Stage names:
Nakamura Shikan IV
Nakamura Fukusuke I
Nakamura Komasaburô
Nakamura Tamatarô I
Guild: Narikomaya
Line number: YODAIME (IV)
Existence: 3 March 1831 ~ 16 January 1899
Connections:
Father: Nakamura Tomishirô
Brother: Nakamura Fukusuke II
Adopted father: Nakamura Utaemon IV
Adopted sons: Nakamura Utaemon V, Nakamura Fukusuke III
Disciples: Nakamura Kansuke II, Nakamura Kan'emon I
Career:
1831 ~ 1838: born in Ôsaka. He is the son of Nakamura Tomishirô, first a disciple of Nakamura Tomijûrô II then a theater tôdori. He starts his career at an early age and plays under the names of Nakamura Tamatarô I and Nakamura Komasaburô.
1838: Komasaburô is adopted by Nakamura Utaemon IV and they go together to Edo.
March 1839: Nakamura Komasaburô takes the name of Nakamura Fukusuke I at the Nakamuraza, playing in the hengemono "Hana Goyomi Iro no Showake".
April 1839: Fukusuke plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Koben in the drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi".
January 1843: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the dance "Kashiragaki Ise Monogatari" (commonly called "Noriaibune"), which is staged within the new year drama "Kioi Uta Soga no Hanadashi"; Fukusuke is one of the seven dancers [more details].
July 1847: Fukusuke plays at the Kawarazakiza the role of Ise no Saburô in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
December 1849: Nakamura Utaemon IV and Fukusuke settle in Ôsaka.
February 1852: his adopted father Nakamura Utaemon IV dies; Fukusuke goes back to Edo.
July 1852: Fukusuke plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Kotarô Nobuyuki in the drama "Meiyo Ninseiroku". He also plays the 5 roles of the hengemono "Aki mo Mada Mebae".
September 1852: the play "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; Fukusuke plays the role of Shuntokumaru [casting].
May 1853: Fukusuke plays at the the Ichimuraza the roles of Satô Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
1856: tour in Ise.
September 1856: Fukusuke goes back to Edo and achieves a great success at the Nakamuraza, playing the leading roles of the 6-roles hengemono "Ise Meisho Wazato Iezuto".
May 1857: Fukusuke plays at the Moritaza the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of otoku is played by Ichikawa Danzô VI.
May 1859: Fukusuke plays at the Moritaza the role of Danshichi Kurobei in the drama "Zôho Natsu Matsuri Otoko Kagami". His stage partners in the roles of Tokubei, Sabu and Otatsu are Ichikawa Kuzô III, Ichikawa Danzô VI and Arashi Hinasuke VII.
July 1860: Nakamura Fukusuke I takes the name of Nakamura Shikan IV at the Nakamuraza, where he plays the roles of Shihei and Shôgetsuni in the drama "Temmangû Megumi no Kamimagaki" and Sambasô in the dance "Na mo Kaete Shosa no Mitsugumi", and at the Moritaza, where he plays the roles of Gotohei in the drama "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô".
March 1862: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie" (commonly called "Shiranami Gonin Otoko"); Shikan plays the role of Nangô Rikimaru [casting].
April 1864: premiere at the Moritaza of the drama "Wakaba Ume Ukina no Yokogushi" (commonly called "Kirare Otomi"); Shikan plays the role of Genzaemon [casting]. He also plays the role of Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri"; the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi is played by Sawamura Tosshô II.
November 1871: Shikan plays the roles of Tokaiya Gimpei, Taira no Tomomori, Kajiwara Kagetoki and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is coproduced by both the Nakamuraza and the Ichimuraza.
March 1880: tour in Miyajima; Shikan plays the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô".
May 1881: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Ôsakazuki Shusen no Tsuwamono"; Shikan plays the role of Lord Naitô Kii-no-Kami Nobumasa [casting].
November 1885: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Funa Benkei"; Shikan plays the role of the captain of the boat Mihodayû [casting].
February 1886: Shikan plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima". His stage partners are Nakamura Fukusuke IV (Chidori), Kataoka Gadô III (Tanzaemon Motoyasu) and Seki Sanjûrô IV (Senoo Tarô).
May 1886: Shikan plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Satô Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
October 1887: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's matsubamemono "Momijigari"; Shikan plays the role of the Mountain God [casting].
May 1888: première at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame"; Shikan plays the role of Hyôgoya Seibei [casting].
October 1895: Shikan plays at the Asakusaza the role of Gotohei in the drama "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô". His stage partners are Ichikawa Ennosuke I (Izumi Saburô) and Nakamura Shikaku I (Yoshitsune).
February 1896: Shikan plays at the Miyakoza the role of Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri"; the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi is played by Ichikawa Kuzô III.
October 1898: Shikan plays at the Engiza the role of Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
Comments:
Nakamura Shikan IV was a great Meiji actor, who achieved fame for himself all over Japan (he toured a lot). He was equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas, able to play almost any kind of role as tachiyaku, katakiyaku or even onnagata. He created many kata and some of them are still sometimes revived, like the ones for the role of Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the "Kumagai Jin'ya" scene of the classic "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
His rivalry with Bandô Hikosaburô V was one of the hottest in Kabuki history: "So nearly matched in ability were Shikan and Hikosaburô, with but two years' difference in their ages, that they were pitted against each other, and their patrons often indulged in fights over them. During a performance, when these actors were playing together, they came through the audience by way of the two hanamichi, the one to the right of the stage a mere footpath, that to the left a platform that was in reality a continuation of the stage proper. They quarrelled as to who should take the main hanamichi, and the dispute waxed so hot that they finally drew lots to settle the matter." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")
Nakamura Shikan IV in the drama "Ichiban no Rimeiki no Sashimono", which was staged at the Moritaza in March 1865
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1859
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1860
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Yoshitsuya in 1862
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1863
Print made by Utagawa Yoshiiku in 1867
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1872
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1873
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1874
Print made by Yôshû Chikanobu in 1881
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1883
The Nakamura Fukusuke line of actors
The Nakamura Shikan line of actors