Stage names:

Kataoka Nizaemon XI
Kataoka Gatô III
Kataoka Hidetarô I

Real name: Kataoka Hidetarô

Guild: Matsushimaya

Line number: JÛICHIDAIME (XI)

Poetry names: Manmaro, Gatô (3)

Blazon: the ideogram for two (2 horizontal bars) in a circle

Existence: 1857 ~ 16 October 1934

Connections:

Grandfather: Nakamura Karoku I

Father: Kataoka Nizaemon VIII

Brothers: Kataoka Tôkichi, Kataoka Shigejirô, Kataoka Nizaemon X

Adopted son: Kataoka Nizaemon XIII

Disciples: Kataoka Chôdayû IV, Kataoka Ainosuke IV, Kataoka Matsunosuke III, Kataoka Tôjûrô II, Kataoka Chiyomaro, Kataoka Tônosuke, Kataoka Tarô, Kataoka Hiderô, Kataoka Chiezô, Kataoka Sakon, Kataoka Saemon II

Career:

1857: born in Edo in the district of Saruwaka-chô. He was the fourth son of Kataoka Nizaemon VIII and his mother was Nakamura Karoku I's daughter.

3rd lunar month of 1860: first stage appearance, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he received the name of Kataoka Hidetarô I.

10th lunar month of 1862: the Kataoka clan went back to Ôsaka.

16th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1863: his father Kataoka Nizaemon VIII died.

1863 ~ 1871: Hidetarô performed in a troupe of children-actors (kodomo shibai).

5th lunar month of 1871: Hidetarô played at the Takeda no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Kameya Chûbê in the drama "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"; the role of the courtesan Umegawa was played by Ôtani Tomoemon V.

1st lunar month of 1872: Hidetarô played at the Tenma no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri was played by Nakamura Umetarô.

February 1876: Hidetarô and his brother Kataoka Gadô III went together to Tôkyô.

March 1876: Kataoka Hidetarô I took the name of Kataoka Gatô III at the Nakamuraza.

23 May 1880: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Arimatsuzome Sumô Yukata"; Gatô played the roles of Okana, Asama Chikugo-no-Kami, Mizuki Mondonosuke and Takao's son Sôzaburô [more details].

February 1889: the Kataoka brothers went back to Ôsaka after 13 years spent in Tôkyô.

November 1890: Gatô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Matsudaira Chôshichirô in the drama "Umagiri".

April 1892: Gatô played at the Naniwaza (Ôsaka) the role of Shigetada in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Akoya and Iwanaga were played by Ichikawa Yonezô IV and Nakamura Jusaburô III.

November 1893: the puppet drama "Kamiko Jitate Ryômen Kagami" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naniwaza; Gatô played the roles of Yorozuya Sukeemon and the bantô Gonpachi [casting].

May 1894: Gatô played at the Minamiza the role of Hachirobê in the drama "Unagidani".

January 1895: Gatô played at the Kado Gekijô the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Otoku was played by Arashi Kitsusaburô IV. At the same time, his brother Kataoka Gadô III took the name of Kataoka Nizaemon X at the Bentenza (Ôsaka); Gatô refused to take part in his shûmei. The new Nizaemon sank into raving madness.

16 April 1895: his brother Kataoka Nizaemon X died.

November 1896: Gatô played at the Naniwaza (Ôsaka) the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri was played by Nakamura Ganjirô I.

February 1897: Gatô went to Tôkyô and played at the Harukiza 4 roles in the drama "Shinrei Sugawara Jikki".

February/March 1904: successful premiere at the Tôkyôza of Tsubouchi Shôyô's drama "Kiri Hitoha"; Gatô played the role of Katagiri Katsumoto [more details].

December 1906: premiere at the Minamiza of Takayasu Gekkô's drama "Sakura Shigure"; Gatô played the roles of Haiya Shôyû and Shôyû's son Saburôbê [casting].

January 1907: Kataoka Gatô III took the name of Kataoka Nizaemon XI at the Kadoza.

June 1907: Nizaemon played at the Kadoza the role of Gappô in the drama "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji"; his stage partners were Nakamura Shibajaku IV (Tamate Gozen) and Arashi Kichisaburô VI (Takayasu Shuntokumaru).

June 1908: Nizaemon played at the Kadoza the roles of Igami no Gonta and Tadanobu in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

February 1909: Nizaemon played at the Meijiza the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri was played by his disciple Kataoka Saemon II.

November 1912: premiere at the Kabukiza of Enomoto Torahiko's drama "Meikô Kakiemon"; The role of Kakiemon, a kind of Japanese Bernard Palissy, was played by Nizaemon.

March 1913: Nizaemon played at the Ôsaka Kabukiza the roles of En'ya Hangan, Sadakurô, Teraoka Heiemon and Oishi in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

November 1922: Nizaemon played at the Imperial Theater the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri was played by Onoe Baikô VI.

October 1934: Nizaemon appeared on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka for a special program announcing the coming shûmei of his nephew Kataoka Roen V. He took part in the kôjô for 2 days but suddenly fell ill and he died the 16th of October 1934.

Comments:

Kataoka Nizaemon XI was a very popular and outstanding actor, who achieved a fame for himself in both his native Kamigata and in Tôkyô. He was able to play a wide range of roles, as a tachiyaku or a katakiyaku or even an onnagata, in jidaimono as well as sewamono, in classics as well as Shinkabuki. Wagotoshi and jitsugotoshi roles were his forte. In Ôsaka, he and Nakamura Ganjirô I surpassed themselves for the title of best wagotoshi. In Tôkyô, his main stage partners were Ichimura Uzaemon XV and Nakamura Utaemon V. This threesome was nicknamed San'emon ("The Three Emon") and their performances were extremely successful.

Kataoka Nizaemon XI gathered 12 of his best roles in a special collection called Kataoka Jûnishû: Matsudaira Chôshichirô ("Umagiri"), Ishida-no-Tsubone ("Hade Kurabe Ishikawa-zome"), Hachirobê ("Unagidani"), Matahei ("Keisei Hangonkô"), Seigen ("Seigen Anshitsu"), Daimonjiya Sukeemon ("Kamiko Jitate Ryômen Kagami"), Ichijô Ôkura Naganari ("Ichijô Ôkura Monogatari"), Akagaki Genzô ("Kanadehon Suzuri no Takashima") , Kan Shôjô ("Tenpaizan"), Yojirô ("Chikagoro Kawara no Tatehiki"), Waki Kiyomaru ("Kawara no Wakare") and Kimura Shigenari ("Keppan Tori"). His others best roles were Matsuômaru ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"), Kameya Chûbê ("Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"), Kakiemon ("Meikô Kakiemon"), Katagiri Katsumoto ("Kiri Hitoha") or Heisaku ("Numazu").

Kataoka Nizaemon XI in a print made by Yamamura Kôka in 1916

Print made by Hasegawa Sadanobu in 1905

Print made by Yamamura Toyonari in 1920

The Kataoka Hidetarô line of actors

The Kataoka Gatô line of actors

The Kataoka Nizaemon line of actors