Stage names:

Kataoka Nizaemon IV
Fujikawa Hanzaburô II
Fujikawa Shômatsu	|

Pen name:

Fujikawa Sakoku

Other name:

Sakoku Iemon

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry name: Sakoku

Existence: ??? ~ 1758 (?)

Connection:

Adoptive father: Fujikawa Shigeemon

Adopted son: Fujikawa Hanzaburô III

Disciple: Fujikawa Sanpachi

Career:

Before 1713: born in Ôsaka outside the Kabuki world. He was adopted by Fujikawa Shigeemon and started his career in the Ôsaka theaters as an iroko.

11th lunar month of 1713: he became wakaonnagata, playing the role of Princess Kiyo in the kaomise drama "Ôminato Kogane no Izumi", which was produced by Yamamoto Hikogorô.

11th lunar month of 1715: Shômatsu played in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai the role of the keisei Suminoe in the kaomise drama "Saiwai Mochimaru Chôja", which celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô III. Shômatsu changed the writing of his first name:

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11th lunar month of 1717: Shômatsu performed in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Benten Chôja Uga no Tama", which was produced by Ogino Kinnojô.

11th lunar month of 1726: he became katakiyaku and took the name of Fujikawa Hanzaburô II in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, where he played the role of Nunobiki Mikinojô in the kaomise drama "Bunbu Aioi no Matsu", which was produced by Fujii Hanamatsu.

11th lunar month of 1737: Hanzaburô performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Fukakusa-no-In Sannô no Maki", which was produced by Nakayama Shinkurô I.

8th lunar month of 1738: Hanzaburô played in the same theater the role of Ashiya Dôman in the drama "Shinoda-zuma"; the roles of Abe no Yasuna and Kuzu-no-Ha were played by Arashi San'emon III and Matsushima Hyôtarô.

11th lunar month of 1743: Hanzaburô performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Shiki Samba Ôgi Ikusa", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I and celebrated the shûmei of Shinozuka Jirozaemon II.

7th lunar month of 1744: Hanzaburô performed in the same theater in the drama "Otoko Date Gojitsu Kagami".

12th lunar month of 1745: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka, simultaneously in the three major theaters of the city, which started a competition for the best performance and line-up; Hanzaburô played the role of Mikawaya Giheiji at the Ônishi no Shibai [casting].

1746: Fujikawa Hanzaburô II took the name of Kataoka Nizaemon IV.

1st lunar month of 1748: the play "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in the 11th lunar month of 1747 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time and staged in Ise; Nizaemon played the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei, Taira no Tomomori and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan.

12th lunar month of 1748: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in the 8th lunar month of 1748 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Nizaemon played the roles of Kakogawa Honzô, Ono no Kudayû, Yoichibê's wife and Ryôchiku [casting].

5th lunar month of 1749: Nizaemon played in the same theater the role of Kichibê in the drama "Kôraibashi Hime Odori Nenbutsu". This was most likely one of his last stage appearances. He decided to stop performing regularly to become a sakusha. His pen name was Fujikawa Sakoku.

11th lunar month of 1750: Sakoku worked in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater on the kaomise drama "Taira no Miyako Onna Ezôshi", which was produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô II.

1st lunar month of 1751: Sakoku worked in the same theater on the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kane-ga-Fuchi".

11th lunar month of 1753: Sakoku worked, along with Katsunami Mongo, at the Kado no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Kashû Narihira Ishi".

11th lunar month of 1756: Nizaemon celebrated his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamigawa no Shibai, playing the role of Taira no Tokifusa in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Bimandai Kuniiri Kamakura Kagami", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I for the nadai Hayagumo Chôdayû. He was also the tatesakusha for this kaomise program.

1758: he most likely died this year.

Comments:

Kataoka Nizaemon IV was an important figure in Ôsaka during the first half of the 18th century. He was a wakaonnagata in his teens but shifted to katakiyaku or jitsuaku roles at the beginning of the 1720s. He ended his career in the 1750s as a playwright and took part in the writing of 10 major plays.

Kataoka Nizaemon IV playing the role of Tajiemon in the kaomise drama "Toyoashihara Taihei Keizu", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1748 at the Kado no Shibai

The Fujikawa Hanzaburô line of actors

The Kataoka Nizaemon line of actors