Photo: Nesnad / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Onoe Matsuya II carries a name with a number attached, and that tells you most of what you need to know about how his life was arranged. Born in Tokyo in 1985 into the kabuki world, he was performing as a child actor before he was old enough to choose anything, and grew up inside a four-century-old form where names and roles are inherited rather than auditioned for. What I find interesting is that he did not stay sealed inside it. He works in television and contemporary theatre as well, carrying the name to people who would never buy a kabuki ticket first. Purists can call that dilution; I would call it recruitment. A tradition nobody new stumbles into eventually becomes a museum piece, and he seems to understand that.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Onoe Matsuya II
- Name (Japanese)
- 二代目 尾上松也
- Born
- January 30, 1985 (age 41)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Ox
- Origin
- Tokyo, Japan
- Occupation
- actor / kabuki actor / child actor
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Onoe Matsuya II born?
Born January 30, 1985 (age 41).
Where is Onoe Matsuya II from?
Onoe Matsuya II is from Tokyo, Japan.
What does Onoe Matsuya II do?
Onoe Matsuya II works as actor, kabuki actor, child actor.
Actor — see all → · Kabuki actor — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-07-26
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.