Stage names:

Onoe Tamizô II
Ôkawa Hachizô
Nakamura Waichi
Segawa Waichi

Guild: Otowaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry names: Matsuô, Shôchô, Nichô

Existence: 1799 ~ 2 March 1886

Connections:

Masters: Onoe Kikugorô III, Nakamura Utaemon III, Segawa Senjo

Father-in-law: Ichikawa Ebijûrô I

Sons: Onoe Shôkaku I, Ichikawa Ichizô III

Disciples: Onoe Tamizô III, Onoe Usaburô I, Onoe Wasaburô I, Onoe Tamisaburô, Onoe Taminojô, Onoe Tamimaru I, Onoe Tamimaru II, Onoe Tsunejirô

Career:

1799: born in Kyôto. He is the son of Kameemon, a Kabuki hairdresser (tokoyama).

1810: he starts his career as a disciple of Segawa Senjo and receives the name of Segawa Waichi.

12th lunar month of 1810: his master Segawa Senjo dies.

1820: he joins Nakamura Utaemon III, who gives him the name of Nakamura Waichi. He leaves after his second master a few months for a third one, the Edo star Onoe Kikugorô III on tour in Ôsaka. The two actors go together to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1820: Nakamura Waichi takes the name of Onoe Tamizô II at the Kawarasakiza.

7th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Kumoi no Hareginu", which mixes the sekai of Gion no Nyôgo, the Two Shinbê ("Ninin Shinbê") and Tamamo-no-Mae; Tamizô plays the roles of the toneri Kishiô and the sarumawashi Yamadani no Sansaku [more details].

9th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kiku no En Tsuki no Shiranami"; Tamizô plays the role of En'ya Nuinosuke (later Hakomochi Sasuke) [more details].

1823: Tamizô goes back to Kamigata.

3rd lunar month of 1833: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of "Hana Fubuki Koi no Tekagami"; Tamizô plays the role of Utanosuke [casting].

5th lunar month of 1841: Tamizô goes back to Edo, playing 8 roles in the drama "Ura Omote Senbon Zakura", which is staged at the Nakamuraza.

7th lunar month of 1841: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the dance "Ame no Gorô", which is performed by Tamizô as part of a nine-role hengemono entitled "Yae Kokonoe Hana no Sugatae".

10th lunar month of 1843: Tamizô goes back to Kamigata and plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Hayano Kanpei and Teraoka Heiemon in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

5th lunar month of 1843: Tamizô plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Tôma Saburôemon, Kôemon and Hayase Iori in the drama "Tengajaya-mura", produced by the zamoto Onoe Waichi; his stage partners are Ôtani Tomoemon IV (Motoemon) and Nakamura Kashichi III (Hayase Genjirô).

7th lunar month of 1843: Tamizô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Kôemon and Hayase Iori in the drama "Tengajaya-mura"; his stage partners are Ôtani Tomoemon IV (Tôma Saburôemon, Motoemon) and Onoe Umezô (Hayase Genjirô).

8th lunar month of 1848: tour in Nagoya with his master; the two actors play respectively under the names of Ôkawa Hashizô I and Ôkawa Hachizô.

4th lunar month of 1849: his master Ôkawa Hashizô I dies.

1850: he goes back to Ôsaka and takes back the name of Onoe Tamizô II.

1st lunar month of 1858: Tamizô plays at the Naka no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of the king of thieves Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Keisei Setsugekka", commonly called "Ishikawa-zome"; his stage partner in the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi, sworn enemy of Ishikawa Goemon is Arashi Kichisaburô III.

10th lunar month of 1859: Tamizô plays at the Kado no Shibai (Ôsaka) the roles of Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô in the michiyuki and the "Shi-no-Kiri" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", produced by the zamoto Nakamura Takemaru. His stage partners are Arashi Rikaku II (Shizuka Gozen) and Mimasu Baisha I (Yoshitsune, Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan).

2nd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1865: his younger son Ichikawa Ichizô III dies.

22 October 1878: his elder son Onoe Shôkaku I dies.

August 1879: Tamizô takes part in the opening ceremony of the Hisamatsuza [details].

November 1880: Tamizô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai (Kyôto) the role of Yokozô in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô"; the role of Jihizô is played by Arashi Kitsusaburô IV.

November 1885: Tamizô appears on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, performing in a dance celebrating the rebuilding of the theater.

2 March 1886: Tamizô dies.

Comments:

Onoe Tamizô II was a great and popular kaneru yakusha, excelling in quick costums changes (hayagawari) and ghost plays. His three masters were 3 of the most important actors in Kabuki history and, thanks to his amazingly long-spanned career, he played an important role in the transmission of the art of Kabuki from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era.

Onoe Tamizô II in the drama "Kamakura Sandaiki"

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Hasegawa Sadanobu in 1840

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1841

The Onoe Tamizô line of actors