NAKAMURA SHICHISABURÔ

FIVE GENERATIONS

Nakamura Shichisaburô I

The actor Nakamura Shichisaburô I held this name from his youth to the 2nd lunar month of 1708.

Nakamura Shichisaburô I playing the role of Tomoenojô in the drama "Keisei Asama-ga-Dake" in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

Nakamura Shichisaburô II

The actor Nakamura Shôchô held the name of Nakamura Shichisaburô II from the 11th lunar month of 1710 to the 10th lunar month of 1770.

The actors Nakamura Shichisaburô II (right) and Nakamura Tomijûrô I (left) playing the roles of Sukeroku and the courtesan Agemaki in the play "Imosedori Meisho no Yûgure", which was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1753 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Torii Kiyohiro)

Nakamura Shichisaburô III

The actor Nakamura Kanzaburô IX held the name of Nakamura Shichisaburô III from the 11th lunar month of 1770 to the 12th lunar month of 1777.

Nakamura Shichisaburô III performing in Nakamura Jûsuke II's new year drama "Haru ha Soga Akebono Zôshi", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1772 at the Nakamuraza

Nakamura Shichisaburô IV
Nakamura Shichisaburô IV

Date of birth unknown. He was the son of Nakamura Shichiji, grandson of Nakamura Shichisaburô II and younger brother of Nakamura Kanzaburô IX. He took the name of Nakamura Shichisaburô IV in the 11th lunar month of 1785, performing at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Yuki Motsu Take Furisode Genji". He became wakaonnagata in 1794 and tachiyaku in 1807. Often ill, he had to retire in 1820 and became a backstage manager at the Nakamuraza. He made his final stage appearance in the 4th lunar month of 1832 for the shûmei of Nakamura Kanzaburô XII. He was the father of the playwright Nakamura Jûsuke IV. He could have died in Edo in the 6th lunar month of 1851^[1].

Haimyô	Yagô
Shôchô	Nakamuraya, Amazuya^[2]

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada I in 1819

Nakamura Shichisaburô IV playing the role of the sendô Kashiwaya no Tetsu in the new year drama "Hatsudayori Kuruwa no Tamazusa", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1813 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

Nakamura Shichisaburô V
Nakamura Shichisaburô V

| Nakamura Sengyoku

| Nakamura Rokô^[3]

Born the 28th of August 1879 in Nihonbashi Yoshi-chô, one of the 6th hanamachi in Tôkyô. His father was the 3-generation master of the Yoshi-chô ryôtei Hyakuseki. Disciple of Nakamura Ganjirô I, his first stage name was Nakamura Rokô^[3]. He took the name of Nakamura Sengyoku in April 1918. He became nadai in 1920 and took the name of Nakamura Shichisaburô V in February 1920. In his latter years, he was a supporting tachiyaku actor in the troupe led by Nakamura Kichiemon I. He appeared on stage for the last time in July 1948 at the Mitsukoshi Gekijô, where he played the role of Itô Kihê in Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan". He died the 29th of July 1948. He was the brother of the painter Yasuda Yukihiko.

Honmyô	Haimyô	Yagô
Yasuda Naojirô	Shôchô	Nakamuraya

Nakamura Shichisaburô V (bottom/left) and Onoe Kikugorô VI (standing/right) playing the roles of Hiranuma Kazue and Tokugawa Ieyasu in the drama "Kiyomasa Seichûroku", which was staged in March 1920 at the Imperial Theater

Notes

[1] Date of death unknown in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten". According to the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database, he died the 9th day of the 6th lunar month of the 4th year of the Kaei era, which was the 7th of July 1851 in the western calendar. In the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran", he was recorded as dying the 29th day of the 6th lunar month of the 4th year of the Kaei era, which was the 27th of July 1851 in the western calendar.

[2] Nakamura Shichisaburô IV's guild was Amazuya in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran". It was Nakamuraya in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten".

[3] This name was not reported in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten". It was reported in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran" and in the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database.