NAKAMURA TAMASUKE

Stage names:

Nakamura Tamasuke In Japanese
Nakamura Utaemon III In Japanese
Nakamura Baigyoku I In Japanese
Nakamura Utaemon III In Japanese
Nakamura Shikan I In Japanese
Nakamura Utaemon III In Japanese
Kagaya Fukunosuke I In Japanese

Other names:

Nakamura Fukunosuke I In Japanese
Ôseki Ichibê In Japanese
Ôseki Risaburô In Japanese
Kagaya Ichibê In Japanese
Kagaya Risaburô In Japanese

Nicknames: Baigyoku Utaemon, Kagaya Utaemon

Pen name:

Kanazawa Ryûgoku I In Japanese

Guild: Kagaya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry names: Baigyoku (1), Shikan (1)

Existence: 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1778 [1] ~ 25th day of the 7th lunar month of 1838 [2]

Connections:

Father: Kagaya Kashichi I (Nakamura Utaemon I)

Son: Kagaya Hashinosuke I

Great-grandsons: Nakamura Tamashichi I, Nakamura Tsurusuke V

Adopted sons: Nakamura Utaemon IV, Nakamura Shikan III, Nakamura Matsue IV

Disciples (yakusha): Nakamura Tomijûrô II, Nakamura Karoku I, Nakamura Motosaburô, Nakamura Tsurujûrô, Nakamura Tomitaki, Nakamura Utasuke, Nakamura Tôzô II, Nakamura Tôzô III, Nakamura Shibajûrô, Nakamura Shirobê, Nakamura Kamon, Nakamura Kanjûrô, Nakamura Sanpachi, Nakamura Kan'emon I

Disciples (sakusha): Kanazawa Ryûgoku II, Kanazawa Shibasuke, Kanazawa Kinsuke, Kanazawa Ginsuke, Kanazawa Issen, Kanazawa Katsuzô, Kanazawa Kyûbê, Kanazawa Kugasuke, Kanazawa Gosuke, Kanazawa Komasuke, Kanazawa Shigesuke, Kanazawa Shibakô, Kanazawa Tsurusuke, Kanazawa Tôzô, Kanazawa Matasuke, Kanazawa Machisuke, Kanazawa Riemon, Kanazawa Risuke, Kanazawa Ryûsuke, Hamamatsu Utakuni

Career:

1778 ~ 1788: born in Ôsaka. Son of Nakamura Utaemon I. The original plan of his father was to make him study medecine instead of acting but the stage call was stronger than anything else. His real name was Ôseki Ichibê.

11th lunar month of 1782: Nakamura Utaemon I and his disciple Nakamura Tôzô I respectively took the names of Kagaya Kashichi I and Nakamura Utaemon II.

1788: he made his first appearance on stage in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater, receiving the name of the name of Kagaya Fukunosuke I.

1790: Nakamura Utaemon II gave his name back to his master's son Kagaya Fukunosuke, who became Nakamura Utaemon III, and took back the name of Nakamura Tôzô I.

29th day of the 10th lunar month of 1791 [3]: his father Kagaya Kashichi I died.

3rd lunar month of 1795: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Komochi Yamanba", which was originally written for the puppet theater, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Utaemon played the roles of Watanabe no Tsuna and the koshimoto Ozasa [casting].

22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1798 [4]: Nakamura Tôzô I died.

11th lunar month of 1799: Utaemon was supposed to perform at the Naka no Shibai but the performance was in fact staged in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai. He played the role of Gunpei in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki"; his stage partners were Sawamura Sôjûrô III (Tôkichi), Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Zesai, Yamaguchi Kurojirô, Matsunaga Daizen) and Nakayama Ittoku I (Princess Yuki).

11th lunar month of 1800: first Kabuki adaptation of Chikamatsu Yanagi's puppet theater drama "Ehon Taikôki", which was written in the 7th lunar month of 1799. The play was produced by Nakayama Tokujirô in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai and Utaemon played the role of Oda Harunaga [casting].

9th lunar month of 1801: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of Shiba Shisô's drama "Hakone Reigen Izari no Adauchi"; Utaemon played the role of Fudesuke [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1804: Utaemon played the roles of Sadakurô and Ishidô Umanojô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was produced in Kyôto by Hayagumo Chôdayû and Kameya Kumenojô at the Kitagawa no Shibai; his stage partners were Kataoka Nizaemon VII, Ichikawa Danzô IV, Arashi Sangorô III and Yamashita Yaozô I.

5th lunar month of 1804: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Danshichi in "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa"; his stage partners were Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Umesuke) and Segawa Rokô III (Otomi).

8th lunar month of 1805: tour in Nagoya; Utaemon played the role of Tanzaemon in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima", which was staged in the precincts of the Seijuin temple; his stage partners were Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Shunkan), Fujikawa Tomokichi I (Chidori) and Ôtani Tomoemon II (Senoo Tarô).

9th lunar month of 1805: Utaemon was back in Kyôto to play at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Tanigorô and Shûya in the drama "Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi", which was produced by Fujikawa Tomosaburô. He also played the role of Kameya Chûbê in "Keisei Sandogasa", sharing the stage with Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Magoemon) and Fujikawa Tomokichi I (the courtesan Umegawa).

1st lunar month of 1806: Utaemon played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Hanazono Michizune in the drama "Keisei Nazuna no Sekku".

12th lunar month of 1806: Utaemon performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôsakazuki Asahi no Hôrai", which was produced by Yoshizawa Minosuke; Utaemon shared the stage with Ichikawa Danzô IV and Kataoka Nizaemon VII.

3rd lunar month of 1807: Utaemon played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of the sumô wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; his stage partner in the role of the rival sumô wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichi was Asao Kuzaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Tokusuke I's ni-no-kawari new year drama "Keisei Shina Sadame"; Utaemon played the roles of Nagoya Sanza, Sasaki Kurando and Matahei [casting].

2nd lunar month of 1808: Utaemon spent a few days performing in Nagoya and then settled in Edo in the 3rd lunar month, starting to perform at the Nakamuraza.

5th lunar month of 1808: Utaemon played in the same theater the three leading male roles (Tadanobu, Tomomori, Gonta) of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Segawa Jokô II's drama "Zôho Izari no Adauchi"; Utaemon played the roles of Iinuma Sanzaemon and Iinuma Katsugorô [casting].

8th lunar month of 1808: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Matsuômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1808: Utaemon performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Gohiiki Onga no Shimadai".

1809: Utaemon gave 1500 ryô, a huge amount of money at that time, to the Jôshinji Temple for the rebuilding of the Myôkendô pavillon.

5th lunar month of 1809: Utaemon played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Kô no Moronô, Ono Sadakurô, Amakawaya Gihei and Tonase in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partners were Seki Sanjûrô II (En'ya Hangan), Ichikawa Omezô I (Hayano Kanpei) and Segawa Rokô IV (Oishi).

11th lunar month of 1809: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Abe no Sadatô in the drama "Ôshû Dachiyuki no Kurogoma", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara" world.

3rd lunar month of 1810: Utaemon played Ishikawa Goemon the prestigious role of the king of thieves Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri"; his stage partner in the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi was Bandô Hikosaburô III.

9th lunar month of 1810: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Komochi Yamanba" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Utaemon played the role of Oginoya Yaegiri [casting]. He played in the same theater the role of Nikki Danjô in the drama "Date Asobi Kuruwa Fûzoku", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world. He also played the role of Gotobê in "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô".

11th lunar month of 1810: Utaemon performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Setsugekka no Kuronushi".

3rd lunar month of 1811: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the 7-role Nagauta-based hengemono "Osozakura Teniha no Nana Moji"; the seven roles [5] were performed by Utaemon.

7th lunar month of 1811: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Umeômaru in the great drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners were Sawamura Gennosuke I (Matsuômaru) and Onoe Matsusuke II (Sakuramaru).

5th lunar month of 1812: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of the priest Seigen in the drama "Kiyomizu Seigen Omokage Zakura"; his stage partner in the role of Princess Sakura was Arashi Tomisaburô II.

9th lunar month of 1812: Utaemon, who was about to travel back to his native Kamigata after more than 4 years spent in Edo, performed his onagori kyôgen at the Nakamuraza, which included the premiere of a sanbasô entitled "Mata Kuru Haru Suzuna no Tanemaki"; the roles of Sanbasô, Senzai and Okina were performed by Utaemon, Nakamura Akashi IV and Nakamura Shichisaburô IV.

Fall 1812: Utaemon went back to Kamigata.

3rd lunar month of 1813: Utaemon played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Danshichi in the drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa".

6th lunar month of 1814: Utaemon played at the Nakamuraza the role of the sumô wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichi in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; his stage partner in the role of the rival sumô wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô was Bandô Mitsugorô III.

8th lunar month of 1814: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Honda Dainaiki and Ishidome Busuke in the drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa".

9th lunar month of 1814: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Iwanaga Saemon in the drama Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki; his stage partners in the roles of Akoya and Shigetada were Nakamura Matsue III and Bandô Mitsugorô III.

11th lunar month of 1814: Utaemon performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ninin Muko Mikurai Sadame".

4th lunar month of 1815: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka in "Hirakana Seisuiki".

7th lunar month of 1815: Utaemon celebrated his last performance in Edo at the Nakamuraza by playing the role of Matahei in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Hangonkô". The performance was a great success.

Fall 1815: Utaemon went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1815: Utaemon played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Jûtarô and Yasaku in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Ebijûrô I, Nakayama Bunshichi III and Nakayama Shinkurô III. He also played the roles of Omiwa and Soga no Iruka in "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

1st lunar month of 1816: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Sasaki Tan'emon, Honda Dainaiki and Ishidome Busuke in the drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa". He also played the role of Kameya Chûbê in "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai", sharing the stage with Nakayama Yoshio I in the role of the courtesan Umegawa.

3rd lunar month of 1816: Utaemon performed in the same theater in the 9-roles dance "Sono Kokonoe Saishiki Zakura".

5th lunar month of 1816: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Tôkichi and Ranmaru in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki".

8th lunar month of 1816: Utaemon moved to the Horie no Shibai at the beginning of the month, performing in the drama "Danshichi Mohê". He was back at the Kado no Shibai at the end of the month and played the roles of Jiroemon and Sanai in "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki".

9th lunar month of 1816: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Ashikaga Yorikane, Watanabe Gekizaemon and Saibara Kakeyu in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi". He also played the male role of the dance "Tsuri Gitsune", in duo with Nakayama Yoshio I.

Fall 1816: Utaemon went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1816: Utaemon performed at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama in the company of Ichikawa Ebijûrô I, Nakayama Yoshio I and Arashi Sangorô III.

1st lunar month of 1817: Utaemon was back in Ôsaka, playing in the drama "Keisei Chikugo-ga-Fuchi", which was produced by Nakamura Utagorô at the Kado no Shibai.

3rd lunar month of 1817: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Funakoshi Kuhachi in the drama "Katakiuchi Midô Mae". He also played the role of the monkey trainer Yojirô in the drama "Sarumawashi Kadode no Hitofushi".

5th lunar month of 1817: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Yokozô, Yamamoto Kansuke and Takasaka Danjô in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô". He also played the role of the kon'ya Tokubê in the drama "Kasane Izutsu".

8th lunar month of 1817: Utaemon agreed to perform in Edo at the Nakamuraza.

Winter 1817/1818: Utaemon went to Edo.

2nd lunar month of 1818: Nakamura Utaemon III took the name of Nakamura Shikan I at the Nakamuraza; the play "Kamakura Sandaiki" was staged for the first time in Edo and Shikan played the role of Sasaki Takatsuna [casting].

4th lunar month of 1818: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Sakurada Jisuke II's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Sono Sugata Hana no Utsushie", commonly called "Mitsu Ningyô" (literally "The Three Puppets") and ending a program entitled "Higashiyama Dono Kabuki no Danmaku" (nibanme); Shikan played the role of the yakko [casting].

5th lunar month of 1818: Shikan played in the same theater the roles of the fisherman Fukashichi (in reality Kanawa Gorô Imakuni) and Sadaka in "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

7th lunar month of 1818: Shikan played in the same theater the role of Rokusuke in the drama "Katakiuchi Doremo Wazamono", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" world; his stage partner in the role of Osono was Iwai Hanshirô V.

11th lunar month of 1818: Shikan performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Higashiyama Dono Kabuki no Danmaku". He also played the roles of Kazusanosuke Hiromitsu, Taira no Kiyomori and Demura Shinbê in the drama "Ise Heiji Hiiki no Kaomise". There was also a "Sayaate" scene, in which Shikan played the role of Nagoya Sanza, confronting on stage Sanza's rival in love Fuwa Banzaemon, who was played by Matsumoto Kôshirô V; The role of the courtesan Katsuragi was played by Segawa Kikunojô V.

3rd lunar month of 1819: Shikan played in the same theater the role of the Ohatsu in the drama "Yayoi no Hana Onna Hinagata", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Kagamiyama" world; his stage partners were Bandô Mitsugorô III (Iwafuji) and Nakamura Daikichi I (Onoe). He also played the role of the villain Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa", sharing the stage with Onoe Kikugorô III (Sukeroku) and Iwai Kumesaburô II (Agemaki).

4th lunar month of 1819: Shikan played in the same theater the roles of Shiratayû and Takebe Genzô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

5th lunar month of 1819: Shikan played in the same theater the role of Danshichi Kurobê in "Natsu Matsuri Yomiya no Tateire", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" world; his stage partners were Bandô Mitsugorô III (Issun Tokubê) and Seki Sanjûrô II (Tsuribune Sabu).

6th lunar month of 1819: Shikan played in the same theater the role of Gotobê in "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô". He also played the role of the sumô wrestler Tetsugadake in the drama "Sekitori Senryô Nobori".

9th lunar month of 1819: Shikan celebrated his last performance at the Nakamuraza by playing all the roles of a 9-roles dance-drama entitled "Onagori Oshie no Mazebari"; the roles were Tennin (a heavenly being), Kyôran (the madness), Kuronbô (the black creature), Tomomori (the legendary warrior Taira no Tomomori), Tobae (this section was based on of Toba Sôjô Kakuyû who was a high-ranking prient of the Tendai sect and a renowned painter), Miko (a shaman), Kan U (a famous Chinese warlord), Keisei (a high-ranking courtesan) and Tamamo-no-Mae (the leading character of the play "Tamamo-no-Mae Asahi no Tamoto"). This was also the first adaptation to Kabuki (in ôshibai!) of the drama "Seishû Akogi-ga-Ura", in which Shikan played the role of Hiragawara no Jirozô [casting].

Fall 1819: he went back to Kamigata and he took back the name of Nakamura Utaemon III.

11th lunar month of 1819: Utaemon played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the sumô wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichi in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; his stage partner in the role of the rival sumô wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô was Ichikawa Ebijûrô I.

3rd lunar month of 1820: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Igami no Gonta and the fox Tadanobu in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". He also played the role of Inanoya no Hanbei in the drama "Koina Hanbei Kuruwa no Iroage".

7th lunar month of 1820: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Komagata Kuranoshin in the drama "Tenjiku Tokubê Ikoku Banashi"; his stage partner was the Edo star Onoe Kikugorô III.

9th lunar month of 1820: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Satô Masakiyo in the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô" [print].

1st lunar month of 1821: Utaemon played the roles of Takechi Mitsuhide, Senoo Tarô and Ohatsu in the dramas "Ehon Taikôki", "Genpei Nunobiki no Taki" and "Keisei Kagamiyama", which were produced at the Kado no Shibai by Nakamura Matsuyo. He shared the stage with his stage rival, the Edo star Bandô Mitsugorô III.

3rd lunar month of 1821: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of the drama "Kajiwara Heizô Kôbai Tazuna", a new version of the third act of "Miura no Ôsuke Kôbai Tazuna", revised by Utaemon under his pen name of Kanazawa Ryûgoku; the star played the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki [casting]. He also played in the same theater the roles of the fisherman Fukashichi (in reality Kanawa Gorô Imakuni) and Sadaka in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin"; his stage partners were Arashi Koroku IV (Omiwa, Koganosuke), Bandô Mitsugorô III (Daihanji, Iruka, Fujiwara no Tankai) and Nakamura Matsue III (Hinadori).

5th lunar month of 1821: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Kô no Moronô, Takubê and Katô Yomoshichi in the drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku".

7th lunar month of 1821: Utaemon moved to the Naka no Shibai, playing the roles of Arajishi Otokonosuke and Hosokawa Katsumoto in the drama "Hagi ha Sendai Na ha Matsumoto", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world.

8th lunar month of 1821: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Akamatsu Enshin in the drama "Akamatsu Enshin Midori no Jinmaku".

9th lunar month of 1821: Utaemon was back at the Kado no Shibai, performing in the drama "Taiheiki Kikusui no Maki" but the performance was not a success because of a quarrel between Utaemon and Ichikawa Danzô V.

2nd lunar month of 1822: the rivalry between Utaemon and Bandô Mitsugorô III reached its climax when both actors played simultaneously the prestigious larger-than-life role of Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Utaemon performed at the Naka no Shibai and Mitsugorô at the Kado no Shibai; Utaemon's stage partner in the role of Mashiba Hisayoshi was Kataoka Nizaemon VII.

11th lunar month of 1822: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of the drama "Kajiwara Heizô Kitai no Ishikiri", a new version of the third act of "Miura no Ôsuke Kôbai Tazuna", revised by Utaemon under his pen name of Kanazawa Ryûgoku; the star played the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1823: amazing performance done by Utaemon, who played 7 roles in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which was produced by Nakamura Kajinosuke at the Kado no Shibai.

Fall 1823: Utaemon went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1823: Utaemon played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Iwanaga Saemon in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; his stage partners were Nakamura Karoku I (Akoya) and Ichikawa Ebijûrô I (Shigetada).

4th lunar month of 1825: Utaemon played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Shunkan in the drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi".

1826: Nakamura Utaemon III took the name of Nakamura Baigyoku I and kept it a few months.

9th lunar month of 1829: Utaemon played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Matahei in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; his stage partners were Nakamura Matsue III (Otoku), Arashi Rikan II (Utanosuke) and Kataoka Nizaemon VII (Shôgen). The same play was staged with the same casting in the 11th lunar month in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.

1st lunar month of 1830: his rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki was murui (literally "unequaled"). He shared the same rank with 2 others stars: Kataoka Nizaemon VII and Matsumoto Kôshirô V. Utaemon played at the Kado no Shibai the roles of Ishikawa Goemon, Ishida no Tsubone and Sanni no goroshichi in the drama "Keisei Setsugekka", whose plot and characters belonged to the "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri" world.

3rd lunar month of 1830: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô, disguised as a sake-seller, in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura"; his stage partners in the roles of Sukeroku and Agemaki were Ichikawa Hakuen II and Nakamura Matsue III.

6th lunar month of 1830: tour in Miyajima in the company of Nakamura Matsue III. They performed in "Hirakana Seisuiki".

8th lunar month of 1830: Utaemon played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Rokusuke and Hosokawa Yasôzaemon in the drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"; the role of Osono was played by Nakamura Matsue III.

9th lunar month of 1830: Utaemon moved to the Kado no Shibai and played the roles of Abe no Yasuna and the yakko Yakanpei in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1830: Utaemon played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Matsuômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". He also played the role of Tadanobu in one act of the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which was staged at the end of the programm.

1st lunar month of 1831: Utaemon was back in Ôsaka, playing at the Naka no Shibai 3 roles in the drama "Keisei Shigeshige Yawa", which was produced by Nakamura Baika I. His rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki was kokon murui (literally "unequaled through all ages").

3rd lunar month of 1831: the troupe performing at the Naka no Shibai moved to the Kado no Shibai; Utaemon played 3 roles in the drama "Onna Setsuyô Emon Kagami". Utaemon and Nakamura Noshio III ended the program by performing in duo in the dance "Kyôganoko Musume Dôjôji". Noshio fell suddenly ill and Utaemon had to perform the dance alone.

5th lunar month of 1831: Utaemon played in the same theater the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei and Taira no Tomomori in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". He also played the role of Kagekiyo in "Onna Kagekiyo".

7th lunar month of 1831: the troupe performing at the Kado no Shibai moved to the Naka no Shibai. Utaemon played the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki". He also played the role of Kameya Chûbê in "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai", sharing the stage with Nakamura Matsue III in the role of the courtesan Umegawa.

9th lunar month of 1831: Utaemon played in the same theater the role of Asama in the drama "Takane no Nami".

11th lunar month of 1831: Utaemon and his troupe moved to Kyôto, performing at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama. He played the roles of Kô no Moronô, Hayano Kanpei and Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1st lunar month of 1832: Utaemon and his troupe went back to Ôsaka, performing at the Naka no Shibai in the drama "Keisei Hana no Yamazaki".

2nd lunar month of 1832: the troupe moved to the Kado no Shibai. Utaemon played the roles of Fujiwara no Kamatari, Daihanji no Kiyosumi and the fisherman Fukashichi (in reality Kanawa Gorô Imakuni) in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", which was produced by Sawamura Montarô. The "Gojôbashi" scene of "Ôgiya Kumagai", which was not in the original puppet drama, was added to this drama for the first time and staged in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Utaemon played the role of Kumagai Jirô Naozane [more details].

9th lunar month of 1832: Matsue played in the same theater the roles of Takemura Sadanoshin, Sagisaka Sanai and Shigenoi in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna".

11th lunar month of 1832: Utaemon performed at the Kado no Shibai in the kaomise drama. He also performed in the dance "Tokiwa Akizuki no Aki".

1st lunar month of 1833: his disciple Nakamura Matsue III took the prestigious name of Nakamura Tomijûrô II, which has not been held since 8th lunar month of 1786. They celebrated this shûmei by performing together at the Kado no Shibai in the new year drama "Keisei Chigo-ga-Fuchi". This was also the premiere of "Chichi Morai", staged as the second part of "Keisei Chigo-ga-Fuchi"; Utaemon played the role of Kanô Shirojirô [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1833: Utaemon was back in Kyôto and played the roles of Soga no Iruka, Daihanji no Kiyosumi and the fisherman Fukashichi (in reality Kanawa Gorô Imakuni) in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", which was staged at the Kitagawa no Shibai. Premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of "Hana Fubuki Koi no Tekagami", in which Utaemon played the role of Kanô Shirojirô [casting].

5th lunar month of 1833: Utaemon was back in Ôsaka, playing at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kanki in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen"; the role of Watônai was played by Arashi Rikan II.

7th lunar month of 1833: Utaemon moved to Kyôto, performing in the dramas "Kokusen'ya Gassen" and "Gokusaishiki Musume Ôgi", which were staged at the Kitagawa no Shibai.

12th lunar month of 1833: Utaemon was back in Ôsaka, playing at the Kado no Shibai the role of Yoshitsune in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".

11th lunar month of 1834: Utaemon settled in Kyôto and performed at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama. He also played the role of Yoshitsune in the "Kumagai Jin'ya" scene of the classic "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki". He also played the role of Gotobê in "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô".

4th lunar month of 1835: tour in Ise in the company of Arashi Kichisaburô III and Asao Kuzaemon II. Utaemon performed in the dramas "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" and "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô", which were staged at the Naka-no-Jizô Shibai.

5th lunar month of 1835: Utaemon performed in the same theater in the drama "Konoshita Kage Hazama Gassen" and the 7-roles dance "Shichimai Tsuzuki Naniwa no Sugatae".

1st lunar month of 1836: Utaemon decided to adopt his disciple Nakamura Shikan II and to give him his name; Nakamura Shikan II, Nakamura Utaemon III and Nakamura Tsurusuke II respectively took the names of Nakamura Utaemon IV, Nakamura Tamasuke and Nakamura Shikan III, performing together at the Kado no Shibai in the drama "Keisei Haru no Tori", which was produced by Nakamura Umezô.

5th lunar month of 1838: Tamasuke appeared on stage for the last time, at the Naka no Shibai in Ôsaka, playing the roles of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki and Tatara Shindôzaemon in the dramas "Kajiwara Heizô Kôbai Tazuna" and "Karukaya Dôshin Tsukushi no Iezuto".

25th day of the 7th lunar month of 1838 [2]: Tamasuke died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Nakamura Tamasuke was an outstanding kaneru yakusha, who won fame for himself first in Kamigata, then in Edo. He was also famous for his acting rivalries with Arashi Kichisaburô II in Ôsaka, then with Bandô Mitsugorô III and Matsumoto Kôshirô V in Edo. One of his fields of excellence was the hengemono dances. He performed up to 9 roles/costums changes during the same dance.

Nakamura Tamasuke's best roles: Matsuômaru ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"), Kumagai Jirô Naozane ("Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki"), Taira no Tomomori/Igami no Gonta/Tadanobu ("Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura") and Gotobê ("Yoshitsune Koshigoejô").

It is worth noting that Nakamura Utaemon III was also a playwright, writing around 25 plays under the pen name of Kanazawa Ryûgoku.
"The third Utaemon wrote his own plays, but did not have good luck in the sakusha whom he engaged to help him,--Nagawa Seisuke. He did his best with Nagawa's poor compositions, but the latter possessed inferior ability. On one occasion the playwright became angry because his ideas had not been carried out properly, and he drew his sword to kill Utaemon, when he was stopped." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

If you have a bit of time during your stay in Tôkyô, there is a place where you can pay your respect to Nakamura Utaemon III. A stone was erected after his death in the precinct of Jôshinji temple, in memory of his generosity. This stone is called Baigyoku no Hi, literally "the monument of Baigyoku".

[1] The 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month of the 7th year of the An'ei era was the 31st of March 1778 in the western calendar.

[2] The 25th day of the 7th lunar month of the 9th year of the Tenpô era was the 13th of September 1838 in the western calendar.

[3] The 29th day of the 10th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kansei era was the 24th of November 1791 in the western calendar.

[4] The 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of the 10th year of the Kansei era was the 7th of May 1798 in the western calendar.

[5] The 4th role is still part of the current repertoire and is staged under the title "Echigo Jishi".

Memorial Portrait of the Actor Nakamura Tamasuke
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada I
Date: 1838
The Art Institute of Chicago (print in the public domain)

Prints & Illustrations

4 faces

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1818

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1819

Print made by Jukôdô Yoshikuni in 1820

Print made by Jukôdô Yoshikuni in 1826

Print made by Utagawa Kunihiro in 1827

Print made by Jukôdô Yoshikuni in 1828

Print made by Shunshosai Hokuchô in 1828

Print made by Asayama Ashiyuki in 1829 (courtesy of V.)

Print made by Utagawa Kunihiro in 1830

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1838

The Kanazawa Ryûgoku line of playwrights

The Nakamura Fukunosuke line of actors

The Kagaya Fukunosuke line of actors

The Nakamura Shikan line of actors

The Nakamura Baigyoku line of actors

The Nakamura Utaemon line of actors

 
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