Pen names:

Kema Nanboku
Tsuruya Nanboku VI
Kema Nanboku

Real name: Kema Teiji

Existence: 31 July 1880 ~ 14 May 1957

Connection:

Masters: Fukuchi Ôchi, Murakami Namiroku, Tsubuchi Shôyô

Disciple: Hasegawa Kôen

Career:

31 July 1880: born in the city of Sakai with a family of sake makers.

April 1905: he received the patronage of Tamura Nariyoshi, he became a disciple of Fukuchi Ôchi and worked at the Kabukiza.

1906: he became the sakusha of the Ôsaka star Kataoka Gatô III.

1909: he became the sakusha of the Ôsaka star Nakamura Ganjirô I.

1913: he briefly took the name of Tsuruya Nanboku VI and held it for a few years during the Taishô era.

November 1914: Nanboku's drama "Jûraku Monogatari" was staged at the Shintomiza, starring Nakamura Kaisha, Nakamura Fukusuke IV, Nakamura Shibajaku IV, Ichikawa Yaozô VII and Ichikawa Danshirô II.

16 October 1934: Kataoka Nizaemon XI died.

1 February 1935: Nakamura Ganjirô I died.

January 1947: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Ikutama Shinjû" was revived at the Ôsaka Kabukiza, using a new script written by Kema Nanboku and entitled "Osaga Kaheiji"; it was staged in a special program commemorating the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) of the passing away of Nakamura Ganjirô I and celebrating the shûmei of Nakamura Ganjirô II [more details].

May 1949: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Shinjû Yoi Gôshin", revised by Nanboku, was staged at the Shinbashi Enbujô with Bandô Jusaburô III and Onoe Baikô VII in the roles of Yaoya Hanbê and Ochiyo.

November 1952: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kema Nanboku's revision of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi" [casting].

14 May 1957: Kema Nanboku died.

Comments:

Kema Nanboku was a Taishô/Shôwa Kamigata sakusha, who worked closely with two stage giants: Kataoka Nizaemon XI and Nakamura Ganjirô I. He worked on more than 100 theater scripts. He also wrote many books like "Sakusha-beya kara" or "Ôsaka no Ganjirô". He was also a famous haiku poet.

A monument dedicated to Kema Nanboku, with one of his most famous haiku carved upon it, and located at the northern eastern corner of the Aiau Bridge in Ôsaka

The Tsuruya Nanboku line of playwrights