Katsura Beicho - Katsura Beicho

Japanese: 桂米朝 - かつらべいちょう

A stage name for a Kamigata Rakugo performer. Katsura Beicho III was born on November 6, 1925 in the former Manchuria (Dalian, China). His real name was Nakagawa Kiyoshi. He is a Living National Treasure. He is highly regarded not only as an intelligent performer who can express the deep and wide world of Rakugo with elegant and rich scene descriptions and skillful words, but also as a researcher and educator. His specialty stories include "Tachigire Senko" and "Hyakunenme." His direct disciples include the late Shijaku, Zakoba, and the late Kikkotomo, and he has about 80 disciples (including deceased persons).
In 1930, he returned to Japan with his family from Manchuria and lived in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. From an early age, he was taken by his father to Osaka's vaudeville theaters, where he became familiar with the arts. In 1943, he entered Daito Bunka Gakuin (now Daito Bunka University) and studied under the late Masaoka Yo, a vaudeville culture researcher. After the war, he worked as an office worker while writing new rakugo stories, and in 1947, he became an apprentice to Katsura Beidanji IV, and took the name Katsura Beicho III. He married in 1958. In 1966, at the age of 40, he held his first solo performance, "Katsura Beicho Spot Show," in Kyoto, and the following year in Tokyo. In 1972, he won the "1st Kamigata Comedy Grand Prize." In 1974, he established the Beicho Office. In 1987, he received the Purple Ribbon Medal, and in 1996, he became the first Kamigata rakugo performer to be recognized as a Living National Treasure. In 2009, he became the first rakugo performer to receive the Order of Culture. In 2010, he became the first living Rakugo performer to be inducted into the Kamigata Engei Hall of Fame. After he turned 80, he was repeatedly admitted to and discharged from hospital due to cerebral infarction and broken bones. He died of pneumonia on March 19, 2015, at the age of 89.
Four years after he became his apprentice, his teacher Katsura Beidanji passed away, and other leading Rakugo performers at the time passed away one after another. Feeling a sense of crisis about the situation that seemed certain to destroy Kamigata Rakugo, he worked hard to revive it together with Katsura Shundanji III, Shofutei Matsukaku VI, and Katsura Bunshi V. He revived forgotten stories based on documents and testimonies from his predecessors, energetically held solo performances, and was passionate about training his disciples.
He left behind a wealth of writings, from easy-to-read introductory books to highly specialized works. "Rakugo and Me" (Bunshun Bunko), which explains in easy-to-read prose the origins of rakugo and its appeal, is renowned as an introductory book to rakugo. He also wrote many books, including "Beichou Yomoyamabanashi" (Asahi Shimbun Publications), "Beichou Stories: Kamigata Rakugo Map" (Kodansha Bunko), and "Kamigata Rakugo Notes" (Seigabou). Records of his performances include "Kamigata Rakugo: Katsura Beichou Collection," all 8 volumes (Chikuma Shobo), and the DVD "Special Selection!! Beichou Rakugo Complete Works," all 30 volumes (Universal Music).

(Rie Matsuoka, Freelance Writer/2015)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

上方落語家の名跡。3代目・桂米朝は、1925年11月6日、旧満州(中国・大連)生まれ。本名は中川清(なかがわきよし)。人間国宝。落語の深く広い世界を品のある豊かな情景描写と巧みな言葉で表現できる知的な演者としてはもちろん、研究者や教育者としての評価も高い。「たちぎれ線香」や「百年目」などを得意の噺(はなし)とした。直弟子に故・枝雀、ざこば、故・吉朝らがおり、門下は約80人(物故者等含む)。
30年に旧満州から一家で帰国、兵庫県姫路市で暮らした。幼い頃から父に連れられ大阪の寄席演芸に親しんだ。43年、大東文化学院(現・大東文化大学)に進学、寄席文化研究家の故・正岡容に師事する。終戦後は会社員として働きながら新作落語を書き、47年に4代目桂米団治に弟子入りし、3代目桂米朝を名乗る。58年に結婚。66年、40歳の時に初の独演会「桂米朝スポットショー」を京都で、翌67年には東京でも開く。72年、「第1回上方お笑い大賞」を受賞。74年に米朝事務所を設立。87年に紫綬褒章を受け、96年には上方落語家で初めて、人間国宝に認定される。2009年には落語家として初めて文化勲章を受賞。10年には存命中の落語家としては初の「上方演芸の殿堂入り」を果たした。80歳を過ぎた頃から脳梗塞(こうそく)や骨折などで入退院を繰り返す。15年3月19日、肺炎のため死去。享年89。
弟子入りから4年後に師である桂米団治が亡くなったほか、当時、一線にいた落語家が相次いで他界。上方落語は滅亡間違いなしといわれる状況に危機感を抱き、3代目桂春団治、6代目笑福亭松鶴、5代目桂文枝と共に、上方落語の復活のために尽力した。文献や先達の証言などをもとに埋もれていた噺を復活させ、精力的に独演会を開いたほか、弟子の育成にも情熱を注いだ。
易しく書かれた入門書から専門性の高いものまで、著作も豊富に残した。落語の成り立ちからその面白さまでを読みやすい文章でつづった『落語と私』(文春文庫)は落語の入門書として名高い。『米朝よもやま噺』(朝日新聞出版)、『米朝ばなし上方落語地図』(講談社文庫)、『上方落語ノート』(青蛙房)他、著書多数。高座を記録したものとしては、『上方落語桂米朝コレクション』全8巻(筑摩書房)、DVD「特選!!米朝落語全集」全30集(ユニバーサルミュージック)などがある。

(松岡理絵　フリーランスライター／2015年)

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