The Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba Hisatsugu
Shunkōsai Hokushū 春好斎北洲 Japanese
Not on view
With glaring eyes and striking a defiant pose, the Osaka-based Kabuki actor Asao Gakujurō is shown as the samurai Mashiba Hisatsugu firmly grasping the hilt of his sword, ready to attack. Gakujūrō is captured here in a role from the play “The Golden Gate and the Paulownia Crest” (Kinmon gosan no kiri). The play relates the dastardly exploits of the rōnin (masterless samurai) Ishikawa Goemon, who seeks revenge against Mashiba Hisayoshi, a character based on the historical Hideyoshi—and who is the archenemy of his adoptive and natural fathers. The character’s robe is decorated with paulownia leaf motifs to which gourd tassels are attached. The two poems, one by the actor himself, commemorate his taking a new stage name.
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