Iwai Hanshirō VIII (八代目岩井半四郎: from 2/1872 to 2/19/1882) (actor 1829 – 1882)

Alternate names: Baiga (poetry name - 梅我)
Enji (poetry name - 燕子)
Shidō (poetry name - 画号))
Shijaku (poetry name - 紫若)
Tojaku (poetry name - 杜若)
Iwai Hisajirō II (二代目岩井久次郎: until 10/1832)
Iwai Kumesaburō III (三代目岩井粂三郎: from 11/1832 to 1/1864)
Iwai Shijaku II (二代目岩井紫若: from 2/1864 to 1/1872)

Links

Kabuki21

Biography:

This actor held this name from 2/1872 to February 1882.

Hanshirō was born on the 2nd day of the 10th lunar month of 1829 and died on February 19, 1882.

Iwai Hanshirō VIII, who was both tall and good-looking, was an excellent onnagata, especially in the sewamono roles, and considered as the worthy heir of his grand-father Iwai Tojaku. He co-starred the best tachiyaku from the last years of the Edo period to the first years of Meiji: Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII, Kataoka Nizaemon VIII, Bandô Hikosaburō V, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Nakamura Shikan IV, Onoe Kikugorō V and Ichikawa Danjūrō IX. He was one of the last true Edo onnagata.

"The actor Iwai Hanshirō VIII held the name of Iwai Kumesaburō III from the 11th lunar month of 1832 to the 1st lunar month of 1864."

This information is taken directly from Kabuki21