Nakamura Kichiemon I

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]

In this Japanese name, the surname is Nakamura.
Nakamura Kichiemon I
Nakamura Kichiemon I wearing the Grand Order of Culture(1951)
Born
Tatsujirō Namino (波野辰次郎)[lower-alpha 1]

(1886-03-24)March 24, 1886
Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
DiedSeptember 8, 1954(1954-09-08) (aged 68)
OccupationKabuki actor
Parent
  • Nakamura Karoku III (father)
RelativesNakamura Kichiemon II (grandson)

Biography

Kichiemon 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

In 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
  • Nakamura Kichiemon I Takebe Genzō, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, March 1943.
    Nakamura Kichiemon I Takebe Genzō, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, March 1943.
  • Nakamura Kichiemon I as Matsuō-maru, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, July 1951.
    Nakamura Kichiemon I as Matsuō-maru, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, July 1951.

See also

Notes
  1. 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).
  1. Scott, Adolphe C. (1999). The Kabuki Theatre of Japan, p. 184., p. 184, at Google Books
  2. Leiter, Samuel. (2002). A Kabuki Reader: History and Performance, p. 367, p. 367, at Google Books
  3. Leiter, Samuel. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre, p. 260., p. 260, at Google Books
  4. 母方の祖父 (maternal grandfather) Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Scott, p. 159., p. 159, at Google Books
  6. Japan Arts Council, 中村 Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
  7. WorldCat Identities: 中村吉右衛門 1886-1954.

References
  • 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
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