Stage names:
Nakayama Shinkurô II
Nakayama Raisuke I
Matsuya Raisuke II
Nakayama Gennosuke
Other name: Nakayama Icchô II
Guild: Matsuya
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Poetry name: Icchô (2)
Existence: 1738 ~ 19 March 1783
Connection:
Father: Matsuya Raisuke I (playwright)
Master: Nakayama Shinkurô I
Brothers: Nakayama Bunshichi I, Nakayama Monjûrô
Adopted son: Nakayama Bunshichi II
Career:
1738 ~ 1756: born in Ôsaka. His first stage name is Nakayama Gennosuke and his master is Nakayama Shinkurô I, the adopted father of his brother Nakayama Bunshichi I. Later on, he takes the name of Matsuya Raisuke II after the death of his father.
November 1756: Raisuke becomes tachiyaku and performs at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ômatsu Kyokusuke Tanzen Roppô".
November 1757: Matsuya Raisuke II takes the name of Nakayama Raisuke I, playing at the Naka no Shibai the role of Yatarô in the kaomise drama "Sakiwake Musha Kôbai no Tazuna", which is produced by Anegawa Shinshirô II.
March 1763: Raisuke's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).
July 1763: Raisuke plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Umeômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners are Nakayama Bunshichi I (Matsuômaru, Terukuni), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Kakuju, Shihei), Arashi Hinasuke I (Haru), Anegawa Daikichi (Tonami, Yae), Asao Tamejûrô I (Hyôei, Shundô Genba), Bandô Toyosaburô I (Shiratayû), Fujikawa Hachizô I (Genzô, Sukune Tarô), Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II (Sakuramaru), Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II (Chiyo, Tatsuta) and Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kan Shôjô).
January 1766: Raisuke's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent). He shares this rank with Arashi Kichisaburô I.
December 1766: Raisuke plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shigetada in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki", which is produced by Arashi Hinasuke I; his stage partners are Fujikawa Hachizô I (Matsuemon, Higuchi no Jirô Kanemitsu), Arashi Hinasuke I (Umegae), Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II (Kajiwara Genta Kagesue), Nakayama Shinkurô I (Gonshirô), Arashi Koroku I (Enju), Yoshizawa Ayame III (Oyoshi, Tomoe) and Arashi Shichigorô II (Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka).
July 1767: Raisuke plays in the same theater the role of Issun Tokubei in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Danshichi Kurobei and Tsuribune Sabu are played by Fujikawa Hachizô I and Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II.
December 1767: Raisuke plays the roles of Tomomori and Hôgen in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is staged for the first time at the Kado no Shibai [casting].
March ~ May 1771: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", produced by Mimasu Tokujirô I at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Raisuke plays the roles of Daihanji no Kiyosumi and Soga no Iruka [casting].
September 1773: Raisuke plays in Kyôto the role of Shôgen in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô", which is produced by the zamoto Ogawa Kichitarô I for the nadai Ôsaka Tazaemon at the Kado no Shibai; his stage partners are Arashi Hinasuke I (Otoku) and Mimasu Daigorô I (Matahei).
3 April 1775: his master Nakayama Shinkurô I dies.
December 1776: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; Raisuke plays the roles of Honda Dainaiki, Sasaki Tan'emon, Arao Shuzen and Matsuno Kinsuke [casting].
December 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke's drama "Tengajaya-Mura"; Raisuke plays the role of Kôemon [casting]. A similar play is staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up is open between the 2 theaters.
September 1782: Nakayama Raisuke I takes the name of Nakayama Shinkurô II at the Kado no Shibai, playing the roles of Banzaemon and Yomosaku in the dramas "Monogusa Tarô" and "Saiwai Ariwara Keizu", which are produced to celebrate the isse ichidai peformance of his brother Nakayama Bunshichi I.
November 1782: Shinkurô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Wada Gorô (in reality Wada Shinzaemon) in the kaomise drama "Yamato Moji Sansai Zue".
March 1783: Shinkurô appears on stage for the last time, at the Kado no Shibai where he plays the roles of Kôsaka Jinnai and Fukushimaya Ibei in the dramas "Keisei Kogane no Shachihoko" and "Shinjû Natane no Kumotsu". He suddenly falls ill and quickly dies.
Comments:
Nakayama Shinkurô II was an Ôsaka tachiyaku actor, who made a great career in Kamigata from the 1760s to the beginning of the 1780s. He excelled in budôgoto and jitsugoto. He unfortunately died too early, at the beginning of his forties, with his final ranking in the Ôsaka hyôbanki being only one little stroke below jô-jô-kichi.
Nakayama Shinkurô II at the Kado no Shibai in November 1782
The head below is Asao Tamejûrô I's one
The Nakayama Raisuke line of actors