Iwai Hanshiro

Japanese: 岩井半四郎 - いわいはんしろう

Kabuki actor. Stage name Yamatoya. Up to the third generation, they were tachiyaku actors who also served as troupe leaders in Osaka, but from the fourth generation, the stage name was transferred to Edo and famous female actors were known, with up to ten generations currently in existence. The fourth and fifth generations are particularly famous.

[Hideo Furuido]

IV

(1747-1800) Son of puppeteer Segawa Juzaburo. A disciple of Ichikawa Danjuro IV, the son-in-law of the third, he was adopted into the Iwai family and took the name in 1765 (Meiwa 2). At the time, the family was counted in the lineage through the first's second son Hanzaburo, so he called himself the fifth. He was the first Tateoyama to achieve success as a Neoi onnagata (female) actor, born and raised in Edo, and rivaled Segawa Kikunojo III, who excelled in traditional courtesan roles in the Kamigata-shita (lower-class) genre. He played a wide range of roles from onnagata (female) roles to young men's roles and rough roles, but his specialty was the tomboyish role known as "ochappii," which reflected the temperament of girls from the downtown area of the time. He also had a round face and a chubby face, so he was nicknamed "Otafuku no Hanshiro."

[Hideo Furuido]

5th

(1776-1847) Son of the 4th. Succeeded in 1804 (Bunka 1). Active as a zagashira-class female actor during the Kasei period (1804-1830). Inherited the roles of the "kizewamono" (living-living) that his father pioneered, and especially perfected the role of the evil woman, breaking new ground in the art of female actors, which had previously only been the partner role of leading actors. Tsuruya Namboku 4th wrote "Seven Roles of Osome". He also performed leading roles and rough roles, and his father's Shirai Gonpachi was even said to be the art of the Hanshiro family. With a long face and underbite, he was a beautiful man, and his long, narrow eyes were praised as "eyes worth a thousand ryo." In his later years, he took his haiku name, Tojaku, as his stage name, and together with his eldest son, the 6th generation Tojaku (1799-1836), known as Kumesa no Hanshiro, and his second son, the 7th generation Tojaku (1804-1845), known as Shijaku no Hanshiro, he reigned as one of the leading female actors in the three Edo theatres, and was nicknamed "Odayu."

[Hideo Furuido]

8th

(1829-1882) Son of the 7th. A leading female actor in the Edo period through the Meiji era. Succeeded in 1872 (Meiji 5). He was the first to perform plays such as Ojo Kichisa, Izayoi, and Michitose.

[Hideo Furuido]

10th

(1927-2011) His real name was Nishina Shuho. He was the eldest son of dancer Hanayagi Jutaro, and took the name in 1951 (Showa 26). He was a supporting actor.

[Hideo Furuido]

Hanshiro Iwai (5th generation)
Utagawa Kunisada (3rd Toyokuni) painting "Otsu, one of the 53 Stations of the Tokaido" "Matahira no Nyobo Otoku" (Owned by the National Diet Library )

Hanshiro Iwai (5th generation)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

歌舞伎(かぶき)俳優。屋号大和屋(やまとや)。3世までは大坂の座元を兼ねた立役(たちやく)の俳優で、4世から江戸に名跡(みょうせき)が移って女方(おんながた)の名優が名のり、現在10世まである。4世、5世がとくに有名。

［古井戸秀夫］

4世

（1747―1800）人形遣い辰松(たつまつ)重三郎の子。3世の娘婿4世市川団十郎の門下で、岩井家に養子に入り、1765年（明和2）襲名。当時は初世の次男半三郎を家系に数えたので、5世を名のった。江戸で生まれ育った根生(ねおい)の女方として大成した最初の立女方(たておやま)で、従来の傾城(けいせい)役を得意とした上方下(かみがたくだ)りの3世瀬川菊之丞(きくのじょう)と拮抗(きっこう)した。女方全般から若衆方、荒事(あらごと)まで演じたが、当時の下町娘の気質(きしつ)を写した「おちゃっぴい」とよばれるお転婆(てんば)娘の役を本領とした。また下膨れの丸顔だったので「お多福の半四郎」とよばれた。

［古井戸秀夫］

5世

（1776―1847）4世の子。1804年（文化1）襲名。化政(かせい)期（1804～1830）に女方の座頭(ざがしら)格として活躍した。父が先鞭(せんべん)をつけた生世話(きぜわ)物の役々を受け継ぎ、とくに悪婆(あくば)役を大成、立役の相手役でしかなかった女方の芸に新境地を開いた。4世鶴屋南北(なんぼく)は『お染の七役』を書き与えた。立役、荒事も演じ、なかでも父譲りの白井権八は半四郎の家の芸とまでいわれた。面長で受け口の美貌(びぼう)、切れ長であいきょうのあふれた目元は「眼千両(めせんりょう)」とたたえられた。晩年は俳名の杜若(とじゃく)を芸名とし、長男で粂三(くめさ)の半四郎とよばれた6世（1799―1836）、および次男で紫若(しじゃく)の半四郎とよばれた7世（1804―1845）とともに江戸三座の立女方として君臨し、「大太夫(おおだゆう)」と称された。

［古井戸秀夫］