| ÔKAWA HASHIZÔ II |
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Stage names:
Dancer name: Fujima Kannojô Real name: Niwa Tominari Guild: Otowaya Line number: NIDAIME (II) Existence: 9 April 1929 ~ 7 December 1984 Connection: Master: Ichikawa Omezô IV Adoptive fathers: Onoe Kikugorô VI, Ichikawa Takinojô II Career: 9 April 1929: born in Tôkyô. His mother is a geisha of the pleasure quarter of Yanagibashi. He is adopted by the actor Ichikawa Takinojô II. November 1935: he becomes disciple of Ichikawa Omezô IV, who gives him the name of Ichikawa Omemaru. January 1936: he makes his first stage apperance, at the Kabukiza, where he plays the role of Tsuruchiyo in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"; the roles of Masaoka and Senmatsu are played by Onoe Kikugorô VI and Bandô Mitsunobu. His master plays the role of Okinoi. March 1945: he is adopted by the mother of Onoe Kikugorô VI. October 1945: Ichikawa Omemaru takes the name of Ôkawa Hashizô II. This prestigious name has not been held since 4th lunar month of 1849 and the first holder of the name was the star Onoe Kikugorô III. 10 July 1949: his adoptive father Onoe Kikugorô VI dies. October 1949: creation of the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan; Hashizô joins this troupe. December 1949: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Ikutama Shinjû" is revived at the Mitsukoshi Gekijô, using a new script written by Uno Nobuo; Hashizô plays the role of Okiwa [more details]. July 1951: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Hashizô plays the role of the okujochû Futaba [casting]. January 1952: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Hagiwara Yukio's Kiyomoto-based dôjôjimono "Yuki no Dôjôji"; Hashizô plays the role of a Dôjôji bonze [casting]. September 1952: Hashizô plays at the Meijiza the role of the Wisteria Maiden in the dance "Fuji Musume". March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Hashizô plays the role of Amitoku's daughter Ochô [casting]. January 1954: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of the Nagauta-based dance "Taimen Hana no Harukoma", which is entitled "Ataru Toshi Iwau Harukoma"; Hashizô plays the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari [casting]. March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Hashizô plays the role of the chûrô Matsuyama [more details]. 1954: Hashizô joins the Daiei film studio. October 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 2nd part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Hashizô plays the role of the Kabuki actor Fujimura Handayû II [more details]. 1955: Hashizô joins the Tôei movie company. March 1955: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 3rd (and last) part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Hashizô plays the roles of the chûrô Matsuyama and the Kabuki actor Fujimura Handayû II [more details]. 1960: Hashizô plays the role of Tokugawa Mitsukuni in the movie "Mito Kômon", which is directed by Matsuda Sadatsugu. 1962: Hashizô plays the role of Amakusa Shirô Tokisada in the eponymous movie, which is directed by Ôshima Nagisa. December 1969: revival at the Kabukiza of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kumo no Ito Azusa no Yumihari"; Hashizô plays the roles of the zatô Utashichi, the keisei Usugumo and the Spirit of the Spider (kumo no sei) [more details]. 7 December 1984: Hashizô dies. Comments: Ôkawa Hashizô II was Japan’s foremost movie star in the 1950s and 1960s. Trained as a onnagata by the stage giant Onoe Kikugorô VI, he could have become a great Kabuki actor. Unfortunately for him, he was too young when Onoe Kikugorô VI died and it was impossible for him to make a name for himself as the tateonnagata of the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan because he was outclassed by actors like Onoe Baikô VII or Nakamura Fukusuke VII. Joining the samurai movie world was the only way for him to quickly rise to stardom because of his skills as a Kabuki actor. He was one of the four leading samurai actors of the 1950s, a quadrumvirate of stars which was nicknamed "Nisuke Nizô" ("the two Suke and the two Zô"). The three others were Nakamura Kinnosuke I, Ichikawa Raizô VIII and Azuma Chiyonosuke (the two former ones being also Kabuki actors). He starred in the longest running TV series in the role of Zenigata Heiji and starred also the leading role of Aoi Shingo in the eponymous movie series. Ôkawa Hashizô II is still considered as the most popular Japanese film star of all time.
Ôkawa Hashizô II The list of Ôkawa Hashizô II's movies (in Japanese) The Ôkawa Hashizô line of actors |
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