ÔTANI TOMOEMON VI

Stage names:

Ôtani Tomoemon VI In Japanese
Nakamura Tôzô V In Japanese
Nakamura Komasuke II In Japanese
Nakamura Omocha I In Japanese
Nakamura Gan [1] In Japanese
Nakamura Kanbê In Japanese

Real name: Aoki Yaetarô

Guilds: Akashiya, Narikomaya

Line number: ROKUDAIME (VI)

Poetry names: Shidô, Togyoku

Existence: June 1886 ~ 10 September 1943

Connections:

Father: Nakamura Sagisuke II

Master: Nakamura Utaemon V

Brother: Nakamura Fukunojô

Son: Nakamura Jakuemon IV

Grandsons: Ôtani Tomoemon VIII, Nakamura Jakuemon V

Great-grandsons: Ôtani Hirotarô III, Ôtani Hiromatsu II

Disciples: Ôtani Monjirô, Ôtani Hirozô, Ôtani Tomokichi, Ôtani Tomosaburô

Career:

1886: born in Tôkyô in the district of Asakusa.

September 1893: he appeared on stage for the first time, as a disciple of Nakamura Fukusuke IV, performing at the Asakusaza under the name of Nakamura Kanbê.

June 1898: he took the name of Nakamura Gan [1] at the Shintomiza.

February 1899: he took the name of Nakamura Omocha I at the Asakusaza.

June 1902: he took the name of Nakamura Komasuke II at the Ichimuraza, performing in the drama "Toyotomi Tenka Bunroku Monogatari".

November 1911: Nakamura Komasuke II took the name of Nakamura Tôzô V at the Kabukiza, performing in the drama "Kamakura Bukan".

September 1914: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Furukawa Shinsui's drama "Ansei Kibun Tsukuda no Yoarashi"; Tôzô played the roles of Jôshûya Gohê and Bôji no Heigorô [more details].

April 1920: Nakamura Tôzô V took the prestigious name of Ôtani Tomoemon VI at the Ichimuraza, which was unused for almost half a century. He performed in "Egara no Heita", "Chôkagata Meika no Shimadai" and "Soga Moyô Tateshi no Goshozome".

September 1921: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Yamamoto Yûzô's drama "Sakazaki Dewa-no-Kami"; Tomoemon played the roles of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Sakazaki kashin Miyake Sôbê [more details].

February 1922: Tomoemon played at the Ichimuraza the role of Matsuômaru in the "Terakoya" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô VI (Genzô), Sawamura Sônosuke I (Chiyo) and Ichikawa Kigan V (Tonami).

February 1923: premiere with a Kabuki casting at the Ichimuraza of Suzuki Senzaburô's ninjômono drama "Jirokichi Zange"; Tomoemon played the role of the kashihon'ya Naokichi [more details].

April 1926: Tomoemon played at the Hongôza the roles of Moronô and Sadakurô in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

October 1927: revival at the Hongôza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", produced under the title "Kiyomizudera Azuma Bunshô", which has not been staged since 3rd lunar month of 1817; Tomoemon played the roles of Tsurigane no Gonsuke and Shinobu no Sôta [casting].

March 1928: premiere at the Hongôza of Oka Onitarô's drama "Nemuru-ga-Rakuda Monogatari"; Tomoemon played the role of the yanushi Sahê [casting].

August 1928: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kimura Kinka's drama "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige", a Kabuki drama based on Jippensha Ikku's picaresque comic novel "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige"; the roles of Yajirobê and Kitahachi were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Tomoemon.

November 1928: Tomoemon played at the Hongôza (Tôkyô) the roles of Yuranosuke, Kô no Moronô and Oribe Yajibei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Sumizô VI (Hayano Kanpei), Sawamura Tosshi VIII (Teraoka Heiemon) and Bandô Shûchô III (En'ya Hangan, Okaru).

August/September 1929: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kimura Kinka's drama "Kiso Kaidô Hizakurige", a sequel to "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige" set on the Nakasendô [2], not on the Tôkaidô; the roles of Yajirobê and Kitahachi were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Tomoemon.

December 1929: Tomoemon played at the Shinjuku Shinkabukiza (Tôkyô) the roles of Yuranosuke, Kô no Moronô, Sadakurô and Oribe Yajibei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Sumizô VI (Hayano Kanpei, Teraoka Heiemon) and Bandô Shûchô III (En'ya Hangan, Okaru).

August 1930: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kimura Kinka's drama "Kyûshû Dôchû Hizakurige", a sequel to "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige" set in Kyûshû, not on the Tôkaidô; the roles of Yajirobê and Kitahachi were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Tomoemon.

April 1932: premiere at the Kabukiza of Mayama Seika's ninjômono drama "Edoe Ryôgoku Hakkei" (commonly called "Arakawa no Sakichi"); Tomoemon played the role of the daiku Tatsugorô [casting].

August 1932: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kimura Kinka's drama "Ôshû Hizakurige", a sequel to "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige" set in Ôshû, not on the Tôkaidô; the roles of Yajirobê and Kitahachi were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Tomoemon.

September 1932: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kimura Kinka's drama "Zoku Ôshû Hizakurige", a sequel to "Ôshû Hizakurige", which was also a sequel to "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige" set in Ôshû, not on the Tôkaidô; the roles of Yajirobê and Kitahachi were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Tomoemon.

August 1933: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kimura Kinka's drama "Konpira Dôchû Hizakurige", a sequel to "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige" set on the road to the Konpira Shrine, not on the Tôkaidô; the roles of Yajirobê and Kitahachi were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Tomoemon.

October 1933: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Yoshida Genjirô's drama "Nijô-jô no Kiyomasa"; Tomoemon played the role of Honda Masanobu [more details].

August 1934: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kimura Kinka's drama "Izumo Dôchû Hizakurige", a sequel to "Tôkaidôchû Hizakurige" set on the road to Izumo Taisha, not on the Tôkaidô; the roles of Yajirobê and Kitahachi were played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Tomoemon.

March 1935: premiere at the Kabukiza of the danmari "Otowa-ga-Dake Danmari"; Tomoemon played the role of Mitsumine Nuinosuke [more details].

September 1935: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Kôdan Yomiya no Ame"; Tomoemon played the role of Torafugu no Tajû [more details].

April 1936: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Uwanari", which belonged to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Tomoemon played the role of Tairyô Haruyo [more details].

April 1937: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Fudô", which belonged to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Tomoemon played the role of Hayakumo Daijin [more details].

May 1938: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Mayama Seika's drama "Katsu Awa no Chichi"; Tomoemon played the role of Matsuzaka Shônosuke [more details].

10 September 1943: he died while on tour, victim of a terrible earthquake that hit the province of Tottori Prefecture. He was trapped in the gakuya of a local theater, which was burned down by a fire.

Comments:

Ôtani Tomoemon VI was a talented and popular supporting tachiyaku, specialized in katakiyaku and oyajigata roles. He was a stage partner for the stars Onoe Kikugorô VI and Ichikawa Ennosuke II.

[1] Gan or Kan.

[2] The Nakasendô was commonly called Kiso Kaidô.

Ôtani Tomoemon VI in the role of Kan Shôjô in a print made by Natori Shunsen (1927)

Prints & Illustrations

The Nakamura Tôzô line of actors

The Ôtani Tomoemon line of actors

 
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