was a Japanese Kabuki and film actor. He was one of the most influential Kabuki actors in the post-World War II era, and also appeared in more than 70 films between 1941 and 1980, directed by notable filmmakers such as Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Akira Kurosawa, and Mikio Naruse.
For his contributions to Kabuki, Nakamura was awarded the title of Living National Treasure by the Japanese government in 1967, one of several civil honours he received in his lifetime. His son, Sakata Tōjūrō IV, was also a renowned kabuki actor.
Lineage
Born into a renowned Kabuki acting family from Kansai, Ganjirō II was the youngest son of Nakamura Ganjirō I, one of the most celebrated Kabuki actors from the 1870s to the 1930s and grandson of Nakamura Kanjaku III, one of the most outstanding kaneru yakusha in the history of Kabuki theater.
His older brother, Hayashi Mataichirō II was a Kabuki actor like him and was known for his spectacular and outstanding skills as a Kabuki dancer.
Ganjirō II was the second in the line of actors to inherit the prestigious name Nakamura Ganjirō (the first being his father, Nakamura Ganjirō I) and his son and his eldest grandson would also inherit the name, being known respectively as Nakamura Ganjirō III (currently Sakata Tōjūrō IV) and Nakamura Ganjirō IV.
Before being known as Nakamura Ganjirō II, he was known as Nakamura Senjaku I and his son and youngest grandson would inherit the name Nakamura Senjaku, being known respectively as Nakamura Senjaku II (currently Sakata Tōjūrō IV) and Nakamura Senjaku III.
His two great-grandsons are also Kabuki actors, Nakamura Kazutarō (son of Nakamura Ganjirō IV) and Nakamura Toranosuke (son of Nakamura Senjaku III). Due to the fact that he is the son and heir of Ganjirō IV (eldest son of Sakata Tōjūrō IV and eldest grandson of Ganjirō II) and the eldest great-grandson of Ganjirō II, Kazutarō is expected to become the head of the Kamigata branch of the Narikomaya house and inherit the name Nakamura Ganjirō V (五代目 中村鴈治郎) in a near future.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1941 The Life of an Actor1957An Osaka StoryNihei1957Koto no tsume1957The Lower DepthsRokubei (Osugi's husband)1957Onna goroshi abura jigokuFather1957Floating VesselEmperor1958Tsukihime keizu1958Edokko matsuriHikozaemon Ôkubo1958Furisode matoi1958The Loyal 47 RoninGorobei Kakimi1958Ôsaka no onnaHanmaru Suzunoya1958EnjōTayama Dosen1958Summer CloudsWasuke1958Mito Kômon man'yûkiTokugawa "Mito Kōmon" Mitsukuni1958Noren1958Musume no boken1959Kagerô-gasaTan'an Ogisu1959Odd ObsessionKenji Kenmochi1959Denwa wa yugata ni naru1959The Birth of JapanEmperor Keikō1959Floating WeedsKomajuro (troupe leader)1959Hatsuharu tanuki gotenTanuemon1960JokyoGosuke1960When a Woman Ascends the StairsGoda1960The Demon of Mount Oe1960Kaidan Kasane-ga-fuchi1960Shirakoya KomakoShôzaburô1960Tadanao kyo gyojoki1960Sen-hime gotenTokugawa Ieyasu1960Futari no musashiShekishusai Yagyu1961Ginzakko monogatariSeikichi Takarai1961Koshoku ichidai otoko1961Tokyo onigiri musumeTsurukichi1961Iro no michi oshiemasu: Yume san'ya1961The End of SummerKohayagawa Manbei1961BudaAshoka1961Zoku akumyôBoss of Matsushima1961Wakai yatsura no kaidanShôkichi1962Gan no teraNangaku Kishimoto1962The OutcastBuddha priest1962Love Under the CrucifixSen no Rikyū1962Kaidan yonaki-doro1962Edo e hyaku-nana-jû riSukezaemon Tsukagoshi1962Tateshi DanpeiDanpei Ichikawa1962Shin no shikôteiHsu Fu1962Nakayoshi ondo: Nippon ichi dayo1963An Actor's RevengeSansai Dobe1963Onsen geishaKesazô1963Nyokei kazokuUichi1963Gurentai junjyôhaGanemon1963Echizen take-ningyôBoatman1963Warera sarariman1964Shinobi no mono: Kirigakure SaizoIeyasu Tokugawa1964KwaidanPublisher(segment "Chawan no naka")1964Onsen jôiTahei1964Gendai inchiki monogatari: Dotanuki1965Onna mekura monogatari1966The PornographersElderly Executive From Hakucho Company1966Lake of TearsSamezaemon1974Akumyo: shima arashiMotojime1975Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film DirectorHimselfDocumentary1980Tokugawa ichizoku no houkai1982The RapeAkiyama
Television Year Title Role Notes1979Hissatsu ShigotoninShikazoHissatsu series
Honors 1967 – Living National Treasure 1968 – Medal with Purple Ribbon 1974 – Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon 1980 – Person of Cultural Merit 1983 – Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd class, Gold and Silver Star (posthumous) 1983 – Senior fourth rank (posthumous)
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