Matsubayashi Hakuen

Japanese: 松林伯円 - しょうりんはくえん

A lecturer. The pine forest is also called "Matsubayashi."

[Nobuhiro Shinji]

First generation

(1812-55) His real name was Horikawa Suketaro. His father was a host of military dramas. He became a disciple of the first Kanda Hakuryu and gained a reputation in Osaka under the name Hakuen. He returned to Edo and changed his stage name to Shorintei. He admired the style of the performer Tourintei Togyoku and excelled in domestic comedy. He was crushed to death in the Great Ansei Earthquake.

[Nobuhiro Shinji]

2nd Generation

(1832-1905) His real name was Wakabayashi Yoshiyuki. He was the fourth son of Teshima Sukenoshin, the county magistrate of Shimodate Domain, and was later adopted by Mukaitani Genji, an artist of Hikone Domain, but he was divorced due to his passion for lecturing, and was taken in by Wakabayashi Ichizaemon, a related magistrate of construction work. He became a disciple of Ito Choka and took on the name Kakyo, and later became a disciple of the third Takarai Bakin, taking on the name Chorin. He was adopted by the first Hakuen, who was bedridden due to a stroke, and took on the name of the second. In the Meiji era, he took the character "tei" from Shorin-tei, wore Western clothes, and pioneered a new field of newspaper storytelling using tables and chairs, but as he was also known by the nickname "Thief Hakuen," he excelled in stories of white robbery, and wrote many works such as "Nezumi Kozo" and "Tenpo Rokkasen." His "Ansei Mitsugumi Sakazuki," published in 1885 (Meiji 18), was a pioneer of storytelling shorthand books. In 1892, he gave a lecture in front of Emperor Meiji, but in his later years he took the name Azumagama and retired to seclusion. A memorial service for Hakuen is held every year at Nansen-ji Temple (Nippori, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo).

[Nobuhiro Shinji]

3rd generation

(1854-1919) His real name was Omiya Shojiro. He was a disciple of the second generation, Hakuyo, and later Uen. He gained popularity with his new readings and showed political skill, such as adopting his daughter as the second generation's daughter and succeeding the third generation, but he incurred the backlash of other disciples, and many of them gave up their pine forests.

[Nobuhiro Shinji]

"The Chronological Drafts of the Second Matsubayashi Hakuen" edited by Hideaki Yoshizawa (1997, Nemugyusha) " "The Collected Works of Matsubayashi Hakuen" vol. 1 and 2 edited by Hideaki Yoshizawa (1998, 1999, Nemugyusha)

[Reference] | Tempo Rokkasen

"Yubin Hochi Shimbun" No. 525
Published in 1875 (Meiji 8). An article reporting that two criminals managed to break out of jail under cover of rain and wind, only to be arrested by prison officials who had long been suspicious of them .

"Yubin Hochi Shimbun" No. 525

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

講釈師。松林は「まつばやし」ともよばれる。

［延広真治］

初代

（1812―55）本名堀川助太郎。父は軍談の席亭。初代神田伯竜の門に入り伯円、大坂で評判をとり、江戸に帰り松林亭と改号。桃林亭東玉(とうりんていとうぎょく)の芸風を慕い、世話物を得意とした。安政(あんせい)大地震で圧死。

［延広真治］

2代

（1832―1905）本名若林義行(よしゆき)。下館(しもだて)藩郡奉行(こおりぶぎょう)手島助之進の四男辰弥(たつや)。のち彦根(ひこね)藩画師向谷源治の養子となるが、講釈に熱中して離縁され、縁類の作事奉行若林市左衛門に引き取られる。伊東潮花(ちょうか)門で花郷(かきょう)、3代宝井馬琴門に転じて調林(ちょうりん)。中風で病臥(びょうが)した初代伯円の養子となって2代目を襲名。明治に入ってからは、松林亭の「亭」の字をとり、洋服着用、テーブル・椅子(いす)を使用する新聞講談の新領域も開拓したが、「泥棒伯円」の異名でも知られるように、白浪物(しらなみもの)を得意とし、『鼠小僧(ねずみこぞう)』『天保六花撰(てんぽうろっかせん)』などの創作も多く、1885年（明治18）刊の『安政三組盃(あんせいみつぐみさかずき)』は講談速記本の先駆となった。92年には明治天皇御前講演を行ったが、晩年は東玉と改めて隠棲(いんせい)。毎年南泉寺（東京都荒川区日暮里(にっぽり)）で伯円忌が営まれている。

［延広真治］