Nakamura Ganjirō II

In this Japanese name, the surname is Nakamura.

Nakamura Ganjirō II (二代目 中村鴈治郎, Nidaime Nakamura Ganjirō; 17 February 1902 – 13 April 1983) was a Japanese kabuki and film actor.^[1] He 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.^[2][3]

Nakamura Ganjirō II
Ganjirō in 1958
Born	Yoshio Hayashi[a] (1902-02-17)17 February 1902 Osaka, Japan
Died	13 April 1983(1983-04-13) (aged 81)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1906–1980
Children	Sakata Tōjūrō IV (eldest son) Tamao Nakamura (youngest daughter)
Father	Nakamura Ganjirō I
Relatives	Nakamura Kanjaku III (grandfather) Hayashi Mataichirō II (brother) Nakamura Ganjirō IV (grandson) Nakamura Senjaku III (grandson) Nakamura Kazutarō (great-grandson) Nakamura Toranosuke (great-grandson)

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	Notes
1941	The Life of an Actor
1957	An Osaka Story	Nihei
1957	Koto no tsume
1957	The Lower Depths	Rokubei (Osugi's husband)
1957	Onna goroshi abura jigoku	Father
1957	Floating Vessel	Emperor
1958	Tsukihime keizu
1958	Edokko matsuri	Hikozaemon Ôkubo
1958	Furisode matoi
1958	The Loyal 47 Ronin	Gorobei Kakimi
1958	Ôsaka no onna	Hanmaru Suzunoya
1958	Enjō	Tayama Dosen
1958	Summer Clouds	Wasuke
1958	Mito Kômon man'yûki	Tokugawa "Mito Kōmon" Mitsukuni
1958	Noren
1958	Musume no boken
1959	Kagerô-gasa	Tan'an Ogisu
1959	Odd Obsession	Kenji Kenmochi
1959	Denwa wa yugata ni naru
1959	The Birth of Japan	Emperor Keikō
1959	Floating Weeds	Komajuro (troupe leader)
1959	Hatsuharu tanuki goten	Tanuemon
1960	Jokyo	Gosuke
1960	When a Woman Ascends the Stairs	Goda
1960	The Demon of Mount Oe
1960	Kaidan Kasane-ga-fuchi
1960	Shirakoya Komako	Shôzaburô
1960	Tadanao kyo gyojoki
1960	Sen-hime goten	Tokugawa Ieyasu
1960	Futari no musashi	Shekishusai Yagyu
1961	Ginzakko monogatari	Seikichi Takarai
1961	Koshoku ichidai otoko
1961	Tokyo onigiri musume	Tsurukichi
1961	Iro no michi oshiemasu: Yume san'ya
1961	The End of Summer	Kohayagawa Manbei
1961	Buda	Ashoka
1961	Zoku akumyô	Boss of Matsushima
1961	Wakai yatsura no kaidan	Shôkichi
1962	Gan no tera	Nangaku Kishimoto
1962	The Outcast	Buddha priest
1962	Love Under the Crucifix	Sen no Rikyū
1962	Kaidan yonaki-doro
1962	Edo e hyaku-nana-jû ri	Sukezaemon Tsukagoshi
1962	Tateshi Danpei	Danpei Ichikawa
1962	Shin no shikôtei	Hsu Fu
1962	Nakayoshi ondo: Nippon ichi dayo
1963	An Actor's Revenge	Sansai Dobe
1963	Onsen geisha	Kesazô
1963	Nyokei kazoku	Uichi
1963	Gurentai junjyôha	Ganemon
1963	Echizen take-ningyô	Boatman
1963	Warera sarariman
1964	Shinobi no mono: Kirigakure Saizo	Ieyasu Tokugawa
1964	Kwaidan	Publisher	(segment "Chawan no naka")
1964	Onsen jôi	Tahei
1964	Gendai inchiki monogatari: Dotanuki
1965	Onna mekura monogatari
1966	The Pornographers	Elderly Executive From Hakucho Company
1966	Lake of Tears	Samezaemon
1974	Akumyo: shima arashi	Motojime
1975	Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director	Himself	Documentary
1980	Tokugawa ichizoku no houkai

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	Hissatsu Shigotonin	Shikazo	Hissatsu 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)

Notes

1. While the stage names of all kabuki actors have retained traditional order (Surname-Givenname) on Wikipedia, birth names of those born after the Meiji Restoration are in Western order (Givenname-Surname).