Nakamura Manju / Nakamura Tokizo / Nakamura Baishi: Three Generations of Kabuki Actors from Yochisha Simultaneously Assume New Stage Names

If you say it's rare, it is rare. However, everyone lives longer these days, don't they? If I had passed away earlier, my son would have inherited my name (Tokizo) sooner, and I wouldn't have had to think of a new name for myself.

The name Baishi, which my grandson took for his debut performance this time, was a childhood name that I also used. Once you reach a certain age, you have to change your name. When I decided I wanted my grandson to make his debut as Baishi, I thought it was the right time to pass the name Tokizo to my son and for me to consider a new name.

That's right. At that time, Chairman Takeomi Nagayama of Shochiku said it was strange for him to still be Shinjiro and told us to think of a name. That's how he became "Kinnosuke."

Yes. He was my father's (Tokizo IV) younger brother. When our family changed its yago (guild name) from Harimaya to Yorozuya, he said, "I'll make the name Yorozuya famous," and changed from Nakamura Kinnosuke to Yorozuya Kinnosuke.

Since we are Yorozuya, I definitely wanted to include the character "Man" (萬). So, I thought, how about Manju (萬壽)? When I looked it up, it was an era name during the Heian period, it's auspicious, and the sake brands Hyakuju, Senju, and Manju from Kubota are famous, aren't they?

The first year of the Manju era, when the era name was changed, was the year of Kinoene (the first of the sexagenary cycle). This is a bit of a coincidence, but according to the sexagenary cycle, I am Kinotohitsuji. And my grandfather, Tokizo III, was also Kinotohitsuji, exactly 60 years apart.

What's interesting is that my father was born in the Year of the Rabbit in 1927, and my son, the current Tokizo, was also born in the Year of the Rabbit in 1987. Tokizo IV and Tokizo VI are also 60 years apart. Because of things like that, I thought the name Manju, which started in the year of Kinoene, was quite interesting. Also, the first year of the Manju era corresponds to 1024 AD, which is exactly 1,000 years ago.

Yes, that's right. Guild names are often given based on a connection or history with the actors. The most famous is the Ichikawa Danjuro family. Their guild name is Naritaya, which has continued since the Genroku era; they were devotees of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple and received their guild name from there.

Our family was originally from Harima in Hyogo Prefecture, so we were Harimaya. As for Yorozuya, my great-grandmother was the only daughter of a theater tea house called Yorozuya, which was attached to the Ichimuraza, one of the three major theaters in Edo. Since the family line was going to end, she asked that if children were born, one should be allowed to succeed the family. My grandfather (Tokizo III) was the one who succeeded it and took the surname Ogawa. So, we became Yorozuya from the name of my great-grandmother's family.

Yes. They are Yorozuya. However, since Harimaya had no one left to succeed the line, the families of my two cousins, Nakamura Karoku V and Nakamura Matagoro III, returned to Harimaya.

Three years ago in June, while I was performing at the Hakataza Theatre, my father told me he had something to talk about and asked me to go to dinner, where he said he wanted to pass on the name Tokizo. At that time, I said, "Absolutely not, it's too early. What will happen to your name?"

He says that, but a succession requires two or three years of preparation. I wanted to convince everyone early on and move the conversation forward smoothly.

I was 26. He is 36, so originally, I should have considered it a bit earlier for him.

At age 4, for my debut performance.

I was Baishi from age 6.

8 years old.

Taisei actually wanted to make his debut a bit earlier, but because of COVID-19, it kept getting postponed.

Tokizo I was the real name of my great-grandfather, Nakamura Karoku III. Since our family didn't have names that served as hereditary titles, we used real names or haiku pen names. Actually, Shido is a haiku pen name. Baishi is also originally the haiku pen name of Karoku I.

I am the third.

I am the fourth.

In my great-grandfather's time, the name Tokizo was his real name, so no one knew it. Tokizo II was an adopted son who inherited it, and after he passed away young, my grandfather made the name Tokizo famous as the third generation. My father was the fourth but died young, and I am the fifth.

Now, I hope the sixth generation will make it even greater.

He listens well when it comes to acting, but in his private life, he's constantly rebelling (laughs). The only hobby we share is golf. Otherwise, it's like he dislikes everything I do. Well, as long as he works hard at acting, it's fine.

My father only teaches me properly when he's in the mood (laughs). Even though he teaches other actors so kindly and thoroughly.

I figure you're quite capable, so I don't need to say that much.

Not at all.

Oh, he did. When I was a child actor, I was trained while being whacked with a wooden sword for having the wrong foot position or the wrong timing.

Wasn't that a dream? (laughs). I don't know what he thinks, but there are several things I was taught very carefully, so I make sure to teach those properly.

But for things where he's using his own ingenuity, I feel like that's good enough. Rather than teaching seriously, it's more like letting him try it the way he wants to.

My father was very happy that I passed the Yochisha entrance exam, but he passed away without seeing me in the uniform. At the time of the funeral, the uniform was already made, so we wanted him to see me in it. When someone put in a word for us, Headmaster Uchida said, "Please, go ahead and wear it."

I didn't learn from him. It was less than two years after my debut.

The one who was strict was my grandmother. Her name was Hina Ogawa, and she was a godmother. She could dance and was skilled in the arts, so she would even give critiques to my grandfather, Tokizo III, saying, "What are you doing?"

I was worked quite hard by that grandmother when I was a child actor. For example, when dancing, an onnagata (female role) keeps their knees together. To check this, she would tell me to tuck up my kimono and say, "Now dance," while she watched to see if my knees were strictly together.

After that, my grandfather's younger brother, Nakamura Kanzaburo XVII, taught me various roles from the time I was a child actor. While I was speaking my lines, he would say things on stage like, "Okay, breathe now."

Yes. Since Kabuki doesn't use microphones, you gradually run out of breath, and your lines get faster and faster. As they get faster, it becomes even harder to breathe. If you take a breath, it creates a pause (ma), so you can speak slowly again. Things like that said on stage have stayed with me.

Yeah.

You work hard when your friends come to see you, don't you?

I'm working a little bit hard.

There are various ways to do the kojo (formal announcement). There's the style where everyone lines up in kamishimo (formal attire), but I like doing it in the middle of a play, during the performance, so that's what we did this time.

None at all. To begin with, I don't usually have much of a sense of him being my father. We spend more time in the dressing room as master and disciple.

I performed it in 1981 for my own succession to the name Tokizo. My father also performed it for his succession when he became Tokizo in April 1960.

Just a little.

I gave him some pointers, like "Do the mie like this."

I don't think about it at all.

Not directly, but I've heard about it. At that time, many Kabuki actors' children went to Gyosei. My father also went to Gyosei, but they didn't have a university, you see. Apparently, my father wanted me to go to university. So, he was very happy when I got into the Yochisha. Despite that, I ended up dropping out of university, which I felt bad about.

Actually, quite a few senior Kabuki actors are Keio alumni. Nakamura Fujuro V, as well as the uncle of Onoe Baiko VII and Onoe Kurouemon II, were both at the Yochisha Elementary School. I believe they were classmates of Professor Koji Toita.

My father seems to have had me take the entrance exam partly because my cousin was attending Yochisha. Once I entered, I realized how great Keio is. My classmates are all wonderful people, and I think it is a fantastic school. I am grateful that Tokizo was also able to enter and be in Mr. Kato's class (laughs).

I didn't realize it while I was attending Yochisha, but now that I've enrolled my own child and look back on why Yochisha was good, I think it was the environment. At Yochisha, they somehow forgive you no matter what you do. Even if your interests go in many different directions, no one really stops you.

That's only natural.

Yes.

Mr. Senju and I had a mutual acquaintance. Many different people paint celebratory curtains, but I realized I hadn't seen one by Mr. Senju. When I asked through an intermediary if he would be interested, he said, "I'll do it."

A celebratory curtain must include the names. I thought it would be inelegant to write them directly on that painting, but when I consulted him about wanting to put "Manju, Tokizo, Baishi" in Roman letters in the margin, he said, "That's fine."

The role of an onnagata (male actor of female roles) is unique, and we try not to show our everyday selves too much. So if we appear on TV and act in home dramas or the like, I wonder how it affects the image. Most people appearing on TV or in movies are tachiyaku (male role actors).

I do think about it, but the image of an onnagata is very important. If I go on TV, I might be asked to do strange things. It's scary if that becomes the norm. I don't think that would have a good influence on my onnagata roles.

However, I don't mind at all if my child appears on TV. My wife actually wants him to appear more and more (laughs).

Especially for onnagata, we are often not recognized when walking around with our natural faces.

But the other day in Osaka, when I went to the zoo with Taisei wearing casual shorts, a T-shirt, and sunglasses, someone approached me and said, "You're Tokizo-san, aren't you?" I hated it, it was so embarrassing...

Since I am at this age now, I feel I must teach my son and the younger generations more of what I learned from my seniors. These days, there are so many video recordings, so many people just watch those and perform.

When I was young, I had to go see the plays and go to my seniors to be taught. When I went to learn, there were many happy memories. After it was over, we would go to eat together, and they would talk about the plays again. Those things have become my assets, so I want to pass that on to everyone.

I haven't had parents since I was a child actor, but Shochiku raised me, so in return, I want to live a long life and devote myself to Kabuki.

For Tokizo, the vessel has already been built by my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father, so I want to practice my craft thoroughly so that I can fill that vessel with as much as possible until it overflows.

In this modern age, actors who do only classical works are becoming fewer, so I believe there are things that only we can do and things that only we can show. I want to be able to embody that.

I'm okay without the studies.