The Kabukiza is currently presenting two plays from its October program as tsuizen (memorial) performances for Matsumoto Koshiro VIII, who died in 1982. Koshiro VIII, also known by the stage name of Matsumoto Hakuo, considered these plays very important to the repertoire he performed, so it is significant that his son, Matsumoto Koshiro IX, is playing the lead in both "Kumagai Jin'ya (Kumagai's Camp)" and in "Ii Tairo (Lord Ii)."
The Matsumoto line dates back to the early 18th century, when Matsumoto Koshiro I was known for his performance of tachiyaku (male leads) and jitsuaku (villain leads). His acting was so good in these roles that he was esteemed as highly as Ichikawa Danjuro II, the most famous of all the kabuki actors in Edo (present-day Tokyo) at the time.
In the following two centuries, the Matsumoto family formed an amazing network of kabuki actors in Edo, maintaining close connections with members of the Ichikawa line. Matsumoto Koshiro VII (d. 1949), probably the most successful actor of the Matsumoto acting clan, significantly enriched his technique by studying under Ichikawa Danjuro IX, one of the most influential actors of the late 19th century.