Tōchūken Kumoemon

Tōchūken Kumoemon

Tōchūken Kumoemon (桃中軒 雲右衛門) (October 25, 1873 – November 7, 1916) was a popular rōkyoku recitalist in Meiji Japan. His immense popularity helped rōkyoku break into the mainstream. At his height, he performed Chūshingura productions to sell-out crowds at some of the biggest theatres in Tokyo and Osaka. These performances also roused nationalist sentiment during Russo-Japanese War.[1]

Tōchūken's style of reciting left a lasting impression on rōkyoku, and indirectly also on enka, especially the music of Haruo Minami and Hideo Murata.[2] Tōchūken was a contemporary of legendary musician-activist Soeda Azenbō.

Mikio Naruse made a biopic about him in 1936.

See also

• Music of Japan
• Tochuken Kumoemon (1936) at IMDb
• Yoshida Naramaru

References

1. Hyōdō Hiromi and Henry D. Smith II, “Singing Tales of the Gishi: Naniwabushi and the Forty-seven Rōnin in Late Meiji Japan.” Monumenta Nipponica, 61/4 (Winter 2006), pp. 459-508.
2. [第６部・演歌巡礼＜８＞初代桃中軒雲右衛門 受け継がれゆく浪花節] / 九州歌謡地図 / 西日本新聞 Archived 2009-02-07 at the Wayback Machine