Stage names:
Osagawa Tsuneyo II
Osagawa Shichizô I
Guild: Wataya
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Existence: 1753 ~ 16 August 1808
Connections:
Master: Osagawa Tsuneyo I
Disciple: Osagawa Tsuneyo III
Career:
1753: born in Edo.
1763: he becomes disciple of the actor Osagawa Tsuneyo I and receives the name of Osagawa Shichizô I.
12 May 1766: his master Osagawa Tsuneyo I dies.
November 1768: Osagawa Shichizô I takes the name of Osagawa Tsuneyo II at the Nakamuraza, playing in the kaomise drama "Ima o Sakari Suehiro Genji".
August 1771: Tsuneyo plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Otoku in the drama "Keisei Nagoya Obi".
November 1772: Tsuneyo plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Hanazono and Okô in the kaomise drama "Ôyoroi Ebidô Shinozuka".
November 1776: Tsuneyo plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Princess Konohana in the kaomise drama "Sugata no Hana Yuki no Kuronushi".
May 1777: Tsuneyo plays at the Ichimuraza the difficult role of Sodehagi in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara". His stage partners in the roles of Sadatô, Yoshiie, Munetô, Hamayû and Kenjô are Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Ichikawa Yaozô II, Sakata Hangorô II, Yoshizawa Sakinosuke III and Ôtani Hiroemon III.
January 1778: the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Tsuneyo plays the roles of Okishi and Medo-no-Kata [casting].
November 1779: Tsuneyo plays at the Moritaza the roles of Jorôhana and Omachi in the kaomise drama "Uta Kurabe Tôsei Moyô".
April 1780: first Kabuki adaptation of Utei Emba, Kijô Tarô and Yô Yôdai puppet theater drama "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi". The play is staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Tsuneyo plays the role of Miyagino [casting].
April 1783: first Kabuki adaptation of Yô Yôdai's puppet theater drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie". The play is staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Tsuneyo plays the role of Ohatsu [casting].
November 1790: Tsuneyo plays at the Kawarazakiza in the kaomise drama "Daidan Kanjinchô".
October 1794: due to some financial difficulties, the salaries of all the actors are drastically reduced. Tsuneyo's yearly salary for the coming season is set to 500 ryô instead of 650.
November 1796: Tsuneyo plays at the Kawarazakiza 4 roles in the kaomise drama "Itsukushima Yuki no Sugata Mise".
November 1800: Tsuneyo plays at the Nakamuraza 2 roles in the kaomise drama "Genji Gumo Kogane no Kumadori".
October 1801: Tsuneyo plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Otoku in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Otoku's husband Matahei is played by Ichikawa Danzô IV.
November 1803: Tsuneyo plays at the Ichimuraza 2 roles in the drama "Mutsu no Hana Monomi no Matsu".
November 1806: Tsuneyo plays at the Ichimuraza 3 roles in the drama "Wakazakari Heike Monogatari". The performance is interrupted the 13th of November by a sudden fire, which burns the theater to ashes and kills many members of the audience.
October 1807: Tsuneyo plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Otoku in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Otoku's husband Matahei is played by Bandô Hikosaburô III.
January 1808: Tsuneyo appears on stage for the last time, at the Kawarazakiza, playing in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".
Comments:
Osagawa Tsuneyo II was a talented onnagata actor and an outstanding dancer, who achieved fame for himself during the last quarter of the eighteenth century, up to the first years of the Bunka era. His final and best level in the Edo hyôbanki was kô-jô-jô-kichi (meritorious - superior - superior - excellent).
Osagawa Tsuneyo II in a print made by Toyokuni (1798~1800)
Print made by Torii Kiyonaga in 1783
Print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku in 1794
The Osagawa Tsuneyo line of actors
