NAKAMURA KANZABURÔ VI

29th day of the 11th lunar month of 1703: an earthquake hits Edo and the resulting fires destroy the city. Kanzaburô's theater is burnt to ashes in this catastrophe which is later on nicknamed "Genroku Jishin Kaji" ("Genroku Earthquake and Fire"). Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the first time.

14th day of the 1st lunar month of 1706: a fire breaks out in the district of Kanda Renjaku-chô, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the second time.

20th day of the 11th lunar month of 1706: a fire breaks out in the district of Izumi-chô, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the third time.

8th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1707: a fire breaks out in the district of Kodenma-chô, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the fourth time.

18th day of the 12th lunar month of 1710: a fire breaks out in the somptuous palace of the daimyô Sanada, located in the district of Kanda Koyanagi-chô, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the fifth time.

23rd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1712: a fire breaks out in the district of Horie-chô, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the sixth time.

22nd day of the 12th lunar month of 1713: a fire breaks out in the district of Shitaya Byôbusaka, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the seventh time.

11th day of the 1st lunar month of 1716: a fire breaks out in the district of Shitaya Ike-no-Hata, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the eighth time.

22nd day of the 1st lunar month of 1717: a fire breaks out in the district of Koishikawa, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the ninth time.

11th lunar month of 1717: Kanzaburô produces at the Nakamuraza the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Hônen Mitsugimono".

13th day of the 1st lunar month of 1720: a fire breaks out in the district of Sakai-chô; the Nakamuraza is half-burnt. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the tenth time.

10th day of the 12th lunar month of 1721: a fire breaks out in the district of Kanda Tominaga-chô, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the eleventh time.

27th day of the 11th lunar month of 1726: a fire breaks out in the shibai jaya Maruya, located in the district of Fukiya-chô, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the twelfth time.

1st lunar month of 1728: he temporarily takes the name of Saruwaka Kanzaburô for a few weeks. Then, he takes back the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô VI.

7~9th day of the 8th lunar month of 1742: a violent typhoon hits Edo, causing floods in the city; the Nakamuraza has to stop its performances for a while.

February (end of month) 1746: a fire breaks out in the district of Tsukiji, in the mansion of Tsubouchi Gonzaemon, which burns down the Nakamuraza. Kanzaburô has to rebuild his theater for the thirteenth time.

8th lunar month of 1750: Kanzaburô decides to give his name to his elder son and to retire; Nakamura Kanzaburô VI and his son Nakamura Akashi III respectively take the names of Nakamura Kankurô II and Nakamura Kanzaburô VII. Kankurô is no more the official head of the Nakamuraza but he unofficially keeps on working as a zamoto up to 1751.

1751: He occasionally holds the name of Nakamura Denkurô but he is not acknowledged as a official member of the line.

Fall 1751: he definitively retires, shaving his head and taking the priest name of Raku.

Comments:

Nakamura Kanzaburô VI was one of the most dynamic zamoto in the history of the Nakamuraza. He managed his theater for 50 years wihtout going bankrupt. As an actor, his career was very short because he stopped acting a few years after receiving the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô and the title of zamoto, appearing on stage only for kôjô.

Nakamura Denkurô I (top/left), Nakamura Kanzaburô VI (top/right) and Nakamura Seigorô I (bottom/right) in a kôjô for the kaomise drama "Shinshun Niwatori Taiheiki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1703 at the Nakamuraza

The Nakamura Kanzaburô line of actors and theater managers