NAKAMURA KANZABURÔ XII

1800 ~ 1808: born in Edo. Younger son of Nakamura Kanzaburô XI, he made his first stage appearance at an unknown date and received the name of Nakamura Akashi IV.

8th lunar month of 1808: Akashi played at the Nakamuraza the role of Kotarô [illustration] in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

6th lunar month of 1808: Akashi played at the Nakamuraza the role of Shigeichi in the drama "Genpei Nunobiki no Taki".

9th lunar month of 1812: the actor Nakamura Utaemon III, who was about to travel back to his native Kamigata after more than 4 years spent in Edo, performed his onagori kyôgen at the Nakamuraza, which included the premiere of a sanbasô entitled "Mata Kuru Haru Suzuna no Tanemaki". The roles of the sanbasô, the senzai and the okina were performed by Nakamura Utaemon III, Akashi and Nakamura Shichisaburô IV.

11th lunar month of 1814: he took the name of Nakamura Denkurô V at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Ninin Muko Mikurai Sadame", which celebrated the shûmei of Onoe Baikô III, Onoe Matsusuke III, Segawa Tomisaburô III and Segawa Michinosuke II and welcomed in Edo the actor Nakamura Daikichi I.

1st lunar month of 1815: Denkurô achieved a great success at the Nakamuraza by playing the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the drama "Date Moyô Soga no Hinagata"; This role was closely associated to the great actor Nakamura Denkurô I.

1st lunar month of 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Okuni-iri Soga Nakamura"; Denkurô played the roles of Kobayashi no Asahina and Sukehachi [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1829: Denkurô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Kamei Rokurô in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

21st day of the 3rd lunar month of 1829^[8]: a fire broke out from the shop of Owariya Tokuemon, in the district of Kanda Sakuma-chô. It spread and destroyed the Edo theaters district. The Nakamuraza was burnt to ashes.

7th lunar month of 1829: the Nakamura clan temporarily settled its theater in the precinct of the Hanazono Shrine in the district of Shinjuku.

4th day of the 8th lunar month of 1829^[7]: his father Nakamura Kanzaburô XI died. Denkurô most likely took the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô XII and became the new official zamoto of the Nakamuraza in the 8th lunar month of 1829 but he kept on performing under the name of Nakamura Denkurô V up to the 8th lunar month of 1830.

11th lunar month of 1829: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kin no Zai Sarushima Dairi"; Denkurô played the role of Iyo no Tarô [more details].

6th lunar month of 1830: he appeared on stage as an actor for the last time, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he played 4 roles in the drama "Minami ni Kuriki no Mushibôshi".

23rd day of the 12th lunar month of 1830^[1]: a fire broke out in the district of Nihonbashi Kodenma-chô. It spread and destroyed the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

7th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1834^[2]: a fire broke out in the district of Kanda Sakuma-chô. It spread and destroyed the Nakamuraza.

6th day of the 10th lunar month of 1841^[3]: a fire broke out from the backstages of the Nakamuraza in the district of Kanda Sakai-chô. It spread and destroyed the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

20th day of the 10th lunar month of 1841^[4]: the Edo authorities forbade the reconstruction of the destroyed theaters in Sakai-chô.

19th day of the 12th lunar month of 1841^[5]: the Nakamuraza, Ichimuraza and Kawarasakiza were ordered to move to the remote district of Asakusa Saruwaka-chô.

7th lunar month of 1842: the construction of the new Nakamuraza was completed.

10th lunar month of 1842: opening ceremony for the new Nakamuraza; Kanzaburô produced the drama "Kinryûzan Chikai no Ishizue" with the actors Iwai Tojaku, Sawamura Tosshô II, Arashi Kichisaburô III, Onoe Eizaburô III, Bandô Hikosaburô IV, Osagawa Tsuneyo IV, Arashi Izaburô II and Ichikawa Danzaburô V.

1843: Kanzaburô was condemned by the Edo Authorities for falsification of documents related to the number of shibai jaya in his theater. As a punishment, he was handcuffed at home and his theater was temporarily closed (no kaomise in the 11th lunar month).

3rd lunar month of 1844: end of punishment for Kanzaburô, who had to pay a heavy fine in order to get his handcuffs removed. He produced the drama "Sugata no Hana Yayoi no Kagamiyama", which celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô VII, Matsumoto Kôshirô VI and Ichikawa Komazô VII. He also produced in the same program the shosagoto "Shin-Yoshiwara Suzume", "Kawaranu Iromibae no Hitomoto" and "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momosakura"^[9].

4th lunar month of 1850: he gave his name to his son Nakamura Denzô III, who became Nakamura Kanzaburô XIII, and he retired, taking the name of Nakamura Kankurô III.

11th day of the 10th lunar month of 1851^[6]: Kankurô died in Edo.

Comments:

Nakamura Kanzaburô XII was the last great zamoto of the Nakamuraza. He succeeded in keeping the family business up and running for 20 seasons, in spite of the heavy burden of the theater debts, several fires that burnt his theater to ashes or the anti-theater regulations of the Edo authorities.

[1] The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the 1st year of the Tenpô era was the 5th of February 1831 in the western calendar.

[2] The 7th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 5th year of the Tenpô era was the 16th of March 1834 in the western calendar.

[3] The 6th day of the 10th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 18th of November 1841 in the western calendar.

[4] The 20th day of the 10th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 2nd of December 1841 in the western calendar.

[5] The 19th day of the 12th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 30th of January 1842 in the western calendar.

[6] The 11th day of the 10th of the 4th year of the Kaei era was the 4th of November 1851 in the western calendar.

[7] The 4th day of the 8th lunar month of the 12th year of the Bunsei era was the 1st of September 1829 in the western calendar.

[8] The 21st day of the 3rd lunar month of the 12th year of the Bunsei era was the 24th of April 1829 in the western calendar.

[9] A sukerokumono dance-drama with Handayû & Jôjûri musical accompaniment. The roles of Sukeroku, the courtesan Agemaki, the villain Ikyû & the shirozake seller Shinbê were played by Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII, Iwai Hanshirô VII, Matsumoto Kôshirô VI & Onoe Kikugorô III.

The mon of Nakamura Kanzaburô XII (the ginkgo tree)

Prints & Illustrations

The Nakamura Akashi line of actors

The Nakamura Denkurô line of actors and theater managers

The Nakamura Kanzaburô line of actors and theater managers

The Nakamura Kankurô line of actors and theater managers