| NAKAMURA NAKAZÔ I |
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Line number: SHODAI (I) Poetry name: Shûkaku Existence: 1736 ~ 23rd day of the 4th lunar month of 1790 [1] Connections: Adoptive father: Nakayama Kojûrô V Master: Nakamura Kanzaburô VIII Adopted son: Nakayama Kojûrô VII Career: 1736: born in Edo in the district of Fukagawa. His father was a rônin named Saitô. 1740: He was adopted by Oshun, a dance mistress of the Shigayama school. Her family were costumers to the Nakamuraza. Oshun's husband was the Nagauta music master Nakayama Kojûrô V. They give him the name of Manzô. 1743: he became disciple of Nakamura Katsujûrô I and received the name of Nakamura Ichijûrô. 11th lunar month of 1745: he took the name of Nakamura Nakazô at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Suehiro Izu Nikki", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Fujikawa Heikurô and the shûmei of Ôtani Hiroemon II and Nakamura Denkurô II. 5th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Nakazô played the role of Zentarô [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1750: Nakazô performed as a wakashugata at the Nakamuraza in Tsuuchi Jihê II's kaomise drama "Wakaki no Ume Taira no Kiyomori" . 1751: he left the theater world and became the manager of a sake shop in the district of Ningyô-chô. 1752: he married the daughter of the music master Kineya Kisaburô VII. 11th lunar month of 1754: Nakazô was back on stage, at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Bumon no Kotobuki". His performance was bad and he was in despair. His personal and professional problems led him to think about suicide. He fortunately received the patronage of the actor Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, who took him under his wing and let him work as a dance choreographer at the Nakamuraza. 11th lunar month of 1761: he changed the first ideogram of his first name Nakazô, when he performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nihongahana Hôgan Biiki":
11th lunar month of 1762: Nakazô moved to the Moritaza and performed in the kaomise drama "Tôzai Tôzai Wagakuni no Ume Yashiki". 2nd lunar month of 1763: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", which was staged at the Moritaza; Nakazô played the role of Hachiman Tarô [casting|illustrations]. 9th lunar month of 1766: Nakazô achieved a great success at the Ichimuraza by playing the role of Ono no Sadakurô in the 5th act of the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". He gave a new dimension to this role, getting rid of all the original sentences (his line was limited to the exclamation "50 ryô!") and turning his performance into a bloody pantomime. Thanks to Nakazô, this role, which was performed before by minor actors, became a star role. The scene, which was a "box lunch scene" (an uninteresting scene within a long drama used by the members of the audience to eat their box lunches), became a key one in this drama. It was said that Nakazô's performance was so good that he blew away the cheap box lunches. 7th lunar month of 1768: the play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was produced for the first time at the Nakamuraza; Nakazô played the role of Mikawaya Giheiji [casting]. 8th lunar month of 1768: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the drama "Tenjiku Tokubê Kokyô no Torikaji"; Nakazô played the role of Shimobe Haruhei [more details]. 11th lunar month of 1768: Nakazô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ima o Sakari Suehiro Genji", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata star Nakamura Utaemon I and the shûmei of Osagawa Tsuneyo II. 11th lunar month of 1769: Nakazô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kawaranu Hana Sakae Hachinoki". 1st lunar month of 1770: Nakazô played in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Kagamigaike Omokage Soga"; his stage partners in the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were Ichikawa Yaozô II and Ichikawa Komazô II. 11th lunar month of 1770: Nakazô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which celebrated the shûmei of Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Nakamura Shôchô and Ichikawa Monnosuke II. 1st lunar month of 1771: Nakazô played in the same theater the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Sakaichô Soga no Nendaiki"; his stage partners in the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari were Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Ichikawa Komazô II. 11th lunar month of 1774: Nakazô played the roles of Eboshiori Daitarô, Oniô Shôji Saemon and Okazaki Shirô at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Ama no Iwato". 2nd lunar month of 1775: Nakazô played in the same theater the roles of Nakazô no Matsuwaka, Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Honda Jirô in the new year drama "Iromoyô Aoyagi Soga". 3rd lunar month of 1775: Nakazô played in the same theater the role of the woman selling shinobu, in reality the ghost of the evil monk Dainichibô, in Kawatake Shinshichi I's dance-drama "Shinobu-gusa Koi no Utsushie"; this dance was both a futa-omotemono and a dôjôjimono [more details]. 11th lunar month of 1775: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Kanai Sanshô's Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Shijûhatte Koi no Showake", the first version of "Oshidori", which was staged within the kaomise drama "Hana Zumô Genji Biiki"; Nakazô played the role of Matano Gorô Kagehisa [more details]. 3rd lunar month of 1776: Nakazô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He was the kanjiku for jitsuaku actors. 3rd lunar month of 1776: first Kabuki adaptation of Matsu Kanshi's puppet theater drama "Koi Musume Mukashi Hachijô", which was staged at the Nakamuraza; Nakazô played the role of Akizuki Ikkaku [casting]. 5th lunar month of 1776: the play "Honchô Nijûshikô" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Nakazô played the roles of Takasaka Danjô and Yokozô [casting]. Summer 1777: the book "Yakusha Sensakuron" ('About actors prying') was published in Edo. It gave some private information on actors. Edo readers could learn that Nakazô lived in the district of Izumi-chô and his annual salary was 700 ryô. 11th lunar month of 1777: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the Tomimoto-based dance-drama "Meotozake Kawaranu Nakanaka" (commonly called "Kurama Jishi"); Nakazô played the role of Kisanta [casting]. 15th day of the 11th lunar month of 1777 [2]: his master Nakamura Kanzaburô VIII died in Edo. 4th lunar month of 1780: first Kabuki adaptation of Utei Enba, Kijô Tarô and Yô Yôdai puppet theater drama "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi", which was staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Nakazô played the role of Uji Hyôbunosuke Jôetsu (in reality Kusunoki Masatsura) [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Kiriza of the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Kyôran Kumoi no Sode", commonly called "Nakazô Kyôran", which was staged within the kaomise drama "Jûni Hitoe Komachi Zakura" and which starred Nakazô in the leading role of Ono no Yoshizane. It was also the premiere in the same kaomise program of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To"; Nakazô played the roles of Sekibê and Ôtomo no Kuronushi [casting]. 1st lunar month of 1785: Nakazô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was itaru-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. 11th lunar month of 1785: Nakamura Nakazô I and his adopted son Nakamura Mansaku respectively took the names of Nakayama Kojûrô VI and Nakamura Nakazô at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Yuki Motsutake Furisode Genji". 1st lunar month of 1786: Kojûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, sôkanjiku section ("all kanjiku"), was (shiro)ô-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. 11th lunar month of 1786: Nakayama Kojûrô VI and Nakamura Nakazô took back their previous names, Nakamura Nakazô I and Nakamura Mansaku, at the Kiriza, playing in the kaomise drama "Mutsu no Hana Izu no Hataage". 12th lunar month of 1786: Nakazô went to Ôsaka. 1st lunar month of 1787: Nakazô played at the Ônishi no Shibai in the new year drama "Keisei Sakura no Jindate", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô II. He also performed in solo in the auspicious dance "Kotobuki Sanbasô". 2nd lunar month of 1787: Nakazô played in the same theater the roles of Tadanobu and Gonta in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". The performance was a huge success and a 42-day long run. 4th lunar month of 1787: Nakazô played in the same theater the roles of Yuranosuke and Sadakurô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". 10th lunar month of 1787: Nakazô went to Kyôto. 1st lunar month of 1788: Nakazô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki was ô-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. Fall 1788: Nakazô went back to Edo. 11th lunar month of 1788: Nakazô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Ishikawa Goemon in Sakurada Jisuke I's kaomise drama "Tôzumô Hana no Edokata". Premiere at the Nakamuraza of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Modori Kago Iro ni Aikata" (commonly called "Modori Kago"); Nakazô played the role of Naniwa no Jirosaku (in reality Ishikawa Goemon) [casting]. 1st lunar month of 1789: Nakazô played at the Nakamuraza in the new year sogamono drama "Edo Fuji Wakayagi Soga" but he suddenly fell ill and had to be replaced. 7th lunar month of 1789: Nakazô played in the same theater the roles of Shunkan and Taira Morikuni in the drama "Heike Hyôbanki", which celebrated the 77th, 13th, 37th, 37th, 60th and 7th memorial services of late Nakamura Denkurô I, Nakamura Denkurô II, Kineya Kisaburô VII, Nakayama Kojurô V, Nakamura Denjirô I and Nakamura Denjirô III. Nakazô's performance suffered from his health problems. 8th lunar month of 1789: Nakazô appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he performed in the dance "Kotobuki Yotsugi Sanbasô". 23rd day of the 4th lunar month of 1790 [1]: Nakazô died in Edo [3]. Comments: Nakamura Nakazô I was an amazing jitsuaku actor, who started as an unknown low-ranking actor and rose to the top, becoming a senryô yakusha during the Tenmei era. He studied as a pupil of Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, often shared the same stage with Ichikawa Danjûrô V and his style was said to be similar to Ichikawa Danjûrô II's one. He was also an outstanding dancer and he wrote several books about his life and his art. Nakamura Nakazô I's best roles: Sekibê/Kuronushi ("Seki no To") Kakogawa Honzô/Sadakurô ("Kanadehon Chûshingura"), Matsuômaru/Kan Shôjô ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"), Kudô Saemon Suketsune (sogamono). "The career of Nakamura Nakazô is one of the most varied of all the actors. He was possessed of many theatre gifts, but he had inherited a samurai temperament and exercised his genius just when social conditions had begun to dampen the enthusiasm of the people for the theatre." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan") Nakamura Nakazô I's wife Okishi, the daughter of the Nagauta shamisen-player Kineya Kisaburô VII, was also Shigayama Mansaku VII, the 7th iemoto of the Shigayama School of Buyô. Nakamura Nakazô I was Shigayama Mansaku VIII, the 8th iemoto of the Shigayama School. Nakamura Nakazô I's adopted son became Shigayama Mansaku IX, the 9th iemoto of the Shigayama School. [1] The 23rd day of the 4th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Kansei era was the 5th of June 1790 in the western calendar. [2] The 15th day of the 11th lunar month of the 6th year of the An'ei era was the 14th of December 1777 in the western calendar. [3] Nakamura Nakazô I's tombstone was located in the precincts of the Jôzaiji Temple, in the district of Shitaya. |
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Nakamura Nakazô I playing the role of Mikawaya Giheiji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1768 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Katsukawa Shunshô) Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1768 Print made by Katsukawa Shunjô in 1781 Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1785 Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1787 Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in the 1860s The Nakamura Nakazô line of actors |
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