Stage names:

Seki Sanjûrô II
Seki Utasuke I
Nakamura Utasuke
Arashi Sôtarô

Nicknames: Meijin Seki (the expert Seki), Sekisan

Guilds: Owariya, Harimaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Kazan

Existence: 1786 ~ 28th day of the 9th lunar month of 1839

Connections:

Masters: Nakamura Utaemon III, Arashi Kichisaburô II

Adoptive father: Seki San'emon

Son: Seki Sôtarô

Career:

1786 ~ 1802: born in Ôsaka. He starts his career as a disciple of Arashi Kichisaburô II, who gives him the name of Arashi Sôtarô. He spends most of his early years performing in hama shibai.

11th lunar month of 1802: he becomes disciple of Nakamura Utaemon III and takes the name of Nakamura Utasuke in Ôsaka. A few month later, he is adopted by Seki Sanjûrô I and takes the name of Seki Utasuke I.

11th lunar month of 1807: Seki Sanjûrô I and Seki Utasuke I respectively take the names of Seki San'emon and Seki Sanjûrô II at the Naka no Shibai.

3rd lunar month of 1808: Nakamura Utaemon III, Seki San'emon and Sanjûrô go together to Edo; they play together at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Koromo Yayoi Hanago no Keizu".

10th day of the 6th lunar month of 1808: his adoptive father Seki San'emon dies.

7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Segawa Jokô II's drama "Zôho Izari no Adauchi"; Sanjûrô plays the role of Iinuma Sanpei [casting].

9th lunar month of 1810: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Komochi Yamanba" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Tabakoya Genshichi (in reality Sakata Kurando Tokiyuki) and Kaidômaru [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Hôjô Yoshitoki and the yakko Midahei [more details].

5th lunar month of 1815: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kakitsubata Iro mo Edozome" (commonly called "Oroku to Gantetsu" or "Dote no Oroku"); Sanjûrô plays the role of Kanaya Kingorô [casting].

Summer 1815: tour in Sendai; Sanjûrô performs in the precinct of the Shakadô Temple.

9th lunar month of 1815: Sanjûrô goes back to Edo and plays at the Kawarasakiza the roles of En'ya Hangan, Igo, Yagorô and Teraoka Heiemon in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

7th lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Kumoi no Hareginu", which mixes the sekai of Gion no Nyôgo, the Two Shinbê ("Ninin Shinbê") and Tamamo-no-Mae; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Nasu Hachirô, Ukai Kujûrô and Demura Shinbê [more details].

11th lunar month of 1821 (end of the month): premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Imoseyama Hitome Senbon", which mixes the "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" worlds; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Yazaemon and Irie Tanzô [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Ukiyogara Hiyoku no Inazuma"; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Hachinai and Shirai Magoichirô [casting].

9th lunar month of 1826: Sanjûrô, who is about to travel back to his native Kamigata after 19 seasons spent in Edo, performs his onagori kyôgen at the Nakamuraza. He achieves a great success by playing the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô". The program includes a 5-role hengemono entitled "Kaesu Gaesu Onagori no Ôtsue". The 5 roles are the Wisteria Maiden, a blind masseur, the God Tenjin, a footman (yakko) and a boatman. These roles are created based on ôtsue, popular paintings made in the city of Ôtsu (close to Kyôto). Three of these roles are still part of the current Kabuki repertoire: the Wisteria Maiden (the first version of the famous dance "Fuji Musume"), the blind masseur (performed under the title "Zatô") and the footman, which is performed in the independent dance "Sekisan Yakko" ("Sekisan's footman" - Sekisan is Sanjûrô's nickname).

12th lunar month of 1826: Sanjûrô plays at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Yoshikata and Sanemori in the drama "Genpei Nunobiki no Taki". He also plays the role of the fox Tadanobu in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". His stage partners are Nakamura Utaemon III, Nakamura Shikan II, Sawamura Kunitarô II and Nakamura Matsue III.

1st lunar month of 1828: Sanjûrô goes to Edo; he plays at the Kawarasakiza 3 roles in the drama "Iriyamagata Soga no Saiken".

5th lunar month of 1835: tour in Ise; Sanjûrô performs at the Furuichi Shibai.

9th lunar month of 1835: Sanjûrô plays at the Naka no Shibai in the drama "Konoshita Kage Hazama Gassen".

11th lunar month of 1835: Sanjûrô achieves a great success in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai by playing in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki".

1st lunar month of 1836: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nishizawa Ippô's drama "Hana no Ani Tsubomi no Yatsufusa"; Sanjûrô plays the roles of Ôtsuka Bansaku Kazunari, Horiuchi Kurando Sadayuki and Inugawa Gakuzô [casting]. He suddenly falls ill and has to be replaced by Ichikawa Ebijûrô III.

2nd lunar month of 1837: Sanjûrô goes to Edo; he plays at the Moritaza in the drama "Momo Chidori Naruto no Shiranami".

1837 ~ 1839: Sanjûrô is often ill and has to leave his residence in Edo in the district of Izumi-cho to settle in the village of Kameido to recover when he is off stage.

2nd lunar month of 1839: Sanjûrô appears on stage for the last time, at the Nakamuraza. He retires and dies a few month later in the 9th lunar month. His tombstone is located in the Honganji Temple in the district of Tsukiji.

Comments:

Seki Sanjûrô II was an amazing tachiyaku actor, who achieved fame for himself in both Edo and Kamigata during the Bunka, Bunsei and Tenpô eras. He was short-sized but he had great presence on stage. His field of excellence was wajitsu.

Seki Sanjûrô II portraying Kusunoki Masatsura in a print made by Utagawa Kunisada I (1830~1840)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1819

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1820

Print made by Utagawa Kuniyasu in 1825

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1826

Print made by Shumbaisai Hokuei in 1835

The Seki Sanjûrô line of actors