NAKAMURA FUKUSUKE

TWELVE GENERATIONS

Important: From the third to the fifth generations, the line was divided into 2 parallel branches, one related to the Narikomaya guild (the Nakamura Utaemon line of actors) and the other to the Takasagoya guild (Nakamura Baigyoku line of actors)

Nakamura Fukusuke I

The founder of the line Nakamura Shikan IV held the name of Nakamura Fukusuke I from the 3rd lunar month of 1839 to the 6th lunar month of 1860.

Nakamura Fukusuke I playing the role of Igami no Gonta in the drama "Sushiya" in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III in 1859

Nakamura Fukusuke II
Nakamura Fukusuke II

| Nakamura Masajirô I

Born in 1839. He was the fourth son of Nakamura Tomishirô and started his career as a disciple of his eldest brother Nakamura Fukusuke I, who gave him the name of Nakamura Masajirô I. He took the name of Nakamura Fukusuke II in the 8th lunar month of 1861 at the Moritaza, playing the roles of Izutsu Onnanosuke and Umezu Kamon in the drama "Sakura Sôshi Gonichi no Bundan". He was trained as a wagotoshi and an onnagata actor. He unfortunately died in his prime, the 6th day of the 8th lunar month of 1867^[1].

Haimyô	Yagô
Shidô, Baijaku	Narikomaya, Shinkomaya

Nakamura Fukusuke II playing the role of Issun Tokubê in the drama "Zôho Naniwa Kagami", which was staged in the 5th lunar month of 1865 at the "Moritaza" (print made by Toyohara Kunichika)

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1863

Nakamura Fukusuke III (Narikomaya)
Nakamura Juzô

| Nakamura Jutarô

| Nakamura Jûzô VI

| Nakamura Juzô

| Nakamura Fukusuke III

| Nakamura Masajirô II

| Nakamura Masanosuke II

Born in Ôsaka in 1846. He started his career as a disciple of Nakamura Masajirô I, who gave him the name of Nakamura Masanosuke II. He was trained in hama shibai and went with his master to Edo in Summer 1861. He took the name of Nakamura Masajirô II in 1862. He was adopted by Nakamura Shikan IV in the 2nd lunar month of 1868 and took the name of Nakamura Fukusuke III at the Moritaza, playing 3 roles in the drama "Fûki Jizai Sakigake Soga". Around the same time, in Ôsaka, another actor took the same name of Nakamura Fukusuke III. This unusual situation was validated by the kabuki world and the two Fukusuke lines started to coexist. The Fukusuke in Tôkyô quarreled with his adoptive father and left his clan, taking the name of Nakamura Juzô in the 4th lunar month of 1872 at the Nakamuraza, playing in the drama "Koisomete Shôbu Katabira". Then, he took the name of Nakamura Jûzô VI in October 1873 at the Sawamuraza, playing in the drama "Shôchikubai Yuki no Akebono". He took the name of Nakamura Jutarô in January 1878 at the Harukiza, playing 2 roles in the drama "Matsukazari Otakara Sugoroku". He performed in venues like the Miyakoza or the Nakajimaza. He was disfigured by a burn on his face, took back the name of Nakamura Juzô and became a travelling actor. He was often on sick leave during his latter years and died the 5th of May 1888. He was able to play either wakaonnagata or katakiyaku roles but his main field of excellence were wajitsu roles in sewamono dramas. He suffered many hardships during his life. His yagô were Narikomaya, Kashiwaya and Shinkomaya.

Nakamura Fukusuke III portraying the role of Takigawa Kobunji in the drama "Yayoi Zakura Shiranui Monogatari", which was staged in the 2nd lunar month of 1872 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Toyohara Kunichika)

Prints & Illustrations

Nakamura Fukusuke III (Takasagoya)

The actor Nakamura Baigyoku II held the name of Nakamura Fukusuke III from the 3rd lunar month of 1868 to September 1907.

Nakamura Fukusuke III in a print about the Chiyosaki Bridge in Ôsaka (print made by Nakai Yoshitaki in 1870)

Nakamura Fukusuke IV (Narikomaya)

The actor Nakamura Utaemon V held the name of Nakamura Fukusuke IV from May 1881 to April 1901.

Nakamura Fukusuke IV portraying the role of Tsunokuniya Kozome in the drama "Ansei Mitsugumi Sakazuki", which was staged in January 1893 at the Kabukiza (print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai)

Nakamura Fukusuke IV (Takasagoya)

The actor Nakamura Baigyoku III held the name of Nakamura Fukusuke IV from October 1907 to December 1934.

Nakamura Fukusuke IV playing the role of the courtesan Okon in the drama "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba", which was staged in July 1928 in Kôbe at the Yachiyoza

Nakamura Fukusuke V (Narikomaya)

The actor Nakamura Fukusuke V held this name from April 1916 to August 1933.

Nakamura Fukusuke V playing the role of Heisaku's daughter Oyone in the drama "Numazu", which was staged in September 1930 at the Tôkyô Gekijô

Nakamura Fukusuke V (Takasagoya)

The actor Nakamura Fukusuke V held this name from January 1935 to January 1969.

Nakamura Fukusuke V playing the role of the yakko Sodehei in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari", which was staged in February 1936 at the Meijiza

Nakamura Fukusuke VI

The actor Nakamura Utaemon VI held the name of Nakamura Fukusuke VI from November 1933 to September 1941.

Nakamura Fukusuke VI playing the role of the shirabyôshi Hanako in the famous dance "Musume Dôjôji" in a print made by Hanayama

Nakamura Fukusuke VII

The actor Nakamura Shikan VII held the name of Nakamura Fukusuke VII from October 1941 to March 1967.

Nakamura Fukusuke VII playing the role of Kuramae no Osome in a print made by Natori Shunsen in 1952

Nakamura Fukusuke VIII

The actor Nakamura Baigyoku IV held the name of Nakamura Fukusuke VIII from April 1967 to March 1992.

Nakamura Fukusuke VIII playing the role of the Mountain God in the dance-drama "Momijigari" in a print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in May 1982
Print courtesy of Ted Jagoda

Nakamura Fukusuke IX

The actor Nakamura Fukusuke IX is the current holder of the name since April 1992.

Nakamura Fukusuke IX
Courtesy of DANGO JIRÛ HYPER
This image was part of an amazing 2010 web project, which was entitled Kabuki Bijin Tokei (The Kabuki Beautiful People Clock), a special countdown with original pictures of Kabuki actors, one picture per day up to the closing of the Kabukiza (video on youtube)
Nakamura Fukusuke IX was Number 109 in this countdown (online the 12th of January 2010, 109 days to go before the closing of Tôkyô's most famous theater)

Notes

[1] The 6th day of the 8th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Keiô era was the 3rd of September 1867 in the western calendar.