Nakamura Kantarō II
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| Nakamura Kantarō II 二代目中村勘太郎 |
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| Birth name | Masayuki Namino[1] |
| Born | 31 October 1981 Tokyo, Japan |
| Other name(s) | Nakamuraya |
| Official site | [1] |
Nakamura Kantarō II(二代目中村勘太郎)(b. 31 October 1981) is a Japanese kabuki, television, and film actor. Born Masayuki Namino[1], he is the eldest son of actor Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII, and brother to Nakamura Shichinosuke II.
[edit] Names and Lineage
A member of the acting guild Nakamura-ya, Kantarō's younger brother Shichinosuke II and father Kanzaburō XVIII currently perform kabuki, and his family can trace their lineage back, within the kabuki world, at least seven generations, to Onoe Kikugorō III and Ichimura Uzaemon XI, who performed in the early 19th century. As is the case with the names of all kabuki actors, "Nakamura Kantarō" is a yagō or stage name.
[edit] Life and Career
Kantarō made his first appearance on stage at the age of two, in a kokata monk role at the Kabuki-za. He formally received the name Kantarō at the age of six, playing alongside his younger brother as the title characters in Ninin Momotarō ("The Two Momotarō") at the Kabuki-za.
The year 2000 marked the 12th anniversary of the death of Kantarō's grandfather, actor Nakamura Kanzaburō XVII. Kantarō 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 lion dance, along with his brother and father, as part of a New Year's 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, Kantarō performed alongside the great onnagata Bandō Tamasaburō V.
Like his brother, and many other kabuki actors today, Kantarō also works in television and film. In 2004, he played Tōdō Heisuke in the NHK Taiga drama Shinsengumi!, reprising the role two years later in a historical television documentary. Kantarō currently narrates a TBS documentary program on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and starred in the 2001 Japanese film Turn. He has also featured in a number of television dramas and other programs.
