Heikuro Yamanaka - Let's go to the mountains

Japanese: 山中平九郎 - やまなかへいくろう

Kabuki actor. There were three generations of Yamanaka Heikuro, a famous Edo actor of the Genroku period (1688-1704), but the first is the most famous. (1) First (1642-1724, Kan'ei 19-Kyoho 9) Haiku name: Senka. In his youth, he played only real roles and did not have a great reputation, but in the early Genroku period, he made a name for himself playing villains of nobles such as Minister Tokihira and Prince Higami, and in 1700 (Genroku 13), he was praised as the founder of Edo villains, and from then on, he held the leading position in the villains until the year before his death. One of his best roles was Kudo Suketsune in "Soga," but his real role was villains of nobles, and it can be said that the style of rough villainy in Edo Kabuki was established by Heikuro.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

歌舞伎俳優。元禄期(1688‐1704)江戸の実悪の名優山中平九郎に始まり3世まであるが，初世が最も著名。(1)初世(1642‐1724∥寛永19‐享保9)　俳名仙家。若いころは実事をもっぱらとし，さほどの評判はなかったが，元禄初年に時平大臣，ひがみの王子などの公家悪（くげあく）に名をあげ，1700年(元禄13)には江戸実悪の開山と賞されて，以来，没する前年まで実悪巻頭の地位にあった。《曾我》の工藤祐経が一方の当り役であるが，その本分は公家悪にあり，江戸歌舞伎の荒事の悪の表現は平九郎によって様式として成立をみたといえる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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