Stage names:

Nakamura Shikaku II
Nakamura Utanosuke III
Nakamura Yoshimaru II

Real name: Sobue Yoshio

Guild: Shinkomaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Keishû

Existence: 14 April 1900 ~ 3 September 1981

Connections:

Adoptive father: Nakamura Denkurô VI

Master: Nakamura Utaemon V

Career:

14 April 1900: born in Tôkyô.

February 1905: first stage appearance, at the Shintomiza, where he received the name of Nakamura Yoshimaru II and played a kamuro role in the drama "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame".

November 1911: Nakamura Yoshimaru II took the name of Nakamura Utanosuke III at the Kabukiza. This name, which was first used by Nakamura Utaemon I, was given to him by his new master Nakamura Utaemon V, who celebrated his shûmei.

May 1919: Nakamura Shikaku I and his adopted son Nakamura Utanosuke III respectively took the names of Nakamura Denkurô VI and Nakamura Shikaku II at the Kabukiza; the new Shikaku performed in the drama "Tanzen Asaina".

20 July 1923: his adoptive father Nakamura Denkurô VI died.

October 1926: Shikaku played at the Kabukiza the role of Tonase's daughter Konami in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles of Tonase's husband Honzô and Tonase were played by Ichikawa Chûsha VII and Bandô Shûchô III.

September 1930: revival at the Meijiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", produced under the title "Tôryû Azuma Bunshô"; Shikaku played the role of Katsushika no Ojû [casting].

February 1934: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Ôishi Saigo no Ichinichi", the tenth and last play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shikaku played the role of Tominomori Sukeemon [casting].

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Daini no Shisha", the second play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shikaku played the role of Ôishi Chikara [more details].

April 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Saigo no Daihyôjô", the third play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shikaku played the role of Izeki Monzaemon [casting].

November 1938: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Nanbuzaka no Yuki Wakare", the sixth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shikaku played the role of the koshimoto Yosame [casting].

February 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the second act of "Sengoku Yashiki", the ninth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shikaku played the role of Ôishi Chikara [casting].

January 1940: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Ohama Goten Tsunatoyo-kyô", the fifth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Shikaku played the role of Okiyo [casting].

12 September 1940: his master Nakamura Utaemon V died.

March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Shikaku played the role of Kamon's wife Omura [casting].

March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Shikaku played the role of the tsubone Takiyama [more details].

October 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 2nd part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Shikaku played the role of the tsubone Takiyama [more details].

February 1955: second edition at the Kabukiza from the 24th to the 27th of February of the Tsubomikai, a study group led by Nakamura Utaemon VI [more details]. Izumi Kyôka's drama "Tenshu Monogatari" was staged for the first time with Kabuki actors; Shikaku played the role of Shitanaga Uba in "Tenshu Monogatari" [casting].

March 1955: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 3rd (and last) part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Shikaku played the role of tsubone Takiyama and Kuze Yamato-no-Kami [more details].

March 1956: premiere in Kabuki at the Meijiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Ii Tairô"; Shikaku played the role of Minabe Mutsuomi [more details].

July 1956: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Shikaku played the role of the tsubone Sanuki [more details].

November 1959: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which was supervised by Mishima Yukio; Shikaku played the role of Nagaura [casting].

February 1960: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Shiranui Kengyô"; Shikaku played the role of Otsuma [casting].

March 1961: the actors Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII and Shikaku signed exclusive contracts with the Tôhô Company and left the Shôchiku Company.

July 1963: revival at the Yomiuri Hall in Tôkyô of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Shikaku played the roles of Ohama and Omata Sandayû [casting].

1975: Shikaku joined back the Shôchiku Company.

February 1979: revision by Uno Nobuo at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Sakurada Jisuke III's drama "Sanzesô Nishiki Bunshô"; Shikaku played the role of the old woman at the Sanzu river [casting].

February 1981: Shikaku appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, where he played the role of Shitanaga Uba in Izumi Kyôka's drama "Tenshu Monogatari".

3 September 1981: Shikaku died.

Comments:

Nakamura Shikaku II was an important 20th century supporting onnagata actor.

"Active in both Tôkyô and Ôsaka, he was well versed in old onnagata customs and wrote books such as "Kabuki Zuihistu" ("Kabuki Jottings") and "Yakusha no Sekai" ("The Actor's World")." (Samuel Leiter in "New Kabuki Encyclopedia")

Nakamura Shikaku II playing the role of Shizuka Gozen in a print made by Natori Shunsen in 1926

The Nakamura Utanosuke line of actors

The Nakamura Shikaku line of actors