Yoshida Eizo

Japanese: 吉田栄三 - よしだえいざ

Bunraku puppeteer.

[Shoichi Yamada]

First World

(1872-1945) His real name was Eijiro Yanagimoto. He was born in Osaka. His aunt's husband, who was a female Gidayu (a performer of Japanese traditional drama), was a puppeteer named Yoshida Eiju, through whom he became a puppeteer at the age of 11, and he took the name Mitsue. After that, he trained at the Bunraku-za and Hikoroku-za without a fixed teacher, and in 1892 (Meiji 25) he changed his name to Eizo, and throughout his life he never inherited a major name. In 1898 he moved to the Goryo Bunraku-za, and in 1927 (Showa 2) he became the head puppeteer. He started out as a female puppeteer, but later switched to leading roles. With his small stature, he was also able to handle rough roles, and his dignified, inner acting made him known as a master of the early modern period.

[Shoichi Yamada]

II

(1903-74) His real name was Ogino Mitsuaki. He was born in Osaka. He was the son of the second Yoshida Mitsuzo (Eiju), and at the age of 12 he became the disciple of the first, taking the name Eitaro, and going on to take on the names of Mitsunosuke and Mitsuzo before assuming the name of the second in 1950 (Showa 25). In addition to inheriting the artistic style of the first, he also demonstrated excellent performance in Chikamatsu plays.

[Shoichi Yamada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

文楽(ぶんらく)人形遣い。

［山田庄一］

初世

（1872―1945）本名柳本栄次郎。大阪生まれ。女義太夫(おんなぎだゆう)であった叔母の夫が吉田栄寿という人形遣いで、11歳のときその紹介で人形遣いとなり光栄(みつえ)を名のる。その後は決まった師匠をもたず文楽座、彦六(ひころく)座で修業し、1892年（明治25）栄三と改名、大名跡を継ぐことなく生涯を通した。98年御霊(ごりょう)文楽座に移り、1927年（昭和2）人形座頭(ざがしら)になる。初めは女方であったが後年立役(たちやく)に転じ、小柄な身体で荒物(あらもの)もこなし、渋く内面的演技で近世の名人といわれた。

［山田庄一］