Nakamura Kanzaburo

Japanese: 中村勘三郎 - なかむらかんざぶろう

Headmaster of the Nakamuraza Kabuki theater in Edo and a Kabuki actor.

First World

(1598-1658) was born in Kyoto and started out as a Noh kyogen actor, but switched to Kabuki and excelled in the role of Saruwaka (a clown role in early Kabuki), and is said to have taken the name Saruwaka Kanzaburo. He went down to Edo, and in February 1624 (Kan'ei 1), he built a tower in Nakahashi Nanchi and called it Saruwaka-za (later to become Nakamura-za) (Nakamura-za later moved to Negi-cho, Sakai-cho, and Saruwaka-cho 1-chome). This was the first Kabuki theater in Edo. It was the oldest of the three Edo theaters (Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za, and Morita-za), and continued to exist as a theater with a long history, so its founder, the first Kanzaburo, was regarded as a hero and left behind many legends. One such legend is that when the Edo shogunate's official ship, the Atake Maru, entered Edo Port in 1632 (Kan'ei 9), it was awarded a golden steed and was rewarded for standing at the bow and leading the singing of lumberjacks.

[Yukio Hattori]

II

(1647-1674) Son of the first generation. In 1657 (Meireki 3), he went to Tokyo with his father and performed "Shinbochi Taiko" at the Imperial Palace, where he was given the name "Akashi" by the Emperor. He was a young man and excelled in Shosagoto (traditional Japanese folk dance).

[Yukio Hattori]

3rd to 16th generation

From the 3rd to the 13th, all of the Nakamura-za leaders served as the head of the Nakamura-za. Among them, the 4th (later the 1st Nakamura Denkuro), the 8th (2nd Denkuro), the 11th (3rd Denkuro), and the 12th (5th Denkuro) also served as actors (see the Nakamura Denkuro entry). The 13th Kanzaburo (1828-1895), who suffered from poor business performance and heavy debts from the end of the Edo period, handed over the headship of the troupe to his sister's husband, the 3rd Nakamura Nakazo, in 1875 (Meiji 8), and the name of Nakamura Kanzaburo, head of the Nakamura-za, which boasted the oldest history in Edo Kabuki, came to an end. Although none of the 14th generation (the 3rd Nakamura Nakazo), the 15th generation (the 5th Nakamura Akashi), and the 16th generation (the 5th Akashi's daughter Katsuko) took the name Nakamura Kanzaburo, they are counted in the genealogy of their respective generations.

[Yukio Hattori]

17th

(1909-1988) His real name was Namino Seiji. His stage name was Nakamuraya. He was the third son of Nakamura Karoku III. He was the younger brother of Nakamura Kichiemon I and Nakamura Tokizo III. He briefly joined the Toho Theater Company. In January 1950, he took the stage name Kanzaburo 17 from Nakamura Shiho 4. He admired the performing style of Onoe Kikugoro 6, and was known for his wide range of roles and rich expressiveness. He showed an unrivaled unique artistic level, especially in Edo-style domestic dramas. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy in 1970, a holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1975, and was awarded the Order of Culture in 1980.

[Yukio Hattori]

18th

(1955-2012) His real name was Noriaki Hanno. His stage name was Nakamuraya. He was the eldest son of the 17th generation. In March 2005, he took the stage name of the 18th generation Kanzaburo from the 5th generation Nakamura Kankuro. He was active in a wide range of fields, including television and contemporary dramas, and also gave energetic performances overseas. His eldest son was the 2nd generation Nakamura Kantarō (1981-), and his second son was the 2nd generation Nakamura Shichinosuke (1983-).

[Yukio Hattori]

"Nakamura Kanzaburo, Autobiography: An Actor After All" (1976, Bungeishunju)" ▽ "Watanabe Tamotsu, Nakamura Kanzaburo (1989, Kodansha)" ▽ "Seki Yoko, Nakamura Kanzaburo Backstage Stories" (Bunshun Bunko)

[Reference item] | Denkuro Nakamura

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

江戸の歌舞伎(かぶき)劇場中村座の座元、歌舞伎俳優。

初世

（1598―1658）京都の出身で、初め能の狂言師だったが、歌舞伎に転じて猿若(さるわか)（初期歌舞伎における道化役）の役を得意にし、猿若勘三郎と名のったと伝える。江戸に下り、1624年（寛永1）2月、中橋南地(なかはしなんち)に櫓(やぐら)をあげ、これを猿若座（のちに中村座となる）と称した（中村座はのちに弥宜(ねぎ)町、堺(さかい)町、猿若町一丁目へ移転した）。これが、江戸における歌舞伎劇場の最初である。いわゆる江戸三座（中村座・市村座・森田座）のなかでもっとも創設が古く、由緒のある劇場とされて続いたため、その始祖である初世勘三郎は英雄視され、数々の伝説を残した。1632年（寛永9）幕府の御用船安宅丸(あたけまる)が江戸港に入った際、金(きん)の麾(ざい)を拝領して、船先に立ち木遣(きやり)の音頭をとって賞されたという伝説はその一つである。

［服部幸雄］

2世

（1647―1674）初世の子。1657年（明暦3）父とともに上京し、禁裏で『新発意太鼓(しんぼちたいこ)』を演じて、帝(みかど)から「明石(あかし)」の名を賜ったと伝える。若衆(わかしゅ)方で、所作事(しょさごと)を得意にした。

［服部幸雄］

3世～16世

3世以後13世までの各代は、いずれも中村座の座元を勤めた。そのうち、4世（後の初世中村伝九郎(でんくろう)）、8世（2世伝九郎）、11世（3世伝九郎）、12世（5世伝九郎）は俳優を兼ねた（「中村伝九郎」の項参照）。幕末からの経営不振と多額の借財に苦しんだ13世勘三郎（1828―1895）が、1875年（明治8）に妹婿の3世中村仲蔵(なかぞう)に座元を譲ったため、江戸歌舞伎最古の由緒を誇った中村座座元中村勘三郎の名義は断絶した。14世（3世中村仲蔵）、15世（5世中村明石）、16世（5世明石の子勝子）は、いずれも中村勘三郎を名のったわけではないが、系譜上、それぞれの代に数えている。

［服部幸雄］

17世

（1909―1988）本名波野聖司(なみのせいじ)。屋号中村屋。3世中村歌六(かろく)の三男。初世中村吉右衛門(きちえもん)、3世中村時蔵の弟。一時「東宝劇団」に入る。1950年（昭和25）1月、4世中村もしほから17世勘三郎を襲名した。6世尾上(おのえ)菊五郎の芸風を慕い、幅広い役柄をこなし、その豊かな表現力には定評があり、とくに江戸風の世話物に他の追随を許さぬ独自の芸境をみせた。1970年日本芸術院会員、1975年重要無形文化財保持者、1980年に文化勲章を受章。

［服部幸雄］

18世

（1955―2012）本名波野哲明(のりあき)。屋号中村屋。17世の長男。2005年（平成17）3月、5世中村勘九郎から18世勘三郎を襲名した。テレビや現代劇などに幅広く活躍したほか、海外公演も精力的に行った。長男は2世中村勘太郎（1981―　）、次男は2世中村七之助(しちのすけ)（1983―　）である。

［服部幸雄］

『中村勘三郎著『自伝・やっぱり役者』（1976・文芸春秋）』▽『渡辺保著『中村勘三郎』（1989・講談社）』▽『関容子著『中村勘三郎楽屋ばなし』（文春文庫）』

[参照項目] | 中村伝九郎

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