The Most Curiosity Kabuki World

"Hanakawado Sukeroku Ichikawa Danjyuro"
Artist: Kunisada the third Oban, Colour print the left of triptych
Performance: 30 April, 1896(Maiji 29)
Kabuki-za theatre, Tokyo
Ritsumaikan Art Research Center (arcUP2783)

This is the Yakusha-e (actor print) of Hanakawado Sukeroku acted by Ichikawa Danjyuro the ninth.
His look raising Ja no me gasa (paper umbrella with a bull's eye design) with one hand and looking up radiates the cool atmosphere from Hanamichi (a walkway) to the main stage. The character Sukeroku was acted by Ichikawa Danjyuro the second for the first time in "Hanayakata aigo no waka" performed at Yamamura-za theatre in Edo in April 1713. Ichikawa Danjyuro the second not only inherited Aragoto (lit. rough) style of Danjyoro the first, but he also added Wagoto (lit. elegant) style to it and created his original style. Hanagawado Sukeroku is a handsome guy from Edo who frequently go to see Agemaki of Miura-ya prostitute in Yoshiwara, so he looks like a typical character in Wagoto style. His make-up of Mukimi guma gives off an amorous aura of Hanawawado Sukeroku and masculinity of Soga no Goro Tokimune, a representative character in Aragoto.
According to this picture, Sukeroku wore Kuro habutae (black silk cloth) with Kosode (kimono with short sleeves) having a red silk lining, undergarment of Hijirimen (red silk crepe), broad Hakata-obi sash that the Danjyuro's crest Mimasu, and Kotobuki ebi (lit. fortune prawn) were printed on, and Namajime style wig (a kind of wigs used for sensible Samurai characters). Also the Sukeroku's crest Gyoyou botan (a kind of elegant crests made up of peony flower and its leaves) can be seen on his Kurogabutae and Ja no me gasa. It is written that his stylish costume got huge popularity so that rice merchants in Asakusa copied this style. (,)

[Glossary]
Sukeroku yukari no edozakura,Aragoto,Wagoto,Yoshiwara, Mukimiguma、Namajime