Arashi Rikan II

Arashi Rikan II was a Japanese kabuki actor of the late Edo period. He specialized in male roles, but sometimes also performed as an onnagata.

Biography

In 1800, Arashi appeared on stage for the first time in Osaka where he received the name of Arashi Tokusaburō II.
He spent the first two decades of his career on the stages of minor theatres across the Kamigata region. He took the name Rikan II in 1828.
Small in stature, Rikan II was famous for his striking eyes. He was given the moniker Metoku, from the characters moku and the toku of his original stage name Tokusaburō.
He was the particular favourite of artist Shunbaisai Hokuei and appears in most of his prints.
He performed until his death in 1837, and was buried in Osaka. Nakamura Utaemon IV attended his funeral. The Arashi Rikan line continued into the fifth generation, dying out in 1920.