Stage names:
Arashi San'emon II
Arashi Monzaburô I
Arashi Kantarô
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Existence: 1661 ~ 7 November 1701
Connection:
Father: Arashi San'emon I
Son: Arashi San'emon III
Grandson: Arashi Kanshirô II
Son-in-law: Arashi Kanshirô I
Disciples: Arashi Sanshirô I, Arashi Kiyosaburô I, Arashi Sanjûrô I, Arashi Monjûrô
Career:
1661: born in Kamigata. He start his career at an unknown date, performing under the name of Arashi Kantarô.
1680: he takes the name of Arashi Monzaburô I and becomes wakaonnagata.
November 1686: Monzaburô becomes zamoto in Ôsaka. His father decides to make him give up acting; later on, he is apprenticed to a candle dealer.
18 October 1690: his father Arashi San'emon I dies.
November 1690: Arashi Monzaburô I is back on stage and takes the name of Arashi San'emon II; he performs using the roppô technique, which was the trademark technique of his late father.
January 1695: San'emon produces in Ôsaka the drama "Jingû Kôgô", in which he plays the role of Ôtomo Ren-no-Daijin.
January 1696: San'emon produces in Ôsaka Tominaga Heibei's drama "Kumano Sankaichô", in which he plays the role of Yokozone Kazuma; his stage partners are Shibazaki Rinzaemon I, Asao Jûjirô, Nishikawa Okanosuke, Dekishima Kozaburô, Otowa Saizaburô, Sakata Tôkurô, Takaoka Muraemon, Ichiya Gembei, Kamogawa Noshio I, Tashiro Seizaemon, Miyazaki Hachirozaemon, Mizuki Asanojô and Hayama Okaemon.
July 1696: San'emon produces in Ôsaka the drama "Kamakura Ominaeshi", in which he plays the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari; his stage partners are Shibazaki Rinzaemon I (Soga Gorô Tokimune), Asao Jûjirô (Kewaizaka no Shôshô) and Nishikawa Okanosuke (Ôiso no Tora).
January 1698: San'emon's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô (superior).
January 1699: San'emon's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
January 1700: San'emon produces in Ôsaka the new year drama "Kamakura Shôgatsu Tsukai", in which he plays the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari; his stage partners are Shibazaki Rinzaemon I (Shigetada), Narukawa Genzaemon (Soga Gorô Tokimune), Mihara Jûdayû I (Kudô Saemon Suketsune), Ogino Sayonosuke (Kewaizaka no Shôshô) and Tamagawa Handayû (Tora).
Fall 1701: San'emon produces in Ôsaka the drama "Nagori no Sakazuki", in which he plays 3 roles.
November 1701: San'emon goes to Kyôto to produce the same drama in Miyako Mandayû's theater; he unfortunately suddenly dies the 7th of this month, before the opening day of the production.
Comments:
"The third famous actor of Tôjûrô's time was Arashi San'emon, the second. He was younger than Tôjûrô and Kyôemon, and died early. The first Arashi was his father, but the boy was evidently regarded as an ugly duckling, for his father did not consider that he possessed sufficient talent for a stage career, and he was apprenticed to a candle dealer, the business requiring him to travel from one place to another. When the elder Arashi was taken ill, the son was called to Ôsaka to take up the parental profession, and so had the difficult task of trying to live up to his father's reputation. At first the audience laughed at him, but as he had the same face and voice as his father, he soon attracted attention and came to be regarded as one of the leading actors. Indeed, he was considered in some respects superior to his father, especially in the art of love-making; he was genuine and unaffected, and possessed a well-shaped nose and fine eyes." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")
Arashi San'emon II