NAKAMURA NAKAZÔ II

Stage names:

Nakamura Nakazô II In Japanese
Ôtani Oniji III In Japanese
Ôtani Haruji II In Japanese
Ôtani Eisuke In Japanese

Nickname: Maruya Jicchô

Guilds: Masatsuya, Maruya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry names: Tôshû, Jûshû

Existence: 1759 ~ 7th day of the 11th lunar month of 1796 [1]

Connections:

Master: Ôtani Hiroji III

Adopted son: Ôtani Oniji IV

Career:

1st lunar month of 1770: he made his first appearance on stage, in Edo at the Ichimuraza, where he received the name of Ôtani Eisuke.

11th lunar month of 1778: he became wakashugata and took the name of Ôtani Haruji II.

11th lunar month of 1787: Ôtani Haruji II took the name of Ôtani Oniji III at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Yukimizuki Eiga Hana no Hachinoki".

23rd day of the 4th lunar month of 1790 [2]: Nakamura Nakazô I died in Edo

9th lunar month of 1790: the play "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; it celebrated the onagori kyôgen of the Kamigata star Asao Tamejûrô I; Oniji played the role of Nishikido no Tarô [more details].

3rd lunar month of 1793: Oniji's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

8th lunar month of 1793: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Tsuki no Kao Monaka no Natorigusa" (commonly called "Oniji Hyôshimai" in the Kabuki repertoire); Oniji played the role of Osada Tarô [casting].

10th lunar month of 1794: due to some financial difficulties, the salaries of all the actors were drastically reduced. Oniji's yearly salary for the coming season was set to 250 ryô after a reduction of 80.

11th lunar month of 1794: Ôtani Oniji III took the name of Nakamura Nakazô II at the Miyakoza, performing in Namiki Gohei I's kaomise drama "Uruô Tosshi Meika no Homare", which welcomed in Edo the actors Kataoka Nizaemon VII and Nakamura Noshio II and the Ôsaka playwright Namiki Gohei I.

9th lunar month of 1796: the play "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" was staged for the first time in Edo, simultaneously at the Kiriza and the Miyakoza; Nakazô played the roles of Mokusokan and the yakko Tomohei in the latter theater [casting].

11th lunar month of 1796: Nakazô appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Miyakoza, where he performed in the kaomise drama "Seiwa Nidai Ôyose Genji". He suddenly fell ill and stopped acting.

7th day of the 11th lunar month of 1796 [1]: Nakazô died in Edo [3].

Comments:

Nakamura Nakazô II was a talented and promising jitsuaku actor of the second half of the eighteenth century. Although he had no conection with Nakamura Nakazô I and was from the Ôtani clan, he had the privilege to take the prestigious name of Nakamura Nakazô II. He unfortunately died too young before reaching the peak of his career. Tôshûsai Sharaku made his most famous print with him.

[1] The 7th day of the 11th lunar month of the 8th year of the Kansei era was the 5th of December 1796 in the western calendar.

[2] 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.

[3] Nakamura Nakazô II's tombstone was located in the precincts of the Kôtokuji in the district of Asakusa.

Nakamura Nakazô II playing the role of Matsuômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III in 1852

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku in 1794

Print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku in 1794

Print made by Katsukawa Shun'ei in 1795

The Ôtani Haruji line of actors

The Ôtani Oniji line of actors

The Nakamura Nakazô line of actors

 
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