Stage names:

Nakamura Nakazô III
Nakamura Tsuruzô I

Other name:

Nakamura Kanzaburô XIV

Nickname: Waniguchi (the crocodile mouth)

Guilds: Maizuruya, Narijakuya, Sakaeya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry names: Jakushi, Shûjaku, Shûkaku, Bukaku

Existence: 1809 ~ 24 December 1886

Connections:

Father-in-law: Nakamura Kanzaburô XII

Master: Nakamura Utaemon IV

Disciples: Nakamura Nakazô IV, Nakamura Tsuruzô II

Career:

1809: born in Edo in the district of Nihonbashi Sumiyoshi-chô. His father, Murata Ichihei, who was originally a low-ranking samurai in the province of Tôyama, was bantô in an inn in Asakusa. His mother was a dance master of the Shigayama School.

1814: he became disciple of Nakamura Denkurô V.

11th lunar month of 1818: he made his first appearance on stage, at the Nakamuraza, where he received the name of Nakamura Tsuruzô I and performed in the drama "Ise Heiji Hiiki no Kaomise".

1829 ~ 1837: Tsuruzô settled in Kamigata and became disciple of Nakamura Shikan II.

Winter 1837~1838: Nakamura Shikan II, Tsuruzô and the actors Arashi San'emon IX, Nakamura Kan'emon, Nakamura Tsurugorô, Nakamura Komasuke, Nakamura Kaei and Asao Okuyama went together to Edo.

12th lunar month of 1849: Nakamura Utaemon IV, Nakamura Fukusuke I and Tsuruzô went back together to Ôsaka.

11th day of the 10th lunar month of 1851 ^[1]: his father-in-law Nakamura Kanzaburô XII died in Edo.

17th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1852 ^[2]: his master Nakamura Utaemon IV died in Ôsaka; Tsuruzô decided to go back to Edo.

3rd lunar month of 1853: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Segawa Jokô III's drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi" (commonly called "Kirare Yosa"); Tsuruzô played the role of Kômori Yasu [casting]. This performance was a huge success.

5th lunar month of 1861: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Ryû to Mimasu Takane no Kumokiri"; Tsuruzô played the roles of the tôzoku Subashiri Kumagorô, the Ibarasawamura tedai Chûbê and the hannin Mitekure Gonji [casting].

8th lunar month of 1861: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Sakura Sôshi Gonichi no Bundan", a revised version of Segawa Jokô III's drama "Higashiyama Sakura Sôshi"; Tsuruzô played the roles of the boatman Jinbê, Maboroshi no Chôkichi and Yamana Sôzen [casting].

10th lunar month of 1861: premiere at the Moritaza of Segawa Jokô III's drama "Zôho Futatsu Domoe"; Tsuruzô played the role of Tatara Gyôbudayû [casting].

5th lunar month of 1862: premiere at the Moritaza of the drama "Shinpan Ukina no Yomiuri"; Tsuruzô played the role of Matsuya Gen'emon [more details].

8th lunar month of 1862: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kanzen Chôaku Nozoki Garakuri"; Tsuruzô played the role of Hayanori Sanji [casting].

9th lunar month of 1865: Nakamura Tsuruzô I took the name of Nakamura Nakazô III at the Nakamuraza, performing in the dances "Kadomatsu" [print], "Tsuri Gitsune", "Saruwaka" and "Shinbochi Taiko".

10th lunar month of 1865: Nakazô celebrated his shûmei at the Ichimuraza, playing the roles of Iwakura Saemon and Kuniyuki in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami"; his stage partners were Bandô Hikosaburô V, Bandô Mitsugorô VI, Ichikawa Danzô VI and Ichimura Kakitsu IV.

5th lunar month of 1866: tour in the province of Niigata.

3rd lunar month of 1870: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kusunoki-ryû Hanami no Makuhari" (commonly called "Keian Taiheiki" or "Marubashi Chûya"); Nakazô played the roles of Uno Rokubê, Chiba Takuzaemon and the yumishi Sôshirô [more details].

10th lunar month of 1872: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's zangirimono "Tsuki no En Masu no Igaguri"; Nakazô played the role of Tajimaya Tazaemon [casting].

June 1873: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Tsuyu Kosode Mukashi Hachijô" (commonly called "Kamiyui Shinza"); Nakazô played the roles of Chôbê and Genshichi [casting].

1875: Nakamura Kanzaburô XIII retired and entrusted the management of the Nakamuraza to Nakazô, who never formally took the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô XIV but who was considered as the 14th zamoto of the Nakamuraza, a theater with more than 250 years of history.

May 1875: revival at the Kawarasakiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kusunoki-ryû Hanami no Makuhari", which was entitled "Hanamidoki Yui no Makuhari"; Nakazô played the role of the yumishi Tôshirô [more details].

October 1875: premiere at the Nakamuraza and the Shinboriza of Takeshiba Kinsaku I's drama "Minori no Aki Seishô Denki"; Nakazô played the role of Katagiri Miki-no-Kami [more details].

31 December 1876: a fire broke out in Edo in Asakusa, which destroyed the Nakamuraza.

Spring 1877: tour in Kôfu (Mitsuiza) and Nagoya (Tachibanaza) in the company of the stars Ichikawa Danjûrô IX and Iwai Hanshirô VIII.

June 1878: premiere at the Shintomiza of the 2-part dance-drama "Botan-ni Chô Ôgi no Irodori". The second part, "Suehiro no Shiroharigasa", has survived and became the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Genroku Hanami Odori"; Nakazô performed in this dance [more details].

October 1878: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Nakazô played the roles of Naniwaya Sôemon and Ômu no Ryûzô (later the priest Ryûzen) [casting].

February 1879: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Ningen Banji Kane no Yo no Naka"; Nakazô played the role of Henmi Seizaemon [casting].

16 July 1879: Nakazô took part in the gala night at the Shintomiza in the honor of the General Ulysses S. Grant [more details].

January 1883: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Medeshi Yanagi Midori no Matsumae"; Nakazô played the role of Ôkubo Hikozaemon [casting].

June 1886: Nakazô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Nakamuraza. Then, he definitively retired.

24 December 1886: Nakazô died.

Comments:

Nakamura Nakazô III was an outstanding supporting actor, excelling in katakiyaku and fukeyaku roles. He was also an excellent dancer. He transmitted his amazing knowledge of Kabuki to the rising stars Onoe Kikugorô V and Ichikawa Danjûrô IX. His most notable role was Kômori Yasu in Segawa Jokô III's drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi".

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

[2] The 17th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 5th year of the Kaei era was the 7th of March 1852 in the western calendar.

Nakamura Nakazô III playing the role of Naosuke Gonbê in the drama "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan", which was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1872 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Toyohara Kunichika - the actor in the medallion was Nakamura Shikan IV in the role of Tamiya Iemon)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1865

Print made by Shôsai Ginkô in 1874

The Nakamura Tsuruzô line of actors

The Nakamura Nakazô line of actors