Stage names:

Kataoka Nizaemon XIII
Kataoka Gatô IV
Kataoka Chiyonosuke

Real name: Kataoka Chiyonosuke

Guild: Matsushimaya

Line number: JÛSANDAIME (XIII)

Poetry name: Sakoku

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

Existence: 15 December 1903 ~ 26 March 1994

Connections:

Adoptive father: Kataoka Nizaemon XI

Sons: Kataoka Gatô V, Kataoka Hidetarô II, Kataoka Nizaemon XV

Grandsons: Kataoka Shinnosuke, Kataoka Takatarô

Great-grandson: Kataoka Sennosuke

Disciples: Kataoka Matsunosuke IV, Kataoka Matsunojô I, Kataoka Tôjûrô III, Kataoka Hideju, Kataoka Shôen II, Kataoka Senzô, Kataoka Tôshô, Kataoka Matsuya, Kataoka Senkichirô, Kataoka Gayû II (?)

Career:

December 1903: born in Tôkyô. He was the third son of Yasuda Zenzaburô, the owner of the Yasuda Zaibatsu. He was adopted by the actor Kataoka Gatô III.

December 1906: he made his first stage appearance, in Kyôto at the Minamiza where he performed under the name of Kataoka Chiyonosuke (his honmyô).

1913: Chiyonosuke became a member of the troupe Kataoka Shônen Geki, led by his adoptive father Kataoka Nizaemon XI and performing in Tôkyô at the Tôkyôza.

April 1929: Kataoka Chiyonosuke took the name of Kataoka Gatô IV at the Kabukiza, where he played the role of Denbê in the drama "Chikagoro Kawara no Tatehiki".

1932: Gatô became the leader of a troupe of young actors, including Nakamura Kôtarô III, Nakamura Moshio IV, Bandô Shûka III, Ichikawa Shôen and Bandô Minosuke VI.

16 October 1934: his adoptive father Kataoka Nizaemon XI died.

April 1939: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Fushimi Shumokumachi", the fourth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Gatô played the role of Fuwa Kazuemon [casting].

Summer 1939: Gatô settled in Ôsaka.

January 1945: Gatô played at the Nakaza the role of Jihizô in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô"; the role of Yokozô was played by Jitsukawa Enjaku II.

January 1946: first post-WWII performances; Gatô played at the Minamiza the roles of Zenigata Heiji, Benten Kozô Kikunosuke, Chichibu no Shôji Shigetada and Sakaida Kakiemon in "Zenigata Heiji Torimono Hikae", "Benten Kozô", "Akoya" and "Meikô Kakiemon".

16 March 1946: Kataoka Nizaemon XII died in Tôkyô.

March 1951: Kataoka Gatô IV took the name of Kataoka Nizaemon XIII at the Ôsaka Kabukiza, playing the roles of Kamiya Jihê, Hoshikage Doemon, Yanagisawa Yasuaki and Kameya Chûbê (and his father Magoemon) in "Shigure no Kotatsu", "Gosho no Gorozô", "Akô Gishi Shinpan" and "Ninokuchi-mura" [more details].

May 1951: Kataoka Nizaemon XIII celebrated his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza, playing the roles of Yamazaki Yogorô, the sarumawashi Yojirô, Ôtaka Gengo, the furuteya Hachirobê and Hoshikage Doemon in "Sumôba", "Horikawa", "Tsuchiya Chikara", "Unagidani" and "Gosho no Gorozô".

July 1951: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Jiisan Baasan"; Nizaemon played the role of Minobe Iori [casting].

September 1951: Kataoka Nizaemon XIII celebrated his shûmei in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Matsudaira Chôshichirô, the farmer Yoemon (in reality Kinugawa Tanizô) and the hair-dresser Sanni no goroshichi (in fact Asaka Yoichirô) in "Umagiri", "Kasane" and "Ichôzuru Fumi no Fûjime".

October 1951: Kataoka Nizaemon XIII celebrated his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza, playing the roles of Yamazaki Yogorô, the sarumawashi Yojirô, the furuteya Hachirobê, Koganosuke and Hoshikage Doemon in "Sumôba", "Horikawa", "Unagidani", "Yoshinogawa" and "Gosho no Gorozô".

April 1954: revival (the 1st since the end of WW2) at the Nakaza of Katsu Genzô III's drama "Ogasawara Sôdô"; Nizaemon played the roles of Okada Ryôsuke and Ogasawara Tôtômi-no-Kami [casting].

January 1955: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Naniwa no Ashi"; Nizaemon played the role of Saemon [casting].

July 1956: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of the dance-drama "Uma Nusubito"; Nizaemon played the role of Rokubei [casting].

March 1958: Nizaemon took part in the final Kabuki performances at the Ôsaka Kabukiza [more details].

January 1964: revival at the Nissay Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's spectacular drama "Kin no Zai Sarushima Dairi"; Nizaemon played the role of Tawara no Tôta Hidesato [casting].

November 1966: opening ceremony of the National Theatre in Tôkyô with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; Nizaemon played the roles of Takebe Genzô and Terukuni [casting].

April 1967: revival at the National Theatre of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Yari no Gonza Kasane Katabira"; Nizaemon played the role of Iwaki Chûtabei [casting].

March 1972: Nizaemon received the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhô in Japanese).

April 1976: the National Theatre produces the revival in 5 acts and 9 scenes of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Nizaemon played the roles of Hayakawa Takakage and Daibutsumochi Sôemon [casting].

April 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Nishizawa Ippô's drama "Keisei Hama no Masago"; Nizaemon played the roles of Taikô Hisayoshi and Kishida Minbu (in reality Shihôten Tajima-no-Kami) [casting].

1991: a great 8-hours long documentary dedicated to Nizaemon and called "Kabuki Yakusha: Kataoka Nizaemon" was directed by Haneda Sumiko.

December 1993: Nizaemon appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Minamiza, where he played the role of Satô Masakiyo in the "Kosui Gozabune" act of the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô".

26 March 1994: Nizaemon died.

Comments:

Kataoka Nizaemon XIII was a tachiyaku and a wagotoshi of the Shôwa era. His career was one of the longest in Kabuki history (87 years from 1906 to 1993!) and in his latter years, though he almost lost his eyesight, he was still on top of the bill in difficult roles.

Kataoka Nizaemon XIII's best roles were Kameya Chûbê ("Fûin Giri"), Magoemon ("Ninokuchi-mura"), Kan Shôjô ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami") Sôroku (Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi), Shigetada (Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki), Fujiya Izaemon ("Kuruwa Bunshô") and Takechi Mitsuhide ("Ehon Taikôki").

Kataoka Nizaemon XIII playing the role of Momonoi Wakasanosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura" (print made by Natori Shunsen in 1953)

The Kataoka Gatô line of actors

The Kataoka Nizaemon line of actors