Stage names:

Mikuni Fujigorô
Nakamura Shirogorô IV
Nakamura Namizô
Nakamura Tominosuke
Nakamura Masutarô
Nakamura Matsubê II
Nakamura Masutarô
Yamashita Masutarô

Poetry name: Kidô

Existence: ???

Connection:

Masters: Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Yamashita Kinsaku I

Brother: Nakamura Shirogorô V

Career:

11th lunar month of 1749: he started his career in Kamigata as a disciple of Yamashita Kinsaku I, who gave him the name of Yamashita Masutarô.

2nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1750 ^[1]: his first master Yamashita Kinsaku I died.

11th lunar month of 1753: he became disciple of Nakamura Kiyosaburô I and received the name of Nakamura Masutarô.

11th lunar month of 1757: he took the name of Nakamura Matsubê II.

Fall 1758: Matsubê went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1758: Matsubê performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Kaomise Sajikigadake". He got on well with Nakamura Tomijûrô I, who was a member of the troupe performing at the Ichimuraza.

Summer 1759: Matsubê went back to Kamigata with Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

1761: he took back the name of Nakamura Masutarô.

11th lunar month of 1761: he became disciple of Nakamura Tomijûrô I, received the name of Nakamura Tominosuke and played in Kyôto at Kameya Kumenojô's theater the role of the keisei Kotoura in Amano Kyûshichi's kaomise drama "Mineiri Futaba Genji", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I.

1st lunar month of 1762: Tominosuke's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was one black stroke above jô-(shiro)jô [visual].

11th lunar month of 1765: Nakamura Tominosuke took the name of Nakamura Namizô in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai, performing in the kaomise drama "Takara-Kita-Yama Kogane no Ishizue".

20th day of the 9th lunar month of 1766 ^[2]: Nakamura Kiyosaburô I's disciple Nakamura Shirogorô III died.

Fall 1769: Namizô went to Edo with Yamashita Kinsaku II.

11th lunar month of 1769: Nakamura Namizô took the name of Nakamura Shirogorô IV at the Moritaza, performing as a katakiyaku in the kaomise drama "Na ni Takashi Kumoi no Yumihari", which welcomed in Edo the actors Yamashita Kinsaku II and Kasaya Matakurô II (who also celebrated his shûmei).

11th lunar month of 1771: his brother Nakamura Shinshirô took the name of Nakamura Shirogorô V in Ôsaka. The two brothers held the same stage name up to the 10th lunar month of 1772.

11th lunar month of 1772: Nakamura Shirogorô IV took the name of Mikuni Fujigorô at the Moritaza, performing in the kaomise drama "Izu Goyomi Shibai no Ganjitsu", which also celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Chôjûrô IV and Sawamura Kijûrô II.

1st lunar month of 1773: Fujigorô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

18th day of the 6th lunar month of 1777 ^[3]: his second master Nakamura Kiyosaburô I died.

4th lunar month of 1783: first Kabuki adaptation of Yô Yôdai's puppet theater drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie". The play was staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Fujigorô played the role of Iwafuji [casting].

7th lunar month of 1784: Fujigorô played at the Moritaza the roles of Washizuka Kandayû and Edohei in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna".

Fall 1784: Fujigorô went to Ôsaka with Matsumoto Kôshirô IV and Iwai Hanshirô IV.

11th lunar month of 1784: Fujigorô performed at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Naka ni Môketa Otogo Kaomise", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô II. This was most his last recorded-performance in ôshibai..

1st lunar month of 1785: Fujigorô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. No record afterwards.

3rd day of the 8th lunar month of 1786 ^[1]: his third master Nakamura Tomijûrô I died.

Comments:

Mikuni Fujigorô was born in Kamigata and trained as an onnagata actor but he switched to katakiyaku in the 1770s when he settled in Edo. His best ranking in Edo was only two white strokes above jô-jô. He did not become a top-ranking katakiyaku but it was worthy to note that he was the first Kabuki actor to perform the prestigious role of the evil Iwafuji in "Kagamiyama".

[1] The 2nd day of the 7th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kan'en era was the 3rd of August 1750 in the western calendar.

[2] The 20th of the 9th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Meiwa era was the 23rd of October 1766 in the western calendar.

[3] The 18th day of the 6th lunar month of the 6th year of the An'ei era was the 22nd of July 1777 in the western calendar.

[4] The 3rd day of the 8th lunar month of the 6th year of the Tenmei era was the 26th of August 1786 in the western calendar.

Mikuni Fujigorô (left/standing) and Nakamura Noshio I (right/bottom) in a print made by Torii Kiyohide in 1772

The Nakamura Shirogorô line of actors