NAKAMURA KANZABURÔ XII

1800 ~ 1808: born in Edo. Younger son of Nakamura Kanzaburô XI, he makes his first stage appearance at an unknown date and receives the name of Nakamura Akashi IV.

8th lunar month of 1808: Akashi plays the role of Kotarô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which is staged at the Nakamuraza [illustration].

6th lunar month of 1808: Akashi plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Shigeichi in the drama "Genpei Nunobiki no Taki".

9th lunar month of 1812: the actor Nakamura Utaemon III, who is about to travel back to his native Kamigata after more than 4 years spent in Edo, performs his onagori kyôgen at the Nakamuraza, which includes the premiere of a sanbasô entitled "Mata Kuru Haru Suzuna no Tanemaki". The roles of Sanbasô, Senzai and Okina were performed by Nakamura Utaemon III, Akashi and Nakamura Shichisaburô IV.

11th lunar month of 1814: Nakamura Akashi IV takes the name of Nakamura Denkurô V at the Nakamuraza, appearing in the kaomise drama "Ninin Muko Mikurai Sadame", which celebrates the shûmei of Onoe Baikô III, Onoe Matsusuke III, Segawa Tomisaburô III and Segawa Michinosuke II and welcomes in Edo the actor Nakamura Daikichi I.

1st lunar month of 1815: Denkurô achieves a great success at the Nakamuraza by playing the role of Kobayashi no Asahina in the drama "Date Moyô Soga no Hinagata"; This role is closely associated to the great actor Nakamura Denkurô I.

1st lunar month of 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Okuni-iri Soga Nakamura"; Denkurô plays the roles of Kobayashi no Asahina and Sukehachi [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1829: Denkurô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Kamei Rokurô in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". The 21st of March, a a fire breaks out from the shop of Owariya Tokuemon, in the district of Kanda Sakuma-chô. It spreads and destroys the Edo theaters district. The Nakamuraza is burnt to ashes.

7th lunar month of 1829: the Nakamura clan temporarily settles its theater in the precinct of the Hanazono shrine in the district of Shinjuku.

4th day of the 8th lunar month of 1829: his father Nakamura Kanzaburô XI dies. Denkurô most likely takes the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô XII and becomes the new official zamoto of the Nakamuraza in the 8th lunar month of 1829 but he keeps on performing under the name of Nakamura Denkurô V up to the 8th lunar month of 1830.

11th lunar month of 1829: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kin no Zai Sarushima Dairi"; Denkurô plays the role of Iyo no Tarô [more details].

6th lunar month of 1830: Kanzaburô appears on stage as an actor for the last time, playing 4 roles in the drama "Minami ni Kuriki no Mushibôshi", which is staged in his theater.

23rd day of the 12th lunar month of 1830^[1]: a fire breaks out in the district of Nihonbashi Kodenma-chô. It spreads and destroys the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

7th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1834^[2]: a fire breaks out in the district of Kanda Sakuma-chô. It spreads and destroys the Nakamuraza.

6th day of the 10th lunar month of 1841^[3]: a fire breaks out from the backstages of the Nakamuraza in the district of Kanda Sakai-chô. It spreads and destroys the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

20th day of the 10th lunar month of 1841^[4]: the Edo authorities forbid the reconstruction of the destroyed theaters in Sakai-chô.

19th day of the 12th lunar month of 1841^[5]: the Nakamuraza, Ichimuraza and Kawarasakiza are ordered to move to the remote district of Asakusa Saruwaka-chô.

7th lunar month of 1842: the construction of the new Nakamuraza is completed.

10th lunar month of 1842: opening ceremony for the new Nakamuraza; Kanzaburô produces the drama "Kinryûzan Chikai no Ishizue" with the actors Iwai Tojaku, Sawamura Tosshô II, Arashi Kichisaburô III, Onoe Eizaburô III, Bandô Hikosaburô IV, Osagawa Tsuneyo IV, Arashi Izaburô II and Ichikawa Danzaburô V.

1843: Kanzaburô is condemned by the Edo Authorities for falsification of documents related to the number of shibai jaya in his theater. As a punishment, he is handcuffed at home and his theater is temporarily closed (no kaomise in the 11th lunar month).

3rd lunar month of 1844: end of punishment for Kanzaburô, who has to pay a heavy fine in order to get his handcuffs removed. He produces the drama "Sugata no Hana Yayoi no Kagamiyama", which celebrates the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô VII, Matsumoto Kôshirô VI and Ichikawa Komazô VII.

4th lunar month of 1850: Nakamura Kanzaburô XII gives his name to his son Nakamura Denzô III (who becomes Nakamura Kanzaburô XIII) and retires, taking the name of Nakamura Kankurô III.

11th day of the 10th lunar month of 1851^[6]: Kankurô dies in Edo.

Comments:

Nakamura Kanzaburô XII was the last great zamoto of the Nakamuraza. He succeeded in keeping the family business up and running for 20 seasons, in spite of the heavy burden of the theater debts, several fires that burnt his theater to ashes or the anti-theater regulations of the Edo authorities.

[1] The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the 1st year of the Tenpô era was the 5th of February 1831 in the western calendar.

[2] The 7th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 5th year of the Tenpô era was the 16th of March 1834 in the western calendar.

[3] The 6th day of the 10th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 18th of November 1841 in the western calendar.

[4] The 20th day of the 10th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 2nd of December 1841 in the western calendar.

[5] The 19th day of the 12th lunar month of the 12th year of the Tenpô era was the 30th of January 1842 in the western calendar.

[6] The 11th day of the 10th of the 4th year of the Kaei era was the 4th of November 1851 in the western calendar.

Nakamura Denkurô V in the backstage of the Nakamuraza in the 1st lunar month of 1816 (print made by Utagawa Kunisada I)

The Nakamura Denkurô line of actors and theater managers

The Nakamura Kanzaburô line of actors and theater managers

The Nakamura Kankurô line of actors and theater managers