Stage names:

Nakayama Hyakka
Nakayama Bunshichi III
Nakayama Hyôtarô I
Nakayama Tokusaburô

Other name: Hyakumura Hyakka I

Guilds: Bintsukeya, Beniya

Poetry name: Hyakka

Existence: 1764 ~ 15th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1853

Connection:

Master: Nakayama Bunshichi I

Adopted son: Nakayama Hyôtarô II

Disciple: Nakayama Bunshichi IV, Nakayama Bungorô II

Career:

1764: born in Kyôto. He starts his career at an early age by becoming a disciple of Nakayama Bunshichi I.

11th lunar month of 1772: he receives the name of Nakayama Tokusaburô and makes his debut on Kyôto stages as an iroko.

9th lunar month of 1782: his master Nakayama Bunshichi I retires from the Kabuki world.

1st lunar month of 1786: Tokusaburô becomes tachiyaku and plays in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater the role of Wada Shizuma in the drama "Keisei Tonoi Zakura".

Fall 1786: Tokusaburô goes to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1786: Nakayama Tokusaburô takes the name of Nakayama Hyôtarô I at the Naka no Shibai, playing the role of Kanemichi in the kaomise drama "Neko Shakkyô Fûki no Hanabusa".

1st lunar month of 1793: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Yanagi Zakura", the first yanagisawa-sôdômono in Kabuki history, written by Tatsuoka Mansaku and Chikamatsu Tokusô; Hyôtarô plays the roles of the wakadono Uesugi Mishimanosuke [more details].

19th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1798: Nakayama Bunshichi II dies.

Fall 1804: Hyôtarô goes to Edo, with Segawa Rokô III and his adopted son Segawa Kamesaburô.

11th lunar month of 1804: Nakayama Hyôtarô I takes the name of Nakayama Bunshichi III at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Dewa no Gunji Yoshizane in the kaomise drama "Kiku Zumô Mikurai Sadame", which celebrates the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô V and Ichikawa Yaozô IV.

5th ~ 6th lunar months of 1806: tour in Nagoya with Arashi Kichisaburô II, Arashi Sangorô III, Yoshizawa Iroha I, Sawamura Tanosuke II and Nakayama Raisuke IV; they perform at the Tachibana no Shibai.

11th ~ 12th lunar months of 1806: Bunshichi plays in Kyôto at the Kitano no Shibai the role of En'ya Hangan in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles of Yuranosuke and Kô no Moronô are played by Nakayama Shinkurô III and Asao Tomozô I.

7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai of the drama "Kuni Namari Futaba no Oizuru"; Bunshichi plays the role of Kisuke [casting].

11th lunar month of 1808: Bunshichi plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Yosaku and Osan in the kaomise drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna". He also plays the role of Shigetada in "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; his stage partners are Nakayama Tomisaburô I (Akoya) and Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Iwanaga Saemon)

5th lunar month of 1809: Nakayama Bunshichi III takes the name of Nakayama Hyakka at the Naka no Shibai, playing the roles of Jijû Tarô Morikuni and Shibuya Tosa-no-Bô Shôshun in the drama "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi".

11th lunar month of 1809: Hyakka plays at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Keishoku Yuki-miru Yama", which is produced by Mimasu Kumesaburô and stars Yoshizawa Ayame V, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Asao Kuzaemon I, Nakayama Shinkurô III, Nakamura Daikichi I, Kanô Minshi I and Asao Okuyama III.

1st lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Chikamatsu Tokuzô and Namiki Miyosuke ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sato no Funauta"; Hyakka plays the role of Takamaru Kamejirô [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1810: tour in Ise with Kataoka Nizaemon VII and Nakayama Yoshio I; Hyakka plays among others the roles of Jihizô and Minosaku in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô".

22nd day of the 7th lunar month of 1813: his master Nakayama Bunshichi I dies.

11th lunar month of 1814: Nakayama Hyakka takes the name of Nakayama Bunshichi III at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai (Ôsaka), playing the roles of Yasuke, Tadanobu and Yoshitsune in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

1st lunar month of 1827: Bunshichi's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1829: Bunshichi's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is kô-jô-jô-kichi (meritorious - superior - superior - excellent).

1st lunar month of 1836: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nishizawa Ippô's drama "Hana no Ani Tsubomi no Yatsufusa"; Bunshichi plays the role of Satomi Jibudayû Suemoto [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1839: the play "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji" is staged for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Kado no Shibai; Bunshichi plays the role of Gappô's wife Otoku [casting].

1850: Nakayama Bunshichi III takes back the name of Nakayama Hyakka.

11th lunar month of 1851: Hyakka appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai, playing in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", "Akogi-ga-Ura" and "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi". He retires from the Kabuki world and dies in Ôsaka the 15th of the 2nd lunar month of 1853. His tombstone is located in the cemetery of the Manpukuji Temple in the district of Shima-no-Uchi.

Comments:

Nakayama Hyakka was a talented Kamigata tachiyaku actor. He was excellent in wagoto and wajitsu. He specialized in oyajigata roles in his latter years. He perfectly delivered his lines with great vocal projection and had a great stage presence. He was also a good musician and was famous for his amazing longevity.

The actor Nakayama Hyakka playing the role of Naniwa Rokurô in the drama "Hirugaesu Nishiki no Tamoto", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1812 at the Naka no Shibai

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1804

Print made by Shunshosai Hokuchô in 1829

The Nakayama Bunshichi line of actors