Kanze Sakon

A shite actor in Noh and the 24th head of the Kanze school. The eldest son of Kanze Motoyoshi (Katayama Kurosaburo), the third son of the 22nd head Kiyotaka. Born in Kyoto. Childhood name Kiyohisa. Adopted by his uncle, the 23rd head Kanze Kiyokado, he succeeded the head of the school in 1911 (Meiji 44). Later he took the name Motoshige, and in 1927 (Showa 2) he took the name Sakon. With his elegant style of performance and insightful political skills, he greatly advanced the Kanze school. He also served as a professor at the Tokyo Music School, and is the author of "Nohgaku Zuisou (Issue on Noh)". The 25th head of the Kanze school, Motomasa (1930-1990), was adopted by Sakon and the son of Fujita Hitoshi, Sakon's uncle. He had a graceful style of performance. He died suddenly after performing "Kinuta". Motomasa's eldest son, Kiyokazu (1959- ), is his successor. He is a representative performer of the Heisei era. Kanze Motoaki (1937-1993), who had a free-spirited style of performance, was Sakon's biological son. Katayama Hiromichi (1907-1963), the previous head of the Katayama family, who led the Kyoto Kanze school, was Sakon's younger brother, and Inoue Yachiyo, the 4th generation Kyomai performer, was his wife. His children include Katayama Hirotaro (member of the Japan Art Academy, 1930- ), Keijiro (1933- ), and Sugiura Gensaburo (1934-2014). Sakon is a nickname for the head of the Kanze family, and ten members of the family have taken the name, from the 7th to the 11th, 15th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, and 24th generations.

[Masuda Shozo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

能のシテ方、観世流24世宗家。22世宗家清孝(きよたか)の三男観世元義(もとよし)（片山九郎三郎）の長男。京都生まれ。幼名清久。伯父の23世観世清廉(きよかど)の養子に入り、1911年（明治44）宗家を継ぐ。のち元滋(もとしげ)と名のり、1927年（昭和2）左近を襲名。華麗な芸風と見識ある政治的手腕をもって、観世流をさらに大きく進展させた。東京音楽学校の教授も務め、著書に『能楽随想』がある。宗家25世元正(もとまさ)（1930―1990）は左近の養子で、左近の叔父の子藤田等の息。端麗な芸風。『砧(きぬた)』を舞った後に急死。元正の長男の清和(きよかず)（1959―　）はその後継者。平成を代表する演者。闊達(かったつ)な芸風の観世元昭(もとあき)（1937―1993）は左近の実子。京都観世流の統率者片山家の先代片山博通(ひろみち)（1907―1963）は左近の弟で、京舞の4世井上八千代はその妻。子に片山博太郎（芸術院会員、1930―　）、慶次郎（1933―　）、杉浦元三郎（1934―2014）がいる。なお、左近は観世宗家の通り名で、7世から11世、15、18、20、22、24世の10人が名のっている。

［増田正造］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例