大阪歴史博物館　Osaka Museum of History

Overview of the exhibition

The Osaka Museum of History will hold a special featured exhibition titled “The 400th Anniversary of the Completion of the Dotonbori Canal: Nakamura Ganjiro I, the Great Star of Kamigata (Osaka and Kyoto) Kabuki” in the Special Exhibition Hall on the 6th floor from July 1 (Wed.) to August 23 (Sun.), .

The year marks the 80th anniversary of the death of Nakamura Ganjiro I, which, coupled with the recent announcement of stage name succession for Nakamura Ganjiro IV, has attracted renewed attention to Nakamura Ganjiro, a prestigious stage name that is closely associated with Osaka.

Nakamura Ganjiro I, a son of the kabuki actor, Nakamura Kanjaku III, was born in 1860 in Osaka. While his childhood days were not easy, he emerged as one of the finest kabuki actors after changing his name to Nakamura Ganjiro to succeed his father in 1878, and eventually became a star of Kamigata kabuki.

He was extremely good-looking and enjoyed great popularity as a master of wagoto (gentle-style) acting. His most successful role was as Kamiya Jihe-e in the scene of “The Tea House Kawasho” in a play titled Shinju Ten no Amijima (The Love Suicides at Amijima). His appearance with his cheeks covered with a cloth was so beautiful that a poem was written that said, “Japan’s best face with covered cheeks.” He lived in Osaka until his death at the age of 75 in 1935. He was a great actor who gained unceasing popularity among people of Osaka.

This exhibition will focus on the performances and personality of Ganjiro I by showcasing his stage costumes, stage props, colored woodblock prints, photographs, and playbills, as well as pictures drawn by Ganjiro himself. The exhibition will also look back on the atmosphere of the Dotonbori area, where the theater in which Ganjiro based himself was located, and the societal situation of Osaka in those days.