Stage names:

Sawamura Kunitarô II
Ogino Kinshi I
Ogino Yaegiri III
Ogino Kinshi
Ogino Kamekichi
Izumikawa Kamekichi

Guilds: Tennôjiya, Oginoya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Kinshi, Kitô

Existence: ??? ~ 1836

Connection:

Masters: Sawamura Kunitarô I (?), Ogino Itarô

Career:

1798 ~ 1814: he starts his career during his childhood in Ôsaka in kodomo shibai, performing under the name of Izumikawa Kamekichi. Later on, he becomes disciple of Ogino Itarô, who gives him the name of Ogino Kamekichi. His next stage names are Ogino Kinshi and Ogino Yaegiri III, a prestigious name unheld since 6th lunar month of 1763. He takes back the name of Ogino Kinshi, using a different writing:

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11th lunar month of 1814: Kinshi plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Umenoi and Yûsuke's wife in the drama "Hôjô Jiraiki".

1st lunar month of 1815: Kinshi's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

2nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1818: the actor Sawamura Kunitarô I dies.

11th lunar month of 1819: Ogino Kinshi I takes the name of Sawamura Kunitarô II at the Minamigawa no Shibai, playing the roles of Chôroku's wife and Osai in the kaomise drama "Zôho Koi no Shiranami".

6th lunar month of 1822: tour in Miyajima with Ichikawa Ebijûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1827: Kunitarô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He is with Nakamura Matsue III the kanjiku for the onnagata actors.

4th ~ 6th lunar months of 1828: tour in Nagoya for a troupe led by Arashi Kitsusaburô II, Kunitarô and Ôtani Tomoemon II; they perform at the Tachibana no Shibai in dramas like "Hirakana Seisuiki", "Kuni Namari Futaba no Oizuru", "Katakiuchi Ura no Asagiri" or "Onna Hachinoki".

8th lunar month of 1828: Kunitarô plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Hanazono, Otake and Onna Narukami (the female Narukami) in the dramas "Ôtô-no-Miya Asahi no Yoroi", "Kewai Mizu Kinugawa Zutsumi" and "Otoko Narikeri Onna Narukami", which are produced by Sawamura Otomatsu, commemorate the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of late Arashi Rikan I and celebrate the shûmei of Arashi Rikan II. Their main stage partners are Bandô Jutarô I, Ôtani Tomoemon II and Asao Okuyama III.

7th lunar month of 1829: Kunitarô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Miyagino in the drama "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi"; the roles of Sôroku and Shinobu are played by Nakamura Utaemon III and Nakamura Matsue III.

1st lunar month of 1830: Kunitarô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is (shiro)itaru-jô-jô-kichi ((white) unique - superior - superior - excellent).

11th lunar month of 1830: Kunitarô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Nishiki-no-Mae, Tatsuta and Chiyo in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". He also plays the role of Kosen in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

5th lunar month of 1831: Kunitarô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

1st lunar month of 1832: Kunitarô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is itaru-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent).

3rd lunar month of 1834: Kunitarô commemorates at the Kado no Shibai the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the death of Sawamura Kunitarô I, performing in the drama "Tsuizen Asazawa Murasaki". This is his last stage appearance, for he is very sick and he has to retire from business.

Spring 1836: Kunitarô dies in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Sawamura Kunitarô II was a talented onnagata actor, who achieved fame for himself in Ôsaka and Kyôto from the end of the Bunka era to the beginning of the Tenpô era, reaching the prestigious jô-jô-kichi rank in 1827. He spent 20 years in Kamigata ôshibai, without going on tour to Edo. His fields of excellence were okugata and sewa nyôbô.

Sawamura Kunitarô II playing the role of Hanazono in the drama "Ôtô-no-Miya Asahi no Yoroi", which was staged in the 8th lunar month of 1828 in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai (print made by Ryûsai Shigeharu)
Print by Courtesy of Theo de Kreijger

Print made by Shunkôsai Hokushû in 1823

Print made by Asayama Ashiyuki in 1827

Print made by Ryûsai Shigeharu in 1828

The Ogino Yaegiri line of actors

The Sawamura Kunitarô line of actors