Toyama no Kin-san
Encyclopedia
is a popular character based on the historical Tōyama Kagemoto
, a samurai and official of the Tokugawa Shogunate
during the Edo Period
of Japanese history
. In kabuki
and kōdan
, he was celebrated under his childhood name, Kinshirō, shortened to Kin-san. He was said to have left home as a young man, and lived among the commoners, even having a tattoo
of flowering sakura trees on his shoulder. This story developed into a legend of helping the common people.
The novelist Tatsurō Jinde (陣出達郎) wrote a series of books about Kin-san. Noted actor Chiezō Kataoka
starred in a series of eight Toei
jidaigeki
films about him. Several Japanese television networks have aired series based on the character. These variously portrayed him pretending to be a petty hood or a yojimbo
while solving crimes as the chief of police.
People famous for having portrayed Kin-san on television include kabuki stars Nakamura Umenosuke IV and Ichikawa Danshirō, singers Yukio Hashi
and Teruhiko Saigō
, and actors Ryōtarō Sugi
, Hideki Takahashi
, Hiroki Matsukata
, and Kōtarō Satomi
. Saigō and Satomi portrayed Kin-san in the series Edo o Kiru
.
:
Toyama Kagemoto
was a hatamoto and an official of the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo Period of Japanese history. His ancestry was of the Minamoto clan of Mino Province. His father, Kagemichi, was the magistrate of Nagasaki. Kagemoto held the posts of Finance Magistrate, North Magistrate, and subsequently the...
, a samurai and official of the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
during the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
of Japanese history
History of Japan
The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...
. In kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
and kōdan
Kodan
, is a style of traditional oral Japanese storytelling. The form evolved out of lectures on historical or literary topics given to high-ranking nobles of the Heian period, changing over the centuries to be adopted by the general samurai class and eventually by commoners, and eventually, by the end...
, he was celebrated under his childhood name, Kinshirō, shortened to Kin-san. He was said to have left home as a young man, and lived among the commoners, even having a tattoo
Irezumi
Irezumi is a Japanese word that refers to the insertion of ink under the skin to leave a permanent, usually decorative mark; a form of tattooing....
of flowering sakura trees on his shoulder. This story developed into a legend of helping the common people.
The novelist Tatsurō Jinde (陣出達郎) wrote a series of books about Kin-san. Noted actor Chiezō Kataoka
Chiezo Kataoka
was a Japanese actor. Born in 1903 in Gunma Prefecture, he was raised in Tokyo. His first starring role in a film was in 1923. Specializing in jidaigeki, he played the lead in various films before and during World War II. After the war, he eventually joined Toei...
starred in a series of eight Toei
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
jidaigeki
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
films about him. Several Japanese television networks have aired series based on the character. These variously portrayed him pretending to be a petty hood or a yojimbo
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
while solving crimes as the chief of police.
People famous for having portrayed Kin-san on television include kabuki stars Nakamura Umenosuke IV and Ichikawa Danshirō, singers Yukio Hashi
Yukio Hashi
is a Japanese Enka singer. He is also an actor. Yukio's real name is , using a different kanji.-External links:*...
and Teruhiko Saigō
Teruhiko Saigo
is a Japanese singer and actor. As a singer, he is known as one of the three "Gosanke", referring to gosanke, the three great Tokugawa houses....
, and actors Ryōtarō Sugi
Ryotaro Sugi
is a Japanese singer and actor. He was born in Kobe. He is the father of actor Jundai Yamada.Among Sugi's roles is a role in Sukima Kaze, which sold over a million copies. His acting credits include eighteen films...
, Hideki Takahashi
Hideki Takahashi
is a Japanese actor. Born in Kisarazu, Chiba near Tokyo, he attended Ichikawa Gakuen and later Nihon University.- Filmography :He made his debut with Nikkatsu and acted in youth-oriented films. After becoming a star in television jidaigeki, he turned out hit after hit...
, Hiroki Matsukata
Hiroki Matsukata
, real name is a Japanese actor. He is the son of jidaigeki actor Jūshirō Konoe and actress Yaeko Mizukawa and has a younger brother Yūki Meguro who is also an actor....
, and Kōtarō Satomi
Kotaro Satomi
is a Japanese actor from the city of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He appears in both contemporary and jidaigeki roles.-Selected filmography:Satomi has appeared in over 130 films...
. Saigō and Satomi portrayed Kin-san in the series Edo o Kiru
Edo o Kiru
Edo o Kiru or Slashing Edo was a popular jidaigeki on Japan's Tokyo Broadcasting System. During the decades from its September 24, 1973 premiere until the July 25, 1994 finale, 214 episodes aired. It lasted through eight series, with several casts and settings...
.
Film versions
Eight films from Toei starred Chiezō KataokaChiezo Kataoka
was a Japanese actor. Born in 1903 in Gunma Prefecture, he was raised in Tokyo. His first starring role in a film was in 1923. Specializing in jidaigeki, he played the lead in various films before and during World War II. After the war, he eventually joined Toei...
:
- Irezumi Hangan
- Chizakura Hangan
- Edokko Hangan to Furisode Kozo (The Edo Official and Apprentice) (1959)
- Gozonji Irezumi Hangan (The Official with Tattoo) (1960)
- Hayabusa Bugyō (Falcon Magistrate) (1957)
- Hinotama Bugyō (Fireball Magistrate) (1958)
- Tatsumaki Bugyō (Whirlwind Magistrate) (1959)
- Sakura Hangan
Television series
- Tōyama no Kin-san Torimono Chō starring Shunji Natsume on Fuji TelevisionFuji Televisionis a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
- Tōyama no Kin-san starring Ebizō Ichikawa on Nippon TelevisionNippon Televisionis a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
- Tōyama no Kin-san Torimono Chō starring Nakamura Umenosuke IV on TV AsahiTV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
(NET) - Gozonji Tōyama no Kin-san starring Ichikawa Danshirō on TV Asahi (NET)
- Gozonji Kin-san no Torimono Chō starring Yukio Hashi on TV Asahi (NET)
- Tōyama no Kin-san on NET, renamed TV Asahi
- starring Ryōtarō Sugi from 1975 to 1979 (Sugi also sang the theme song)
- starring Hideki Takahashi from 1982 to 1986
- Meibugyō Tōyama no Kin-san starring Hiroki Matsukata on TV Asahi
- Cast included (at various times) Ryōko Sakaguchi, Kimiko IkegamiKimiko Ikegamiis a Japanese actress. Born in Manhattan, New York City, she moved to Kyoto at age 3. Kimiko graduated from Horikoshi High School in Nakano, Tokyo and subsequently attended Tamagawa University. She is closely related to the Bandō Mitsugorō kabuki actors: her grandfather was the eighth, her uncle...
, Keiko Saitō, Casey Takamine, Tetsuo Ishidate, Kazuo NakamuraKazuo NakamuraKazuo Nakamura was a Japanese-Canadian painter and sculptor and a founding member of the Toronto-based Painters Eleven group in the 1950s.-Life:...
, Gō WakabayashiGo Wakabayashiis a Japanese film and television actor from Nagasaki.A graduate of Senshu University, Wakabayashi became a member of Shin Kokugeki, then Wakabayashi Promotions. Currently he is a member of Toho Entertainment....
- Cast included (at various times) Ryōko Sakaguchi, Kimiko Ikegami
- Edo o KiruEdo o KiruEdo o Kiru or Slashing Edo was a popular jidaigeki on Japan's Tokyo Broadcasting System. During the decades from its September 24, 1973 premiere until the July 25, 1994 finale, 214 episodes aired. It lasted through eight series, with several casts and settings...
starring Teruhiko Saigō and later Kotarō Satomi on TBSTokyo Broadcasting System, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
, 1975 to 1994 - Tōyama no Kin-san on TV Asahi starring Ken MatsudairaKen Matsudairais a Japanese actor from Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. His real name is Sueshichi Suzuki .- Career :Active both in television and on stage, he also sings. Matsudaira is most widely known for jidaigeki roles, having made his debut with Shintaro Katsu in an episode of the television series Zatoichi...
, beginning in January, 2007 - Oh Edo Rocket (anime) featured Toyama as a continuing minor character