Although the Shigeyama family had worked as Kyogen performers in Kyoto since the early years of the Edo period, they only succeeded in firmly establishing themselves as a famous Okura-ryu school Kyogen family after Masatora, the 9th Sengoro SHIGEYAMA (the 1st Sensaku, born in 1810 and died in 1886), began performing in the late Edo period.
茂山家は江戸時代以来京都で狂言師として活動してきた家であったが、大蔵流の名門としての地位が確固たるものになったのは、江戸後期に9世茂山千五郎正虎（初世千作。1810年生～1886年没）が登場して以降である。