Stage name:

Nakamura Shichinosuke II

Real name: Namino Takayuki

Guild: Nakamuraya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Birthday: 18 May 1983

Connections:

Great-great-great-great-grandfathers: Onoe Kikugorô III, Ichimura Uzaemon XI

Great-great-great-grandfather: Ichimura Takenojô V

Great-great-grandfathers: Onoe Kikugorô V, Nakamura Karoku I, Nakamura Utaemon V

Great-grandfathers: Onoe Kikugorô VI, Nakamura Karoku III, Nakamura Fukusuke V

Grandfathers: Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII, Nakamura Shikan VII

Father: Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII

Brother: Nakamura Kankurô VI

Career:

September 1986: he made his first appearance on stage (omemie), in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza.

January 1987: he received the name of Nakamura Shichinosuke II at the Kabukiza, playing the role of the youngest Momotarô in the drama "Kadonde Futari Momotarô" ^[1] ('The Two Momotarô' - his eldest brother Nakamura Kantarô II played the role of the eldest Momotarô).

August 1990: revival at the Kabukiza of the kaidanmono "Kaidan Chibusa no Enoki"; Shichinosuke played the role of Oseki's boy Mayotarô [casting]

June 1991: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Sakuragawa"; Shichinosuke played the role of Sakura [casting].

1 January 2001: Shichinosuke, his father and his brother performed in the dance "Renjishi" at the break of New Year in Naruto, east of Tôkyô, on a temporary stage built on the shore of the Kujukuri Beach.

June 2001: 4th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Sannin Kichisa"; Shichinosuke played the role of Jûzaburô [more details].

2003: Shichinosuke played the role of Emperor Meiji in Edward Zwick's movie "The Last Samurai".

June 2003: 5th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; Shichinosuke played the role of the courtesan Kotoura [more details].

July 2004: Fifth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza, staged abroad for the first time; Nakamura Kankurô and his troupe, which included Nakamura Hashinosuke, Nakamura Senjaku, Bandô Yajûrô, Kataoka Kamezô and Shichinosuke, perform in Boston (8~10 July, Cutler Majestic Theatre), New York City (17~25 July, Lincoln Center) and Washington DC (28 July, Warner Theater). In Boston and Washington, the troupe presents the dances "Bô Shibari" and "Renjishi". In New York, an Edo 545-seat traditional theater was built within the Lincoln Center and the troupe presents the great Kamigata drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" [more details].

30 january 2005: Police arrested Shichinosuke on the spot for punching a police officer in Tôkyô's Bunkyô Ward after a taxi driver complained that the young actor did not pay for his ride (it looked like a cheap tachimawari!). We had to go back to 1871 to find the previous arrest of a Kabuki actor by the police (the involvement of Ichikawa Gonjûrô in a murder).

March 2005: as a punishment for the January face-punching event, Shichinosuke was not allowed to take part in his father's great shûmei.

June 2005: 6th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki (the first one without Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII) with the production of "Sakura Hime"; Shichinosuke played the role of Awazu Shichirô [more details].

March~April 2006: 7th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production (in two different programs) of "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan"; Shichinosuke played the roles of Oume or Osode [more details].

June 2007: 8th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Sannin Kichisa"; Shichinosuke played the role of Otose [more details].

July 2007: second Heisei Nakamuraza tour in the USA, in New York (Lincoln Center, 16~22 July) and Washington (Warner Theatre, 26 July); Shichinosuke played in New York the roles of the Lion cub and Princess Nowake in "Renjishi" and "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage". He also played in Washington the roles of Suruga Jirô and Tarôkaja in "Kanjinchô" and "Migawari Zazen" [more details].

May~June 2008: first Heisei Nakamuraza tour in Europe, in Berlin at the The House of World Cultures (Germany) from the 14th to the 21st of May 2008 and in Sibiu (Rumania) from the 29th of May to the 1st of June 2008 for the International Theatre Festival; Shichinosuke played the role of the keisei Kotoura in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" [casting].

June 2008: 9th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; Shichinosuke played the roles of Tokubê's wife Otatsu and the keisei Kotoura [more details].

July 2009: 10th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details].

September 2009: Heisei Nakamuraza in Nagoya [more details].

February 2010: revival at the Kabukiza of the Nagauta-based dance "Tsumeô", which was staged to commemorate the 22nd anniversary (23rd memorial service) of late Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII; Shichinosuke played the role of the falcon Fubuki [casting].

June 2010: 11th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details].

July 2010: Heisei Nakamuraza in Matsumoto [more details].

5 December 2012: his father Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII died.

February 2014: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kokoro no Nazo Toketa Iroito"; Shichinosuke played the roles of Hantoki Kurobê's wife Otoki and Ofusa's sister Ofusa [more details].

June 2014: 14th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details].

July 2014: third Heisei Nakamuraza performances in New York City, from the 7th to the 12th of July at the Rose Theater (in the Lincoln Center); Shichinosuke performed in the summer kaidanmono "Kaidan Chibusa no Enoki" [more details].

October 2014: the October Grand Kabuki at the Kabukiza commemorated the 26th anniversary (27th memorial service) and the 2nd anniversary (3rd memorial service) of late Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII and late Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII [more details].

June 2016: 15th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details].

February 2017: the Saruwaka Festival February Grand Kabuki was staged at the Kabukiza to celebrate the 390th anniversary of Edo Kabuki ^[2]. Nakamura Kankurô VI's two sons Nakamura Kantarô III and Nakamura Chôzaburô II made their debut on stage (hatsubutai) [more details].

May 2018: 16th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki (without his brother Nakamura Kankurô VI) [more details].

November 2019: Heisei Nakamuraza in Kitakyûshû [more details].

October 2022: Heisei Nakamuraza in Tôkyô in Asakusa [more details].

November 2022: Heisei Nakamuraza in Tôkyô in Asakusa [more details].

May 2023: Heisei Nakamuraza in Himeji [more details].

November 2023: Heisei Nakamuraza in Kitakyûshû [more details].

February 2024: the Saruwaka Festival February Grand Kabuki was staged at the Kabukiza to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Saruwakaza Theatre (later, the Nakamuraza) by Saruwaka (Nakamura) Kanzaburô I ^[3] [more details].

March 2024: Heisei Nakamuraza in Nagoya [more details].

Comments:

Nakamura Shichinosuke II was a young and popular star, excelling in onnagata roles.

Official website: Nakamuraya

[1] It also celebrated the 360th anniversary of Edo Kabuki. Saruwaka Kanzaburô received a license from the authorities to open a theater in Edo the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 10th year of the Genna era, which was the 2nd of April 1624 in the western calendar. In 1627, the Saruwaka no Mai, the Saruwaka Dance, was staged for the first time in Edo.

[2] The family theater was authorized in Edo in 1624 but the Saruwaka no Mai, the Saruwaka Dance, was premiered in 1627.

[3] Saruwaka Kanzaburô received a license from the authorities to open a theater in Edo the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 10th year of the Genna era, which was the 2nd of April 1624 in the western calendar.

The mon of Nakamura Shichinosuke II (the ginkgo tree)

The Nakamura Shichinosuke line of actors