Stage names:

Onoe Shôroku II
Matsumoto Yutaka

Dancer names: Fujima Kan'emon IV, Fujima Kansai II (Buyô)

Real name: Fujima Yutaka

Guild: Otowaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Kinsen

Existence: 28 March 1913 ~ 25 June 1989

Connections:

Father: Matsumoto Kôshirô VII

Master: Onoe Kikugorô VI

Brothers: Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII (Hakuô), Ichikawa Danjûrô XI

Son: Onoe Tatsunosuke I

Grandson: Onoe Shôroku IV

Great-grandson: Onoe Sakon III

Career:

October 1918: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Imperial Theater, receiving the name of Matsumoto Yutaka and playing the role of Ishiwakamaru in the drama "Shusse Kagekiyo".

March 1935: Yutaka becomes disciple of Onoe Kikugorô VI and takes the name of Onoe Shôroku II at the Kabukiza. This name has not been held since 10th lunar month of 1815. The new Shôroku plays the roles of Arajishi Otokonosuke and Bantônai in the dramas "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" and "Tsuchi-gumo".

1937: Onoe Shôroku II becomes the head of the Fujima School of traditional dance and, as a dance master, takes the name of Fujima Kan'emon IV.

May 1947: revival at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the drama "Jayanagi"; Shôroku plays the role of the yamabushi Shunjôbô Jûgen [more details].

September 1947: premiere at the Imperial Theater of Atsumi Seitarô's version of "Nansô Satomi Hakkenden"; Shôroku plays the role of Inuta Kobungo Yasuyori [casting].

January 1949: his father Matsumoto Kôshirô VII dies.

July 1949: his master Onoe Kikugorô VI dies.

July 1951: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Shôroku plays the role of Ômu no Ryûzô, later the priest Ryûzen [casting].

January 1952: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Hagiwara Yukio's Kiyomoto-based dôjôjimono "Yuki no Dôjôji"; Shôroku plays the role of a young shugenja [casting].

October 1952: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Wakaki Hi no Nobunaga"; Shôroku plays the role of Hirate Masahide [casting]. He also plays for the first time the role of the smuggler Kezori in the drama "Koi Minato Hakata no Hitofushi". His stage partners in the roles of Sôshichi and the courtesan Kojorô are Ichikawa Ebizô IX and Onoe Baikô VII.

March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Shôroku plays the role of the hatamoto Dômae Daikichi [casting].

March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Shôroku plays the role of the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjûrô II [more details].

March 1954: first edition at the Kabukiza from the 27th to the 28th of March of the Tsubomikai, a study group led by Nakamura Utaemon VI [more details]. It includes the revival of the dance-drama "Oshidori" in which Shôroku plays the role of Matano Gorô Kagehisa [more details].

October 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 2nd part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Shôroku plays the role of the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjûrô II [more details].

December 1954: premiere at the Meijiza of Kawaguchi Matsutarô's revision of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi", which is entitled "Osan Mohei"; Shôroku plays the role of Akamatsu Bairyû [casting].

March 1955: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 3rd (and last) part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Shôroku plays the roles of Arai Hakuseki and the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjûrô II [more details].

January 1958: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of the of the matsubamemono dance-drama "Tôzumô"; Shôroku plays the role of a Japanese sumôtori [more details].

June ~ July 1960: Shôroku takes part in the first Kabuki tour in the USA; He plays the roles of Benkei, Yuranosuke, Moronô and Tamanoi in the dramas "Kanjinchô", "Kanadehon Chûshingura" and "Migawari Zazen" [casting].

June 1963: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Ôeyama Shuten Dôji"; Shôroku plays the role of Minamoto Yorimitsu (Raikô) [casting]. Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa" is produced for the first time at the Kabukiza; Shôroku plays the role of Danshichi Mohê [casting].

January 1967: revival at the National Theatre of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura"; Shôroku plays the roles of the wicked priest Narukami, Kumedera Danjô and the deity Fudô Myôô [casting].

February 1967: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Dattan"; Shôroku plays the role of the priest Shûkei [casting].

1972: Shôroku receives the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhô in Japanese).

February 1975: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Debauchi Otama"; Shôroku plays the role of Masuda Shôzô [more details].

1975: Fujima Kan'emon IV takes the name of Fujima Kansai II and gives his previous dance master name to his son Onoe Tatsunosuke I, who becomes Fujima Kan'emon V.

February 1977: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Ichimatsu Kozô no Onna"; Shôroku plays the role of the dôshin Nagai Yogorô [more details].

February 1978: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Aibiki no Onna"; Shôroku plays the role of the Tamanoo teishu Chôbê [more details].

October 1979: Shôroku plays for the last time the role of the smuggler Kezori in the drama "Koi Minato Hakata no Hitofushi", which is staged at the Kabukiza. His stage partners in the roles of Sôshichi and the courtesan Kojorô are Sôshichi and Kojorô are Onoe Kikugorô VII and Nakamura Jakuemon IV.

January 1982: revival at the National Theatre of "Zôhiki", a bombastic play in the aragoto style which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Shôroku plays the role of the warrior Mita no Genji Takeru [casting].

January 1983: revival of "Nanatsu Men" at the National Theatre; Shôroku plays the role of the mask-maker Gagoze Akaemon, in reality Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo [casting].

January 1984: historic revival at the National Theatre of the play "Sankai Nagoya"; Shôroku plays the roles of Fuwa Banzaemon Terumasa and Shôki Daijin [casting].

January 1985: revival at the National Theatre of the drama "Kan U", which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Shôroku plays the role of Hatakeyama no Shigetada, later the Chinese general Kan U [casting].

Summer 1985: tour in the USA; Shôroku plays the roles of Kiyohara no Takehira and the priest Chichû (in reality the spirit of the ground spider) in the drama "Shibaraku" and the dance-drama "Tsuchi-gumo", which celebrate the shûmei in the USA of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII [more details].

January 1986: revival at the National Theatre of the rarely-staged drama "Uwanari", which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Shôroku plays the role of Kôga no Saburô Kaneie [more details].

March 1987: his son Onoe Tatsunosuke I dies.

Comments:

Onoe Shôroku II was one of the best tachiyaku of the Shôwa era. His physical appearance evoked the great aragotoshi of the Genroku era.

Onoe Shôroku II's best roles: Benkei ("Kanjinchô"), the hairdresser Shinza ("Kamiyui Shinza"), the Earth Spider ("Tsuchi-gumo"), the wicked priest Narukami ("Narukami"), Kumedera Danjô ("Kenuki"), Igami no Gonta/Taira no Tomomori/the fox Genkurô/Tadanobu ("Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura"), Kamakura Gongorô Kagemasa ("Shibaraku"), the fishmonger Sôgorô ("Sakanaya Sôgorô"), Umekichi/Dôgen ("Mekura Nagaya Ume-ga-Kagatobi").

Onoe Shôroku II playing the role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" (print made by Ôta Masamitsu in 1955)

Prints & Illustrations

The Onoe Shôroku line of actors