Stage names:

Nakamura Jakuemon V
Nakamura Shibajaku VII
Ôtani Hiromatsu I

Real name: Aoki Sadayuki

Guild: Kyôya

Line number: GODAIME (V)

Poetry name: Shito

Birthday: 20 November 1955

Connections:

Great-grandfather: Nakamura Sagisuke II

Grandfathers: Ôtani Tomoemon VI, Matsumoto Kôshirô VII

Father: Nakamura Jakuemon IV

Brother: Ôtani Tomoemon VIII

Career:

February 1961: he made his first appearance on stage at the Kabukiza and receives the name of Ôtani Hiromatsu I.

September 1964: Ôtani Hiromatsu I took the name of Nakamura Shibajaku VII at the Kabukiza, playing in the classic "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

August 1969: Shibajaku played at the National Theatre the role of Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the "Torii Mae" scene of the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which was performed as the first edition of the "Sugi no Ko Kai" show. His stage partners were Nakamura Kankurô (Shizuka Gozen) and Nakamura Mitsuteru (Tadanobu).

February 1977: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Ichimatsu Kozô no Onna"; Shibajaku played the role of Oyuki [more details].

April 1979: historic revival at the Meijiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV long-forgotten play "Haji Momiji Ase no Kaomise" (commonly called "Date no Jûyaku"); Shibajaku played the role of Matsushima [casting].

July 1980: Shibajaku played at the National Theatre the role of Kyô no Kimi in the "Kawagoe Jôshi" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

September 1980: Shibajaku played at the National Theatre the role of Shizuka Gozen in the "Shi-no-Kiri" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

October 1980: Shibajaku played at the Sunshine Theater in Ikebukuro the role of Aoi Gozen in the "Sanemori Monogatari" act of the play "Genpei Nunobiki no Taki".

March 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Shibajaku played the role of the okujochû Kumemura [casting].

January 1983: revival of "Nanatsu Men" at the National Theatre; Shibajaku played the role of Yoritomo's daughter Princess Ô [casting].

July 1984: Shibajaku played at the National Theatre the role of Okaru in the "Gion Ichiriki Jaya" scene of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". His stage partners were Kataoka Takao (Yuranosuke) and Bandô Yasosuke V (Heiemon).

September 1984: Shibajaku plays in Kyôto at the Minamiza the role of Osato in the "Sushiya" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". The role of Yasuke was played by Sawamura Sôjûrô IX.

January 1985: Shibajaku played at the Asakusa Kôkaidô the role of Kozue in the drama "Ishikiri Kajiwara ".

Summer 1985: tour in the USA; Shibajaku played the roles of Katsura-no-Mae, Iozaki and Kochô in "Shibaraku", "Sakurahime Azuma Bunshô" and "Tsuchi-gumo", which celebrate the shûmei in the USA of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII [more details].

January 1986: revival at the National Theatre of the rarely-staged drama "Uwanari", which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Shibajaku played the role of the mekake Wakaba [more details].

June 1987: Shibajaku played at the National Theatre the role of Chidori in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima" (commonly called "Shunkan").

June 1988: Shibajaku played at the National Theatre the role of Otoku in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Domo Mata"; the role of Matahei was played by Bandô Yasosuke V.

September 1988: tour in South Korea.

February 1990: Shibajaku played at the Kabukiza the role of Otose in the drama "Sannin Kichisa".

April 1990: Shibajaku played at the Kanamaruza (Shikoku) the role of Otomi in the "Gen'ya Dana" scene of the drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi"; the role of Yosaburô was played by Onoe Kikugorô.

September 1991: Shibajaku played at the Kabukiza the role of princess Hatsuhana in the play "Tamamo-no-Mae Asahi no Tamoto".

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

December 1998: Shibajaku played at the Kabukiza the role of Shinobu in the "Ageya" scene of the play "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi". The roles of the courtesan Miyagino (Shinobu's elder sister) was played by Sawamura Sôjûrô IX.

January 1999: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono "Irogoyomi Gen'yadana"; Shibajaku played the role of Seikichi's wife Onaka [casting].

February 1999: tour in South-East Asia.

April 1999: Shibajaku played at the National Theatre the role of the courtesan Izayoi in Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kosode Soga Azami no Ironui" (commonly called "Izayoi Seishin"); the role of Seishin was played by Bandô Yasosuke V.

September 1999: Shibajaku and his father Nakamura Jakuemon performed together at the Kabukiza in the beautiful dôjôjimono "Ninin Dôjôji".

February 2000: Shibajaku played at the Kabukiza the role of the courtesan Hakata Kojorô in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Koi Minato Hakata no Hitofushi" (commonly called "Kezori"). His stage partners were the stars Ichikawa Danjûrô (Kezori) and Nakamura Ganjirô (Sôshichi).

April 2000: first edition of the "Shibajaku no Kai", a special dance show starring Shibajaku in solo; he dances "Bungo Dôjôji" and "Hanabusa Shûjaku no Shishi" at the Kioi Hall in Tôkyô.

December 2000: Shibajaku played at the Kabukiza the role of the courtesan Konoito in the drama "Wakaki Uchina Gusa", which was classic of the Kinokuniya guild. The roles of Ranchô and Omiya were played by Sawamura Sôjûrô IX.

February 2001: Ichikawa Shinnosuke and Shibajaku play together in the great Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Michitose Naozamurai", which was staged at the Hakataza in Fukuoka.

March 2001: Shibajaku played at the Shinbashi Enbujô the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Ichimonjiya Osai in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged by the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan to commemorate the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) and the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the deaths of late Onoe Shôroku II and Onoe Baikô VII.

October 2002: outstanding performance of Shibajaku at the National Theatre in the role of the courtesan Otsuma for the revival of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Reigen Kameyama Hoko".

November 2002: Shibajaku plays for the first time the difficult role of Princess Yaegaki in the "Kitsunebi" scene of the classic "Honchô Nijûshikô".

January 2008: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura", which celebrated the 1070th anniversary of the Narita-san Temple, where the Deity Fudô Myôô was worshipped; Shibajaku played the role of Princess Taema [casting].

June 2010: Kabuki tour in Western Europe, in London at the Sadler's Wells (4~15 June) and in Roma at the Teatro di Roma-Argentina (21~22 June); Shibajaku played the role of Shizuka Gozen [more details].

23 February 2012: his father Nakamura Jakuemon IV passed away.

November 2014: the Annual Festive Face-Showing Grand Kabuki at the Kabukiza commemorated the 32nd anniversary (33rd memorial service) of the passing away of Matsumoto Hakuô I. His two sons, Matsumoto Kôshirô and Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon, were the zagashira [more details].

December 2014: "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" was staged as a tôshi kyôgen (5 acts, 6 scenes), including the rarely-staged "Fujikawa Shinseki" and "Okazaki Yamada Kôbê Sumika" acts (they were staged for the last time more than 44 years ago, in September 1970 at the National Theatre), at the National Theatre with Nakamura Kichiemon as zagashira; Shibajaku played the role of Masaemon's wife Otani [more details].

November 2015: revival at the National Theatre of the drama "Shinrei Yaguchi no Watashi" (tôshi kyôgen in 4 acts); Shibajaku played the roles of Yoshioki’s wife Tsukuba Gozen and Tonbê's daughter Ofune [more details|casting].

March 2016: Nakamura Shibajaku VII took the name of Nakamura Jakuemon V at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Princess Toki and Princess Yuki in "Kamakura Sandaiki" and "Kinkakuji" [more details]. These two sanhime roles were atariyaku for both Nakamura Jakuemon III and Nakamura Jakuemon IV.

June 2016: Nakamura Jakuemon V celebrated his shûmei in Fukuoka at the Hakataza, playing the roles of Sagami and Princess Yaegaki in "Kumagai Jin'ya" and "Jusshukô" [more details].

July 2016: Nakamura Jakuemon V celebrated his shûmei in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza, playing the roles of Yûgiri, Otomi and Osome in "Yûgiri Nagori no Shôgatsu", "Kirare Yosa" and "Toribeyama Shinjû" [more details].

September 2016: Nakamura Jakuemon V celebrated his shûmei in the western provinces, playing the role of Okaru in the drama "Gion Ichiriki Jaya"; the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Teraoka Heiemon were played by Matsumoto Kôshirô and Nakamura Baigyoku [more details].

December 2016: Nakamura Jakuemon V celebrated his shûmei in Kyôto at the Pontochô Kaburenjô, playing the roles of Konami, the courtesan Ôgiya Yûgiri and the shirabyôshi Hanako in "Michiyuki Tabiji no Yomeiri", "Yoshidaya" and "Musume Dôjôji"; the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Teraoka Heiemon are played by Matsumoto Kôshirô and Nakamura Baigyoku [more details].

March 2017: "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" was staged as a tôshi kyôgen at the National Theatre. The core of this revival was "Okazaki". The third act, commonly called "Engakuji", which was staged for the last time in February 1931 at the Meijiza, was revived as well; Jakuemon played the role of Masaemon's nyôbô Otani [more details | casting].

April 2017: Nakamura Jakuemon V celebrated his shûmei at the Kanamaruza (Shikoku), playing the roles of Takiyasha and Kuzu-no-Ha in "Masakado" and "Kuzu-no-Ha" [more details].

July 2017: Nakamura Jakuemon V celebrated his shûmei in the central provinces, playing the role of Omiwa in "Mikasayama Goten" [more details].

Comments:

Nakamura Jakuemon V is an outstanding onnagata actor, excelling in the roles of princesses, courtesans and merchant daughters.

Nakamura Jakuemon V's best roles: Shizuka Gozen/Osato ("Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura"), Kaoyo Gozen/Okaru ("Kanadehon Chûshingura"), Princess Taema ("Narukami"), Nishiki-no-Mae ("Kenuki"), Princess Senju ("Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie").

Official Internet website: www.jakuemon.com

The mon of Nakamura Jakuemon V

The Ôtani Hiromatsu line of actors

The Nakamura Shibajaku line of actors

The Nakamura Jakuemon line of actors