plays at the National Theater the roles of Hanaregoma Chôkichi, Yamazakiya Yogorô and Jûjibei in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki".
June 1986: Kikugorô plays for the first time the role of Igami no Gonta in the "Sushiya" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is staged at the Kabukiza.
September 1988: tour in South Korea.
February 1989: Kikugorô plays for the first time, at the Kabukiza, the role of Sôgorô in the drama " Sakanaya Sôgorô ".
March 1991: Kikugorô plays for the first time, at the Misonoza (Nagoya), the role of Gorozô in the drama "Gosho no Gorozô".
November 1992: 3 generations of actors belonging to the Otowaya guild, (Baikô VII, Kikugorô and Ushinosuke) perform together at the Kabukiza in the dance "Sannin Dôjôji".
May 1994: Kikugorô plays for the first time, at the Kabukiza, the role of the wicked hair-dresser Shinza in the drama "Kamiyui Shinza".
November 1995: Kikugorô plays for the first time, at the Kabukiza, the role of Chôbei in the drama "Ninjô Banashi Bunshichi Mottoi".
October 1999: Kikugorô plays for the first time the role of Tenjiku Tokubei in the drama "Oto ni Kiku Tenjiku Tokubei", which is staged at the National Theater. Tokubei is a role which belongs to the Otowaya guild. It was performed for the first time by Onoe Matsusuke I in July 1804.
March 2000: an amazing threesome at the Kabukiza for the performance of "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". Kikugorô plays the role of Sakuramaru, with Ichikawa Danjûrô and Matsumoto Kôshirô in the roles of Umeômaru and Matsuômaru.
December 2000: revival at the National Theater of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Tomioka Koi no Yamabiraki", which has not been staged for 77 years; Kikugorô plays the role of Tamaya Shimbei.
January 2002: the National Theater produces the revival of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Koharunagi Okitsu Shiranami", which has not been played in its full length since November 1864; Kikugorô plays the role of the wizard and thief Kogitsune Reizaburô [casting].
June 2003: Kikugorô receives the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (ningen kokuhô in Japanese).
Comments:
Onoe Kikugorô VII is an amazing kaneru yakusha, one of the best and popular contemporary actors.
"Kikugorô VII benefits from a combination of good looks and physical strength that allows him to perform equally well men and women. He can shine as both Otomi and Yosaburô in "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi", or play either Sukeroku or Agemaki in "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura", a feat few others can match." (Samuel Leiter in "New Kabuki Encyclopedia").
It is said that Onoe Kikugorô will give his name to his son Kikunosuke in the future to come and will take the name of Onoe Baikô VIII.
His wife is the famous movie actress Fuji Junko.
Onoe Kikugorô VII playing the role of Tatsugorô in the drama "Megumi no Kenka" in an illustration made by Sugimura Yoshikazu (1962~1998)
Print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in 1990
The Onoe Ushinosuke line of actors
The Onoe Kikunosuke line of actors
The Onoe Kikugorô line of actors