Danshi Tatekawa

Japanese: 立川談志 - たてかわだんし

A famous name of a Rakugo performer.
Tatekawa Danshi (real name Matsuoka Katsuyoshi), the 5th (or more accurately, 7th) head of the Tatekawa school of Rakugo, was born in Tokyo on January 2, 1936. In 1952, at the age of 16, he dropped out of high school and became the apprentice of Yanagiya Kosan V, rising to prominence as a futatsume under the name "Koen". In 1963, he was promoted to shinuchi and took the stage name Tatekawa Danshi V.
He planned and created the Nippon Television program "Shoten" and became popular as its first host when the program began in 1966. He was called one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of the Variety Hall" along with his predecessors San'yutei Enraku, Kokontei Shincho, and Shunputei Ryucho, all of whom were the same age. He also gained fans with his unique social criticism and unrestrained harshness.
In 1971, he ran as an independent in the national constituency for the House of Councillors election and was elected in last place. He served one term for six years. During this time, he joined the Liberal Democratic Party and became Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Okinawa Development Agency, but resigned from the position after only one month due to attending a press conference while hungover.
In 1983, due to a dispute over the promotion system to shinuchi, he left the Rakugo Association, where his master Kosan was the chairman, and founded the "Rakugo Tachikawa School" as head of the school. After that, although he was no longer able to perform in permanent vaudeville halls, he continued to hold rakugo performances in halls and nurtured popular storytellers such as Shinosuke, Danshun, and Shirakura. He was a master of classical rakugo such as "Shibahama" and "Bunshichi Motoyui." He was also a theorist, and his books include "Modern Rakugo Theory."
He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1997, and underwent surgery for glottic cancer in 2008, and took a break in 2009 to treat his diabetes and to treat his declining physical strength, as he continued to fight the disease. In his later years, he suffered from laryngeal cancer, but refused to have surgery to remove his vocal cords, saying that his "pride would not allow it," and showed his enthusiasm for rakugo. Later, as the cancer progressed, he began to have difficulty breathing, and in late March 2011, he underwent a tracheotomy and lost his voice. His last performance was "Kumokago" (Spider Palanquin) at a school meeting on the 6th of that month. In late October of the same year, his condition suddenly worsened, and he lost consciousness for three weeks, passing away on November 21st at the age of 75. His posthumous name was "Tatekawa Unkokusai Iemoto Katte Koji," which he had chosen himself some time before.

(Natsuko Kasai, Freelance Writer / 2011)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

落語家の名跡。
五代目を名乗った(正確には七代目と言われる)落語立川流家元、立川談志(本名・松岡克由=まつおか・かつよし)は1936年1月2日、東京生まれ。52年に16歳で高校を中退して五代目柳家小さんに入門、二つ目で「小ゑん」を名乗り頭角を現した。63年に真打ちに昇進して五代目立川談志を襲名。
日本テレビ系の「笑点」を企画・立案し、66年の番組開始から初代司会者を務めて人気者となる。同年代の先代三遊亭円楽や古今亭志ん朝、先代春風亭柳朝とともに「寄席四天王」と呼ばれた。また、独自の社会批評や奔放な毒舌でもファンを増やした。
71年には参議院議員選挙全国区に無所属で出馬し最下位で当選。1期6年間務めた。この間、自民党に入党し、沖縄開発庁政務次官に就任したが、二日酔いで記者会見に出席したことなどがもとで、わずか1カ月で次官を辞任した。
83年、真打ち昇進制度を巡る対立により、師匠の小さんが会長を務める落語協会を脱退、「落語立川流」を創設し家元となった。以降、常設の寄席に出演できなくなったものの、ホールでの落語会を続け、志の輔、談春、志らくらなどの人気落語家を育てた。「芝浜」「文七元結」など古典落語の名手だった。理論家でもあり、著書に「現代落語論」などがある。
97年に食道がんが見つかり、2008年に声門がんの手術、09年には糖尿病治療と体力低下のため休養するなど、闘病を続けていた。晩年は、喉頭がんを患ったが、「プライドが許さない」として声帯の摘出手術はせず、落語への意欲を見せていた。その後、がんの進行で呼吸困難症状となり、11年3月下旬に気管切開手術を受け、声を失った。同月6日、一門会で披露した「蜘蛛駕籠(くもかご)」が最後の高座となった。同年10月下旬に容態が急変し、以後3週間、意識が戻らないまま、11月21日、75歳で死去した。戒名は本人が以前から決めていた「立川雲黒斎家元勝手居士(たてかわうんこくさいいえもとかってこじ)」。

(葛西奈津子　フリーランスライター／ 2011年)

出典　(株)朝日新聞出版発行「知恵蔵」知恵蔵について　情報

<<: Yoshitsugu Tatekawa

>>: Maned rat (maned mouse)