Utaemon NAKAMURA (the fifth) (中村歌右衛門 (5代目))
The fifth Utaemon NAKAMURA (February 14, 1866 - September 12, 1940) was a kabuki actor who was active in the Meiji period and the Taisho period and the prewar period of the Showa period. His real name was Eitaro NAKAMURA. His haimyo (stage name used officially and privately) was Kaigyoku, Baigyoku NAKAMURA and Umegoke. His yago (stage family name) was Narikoma-ya.
Career
He was born as son of an official of the shogunate's kinza (one of mints during the Edo period) in Honjo-ukechi of Edo (Tokyo). He was adopted by Shikan NAKAMURA (the forth) in 1875, and two years later, as Kotaro NAKAMURA (the first) he made his stage debut at Mitsui-za Theater of Kofu in 1877, playing the role of Aburaya-Musuko (son of the oil seller) in "Ise Ondo." In 1881, he succeeded to the name of the forth Fukusuke NAKAMURA by playing the role of Katsurako in "Ogiya Kumagai." As he won popularity in Osaka and Tokyo with natural beauty and elegant style of performance, he was selected for the part of Agemaki in "Sukeroku" ("Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura") when Danjuro ICHIKAWA (the ninth) played the leading character, and after that, he co-starred with Danjuro and with Kikugoro ONOE (the fifth) as female impersonator. Also in 1887, he played in the kabuki held in the presence of the Emperor at the residence of Kaoru INOUE so that he was expected his future to become a leader in the next generation of kabuki world.
In May, 1901, he played the part of Komachi in "Rokkasen" ("Rokkasen Sugata no Irodori"), and the part of Goemon ISHIKAWA in "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri" and so on, and succeeded to the name of the fifth Shikan NAKAMURA. In March, 1904, he first performed "Kiri Hitoha" written by Shoyo TSUBOUCHI at the Kabuki-za Theater. In that, he played the female part of Yodo-dono which caused a great sensation and became his successful role afterwards. In November, 1911, he played the part of Hanako in "Kyoganoko Musume Dojoji" at the Kabuki-za Theater of Tokyo and succeeded to the name of the fifth Utaemon NAKAMURA. At that occasion, he had fought about the succession of Utaemon with Ganjiro NAKAMURA (the first) of Osaka.
After the three famous actors 'Dan-Giku-Sa' had died, he became the top actor in kabuki world and was called one of 'San-Emon' (three best actors with 'emon') along with Uzaemon ICHIMURA (the fifth) and Nizaemon KATAOKA (the eleventh). He assumed the important position of the chairman of the artistry committee of the Kabuki-za Theater, and contributed richly for the improvement of the actors' technique and for the succession of the arts.
In October, 1931, he co-starred with Ganjiro at the Kabuki-za Theater, playing the role of Goemon in "Sanmon" (the scene of 'Nanzenji Sanmon' of "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri"), which became famous as the top actor of the East Narikoma-ya (Utaemon from Tokyo) and the top actor of the West Narikoma-ya (Ganjiro from Osaka) had made the sparks fly on the stage. Besides, in his later years, 'the 100th anniversary of the third Utaemon NAKAMURA' held at the Kabuki-za Theater in November of 1936 and top actors of the East and of the West all gathered and performed "Himaneki no Kiyomori" with the total of ninety actors, Utaemon played the leading role TAIRA no Kiyomori, sitting like a king at the middle of the ninety performers; his brilliant performance on the stage has been still told among people (the film recording the stage was found resently).
Style of performance
He was called 'the best female impersonator in the East and the West' as he went on the stage in spite of physical disability caused by lead poisoning. He compensated the unmoving body by the enormous skill of delivering his lines, which fascinated theater audience. Some of his successful roles were recorded on records which can be listened today.
He had so many successful roles; as for jidai-mono (historical drama), Yaegaki-hime in the scene of 'Jusshuko' of "Honcho Nijushi-Ko," Toki-hime in 'Kinugawa-mura' of "Kamakura Sandaiki," Yuki-hime in 'Kinkakuji' of "Gion Sairei Shinko-ki" (those three roles were called Mitsuhime [three princesses]), and Masaoka in "Meiboku Sendai Hagi"; as for sewa-mono (drama based on real-life people), Agemaki in "Sukeroku," Yatsuhashi in "Kagotsurube" ("Kagotsurube Sato no Yoizame," Omitsu in 'Nozaki-mura' of "Shinpan Utazaimon"; as for modern play, Yodogimi mentioned above and so on. Those female roles are still considered to be models of performance today.
As for tachi-yaku (male role), he performed grandly with a dignified appearance; besides Goemon mentioned above, his well-known tachi-yaku were MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune in "Kanjincho" which he had performed in his younger days in the presence of Emperor Meiji, and Kudo in "Kotobuki Soga no Taimen," Uke in "Shibaraku," Shihei in 'Kuruma-biki' of "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami," and Nuregami in 'Sumo-ba' of "Futatsu-chocho Kuruwa Nikki."
His children were Fukusuke NAKAMURA (the fifth) who died young and Utaemon NAKAMURA (the sixth).
Also he compiled 'Yodogimi shu' as the arts should be handed down to his family, collecting Kyogen (kabuki play) of Yodogimi which was his successful role in his life ("Kiri Hitoha," "Hototogisu Kojo no Rakugetsu," "Yodogimi," "Daigo no Haru," "Osaka-jo," and "Yodogimi Odawara no Jin"). Initially he planned to collect ten plays, however, compiled only six plays..
As an influential person of kabuki world of the East and the West, his residence of Sendagaya of Tokyo had the premises of 9900 sq.m. and the residence of 660 sq.m. (it was 30 meters from the gate to the main housing), and was provided many servants and even policemen for the security. It is said that the first Ganjiro was amazed saying 'Kawamura lives in a huge house' (Kawamura was the real name of the sixth UTAEMON Nakamura [son of the fifth UTAEMON Nakamura]).
The bus stop in front of the residence was also named 'the residence of Utaemon.'
His talks on the arts remain in "Kaigyoku Yawa" (edited by Yutaka ABE). His graveyard is in Tama Cemetery.