Stage names:

Ogino Yaegiri II
Ogino Sôkichi

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Existence: 1726 ~ 20 June 1763

Connections:

Master: Ogino Yaegiri I

Career:

1726 ~ 1750: born in Kamigata. Disciple of the star Ogino Yaegiri I, his first stage name is Ogino Sôkichi.

1751: Ogino Sôkichi takes the name of Ogino Yaegiri II.

Fall 1751: Yaegiri goes to Edo, travelling with Fujikawa Heikurô and Sanogawa Hanazuma II.

November 1751: Yaegiri plays at the Moritaza the role of Ayame-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Aizuchi Jûnidan", which celebrates the shûmei of Morita Kan'ya VI.

January 1752: Yaegiri's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent). He shares the same rank with Osagawa Tsuneyo I and Arashi Tamagashiwa.

April 1752: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki", which is staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Yaegiri plays the roles of Taira no Atsumori, Kojirô and Kiku-no-Mae (Kumagai's wife) and Sugawaradayû [casting].

November 1753: Yaegiri plays at the Moritaza the role of Waka-no-Mae in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kokyô no Nishiki", which celebrates the shûmei of Suketakaya Takasuke I and Ichikawa Sôzaburô II.

January 1754: Yaegiri's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual/right].

January 1761: Yaegiri's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, falls to jô-jô (superior - superior).

November 1762: Yaegiri plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Ukigusa in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kokyô no Nishiki", which celebrates the shûmei of Ichimura Uzaemon IX and Ôtani Hiroji III.

20 June 1763: Segawa Kikunojô II and Yaegiri go together on a boat party on the Sumida River. Yaegiri falls in the Sumida waters while trying to catch some clams with his hands and dies by drowning.

Comments:

Ogino Yaegiri II was a 18th century onnagata. His stage name was too heavy to hold, as his master was one of the best onnagata in Kabuki history. He tried to achieve some fame in Edo but his ranking stagnated for more than 10 years. The most notable event for this actor was unfortunately not related to his performances on stage, but to his death by drowning: when Ogino Yaegiri II's wife was told about the death of her husband, her "grief was so great that Kikunojô achieved great success by using it to play Okaru in Act VII of "Kanadehon Chûshingura", when she faints on learning of the death of Kampei." (Samuel Leiter in "New Kabuki Encyclopedia").

The actors Ogino Yaegiri II (left) and Sawamura Sôjûrô II (right) playing the roles of Tsukisayo and Rokudai Gozen in the new year drama "Kodakara Aigo Soga",
which was staged in January 1755 at the Ichimuraza