Nakamura Utaemon VI | |
|---|---|
 Nakamura Utaemon in 1951 | |
| Born | Fujio Kawamura January 20, 1917 |
| Died | March 31, 2001 (aged 84) |
| Other names | Nakamura Kotaro III
Nakamura Fukusuke VI Nakamura Shikan VI |
| Years active | 1922-1996 |
| Known for | Onnagata-roles |
| Children | Nakamura Baigyoku IV (adopted son) Nakamura Kaishun II (adopted son) |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Nakamura Fukusuke V (older brother) |
Nakamura Utaemon VI (中村歌右衛門 (6代目), January 20, 1917 — March 31, 2001) was a Japanese kabuki performer and an artistic director of the Kabuki-za in Tokyo.[1] He was a prominent member of a family of kabuki actors from the Keihanshin region.[2]
Nakamura Utaemon was a stage name with significant cultural and historical connotations.[3] The name Utaemon indicates personal status as an actor. Such a title can only be assumed after the death of a previous holder, under restrictive succession conventions.[4]
He was considered the greatest onnagata of the post-War period,[5] and was heralded as a "a divine messenger given to kabuki from heaven" during his naming ceremony.[6]
Utaemon VI was the son of Nakamura Utaemon V.[7] The actor's name was Fujio Kawamura when he was born in the sixth generation of a line of famous Kabuki actors.[1] 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.[4] The name Utaemon VI was formally proclaimed in a 1951 ceremony at the Kabuki theater in Tokyo.[8]
In a long career, he acted in many kabuki plays; but he was best known for his oyama roles.[1]
His two adopted sons, Nakamura Baigyoku IV (四代目 中村梅玉)[a] and Nakamura Kaishun II (二代目 中村魁春)[b] are also Kabuki actors (just like his father, Utaemon VI's eldest son, Nakamura Baigyoku IV is currently a Living National Treasure[c]).[12]
In 1968, the government of Japan designated him a Living National Treasure, which was a title acknowledging him as a "bearer of important intangible cultural assets."[1] He was the youngest person in history to be recognised a such.[6]
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Nakamura Utaemon VI, OCLC/WorldCat encompasses roughly 6 works in 6 publications in 2 languages and 9 library holdings[13]
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