is a Japanese

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

and film and television actor. Born , he is the eldest son of actor

Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII , was a Japanese actor active in kabuki, other forms of live theatre, television and commercials. Kanzaburō was a versatile actor whose credits include farce, period pieces and Shin Kabuki. Lineage Kanzaburō was the eighteenth in the line of ...

and the older brother of Nakamura Shichinosuke II. He is a well-known ''

tachiyaku is a term used in the Japanese theatrical form kabuki to refer to young adult male roles, and to the actors who play those roles. Though not all ''tachiyaku'' roles are heroes, the term does not encompass roles such as villains or comic figures, ...

'' actor (kabuki actor who plays male roles) just like his father Kanzaburō XVIII and his younger brother Shichinosuke II (who is also known to be an renowned '' onnagata'' actor, i.e. he is a kabuki actor who plays female roles).

Names and lineage

Kankurō is a member of the acting guild Nakamura-ya and son of the celebrated

. His younger brother, Shichinosuke II, also currently performs kabuki. Their family can trace their lineage back, within the kabuki world, at least seven generations, to

Onoe Kikugorō III (1784-16 May 1849) was a Japanese kabuki actor, the first and among the most famous ''kaneru yakusha'', a type of actor who performs a wide variety of roles. This is in contrast to the vast majority of kabuki actors, who specialize in only playin ...

and

Ichimura Uzaemon XI (1791-11 July 1820) was a ''zamoto'' (theatre owner-manager) of the Ichimura-za kabuki theatre in Edo, Japan. Like many ''zamoto'', he was raised in a kabuki family and trained to be an actor, but rarely actually appeared on stage. Names and l ...

, who performed in the early 19th century. As is the case with the names of all kabuki actors, "Nakamura Kankurō" is a ''

yagō , literally meaning "house name", is a term applied in traditional Japanese culture to names passed down within a guild, studio, or other circumstance other than blood relations. The term is synonymous with and . The term most often refers to the ...

'' or stage name.

Life and career

Kankurō made his first appearance on stage at the age of two, in a '' kokata'' monk role at the

Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and ot ...

. He formally received the name Nakamura Kantarō II at the age of six, playing alongside his younger brother as the title characters in ''Kadon de futari Momotarō'' ("The Two Momotarō Leave Home") at the Kabuki-za. The year 2000 marked the 12th anniversary of the death of Kankurō's grandfather, actor

Nakamura Kanzaburō XVII Nakamura may refer to: Places *Nakamura, Kōchi, a former city in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan *Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, a ward in Nagoya city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan People *Nakamura (surname), a list of people with the surname Other uses *Nakamura s ...

. Kankurō enjoyed the honor of playing the role of the elder '' shishi'' in the commemorative lion dance performance. The following year, he performed in the ''

Renjishi ''Renjishi'' (連獅子), or Two Lions, is a kabuki dance with lyrics written by Kawatake Mokuami, choreography by Hanayagi Jusuke I and music by Kineya Shōjirō III and Kineya Katsusaburō II, first performed in 1872. Originally staged for ...

'' lion dance, along with his brother and father, as part of a

New Year's The expression New Year's is a colloquial term with unclear definition. It may mean any or all of the following: * * ** * ** New Year's Day#Traditional and modern celebrations and customs * * * (2 January) See also * New Year's Day (disamb ...

celebration. A temporary stage was set up on the beach at Naruto, near Tokyo. Playing for the first time the role of Konami in the famous play '' Kanadehon Chūshingura'' in March 2001, Kankurō performed alongside the great '' onnagata'' Bandō Tamasaburō V. Like his brother, and many other kabuki actors today, Kankurō also works in television and film. In 2004, he played Tōdō Heisuke in the NHK Taiga drama ''

Shinsengumi! is a 2004 Taiga drama historical fiction television series produced by Japanese broadcaster NHK. It was a popular drama about the Shinsengumi, a Japanese special police force from the Bakumatsu period. Actors include Koji Yamamoto, Tatsuya Fuj ...

'', reprising the role two years later in a historical television documentary. Kankurō currently narrates a TBS documentary program on

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Sites, and starred in the 2001 Japanese film ''

Turn Turn may refer to: Arts and entertainment Dance and sports * Turn (dance and gymnastics), rotation of the body * Turn (swimming), reversing direction at the end of a pool * Turn (professional wrestling), a transition between face and heel * Turn, ...

'' and 2009 film '' Zen'', in which he played the monk Dōgen. He has also featured in a number of television dramas and other programs. In February 2012, he received the name Nakamura Kankurō VI, following his father, who had performed under the name Kankurō V for almost forty-six years.

Filmography

Films

*''

'' (2001), Yohei Izumi *'' Zen'' (2009), Dōgen *''

The Kiyosu Conference is a 2013 Japanese period comedy film directed by Kōki Mitani. Cast * Kōji Yakusho as Shibata Katsuie * Yo Oizumi as Hashiba Hideyoshi * Fumiyo Kohinata as Niwa Nagahide * Kōichi Satō as Ikeda Tsuneoki * Satoshi Tsumabuki as Oda Nobukatsu * ...

'' (2013),

Oda Nobutada was a samurai and the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, who fought in many battles during the Sengoku period of Japan. He commanded armies under his father in battles against Matsunaga Hisahide and against the Takeda clan. Biography Oda Nobutada w ...

*''

Sanada 10 Braves is a 2016 Japanese jidaigeki action film directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. It was released in Japan by Shochiku and Nikkatsu on September 22, 2016. Plot Cast *Nakamura Kankurō VI as Sarutobi Sasuke *Tori Matsuzaka as Kirigakure Saizō *Yuko Oshi ...

'' (2016), Sarutobi Sasuke *'' Gintama'' (2017), Isao Kondō *'' Gintama 2'' (2018), Isao Kondō *'' Pocket Monsters the Movie: Coco'' (2020), Zarude

Television

*''

'' (2004), Tōdō Heisuke *''Aka Medaka'' (2013),

*'' Idaten'' (2019), Shiso Kanakuri *''Nakamura Nakazo: Shusse no Kizahashi'' (2021), Nakamura Nakazo I *''

What Will You Do, Ieyasu? What or WHAT may refer to: * What, an interrogative pronoun and adverb * "What?", one of the Five Ws used in journalism Film and television * ''What!'' (film) or ''The Whip and the Body'', a 1963 Italian film directed by Mario Bava * '' What ...

'' (2023), Chaya Shirōjirō Kiyonobu

References

External links

Nakamura-ya Official Site (Japanese)Nakamura Kankurō VI at Kabuki21.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakamura, Kankuro 6 Kabuki actors 1981 births Living people 21st-century Japanese male actors Taiga drama lead actors