NAKAMURA TOMIJÛRÔ V

August 1943: he made his first appearance on stage, in Ôsaka at the Nakaza, where he receiving the name of Bandô Tsurunosuke IV and performed in the dance "Kagami Jishi".

1950: he became the 5th iemoto of the Azuma-ryû School of Buyô, receiving the title from his mother Azuma Tokuho I, who was the 4th iemoto.

July 1951: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Jiisan Baasan"; Tsurunosuke played the role of Iori's son Kyûya [casting].

July 1952: Tsurunosuke played for the first time the main role of the dance "Kyôganoko Musume Dôjôji", which was the most famous performance of the great actor Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

Spetembre 1956: Tsurunosuke and Ôtani Tomoemon VII performed together for the first time in the dance "Ninin Wankyû", which was staged at the Meijiza.

1957: tour in the USA.

April 1963: premiere at the Tôyoko Hall of Noguchi Tatsuji's drama "Togashi"; Tsurunosuke played the role of Togashi Saemon [more details].

January 1964: revival at the Nissay Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's spectacular drama "Kin no Zai Sarushima Dairi"; Tsurunosuke played the role of Kitashirakawa no Anchin (in reality Minamoto no Raikô) [casting].

May 1964: Bandô Tsurunosuke IV took the name of Ichimura Takenojô VI at the Kabukiza, where he performed in the plays "Kanadehon Chûshingura" (ninth act), "Yoritomo no Shi" and "Ninin Wankyû".

April 1965: revival at the Tôyoko Hall of Chikamatsu Tokuzô's drama "Keiseikai Shinanjo" (commonly called "Ninin Yûgiri") [more details]; Takenojô played the role of the Yoshidaya nyôbô Okisa.

April 1968: he resigned from his position of iemoto of the Azuma-ryû School of Buyô. His mother Azuma Tokuho I replaced him as iemoto.

September 1972: Ichimura Takenojô VI took the prestigious name of Nakamura Tomijûrô V at the Kabukiza, where he played the role of Higuchi in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki" (the "Sakaro" act) and the shirabyôshi Hanako in the dance "Kyôganoko Musume Dôjôji".

April 1976: the National Theatre produced the revival in 5 acts and 9 scenes of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Tomijûrô played the role of Segawa Uneme [casting].

August 1980: revival at the National Theatre of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa"; Tomijûrô played the role of Iwai-buro Jisuke [casting].

January 1984: historic revival at the National Theatre of the play "Sankai Nagoya"; Tomijûrô played the role of Ôgimachi Dazainojô [casting].

January 1985: revival at the National Theatre of the drama "Kan U"^[4]; Tomijûrô played the role of Iwanaga Saemon, later Shû Sô [casting].

January 1986: revival at the National Theatre of the rarely-staged drama "Uwanari"^[4]; Tomijûrô played the role of Kôga no Tarô Kanetsura [more details].

1986: tour in the USA.

1987: tour in the USSR.

October 1988: Tomijûrô took part in a Kabuki tour in Egypt; he played the roles of Shunkan and Tarôkaja in the drama "Shunkan" and the dance "Bô Shibari".

March 1989: Tomijûrô played for the first time the role of Dôgen in the drama "Mekura Nagaya Ume-ga-Kagatobi", which was staged at the National Theatre.

March 1991: revival at the National Theatre of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sode Nikki Banshû Meguri"; Tomijûrô played the roles of Innami Naizen, Kosakabe Mondo and Heisaku (in reality the fox Yokurô) [more details].

1994: Tomijûrô received the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhô in Japanese).

1995: Tomijûrô played the role of the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjûrô V in the movie "Sharaku". This film narrated the life of the famous print-maker Tôshûzai Sharaku, who produced all his works between 1794 and the 2nd lunar month of 1795 and disappeared mysteriously, leaving behind him some of the most famous actor prints.

1996: tour in Italy.

1997: tour in France.

December 2000: the National Theatre produced the revival of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Tomioka Koi no Yamabiraki", which has not been staged for 77 years; Tomijûrô played the role of Demura Shinbê.

January 2002: the National Theatre produced the revival of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Koharunagi Okitsu Shiranami", which has not been played in its full length since 11th lunar month of 1864; Tomijûrô played the role of the thief Nippon Daemon [casting].

May 2009: Tomijûrô did his sanju kinen performance (for his coming 80th birthday); It was celebrated at the Kabukiza, not within a regular Kabuki program, but as a short dance program of the association Yaguruma no Kai (yaguruma was the mon of Tomijûrô). The star played the role of Musashibô Benkei in the spectacular dance-drama "Kanjinchô". He also performed with his son Nakamura Takanosuke in the dance "Renjishi".

November 2010: Tomijûrô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Shinbashi Enbujô, where he played the role of Hatakeyama Shigetada in the drama "Sakaro"; Tomijûrô, due to poor health, had to be replaced by Bandô Hikosaburô.

3 January 2011: Tomijûrô died in Tôkyô, victim of a rectal cancer [his floral tribute in Asakusa].

Comments:

Nakamura Tomijûrô V was an amazing actor endowed with one of the most powerful voices in Kabuki. Although he was also the first tachiyaku in a line of onnagata actors, he was able to perform a wide range of roles, from the evil maseur Dôgen in "Kagatobi" to the shirabyôshi Hanako in the dance "Musume Dôjôji".

[1] His yagô when he was named Nakamura Tomijûrô V.

[2] His yagô when he was named Ichimura Takenojô VI.

[3] His yagô when he was named Bandô Tsurunosuke IV.

[4] This drama belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban.

[5] His haimyô when he was Ichimura Takenojô VI.

[6] His haimyô when he was Nakamura Tomijûrô V.

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in 1990

The Bandô Tsurunosuke line of actors

The Ichimura Takenojô line of actors

The Nakamura Tomijûrô line of actors