Nakamura Kichiemon I (初代中村吉右衛門, Shodai Nakamura Kichiemon, March 24, 1886 – September 8, 1954) was a Japanese actor and kabuki performer. In 1945, he became the senior living kabuki actor in Japan.[1]
Nakamura Kichiemon I | |
---|---|
Born | Tatsujirō Namino (波野辰次郎)[a] March 24, 1886 |
Died | September 8, 1954 | (aged 68)
Occupation | Kabuki actor |
Father | Nakamura Karoku III |
Relatives | Nakamura Karoku I (grandfather) Nakamura Tokizō III (younger brother) Nakamura Kanzaburō XVII (younger brother) Masako Fujima (daughter) Matsumoto Hakuō I (son-in-law) Matsumoto Hakuō II (grandson) Nakamura Kichiemon II (grandson/adoptive son) Matsumoto Koshirō X (great-grandson)[b] Kio Matsumoto (great-granddaughter)[c] Takako Matsu (great-granddaughter)[d] Yoko Namino (great-granddaughter)[e] Ichikawa Somegorō VIII (great-great-grandson)[f] Mio Matsuda (great-great-granddaughter)[g] Onoe Ushinosuke VII (great-great-grandson)[h] |
Biography
editKichiemon construed his career in terms of "lifelong study" (gei) of that which cannot be seen in an actor's performance.[2]
Nakamura Kichiemon is a formal kabuki stage name. The actor first appeared using the name in 1897; and he continued to use this name until his death.[3]
He was the maternal grandfather of Nakamura Kichiemon II.[4] In the conservative Kabuki world, stage names are passed from father to son in formal system which converts the kabuki stage name into a mark of accomplishment.[5] In choosing to be known by the same stage name as his grandfather, the living kabuki performer honors his family relationships and tradition.
In a long career, he acted in many kabuki plays, including the role of Matsuō-maru in the July 1951 production of Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami.[6]
Selected works
editIn a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Nakamura Kichiemon I, OCLC/WorldCat encompasses roughly 10+ works in 20+ publications in 2 languages and 80+ library holdings.[7]
- 1946 — "Kabuki geki no susumu beki michi" ("The way kabuki drama must advance"). Tögeki, Tokyo Gekijö program. May 7, 1946
- 1951 — Diary of Kichiemon (吉右衞門自傳, Kichiemon jiden). OCLC 33707206
- 1956 — Kichiemon Diary (吉右衛門日記, Kichiemon nikki) OCLC 033708328
Honors
editGallery
edit-
Nakamura Kichiemon I Takebe Genzō, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, March 1943.
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Nakamura Kichiemon I as Matsuō-maru, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, July 1951.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ While the stage names of all kabuki actors have retained traditional order (Surname-Givenname) on Wikipedia, birth names of those born after the Meiji Restoration are in Western order (Givenname-Surname).
- ^ Son of Matsumoto Hakuō II
- ^ Daughter of Matsumoto Hakuō II
- ^ Daughter of Matsumoto Hakuō II
- ^ Daughter of Nakamura Kichiemon II
- ^ Son of Matsumoto Koshirō X
- ^ Daughter of Matsumoto Koshirō X
- ^ Son of his great-granddaughter Yoko Namino (daughter of Nakamura Kichiemon II) and kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke V (son of famous Kabuki actor Onoe Kikugorō VII)
- ^ a b Scott, Adolphe C. (1999). The Kabuki Theatre of Japan, p. 184., p. 184, at Google Books
- ^ Leiter, Samuel. (2002). A Kabuki Reader: History and Performance, p. 367, p. 367, at Google Books
- ^ Leiter, Samuel. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre, p. 260., p. 260, at Google Books
- ^ a b 母方の祖父 (maternal grandfather) Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Scott, p. 159., p. 159, at Google Books
- ^ Japan Arts Council, 中村 Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ WorldCat Identities: 中村吉右衛門 1886-1954.
References
edit- Leiter, Samuel L. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5527-4; OCLC 238637010
- __________. ( 2002). A Kabuki Reader: History and Performance. ISBN 9780765607041; ISBN 9780765607058; OCLC 182632867
- Scott, Adolphe Clarence. (1955). The Kabuki Theatre of Japan. London: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 622644114
External links
edit- Japan Art Academy (in Japanese)
- Find-A-Grave: Kichiemon Nakamura, Aoyama Cemetery, Tokyo
- Art Institute of Chicago: "Portrait of Nakamura Kichiemon" (1947) by Junichiro Sekino, 1914–1988