NAKAMURA DENKURÔ I

26th day of the 12th lunar month of 1676^[7]: a fire broke out in the district of Hama-chô. It spread and burnt both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

11th day of the 8th lunar month of 1678^[3]: Nakamura Kanzaburô III died. The new name-holder of this line should be Nakamura Kanzaburô III's son Nakamura Takematsu but he was too young to manage the family business and Kantarô had to take the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô IV.

29th day of the 5th lunar month of 1679^[9]: a fire broke out in the puppets theater Ôsaka Shichidayûza in the district of Sakai-chô. It spread and burnt both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

28th day of the 12th lunar month of 1682^[5]: a fire started by Yaoya Oshichi breaks out in the Daienji Temple in the district of Komagome. It spread and destroyed the Nakamuraza. This fire was nicknamed "Oshichi Kaji" (the "Oshichi fire").

16th day of the 12th lunar month of 1683^[6]: a fire broke out in the Nakamuraza and destroyed the theater.

1st lunar month of 1684: Nakamura Kanzaburô IV took the name of Nakamura Denkurô I at the Nakamuraza, performing in the drama "Shuten Dôji Oni Taiji". He entrusted the management of the Nakamuraza to Nakamura Takematsu's care, who took the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô V in the 10th lunar month of 1684.

1st lunar month of 1686: Denkurô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Kumahara Wadanosuke in the new year drama "Wankyû Ukiyo Jikkai"; his stage partners were Nakamura Shichisaburô I (Ôtomo Minbu), Tamagawa Sennojô III (Senju), Mikuni Hikosaku II (Wan'ya Kyûbê), Dekishima Kichiya (Hatsue-no-Mae), Uemura Kokichiya (Kiriyama), Hanai Saizaburô I (Sôhachi), Fujita Minanosuke (Sôhachi's wife), Tamai Gonpachi (Kichibei) and Hanamura Kinue (the courtesan Matsuyama).

3rd lunar month of 1688: Denkurô played for the first time the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the drama "Yakko Asaina Ôiso Gayoi", which was staged at the Nakamuraza.

5th lunar month of 1693: Denkurô played at the Nakamuraza a fox role in the drama "Shinsen Sesshôseki".

11th lunar month of 1696: Denkurô played at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Neko no Koneko", commonly called "Onna Narukami"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô I, Ogino Sawanojô, Nakamura Shichisaburô I, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Sodeoka Masanosuke II and Nakajima Kanzaemon I.

5th lunar month of 1697: Denkurô achieved a great success by playing at the Nakamuraza the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year sogamono drama "Tsuwamono Kongen Soga"; his stage partner in the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune was Ichikawa Danjûrô I.

7th lunar month of 1697: the Nakamuraza had to close and its troupe moved to the Yamamuraza.

11th lunar month of 1697: Denkurô achieved a great success at the Yamamuraza by playing the role of Hirai no Yasumasa in the drama "Wakashu Tanzen Tomo Yakko".

10th day of the 12th lunar month of 1698^[8]: a fire broke out in the district of Nihonbashi Hongoku-chô. It spread and burnt both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

1st lunar month of 1699: Denkurô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1700: Denkurô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He played at the Yamamuraza the roles of Kobayashi no Asahina and Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year drama "Keisei Asama-ga-Dake".

19th day of the 9th lunar month of 1701^[4]: his adopted son Nakamura Kanzaburô V died.

10th lunar month of 1701: Nakamura Matasaburô took the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô VI, becoming the new zamoto of the Nakamuraza.

11th lunar month of 1703: Denkurô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Shinshun Niwatori Taiheiki".

1st lunar month of 1705: Denkurô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Kobayashi no Asahina and the tôfu seller Densuke in the new year sogamono drama "Onna Kudô Yosooi Soga".

11th lunar month of 1707: Denkurô became jitsuaku and achieved a great success by performing at the Nakamuraza in the drama "Suô no Naishi Azuma Nishiki".

1st lunar month of 1708: Denkurô played in the same theater the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year sogamono drama "Keisei Arashi Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were played by Tomizawa Hanzaburô I and Nakamura Shichisaburô I.

1st lunar month of 1713: Denkurô appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he played the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the new year sogamono drama "Ôkazari Kanô Soga".

25th day of the 10th lunar month of 1713^[1]: Denkurô died in Edo.

Comments:

Nakamura Denkurô I was an outstanding tachiyaku, who achieved fame for himself in the city of Edo. He formed with Ichikawa Danjûrô I and Nakamura Shichisaburô I a triumvirat of Edo actors, which led Kabuki during the golden years of the Genroku era.

"After Danjûrô and Shichisaburô, the most distinguished actor of this time was Nakamura Denkurô [...]. He was of more aristocratic theatre lineage than the two prominent Edo actors above, for he was no less a personage than the grandson of Saruwaka Kanzaburô. The first Kanzaburô had three sons: the first was the child of a concubine and did not inherit; the second son [...] succeeded as second of the line [...]. He left his name to his younger brother, who became the third head of the family. The son by the concubine was blessed with two sons, and one of them was no other than Nakamura Denkurô, who exercised considerable influence upon Edo Kabuki, establishing traditions that have been handed down to modern times. Denkurô's father, perhaps because of his illegitimacy, never appeared as an actor, but was engaged as an accountant of the Nakamuraza all his life. Nevertheless, it was his son who inherited the theatre genius that might have been expected to appear in the first Kanzaburô's legitimate offspring." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

Nakamura Denkurô I's greatest performance occured in the 3rd lunar month of 1688, at the Nakamuraza. He played for the first time the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the drama "Yakko Asaina Ôiso Gayoi" and created for this role several great features: a wig (itobin), a make-up (saruguma) and a beard style (kamahige).

"The rôle of Asaina, an historical character, at the Nakamuraza made Nakamura Denkurô famous, and the manner in which he painted his face with broad red lines and the style, colour, and design of his costume have served as a model for all succeeding actors who have essayed this popular rôle. Asaina was a bold warrior of the time when Yoritomo ruled by the sword in Kamakura. Denkurô used Asaina's blazon to decorate his stage costume, a crane in a circle, and it has always been preserved, Asaina not being considered by audiences or actors as the real thing unless faithful to all the details of Denkurô's grotesque creation." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

[1] The 25th day of the 10th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Shôtoku era was the 12th of December 1713 in the western calendar.

[2] The 26th day of the 8th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Enpô era was the 25th of September 1674 in the western calendar.

[3] The 11th day of the 8th lunar month of the 6th year of the Enpô era was the 26th of September 1678 in the western calendar.

[4] The 19th day of the 9th lunar month of the 14th year of the Genroku era was the 20th of October 1701 in the western calendar.

[5] The 28th day of the 12th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Tenna era was the 25th of January 1683 in the western calendar.

[6] The 16th day of the 12th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Tenna era was the 1st of February 1684 in the western calendar.

[7] The 26th day of the 12th lunar month of the 4th year of the Enpô era was the 29th of January 1677 in the western calendar.

[8] The 10th day of the 12th lunar month of the 11th year of the Genroku era was the 10th of January 1699 in the western calendar.

[9] The 29th day of the 5th of the 7th year of the Enpô era was the 7th of July 1679 in the western calendar.

The Actor Nakamura Denkurô I
Artist: Torii Kiyonobu I
Date: 1695–1705
The Art Institute of Chicago (print in the public domain)

Prints & Illustrations

The Nakamura Kantarô line of actors

The Nakamura Kanzaburô line of actors and theater managers

The Nakamura Denkurô line of actors