Stage names:

Shibazaki Rinzaemon II
Sawamura Takichi
Takeda Takichi

Guilds: Ôzakaya, Yoshidaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Shigaku (?)

Existence: 1741 ~ 6th day of the 1st lunar month of 1798 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Sawamura Kunitarô I (??)

Career:

End of the 1750s: he started his career in hama shibai, in Ôsaka at the Takeda no Shibai, performing under the name of Takeda Takichi.

1765: he joined the Kamigata branch of the Sawamura clan and switched his name to Sawamura Takichi. It was written in the "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" that his master was Sawamura Chôjûrô III, but this was impossible as this actor died in 1756. A possible master could be Sawamura Kunitarô I, who was the head of the Sawamura clan in Kamigata.

11th lunar month of 1777: thanks to the patronage of Arashi Hinasuke I, he was allowed to take the name of Shibazaki Rinzaemon II ^[2], in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, where he played the role of Utsunomiya Kintsuna in the kaomise drama "Ôiri Kabuki no Tsuitachi", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô I, Onoe Shinshichi I, Kiriyama Monji II, Hanagiri Toyomatsu III, Yamanaka Heijûrô III, Fujikawa Sango, Arashi Matsujirô I, Fujikawa Ryûzô and Nakamura Tamagashiwa.

1st lunar month of 1778: Rinzaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

4th lunar month of 1778: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's play "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Rinzaemon played the roles of Daibutsu Mochiya Sôemon (in reality Kaida Shingo) and Mashiba Hisatsugu [casting].

11th lunar month of 1778: Rinzaemon performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Genpei Tatoezukushi", which was produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I and welcomed back in Ôsaka the star Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1779: Rinzaemon was the kanjiku for the jitsuaku actors in the Ôsaka hyôbanki.

3rd lunar month of 1779: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's play "Sode Nikki Banshû Meguri"; Rinzaemon played the role of Shikama Daigaku [casting].

Fall 1779: Rinzaemon went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1779: Rinzaemon became tachiyaku and played the role of Naoe Yamatonosuke in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kikkegawara", which was produced in Kyôto by Somematsu Shichisaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1780: Rinzaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. Namiki Gohê's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri" was produced for the first time in Kyôto; Rinzaemon played the roles of Mashiba Hisatsugu and Sôemon's wife [casting].

11th lunar month of 1780: Rinzaemon became jitsuaku and performed at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Sono Uwasa Kiku no Hataage", which was produced by Yamashita Yaozô I.

9th lunar month of 1781: Rinzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Takatsuna and Gonshirô in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô I (Enju, Shigetada), Arashi Hinasuke I (Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka, Matsuemon, Higuchi no Jirô Kanemitsu), Arashi Sangorô II (Kajiwara Genta Kagesue), Sawamura Kunitarô I (Chidori), Arashi San'emon VI (Ofude) and Anegawa Minato II (Oyoshi).

11th lunar month of 1781: Rinzaemon played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Kurikara Tarô, the yakko Takunai and Haji no Hyôe in the kaomise drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", which was produced by Yamashita Yaozô I.

1st lunar month of 1782: Rinzaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1782: Rinzaemon played in the same theater the roles of Kakogawa Honzô and Yoichibê in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1782: Rinzaemon played in Kyôto the role of Tanin Tarô in the kaomise drama "Gosekkyô Suehiro Keizu", which was produced by Nakayama Raisuke II and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Utaemon II.

6th lunar month of 1783: Rinzaemon played in Kyôto the role of Mikawaya Giheiji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Danshichi Kurobê and Issun Tokubê were played by Fujikawa Hachizô II and Nakamura Jûzô III.

1st lunar month of 1784: Rinzaemon played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Sonobe Hyôe in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari"; his stage partners were Anegawa Shinshirô III (this actor celebrated his shûmei by playing the roles of Dankurô, Katsuragi Minbu, Goheiji), Hanagiri Tomimatsu I (Magaki, Goheiji's wife), Asao Kunigorô II (Akizuki Daizen, Tsukimitsu Kyûzô, Gorobê Masamune), Arashi Sanjûrô II (Saisaki Iga-no-Kami, the yakko Tsumahei), Ichinoya Gonjûrô (Kuniyuki), Ogawa Kichitarô II (Sonobe Saemon) and Nakayama Tsuruzô (Princess Usuyuki).

Fall 1785: tour in Ise, Kuwana and Misaki with Arashi Hinasuke I; Rinzaemon played the roles of Kawagoe Shigeyori and Yazaemon in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

1785 ~ 1794: as his popularity in ôshibai went donwhill, he performed mainly in hama shibai or miyaji shibai.

1st lunar month of 1795: Rinzaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent).

1795 ~ 1798: Rinzaemon spent his latter years in tabi shibai.

6th day of the 1st lunar month of 1798 ^[1]: Rinzaemon died.

Comments:

Shibazaki Rinzaemon II was a 18th century Ôsaka actor, who excelled in jitsuaku roles. He was trained in hama shibai, had his years of glory in Kyôto ôshibai during the first half of the 1780s and performed in hama shibai during the second half of the 1780s and the 1790s.

[1] The 6th day of the 1st lunar month of the 10th year of the Kansei era was the 21st of February 1798 in the western calendar.

[2] A name which had not been held for 55 years!

Shibazaki Rinzaemon II playing the role of Furuteya Hachirobê in a print made by Nagahide in the 1790s

Prints & Illustrations

The Shibazaki Rinzaemon line of actors