is the stage name of a line of

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

actors in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. Kōshirō, like other actors' names, is bestowed (or given up) at grand naming ceremonies called ''

shūmei ''Shūmei'' (, "name succession") are grand naming ceremonies held in kabuki theatre. Most often, a number of actors will participate in a single ceremony, taking on new stage names. These stage names, most often those of the actor's father, gr ...

'' in which a number of actors formally change their names. Though the Matsumoto family is part of the Koraiya guild, there is a strong connection to the Naritaya guild and the Ichikawa family. It was not uncommon for members of the Matsumoto and Ichikawa families to take on names of both families over the course of their careers. The design of the Matsumoto family ''

mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

'', four flowers arranged in a diamond shape, is called ''yotsu-hana-bishi'' (四つ花菱).

Lineage

* Matsumoto Kōshirō I (May 1716 – March 1730)Note: the dates given here do not represent the birth/death dates of the actor; rather, they indicate the period during which the actor held the name Kōshirō. – Previously Matsumoto Koshirō (小四郎), forced in 1716 to change his name when the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

''s son was named Koshirō; thus, he became the first actor to be called Kōshirō (幸四郎), and would pass this name on. * Matsumoto Kōshirō II (November 1735 – October 1754, November 1770 – October 1772) – Adopted son of Kōshirō I. Later known as

Ichikawa Danjūrō is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. It is a famous and important name, and receiving it is an honor. There are a number of r ...

IV and Ichikawa Ebizō III. * Matsumoto Kōshirō III (November 1754 – October 1770) – Son of Kōshirō II. Later known as Ichikawa Danjūrō V, Ichikawa Ebizō, and Ichikawa Hakuen. One of the most famous of all kabuki actors. * Matsumoto Kōshirō IV (November 1772 – October 1801) – Disciple of Danjūrō IV and Kōshirō III (Danjūrō V). Previously known as Ichikawa Somegorō I, and later known as Omegawa Kyōjūrō. * Matsumoto Kōshirō V (November 1801 – May 1838) – Son of Kōshirō IV. Famous for his skill at villain roles. * Matsumoto Kōshirō VI (March 1844 – October 1846) – Son of Kōshirō V. Later known as Matsumoto Kinshō I. * Ichikawa Ebizō V – Arguably the most popular actor of the 19th century. Held the name Kōshirō in 1855, but is not counted (numbered) in the lineage. * Matsumoto Kōshirō VII (November 1911 – January 1949) – Disciple of Danjūrō IX. One of the most famous ''tachiyaku'' of the first half of the 20th century (Real Name:

Kintarō is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a yama-uba ("mountain witch") on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shuten-dōji, the terror o ...

Fujima,

Nihongo is the principal language of the Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese diaspora worldwide. ...

: 藤間金太郎, ''Fujima Kintarō''). * Matsumoto Kōshirō VIII (September 1949 – September 1981) – Second son of Kōshirō VII. Later known as Hakuō I. Arguably the leading ''tachiyaku'' of the post-war era (Real Name: Junjirō Fujima,

: 藤間順次郎, ''Fujima Junjirō''). *

Matsumoto Kōshirō IX Matsumoto (松本 or 松元, "base of the pine tree") may refer to: Places * Matsumoto, Nagano (松本市), a city ** Matsumoto Airport, an airport southwest of Matsumoto, Nagano * Matsumoto, Kagoshima (松元町), a former town now part of the ...

(October 1981 – December 2017) – Son of Kōshirō VIII. Performs in Western-style theater and film as well. Later known as Hakuō II (Real Name: Teruaki Fujima,

: 藤間昭曉, ''Fujima Teruaki''). *

Matsumoto Kōshirō X is a Japanese actor and kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its gl ...

(January 2018 – present) – Son of Kōshirō IX. Current holder of the name (Real Name: Terumasa Fujima,

: 藤間照薫, ''Fujima Terumasa'').

Notes

References

The Line of Matsumoto Kōshirō at Kabuki21.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsumoto, Koshiro Kabuki actors