NAKAMURA AKASHI
   
FIVE GENERATIONS
Nakamura Akashi I
 

The actor and zamoto Nakamura Kanzaburô II held the name of Nakamura Akashi I from the 5th lunar month of 1657 to the 7th lunar month of 1658.

Nakamura Akashi II
Nakamura Rengan  In Japanese | Nakamura Seizaburô I  In Japanese | Nakamura Akashi Seizaburô  In Japanese | Nakamura Akashi II  In Japanese
 

Date of birth unknown. He was the son of Nakamura Kanzaburô II, who gave him the name of Nakamura Akashi II. He became a playwright in the beginning of the 1690s, using the names of Nakamura Akashi Seizaburô or Nakamura Seizaburô I. One of his most notable dramas was "Neko no Koneko", commonly called "Onna Narukami", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1696 at the Nakamuraza, starring Ichikawa Danjûrô I and Ogino Sawanojô. He worked on more than 10 dramas. He took the name of Nakamura Rengan to retire and died in Edo the 17th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1743 [1]. He had two sons, Nakamura Shichisaburô II (Nakamura Shôchô) and Nakamura Seizaburô II.

Nakamura Akashi Seizaburô in an ilustration from the book "Kokon Shibai Irokurabe Hyakunin Isshu" (1st lunar month of 1693)

Nakamura Akashi III
 

The zamoto Nakamura Kanzaburô VII held the name of Nakamura Akashi III from his birth in 1717 to the 7th lunar month of 1750.

The name of Nakamura Akashi III in a 1720 Edo hyôbanki (within the red shape); all the names were the zamoto at the Nakamuraza, Ichimuraza and Moritaza

Nakamura Akashi IV
 

The actor and zamoto Nakamura Kanzaburô XII held the name of Nakamura Akashi IV from his birth in 1800 to the 10th lunar month of 1814.

Nakamura Akashi IV playing the role of Kotarô in the "Terakoya" scene of the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which was staged in the 8th lunar month of 1808 at the Nakamuraza

Nakamura Akashi V
Nakamura Akashi V  In Japanese
 

Born the 9th of April 1873 in Tôkyô. Son of Nakamura Kanzaburô XIII, he received the name of Nakamura Akashi V. He became the zamoto of the Saruwakaza in June 1882, renting the Shintomiza to produce the dramas "Kawanakajima Azuma Nishikie", "Kiri Kogata Kyô no Benisome" and the dance "Mochizuki". He quickly gave up the management of the family theater and became the producer in February 1883 at the Kotobukiza of a female troupe. He left the theater world in 1884 and tried to become a painter. He failed and was back in the Kabuki world in 1889, performing the dance "Saruwaka" in Ueno (Tôkyô) in duo with Nakamura Kangorô XII. They performed it one more time in September 1900 at the Meijiza. Akashi became nadai in March 1907. He financed the erection of a commemorative stone dedicated to his father in April 1909 by performing the dance "Saruwaka" at the Meijiza. Later on, he spent some time in Ôsaka, performing in the troupe led by Nakamura Ganjirô I. He made his final stage appearance in January 1919, at the Imperial Theater, where he performed in the dance "Saruwaka". He died in Tôkyô in 1940.

Haimyô Yagô
Kakudô Maizuruya

Nakamura Akashi V (left) and Nakamura Kangorô XII (right) on the stage of the Meijiza in 1900

 

Notes

[1] The 17th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kanpô era was the 12th of March 1743 in the western calendar.

 
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