Ichikawa Nine Girls and Eight Girls

A female actress of the Meiji period. Her real name was Morizumi Kei. She was born in Edo. She started out as a kyogen performer under Bando Mitsue, but in 1873 (Meiji 6) she became the apprentice of female actor Iwai Hanshiro VIII and took the name Iwai Kumehachi (Kumehachi) and became a kabuki actress. She later became a student of Ichikawa Danjūrō ​​IX, and in 1893 (Meiji 26) she became the head of the Misakiza theater when it switched to female plays. In her later years, she sometimes used the name Morizumi Gekka and also appeared in Shinpa, new dramas, and literary dramas. As can be inferred from the fact that she was nicknamed "Onna Danshu" (female Danshu) after Danjuro, her Danjuro-like acting skills were outstanding among female actors of the Meiji period. Her second son, Kikuko, succeeded her, but she died young.

[Hideo Furuido]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治の女役者。本名守住(もりずみ)けい。江戸生まれ。初め坂東三津江(ばんどうみつえ)門下のお狂言師だったが、1873年（明治6）女方(おんながた)の8世岩井半四郎に入門、岩井粂八(くめはち)（久米八）を名のり歌舞伎(かぶき)女優となる。のち、9世市川団十郎の門下となり、93年（明治26）三崎座が女芝居に転向したときに座頭(ざがしら)となる。晩年はときとして守住月華(げっか)の名を用い、新派、新演劇、文士劇にも出演。団十郎を団洲(だんしゅう)とよぶのにちなんで「女団洲(おんなだんしゅう)」と称されたことから察せられるように、団十郎ばりの演技は、明治の女役者中群を抜いていた。2世は養女菊子が継いだが早世した。

［古井戸秀夫］

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