Ichikawa Chusha

Japanese: 市川中車 - いちかわちゅうしゃ

Kabuki actor. Nakaguruma's name was the pen name of Ichikawa Yaozo for generations, and was originally adopted by the 7th Yaozo as his stage name in his later years. His stage name was Tachibanaya.

[Hideo Furuido]

7th

(1860-1936) First stage name. Real name Hashio Kamejiro. Born in Kyoto, he became an actor, then moved to Tokyo, where he took on the stage name Ichikawa Yaozo, which had been held by Nakamura Kanzaburo, the head chanter of the Saruwakaza troupe, and became the 7th Ichikawa. He later became a disciple of Danjūrō IX, who taught him, and after his master's death, he became active as a zagashira actor during the Taisho and Showa periods. In 1918 (Taishō 7), he took the name of Chusha 7. He excelled in the role of Mitsuhide in "Ehon Taikōki" and "Badarai," and was called the best in Japan.

[Hideo Furuido]

8th

(1896-1971) His real name was Kinoshi Yamatosada. He was the third son of the second Ichikawa Danshiro (the first Ennosuke), with his elder brother being the first Ichikawa En'o and his younger brother being the second Ichikawa Kodayu. He was adopted as the name of the seventh Ichikawa, and took the stage name of Chusha from the eighth Ichikawa Yaozo in 1953 (Showa 28). He was an accomplished leading actor with a wide range of skills.

[Hideo Furuido]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

歌舞伎(かぶき)俳優。中車の名は市川八百蔵(いちかわやおぞう)代々の俳名で、7世八百蔵が晩年に芸名としたのに始まる。屋号立花屋(たちばなや)。

［古井戸秀夫］

7世

（1860―1936）芸名としては初世。本名橋尾亀次郎。京都に生まれて役者となり、東京へ出て、猿若座(さるわかざ)の太夫元(たゆうもと)中村勘三郎が預かっていた市川八百蔵の名跡(みょうせき)を襲名、7世となる。のち9世団十郎の門に入って薫陶(くんとう)を受け、師の没後座頭(ざがしら)役者として大正・昭和期に活躍した。1918年（大正7）7世中車を名のる。『絵本太功記』と『馬盥(ばだらい)』の光秀役を得意として、日本一と称された。

［古井戸秀夫］