Stage names:
Kataoka Nizaemon XI
Kataoka Gatô III
Kataoka Hidetarô I
Real name: Kataoka Hidetarô
Guild: Matsushimaya
Line number: JÛICHIDAIME (XI)
Poetry names: Manmaro, Gatô (3)
Crest: the ideogram for two (2 horizontal bars) in a circle
Existence: 1857 ~ 16 October 1934
Connections:
Grandfather: Nakamura Karoku I
Father: Kataoka Nizaemon VIII
Brothers: Kataoka Tôkichi I, Kataoka Shigejirô, Kataoka Nizaemon X
Grandsons: Kataoka Nizaemon XV, Kataoka Hidetarô II, Kataoka Gatô V
Great-grandsons: Kataoka Shinnosuke, Kataoka Takatarô
Great-great-grandson: Kataoka Sennosuke
Disciples: Kataoka Chôdayû IV, Kataoka Ainosuke IV, Kataoka Hiderô, Kataoka Tôjûrô II, Kataoka Chiezô, Kataoka Sakon, Kataoka Saemon II, Kataoka Chiyomaro, Kataoka Tônosuke, Kataoka Tarô
Career:
1857: born in Edo in the district of Saruwaka-chô. He is the fourth son of Kataoka Nizaemon VIII and his mother is Nakamura Karoku I's daughter.
March 1860: first stage appearance, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he receives the name of Kataoka Hidetarô I.
October 1862: the Kataoka clan goes back to Ôsaka.
16 February 1863: his father Kataoka Nizaemon VIII dies.
1863 ~ 1871: Hidetarô performs in a troupe of children-actors (kodomo shibai).
May 1871: Hidetarô plays at the Takeda no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Kameya Chûbei in the drama "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"; the role of the courtesan Umegawa is played by Ôtani Tomoemon V.
January 1872: Hidetarô plays at the Tenma no Shibai (Ôsaka) the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri is played by Nakamura Umetarô.
February 1876: Hidetarô and his brother Kataoka Gadô III go together to Tôkyô.
March 1876: Kataoka Hidetarô I takes the name of Kataoka Gatô III at the Nakamuraza.
February 1889: the Kataoka brothers go back to Ôsaka after 13 years spent in Tôkyô.
November 1890: Gatô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Oda Sanshichirô Nobutaka in the drama "Uma Giri".
April 1892: Gatô plays at the Naniwaza (Ôsaka) the role of Shigetada in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Akoya and Iwanaga are played by Ichikawa Yonezô IV and Nakamura Jusaburô III.
November 1893: Gatô at the Naniwaza (Ôsaka) the roles of Sukeemon and Gompachi in the drama "Kamiko Jitate Ryômen Kagami". His stage partners are Sawamura Gennosuke IV (Omatsu) and Ichikawa Ichizô IV (Eizaburô).
May 1894: Gatô plays at the Minamiza the role of Hachirobei in the drama "Unagidani".
January 1895: Gatô plays at the Kado Gekijô the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Otoku is played by Arashi Kitsusaburô IV. At the same time, his brother Kataoka Gadô III takes the name of Kataoka Nizaemon X at the Bentenza (Ôsaka); Gatô refuses to take part in his shûmei and the new Nizaemon sinks into raving madness.
16 April 1895: his brother Kataoka Nizaemon X dies.
November 1896: Gatô plays at the Naniwaza (Ôsaka) the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri is played by Nakamura Ganjirô I.
February 1897: Gatô goes to Tôkyô and plays at the Harukiza 4 roles in the drama "Shinrei Sugawara Jikki".
March 1904: successful premiere at the Tôkyôza of Tsubouchi Shôyô's drama "Kiri Hitoha". The roles of Yodogimi and Katagiri Katsumoto are played by Nakamura Shikan V and Gatô.
December 1906: premiere at the Minamiza of Takayasu Gekkô's drama "Sakura Shigure"; Gatô plays the roles of Haiya Shôyû and Shôyû's son Saburôbei [casting].
January 1907: Kataoka Gatô III takes the name of Kataoka Nizaemon XI at the Kadoza.
June 1907: Nizaemon plays at the Kadoza the role of Gappô in the drama "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji". His stage partners are Nakamura Shibajaku IV (Tamate Gozen) and Arashi Kichisaburô VI (Shuntokumaru).
June 1908: Nizaemon plays at the Kadoza the roles of Igami no Gonta and Tadanobu in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
February 1909: Nizaemon plays at the Meijiza the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri is played by his disciple Kataoka Saemon II.
November 1912: premiere at the Kabukiza of Enomoto Torahiko's drama "Meikô Kakiemon". The role of Kakiemon, a kind of Japanese Bernard Palissy, is played by Nizaemon.
March 1913: Nizaemon plays at the Ôsaka Kabukiza the roles of En'ya Hangan, Sadakurô, Teraoka Heiemon and Oishi in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
November 1922: Nizaemon plays at the Imperial Theater the role of Fujiya Izaemon in the drama "Kuruwa Bunshô"; the role of the courtesan Yûgiri is played by Onoe Baikô VI.
October 1934: Nizaemon appears on stage for the last time, in Ôsaka for a special program announcing the coming shûmei of his nephew Kataoka Roen V. He takes part in the kôjô for 2 days but suddenly falls ill and dies the 16th.
Comments:
Kataoka Nizaemon XI was a very popular and outstanding actor, who achieved a fame for himself in both his native Kamigata and in Tôkyô. He was able to play a wide range of roles, as a tachiyaku or a katakiyaku or even an onnagata, in jidaimono as well as sewamono, in classics as well as Shinkabuki. Wagotoshi and jitsugotoshi roles were his forte. In Ôsaka, he and Nakamura Ganjirô I surpassed themselves for the title of best wagotoshi. In Tôkyô, his main stage partners were Ichimura Uzaemon XV and Nakamura Utaemon V. This threesome was nicknamed San'emon ("The Three Emon") and their performances were extremely successful.
Kataoka Nizaemon XI gathered 12 of his best roles in a special collection called kataoka jûnishû: Oda Sanshichirô Nobutaka ("Uma Giri"), Ishida no Tsubone ("Hade Kurabe Ishikawazome"), Hachirobei ("Unagidani"), Matahei ("Keisei Hangonkô"), Seigen ("Seigen Anshitsu"), Daimonjiya Sukeemon ("Kamiko Jitate Ryômen Kagami"), Ichijô Ôkura Naganari ("Ichijô Ôkura Monogatari"), Akagaki Genzô ("Kanadehon Suzuri no Takashima") , Kan Shôjô ("Tempaizan"), Yojirô ("Chikagoro Kawara no Tatehiki"), Waki Kiyomaru ("Kawara no Wakare") and Kimura Nagato-no-Kami ("Keppan Tori"). His others best roles were Matsuômaru ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"), Kameya Chûbei ("Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"), Kakiemon ("Meikô Kakiemon"), Katagiri Katsumoto ("Kiri Hitoha") or Heisaku ("Numazu").
Kataoka Nizaemon XI in a print made by Yamamura Kôka in 1916
Print made by Hasegawa Sadanobu in 1905
Print made by Yamamura Toyonari in 1920
The Kataoka Hidetarô line of actors
The Kataoka Gatô line of actors
The Kataoka Nizaemon line of actors