Nakamura Kichiemon I

Nakamura Kichiemon I (初代中村吉右衛門) was a Japanese actor and kabuki performer. In 1945, he became the senior living kabuki actor in Japan.

Biography
Kichiemon construed his career in terms of "lifelong study" (gei) of that which cannot be seen in an actor's performance.

Nakamura Kichiemon is a formal kabuki stage name. The actor first appeared using the name in 1897; and he continued to use this name until his death.

He was the maternal grandfather of Nakamura Kichiemon II. In the conservative Kabuki world, stage names are passed from father to son in formal system which converts the kabuki stage name into a mark of accomplishment. In choosing to be known by the same stage name as his grandfather, the living kabuki performer honors his family relationships and tradition. In a long career, he acted in many kabuki plays, including the role of Matsuō-maru in the July 1951 production of Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami.

Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Nakamura Kichiemon I, OCLC/WorldCat encompasses roughly 10+ works in 20+ publications in 2 languages and 80+ library holdings.


 * 1946 &mdash; "Kabuki geki no susumu beki michi" ("The way kabuki drama must advance"). Tögeki, Tokyo Gekijö program. May 7, 1946
 * 1951 &mdash; Diary of Kichiemon (吉右衞門自傳). OCLC 33707206
 * 1956 &mdash; Kichiemon Diary (吉右衛門日記) OCLC 033708328

Honors

 * Japan Art Academy
 * Order of Culture, 1951