JITSUKAWA ENJAKU III

Stage names:

Jitsukawa Enjaku III
Jitsukawa Enjirô II

Real name: Amaboshi Shôzô

Guild: Kawachiya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry name: Shôgan

Existence: 3 January 1921 ~ 14 May 1991

Connections:

Grandfather: Jitsukawa Enjaku I

Father: Jitsukawa Enjaku II

Brother: Jitsukawa Ennosuke III

Disciples: Jitsukawa Enrô II, Jitsukawa Jakunosuke, Jitsukawa Enju

Family map: the Jitsukawa Clan

Career:

January 1927: he made his first stage appearance in Ôsaka at the Naniwaza.

March 1934: he took the name of Jitsukawa Enjirô II at the Ôsaka Kabukiza, playing the role of Soga Jûrô in the drama "Ikitate Soga".

19 December 1937: his younger brother Jitsukawa Ennosuke III died at the age of 16.

January 1946: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of the Gidayû-based version of the dance-drama "Shôjô"; Enjirô played the role of the sake peddler Kôfû [more details].

October 1947: Enjirô played for the first time the role of the sanbasô in the dance "Ayatsuri Sanbasô", which was staged at the Misonoza (Nagoya); his stage partners were Nakamura Ganjirô II (Okina) and Nakamura Senjaku II (Senzai).

22 February 1951: his father Jitsukawa Enjaku II died.

September 1953: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of the dance "Ryûko", starring Bandô Minosuke VI and Enjirô in the roles of the Dragon and the Tiger.

April 1954: revival (the 1st since the end of WW2) at the Nakaza of Katsu Genzô III's drama "Ogasawara Sôdô"; Enjirô played the roles of Ogasawara Haito, the yakko Kikuhei (in reality the fox of Mt. Myôjin) and Koheiji [casting].

January 1955: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Naniwa no Ashi"; Enjirô played the role of Yumihiko [casting].

July 1956: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of the dance-drama "Uma Nusubito"; Enjirô played the role of Sunezô [casting].

March 1958: Enjirô took part in the final Kabuki performance at the Ôsaka Kabukiza [more details].

September 1958: Enjirô made a great performance at the Nakaza (Ôsaka), playing the roles of Kumagai Naozane, Issun Tokubê and Kawachiya Yohê in the dramas "Kumagai Jin'ya", "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" and "Abura no Jigoku".

December 1958: Enjirô played at the Minamiza (Kyôto) the role of Yoemon in the dance-drama "Iro Moyô Chotto Karimame"; the role of Kasane was played by Ôtani Tomoemon VII.

May 1959: Enjirô played at the Meijiza the roles of Issun Tokubê and Mikawaya Giheiji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

June 1959: Enjirô played at the Minamiza the role of Gofukuya Jûbê in the "Numazu" scene of the drama "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku"; his stage partners were Kataoka Nizaemon XIII (Heisaku) and Ôtani Tomoemon VII (Oyone). The play was performed with the same casting in July in Nagoya at the Misonoza.

February 1960: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Shiranui Kengyô"; Enjirô played the role of Tobaya Tamatarô [casting].

January 1961: Enjirô played at the Nakaza (Ôsaka) 5 roles in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura": Kô no Moronô, Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Hayano Kanpei, Sadakurô and Yoichibê.

June 1961: Enjirô played for the first time the role of Danshichi Kurobê^[1] in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was staged at the Tôyoko Hall (Tôkyô).

November 1962: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Fudô"^[2]; Enjirô played the role of Hayakumo Daijin [more details].

March 1963: Jitsukawa Enjirô II took the name of Jitsukawa Enjaku III at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Narihira and Kameya Chûbê in the dramas "Suma no Utsushie" and "Fûin Giri".

September 1963: Enjaku celebrated his shûmei at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza, playing the roles of Ishikawa Goemon and Kameya Chûbê in the dramas "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri" and "Fûin Giri". Ishikawa Goemon was the most famous role of his late father Jitsukawa Enjaku II.

October 1963: Enjaku celebrated his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza, playing the roles of Kingorô and Kameya Chûbê in the dramas "Kosan Kingorô" and "Fûin Giri".

December 1963: Enjaku played for the first time the role of Heisaku in the "Numazu" scene of the drama "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku", which was staged at the Kabukiza; his stage partners were Morita Kan'ya XIV (Gofukuya Jûbê) and Ôtani Tomoemon VII (Oyone).

January 1965: premiere at the Nakaza of the spectacular hengemono "Ôtsue Dôjôji"; Enjaku played the roles of the wisteria maiden, a falcon-handler, a zatô, a boatman and the ôtsue demon [more details].

May 1965: shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 young actors of the Otowaya guild; Onoe Ushinosuke V, Onoe Sakon I and Bandô Kamesaburô IV respectively took the names of Onoe Kikunosuke IV, Onoe Tatsunosuke I, and Bandô Shinsui VIII. The program also commemorated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of Onoe Kikugorô VI. Revival in the same theater of the danmari "Otowa-ga-Dake Danmari"; Enjaku played the role of Kumokiri Kesatarô [more details].

January 1967: revival at the Kabukiza of Sakurada Jisuke II's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Yamato Moji Koi no Koto no Ha", commonly called "Usuyuki Kyôran" or "Usuyuki Michiyuki"; Enjaku played the role of torisashi Kichisuke (in reality Fujikage Jûheita) [casting].

July 1968: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kama-ga-Fuchi Futatsu Domoe"; Enjaku played the role of Ishikawa Goemon [casting].

June 1969: Enjaku played the role of the villain Soga no Iruka in the great revival (4 acts) of the classic "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", which was staged at the National Theatre.

January 1971: Enjaku played at the Kabukiza the role of the villain Matsunaga Daizen in the jidaimono "Gion Sairei Shinkôki"; his stage partners were Nakamura Shikan VII (Princess Yuki) and Morita Kan'ya XIV (Tôkichi).

June 1972: tour in Europe.

April 1976: the National Theatre produced the revival in 5 acts and 9 scenes of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Enjaku played the leading role of Ishikawa Goemon [casting].

April 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Nishizawa Ippô's drama "Keisei Hama no Masago"; Enjaku played the roles of Saitô Kuranosuke and Toyotomi Hisayori [casting].

January 1984: Enjaku played for the last time the role of Goemon in the drama "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri", which was staged at the Kabukiza.

June 1985: Enjaku played for the last time the role of Kameya Chûbê in the drama "Fûin Giri", which was staged at the Nakaza (Ôsaka); the role of the courtesan Umegawa was played by Nakamura Matsue V.

April 1987: Enjaku took part in the revival at the Meijiza of the play "Jûni Hitoe Komachi Zakura", which included the famous Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To" [more details].

December 1988: Enjaku played for the last time the role of Heisaku in the "Numazu" scene of the drama "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku", which was staged at the Minamiza (Kyôto); his stage partners were Nakamura Senjaku II (Gofukuya Jûbê) and Sawamura Sôjûrô IX (Oyone).

January 1990: Enjaku played for the last time the role of the sanbasô in the dance "Ayatsuri Sanbasô", which was staged at the Kabukiza; his stage partners were Sawamura Sôjûrô IX (Okina) and Ichikawa Monnosuke VII (Senzai).

December 1990: Enjaku appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Gion Kaburenjô, playing the role of Hayano Kanpei in the michiyuki "Michiyuki Tabiji no Hanamuko"; the role of Okaru was played by Onoe Baikô VII.

14 May 1991: Enjaku died.

Comments:

Jitsukawa Enjaku III was a great tachiyaku of the second half of the twentieth century, trained in the traditions of the Kamigata Kabuki. He unfortunately died without a son to transmit his art and name, putting an end to the Jitsukawa clan.

[1] This role is one of the most prestigious ones in the Kamigata Kabuki.

[2] A drama belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban.

Prints & Illustrations

The Jitsukawa Enjirô line of actors

The Jitsukawa Enjaku line of actors