Stage names:
Nakamura Tomosa II
Nakamura Momosa I
Nakamura Naojirô
Guild: Kyôya
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Poetry name: Gankô
Existence: 1795 ~ 16 March 1861
Connection:
Father: Nakamura Tomosa I
Disciples: Nakamura Tomosa III, Nakamura Momosa II
Career:
1795 ~ 1818: born in Ôsaka. He does his training with his father, who gives him as a first stage name Nakamura Naojirô.
14 January 1819: his father Nakamura Tomosa I dies.
1819 ~ 1830: he takes the name of Nakamura Momosa I and performs mainly in miyaji shibai or hama shibai, where he becomes very popular.
January 1831: with the patronage of Arashi Rikan II, Nakamura Momosa I makes his début in ôshibai and takes the name of Nakamura Tomosa II at the Kado no Shibai.
March 1838: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Sagisaka Bannai, Yakushiji Jirozaemon and Orin in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
March 1846: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Sagisaka Bannai and Yakushiji Jirozaemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
January 1848: Tomosa's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, dôkegata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
September 1848: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Hachiemon in the drama "Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai"; the role of Chûbei is played by Jitsukawa Enzaburô I.
May 1850: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Mikawaya Giheiji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the role of Danshichi Kurobei is played by Nakamura Utaemon IV.
September 1851: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Mareyo, Yatôta and Shundô Gemba in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
January 1853: Tomosa's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, jitsuaku/katakiyaku/dôkegata section, is hakushi-jô-jô-kichi (almost unique - superior - superior - excellent).
March 1853: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Sagisaka Bannai, Yakushiji Jirozaemon, Yoichibei and Ôta Ryôchiku in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
August 1857: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of the decchi Chôkichi in the drama "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami"; this role was one of Nakamura Tomosa I's atariyaku.
November 1858: Tomosa plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Yazaemon in the "Sushiya" act of "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
March 1859: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Mareyo and Haji no Hyôe in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
August 1859: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Kitôta and Tosu no Kizô in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki". He also plays the role of Zenroku in "Osome Hisamatsu".
March 1860: Tomosa plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Ono no Kudayû, Akagaki Genzô, Genroku and two others minor roles in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
November 1860: Tomosa appears on stage for the last time, playing at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Tontokobô, Yasozaemon, Ôba Saburô and Shichirosuke in "Yaemusubi Jiraiyazome", "Shigenoi Kowakare", "Ishikiri Kajiwara" and "Yaegasumi Naniwa no Hamaogi".
January 1861: Tomosa's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is shi-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent).
16 March 1861: Tomosa dies.
Comments:
Nakamura Tomosa II was an extremely popular and talented 19th century dôkegata and handôgataki actor, who made all his career in Kamigata and was a mainstay of the Naka no Shibai in Ôsaka. He reached the rank shi-jô-jô-kichi the year of his death, which was a very unusual rank for a dôkegata. He was famous for his ad-libs, which were often parodies of famous lines from others plays.
The actor Nakamura Tomosa II playing the role of Mikawaya Giheiji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was staged in May 1850 at the Naka no Shibai (print made by Utagawa Hirosada)
Print made by Utagawa Shigeharu in 1831
Print made by Utagawa Hirosada in 1848
The Nakamura Tomosa line of actors
