Stage names:
Arashi Rikaku II
Arashi Yoshisaburô II
Arashi Ichitarô I
Guild: Teshimaya
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Poetry names: Kakô, Rikaku (2)
Existence: 1812 ~ 14 July 1864
Connections:
Masters : Arashi Rikan II (Kitsusaburô II), Arashi Kichisaburô II (Kitsusaburô I)
Adopted sons: Arashi Rikaku III (Ichikawa Gonjûrô), Arashi Yoshisaburô III, Arashi Jûbei (father of Arashi Yoshisaburô IV)
Disciples: Arashi Rikaku IV, Arashi Rishô I
Career:
1812: born in Ôsaka. He starts his career as a disciple of Arashi Kichisaburô II, who gives him the name of Arashi Ichitarô I.
September 1821: his master Arashi Kitsusaburô I dies. Ichitarô becomes disciple of Arashi Kitsusaburô II.
1823 ~ 1831: he takes the name of Arashi Yoshisaburô II at an unknown date and spends most of his time in travelling troupes performing in the precincts of temples and shrines in the Kyôto area (miyaji shibai).
November 1831: Arashi Yoshisaburô II takes the name of Arashi Rikaku II in Kyôto. Rikaku was Arashi Rikan II's haimyô.
June 1836: tour in Miyajima with Arashi Rikan II, Arashi Kichisaburô III, Nakamura Karoku I and Asao Kuzaemon II.
March 1839: the play "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji" is staged for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Kado no Shibai; Rikaku plays the role of the yakko Irihei [casting].
June 1840: Rikaku plays the role of Fujiwara Naritsune at the Sakai Shinchi no Shibai (Ôsaka) in the drama "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima". His stage partners are Fujikawa Kayû III (Chidori), Nakamura Shikan III (Tanzaemon Motoyasu) and Ichikawa Danzô V (Shunkan).
November 1843: Rikaku plays the role of Shizuka Gozen in the michiyuki "Yoshinoyama" and the "Shi-no-Kiri" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is produced by Ichikawa Suketarô at the Chikugo no Shibai; the roles of the fox Genkurô and Yoshitsune are played by Nakamura Shikan III and Mimasu Tanin IV.
May 1844: Rikaku plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri is played by Fujikawa Kayû III. Rikaku also plays the roles of Satô Tadanobu, the fox Genkurô and Kajiwara Kagetoki in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
July 1844: Rikaku plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sanza in the drama "Keisei Shina Sadame".
March 1845: Rikaku plays at the Chikugo no Shibai the role of Yasuke in the drama "Ehon Tengajaya-Mura". His stage partners are Nakamura Shibazô I (Motoemon), Kataoka Ichizô I (Tôma Saburôemon), Sawamura Kitô II (Somenoi) and Nakamura Shikan III (Iori).
February 1847: Rikaku plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shizuka Gozen in the michiyuki "Yoshinoyama" and the "Shi-no-Kiri" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". His stage partners are Ichikawa Ebizô V (Yoshitsune), Ichikawa Kodanji IV (Tadanobu) and Arashi Kichisaburô III (Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan).
May 1847: Rikaku plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Shizuka Gozen in Kyôto in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is produced by Kameya Kumenojô and and Hayagumo Chôdayû. His stage partners are Ichikawa Ebizô V (Yoshitsune) and Ichikawa Kodanji IV(Tadanobu).
January 1848: Rikaku's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
November 1849: tour in Nagoya; he performs at the Tachibana no Shibai, playing aong others the roles of Yasuke and Tadanobu in the "Sushiya" and "Yoshinoyama" scenes of the draa "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura"; the roles of Osato and Shizuka Gozen are played by Nakamura Tomijûrô II.
January 1850: Rikaku achieves a great success at the Chikugo no Shibai by playing 4 roles in the drama "Keisei Hana Ikada".
November 1850: Rikaku plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Sukune Tarô, Sakuramaru and Takebe Genzô ("Terakoya") in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
March 1851: Rikaku plays at the Sakai Shinchi no Shibai (Ôsaka) the roles of Momonoi Wakasanosuke, Hayano Kampei and Kanzaki Yagorô in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
November 1851: Rikaku plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Abe no Munetô in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", which is produced by Kameya Kumenojô and Hayagumo Chôdayû. His stage partners are Nakamura Tomijûrô II (Sodehagi), Kataoka Ichizô I (Abe no Sadatô) and Jitsukawa Enzaburô I (Hachiman Tarô).
August 1852: premiere at the Chikugo no Shibai of the dance "Ayatsuri Sambasô"; the role of Sambasô is performed by Rikaku.
February 1853: Rikaku settles in Edo; he achieves a great success at the Kawarazakiza by performing in the dance "Yanagi no Ito Hikuya Gohiiki", sharing the stage with Bandô Shûka I and Bandô Takesaburô I.
April 1853: Rikaku plays in the same theater the roles of Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô in the "Shi-no-Kiri" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". His stage partners are Bandô Shûka I (Shizuka Gozen), Bandô Takesaburô I (Yoshitsune) and Arashi Rikan III (Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan).
November 1853: Rikaku achieves a great success in the same theater by playing the roles of Ushiwakamaru and Oniwakamaru in the classic "Kiichi Hôgen Sanryaku no Maki".
Spring 1854: Rikaku goes back to Ôsaka; he plays at the Chikugo no Shibai the roles of Sukune Tarô, Jûsaku and the spirit of a white fox in the drama "Tenmangû".
May 1854: Rikaku plays in the same theater the role of Senoo Tarô in the drama "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima". His stage partners are Nakamura Tamashichi I (Chidori) and Ichikawa Danzô VI (Shunkan).
November 1854: Rikaku plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of the thief Nippon Daemon in the drama "Koi no Shiranami".
February 1855: Rikaku plays the roles of Satô Tadanobu, the fox Genkurô, Kokingo and Kajiwara Kagetoki in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is produced by the zamoto Arashi Kitsunosuke at the Chikugo no Shibai. His stage partners are Arashi San'emon IX (Shizuka Gozen) and Ichikawa Ebijûrô IV (Tokaiya Gimpei, Taira no Tomomori, Igami no Gonta and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan).
January 1856: Rikaku plays in the same theater the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Otoku is played by Arashi Ritô.
January 1859: Rikaku's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is shi-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent).
October 1859: Rikaku plays for the last time the role of Shizuka Gozen iin the michiyuki "Yoshinoyama" and the "Shi-no-Kiri" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is produced at the Kado no Shibai (Ôsaka) by the zamoto Nakamura Takemaru. His stage partners are Mimasu Baisha I (Yoshitsune, Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan) and Onoe Tamizô II (Tadanobu).
August 1860: Rikaku plays at the Chikugo no Shibai the roles of Oiwa, Kohei and Satô Yomoshichi in Tsuruya namboku's drama "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan".
January 1861: Rikaku's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is hakudai-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent). He is also the kanjiku for tachiyaku actors.
November 1861: Rikaku plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Jihizô, Katsuyori and Minosaku in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô".
July 1864: Rikaku dies in Ôsaka the 14th.
Comments:
Arashi Rikaku II was a talented Kamigata actor, able to play almost any kind of tachiyaku roles, either in jidaimono or sewamono dramas. He also performed occasionally onnagata roles and his best one was Shizuka Gozen in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". He was an amazing dancer and excelled in hengemono dances. He popularized in Edo the dance "Ayatsuri Sambasô", which is still nowadays somehow associated to Kamigata.
Arashi Rikaku II playing the role of Yonekichi in the drama "Rangiku Makura Jidô", which was staged in February 1862 at the Kado no Shibai
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1853
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1853
Print made by Utagawa Yoshitaki in 1861
The Arashi Yoshisaburô line of actors
The Arashi Rikaku line of actors