Wakayagi Kichizo (若柳吉蔵)
The term "Kichizo WAKAYAGI" refers to a professional name of iemoto (the head) of Soke (the head family or house) of the Wakayagi school. Kichizo WAKAYAGI the third has succeeded to the name at present. He is the fifth iemoto of the Wakayagi school.
For details on the successive iemoto, refer to the section on the Wakayagi school and its iemoto.
Kichizo WAKAYAGI the first
Kichizo WAKAYAGI (June 21, 1879 - January 25, 1944)
His real name is Kotaro TAKEUCHI. He was the second iemoto of the Wakayagi school.
He was born in Suido-cho, Koishikawa, Tokyo. His father is a rakugo story teller, Enyu SANYUTEI the first, who was very popular because of his suteteko (men's underwear) dance (comical dance performed by a man wearing a suteteko) for a period of time.
He had become the disciple of a choreographer named Kodai NISHIKAWA at the age of 12. But he gave up dance after two years. He changed to a rakugo story teller to become a disciple of his father. After he had used the name Seiyu SANYUTEI, he changed his name to Koenyu SANYUTEI. Then he changed to an actor of a new school, but he returned to dancing in 1896. He became the disciple of Yoshimatsu WAKAYAGI (later Judo WAKAYAGI) of the Wakayagi school. The following year, he began to use the name Kichizo. After his master Judo had died in 1917, he became the second iemoto of the Wakayagi school the next year.
His adopted son had succeeded to the name Kichizo (the second), who later succeeded to the name Judo (the second) and became the third iemoto of the Wakayagi school.
Kichizo WAKAYAGI the second
Kichizo WAKAYAGI (August 11, 1921 - July 17, 1989)
His real name is Shoji TAKEUCHI. He was the third iemoto of the Wakayagi school.
Later he succeeded to the name Judo (the second). His older sister is Kichisei WAKAYAGI the first.
Kichizo WAKAYAGI the third
Kichizo WAKAYAGI (January 10, 1970 -) and his real name is Hideo TAKEUCHI. He is the fifth iemoto of the Wakayagi school.
He is the third son of the second iemoto of the school.
Refer to the section on Kichizo WAKAYAGI (the third) for details.