Yorozuya Kinnosuke

Kinnosuke Yorozuya
萬屋錦之介
Kinnosuke as Kikumaru in Fuefuki Dōji
Born
Kin'ichi Ogawa[1]
(小川 錦一)

(1932-11-20)November 20, 1932
DiedMarch 10, 1997(1997-03-10) (aged 64)
Other nameNakamura Kinnosuke
OccupationKabuki actor
Spouse(s)Ineko Arima (1961–1965)
Keiko Awaji (1966–1987)
Nishiki Kō (1990–1997)
FatherNakamura Tokizō III
RelativesNakamura Karoku I (great-grandfather)
Nakamura Karoku III (grandfather)
Nakamura Tokizō IV (older brother)
Nakamura Shidō I (older brother)
Nakamura Kashō II (older brother)
Nakamura Karoku V (nephew)
Nakamura Matagorō III (nephew)
Nakamura Tokizō V (nephew)
Nakamura Kinnosuke II (nephew)
Nakamura Shidō II (nephew)

Yorozuya Kinnosuke (萬屋錦之介) (November 20, 1932 – March 10, 1997) was a Japanese kabuki actor. Born Kin'ichi Ogawa (小川 錦一, Ogawa Kin'ichi),[1] son of kabuki actor Nakamura Tokizō III, he entered kabuki and became the first in the kabuki tradition to take the name Nakamura Kinnosuke. He took on his guild name (yagō) Yorozuya as his surname in 1971.

In addition to his kabuki activity, Kinnosuke had an extensive film career. A specialist in jidaigeki, Kinnosuke appeared in more than 140 films. These include a 1957 Mito Kōmon and a 1961 appearance as the title character in the Toei Company's Miyamoto Musashi series (a role he reprised in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965, and again in 1971). A versatile actor, he has played as many as seven characters in a single film. In various productions of Chūshingura, he also portrayed Oyamada Shōzaemon (1956), Asano Naganori (1959), Wakisaka Awaji no Kami (1961), and Ōishi Yoshio (1978). Other appearances include Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1957, 1958, 1962), Tokugawa Iemitsu (1958), Oda Nobunaga (1965), Takeda Shingen (1969), Sakamoto Ryōma (1970), Matsudaira Katamori (1980), and Oda Yūrakusai (1989).[2]

Kinnosuke portrayed Yagyū Munenori multiple times, first on television as the star of the year-long 1971 NHK Taiga drama Haru no Sakamichi, then on the Big Screen in the 1978 film Shogun's Samurai.[2] His next appearance as Munenori was in a 13 episode TV production entitled Yagyū Shinkage-ryū which aired in 1982. His final appearance as Munenori was in 4 of 5 Yagyu Bugeicho TV movies that aired between 1990 and 1992. From 1973 to 1976, he played Ogami Ittō, the Lone Wolf in the NTV series Kozure Ōkami based on the manga Lone Wolf and Cub. A late-career role was Yamana Sōzen in the Taiga drama Hana no Ran.

Kinnosuke's younger brother Nakamura Katsuo and nephew Nakamura Shidō II are currently active in kabuki, television, and film.

Personal life

He was first married to Arima Ineko between 1961 and 1965. During his marriage with Ineko he had a relationship with Kieko Awaji and, following his divorce from Ineko they were married in 1966, thus becoming stepfather to her sons from her first marriage. They had two sons together -- Akhiro and Yosuke -- before they divorced, after his affair with Nishiki Kō was exposed in 1990; he then married Kō.[3] His third son, Ogawa Akihiro, died in a motorcycle accident in 1990. Despite quitting kabuki, he urged his nephew, Nakamura Shido II, in his career as a kabuki actor in 1989 , where he found success as a mainstream entertainer. He was good friends with Shintaro Katsu.[4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1954 Shinshokoku monogatariPart 1 & 2
Satomi Hakken-denPart 1–5
Mangetsu tanuki-bayashiMametaro / Gen'nosuke
Shinshokoku monogatari, benikujaku dai-ippen
Shinsengumi Oni Taicho
1955 Seizoroi Kenka WakashuBenten Kozo Kikunosuke
Shinshokoku monogatari benikujakuPart 2–4
Sezuroi kenkawa kashu
Shinshokoku monogatari benikujaku kanketsu-hen
Seishun kôro: Umi no wakôdoEiichirô Yamazato
Beni kujaku
Minamoto Yoshitsune
1956 Akô rôshi - Ten no maki; Chi no makiShôzaemon Oyamada
Kaidan Chidori ga fuchiMinosuke
1957 Shinshokoku monogatariPart 1–3
Daibosatsu tōgeUzuki Hyoma
Mito kômon
Yurei-senJirômaruPart 1 & 2
Ninkyō Shimizu-minatoMori no Ishimatsu
1957–1958 Genji Kurô SassôkiGenji KurôPart 1 & 2
1958 Edo no meibutsuotokoIsshin TasukePart 1
Kaze to onna to tabigarasuGinji
Daibosatsu tōge - Dai ni bu
Onmitsu Shichishoki
Isshin Tasuke - Tenka no ichidaijiIsshin Tasuke / Tokugawa Iemitsu
Shimizu Minato no meibutso otoko: Enshūmori no Ishimatsu
Obuzo tengu
Ninkyo TokaidoOnikichi
1959 Ken wa shitte ita
Asama no abarenbo
Doku-ganryu MasamuneDate Masamune
Binan-jo
Daibosatsu tōge - Kanketsu-hen
Fuunji Oda Nobunaga
Tenka no fuku-shogun
Doto no taiketsu
1960 Naniwa no koi no monogatariChubei Kameya
Isshin Tasuke
Torimono dochu
Abarenbo kyodai
ShinranShinran
Tôei All Star Eiga: Mito Kômon
Zoku shinran
Mori no Ishimatsu
Tokai no kaoyakuJirocho
1961 Yatarō gasaYataro
TonosamaYaji kita
Iyemitsu to Hikoza to isshin yasuke
Eddoko bugyo tenka o kiru otoko
Akō RōshiWakisaka
1962 Miyamoto MusashiMiyamoto Musashi (Takezo)
HangyakujiTokugawa Nobuyasu
Eddoko hanseiki
Wakaki ni ho Jirocho: Tokaido no tsumujikaze
Mabuta no hahaBanba no Chutaro
ChiisakobeShigetsugu
Miyamoto Musashi: Hannyazaka no kettoMiyamoto Musashi (Takezo)
1963 Sen-hime to HideyoriToyotomi Hideyori
Jirochō to kotengu: nagurikomi kōshūji
Genji Kurō sassōki: Hiken ageha no chō
Otoko ippiki dochuki
1964 Bushido, Samurai SagaJirozaemon / Iikura / Sajiemon / Kyutaro /
Shuzo / Shingo / Osamu / Susumu
Miyamoto Musashi: Nitoryu kaigenMiyamoto Musashi (Takezo)
Seki no yatappe
Fuji dōzan-koku monogatari
Brave Records of the Sanada ClanSasuke
Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijoji no kettoMiyamoto Musashi (Takezo)
SaméSame
1965 Nihon kyôkaku-denSeiji
RevengeShinpachi Ezaki[5]
Shark
Tokugawa IeyasuOda Nobunaga
Hiya-meshi to Osan to ChanDaishiro Shibayama / Santa / JyukichiAnthologies film (episodes 1–3)
Matatabi san ning yakuzaKaze-no-Kyutaro
1966 Miyamoto Musashi: Ganryū-jima no kettōMiyamoto Musashi (Takezo)
Hana to ryu
Kutsukake Tokijiroyukyo ippiki
1967 Tange Sazen: Hien iaigiriSamanosuke / Tange Sazen
Hana To Ryu: Do Kâiwan No Kêtto
1968 Gion MatsuriShinkichi[6]
1969 Samurai BannersTakeda Shingen
GoyokinSamon Fujimaki
Shirikurae MagoichiMagoichi Saika
Portrait of HellLord Horikawa
1970 ShinsengumiFujita Arima
BakumatsuRyoma Sakamoto
MachibuseHeima Ibuki
Tenka no AbarembōYataro Iwasaki
1971 Shokon ichidai tenka no abarenbo
Shinken shobuMusashi Miyamoto
1972 Akatsuki no chôsen
1978 Shogun's SamuraiYagyū Munenori
Ogin-sama
The Fall of Ako CastleKuranosuke Ohishi
1979 NichirenNichiren
Sanada Yukimura no BōryakuTokugawa Ieyasu
Renegade ninjas
1980 Tokugawa ichizoku no houkaiMatsudaira KatamoriLord of Aizu
1981 Shikake-nin BaianBaian Fujieda[7]
1982 Seishun no mon: Jiritsu henEiji Niki[8]
1983 Kita kara minami nishi kara higashiIttô Ogami
1984 Tori ni tsubasa kemono ni kibaIttô Ogami
The Fugitive SamuraiIttô OgamiEnglish compilation film of 1972 TV series
1985 Saigo no BakutoHarunobu Kiyoshima[9]
Kozure Ôkami: osanago no meIttô Ogami
1989 Death of a Tea MasterUrakusai Oda
TBA Minamoto Yoshitsune
Jishi maru ippei

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1965 Hiya-meshi to Osanto-chanDaishiro Shibayama / Santa / JūkichiEpisodes 1–3
1971 Haru no SakamichiYagyū Munenori
1973–1976 Lone Wolf and CubIttō Ogami
1975 Nagasaki HangachōuHiramatsu Chūshirō
1978 The Yagyu ConspiracyTokugawa Yoshinao
1979 Akō RōshiŌishi Kuranosuke Yoshio / Yoshitaka
1981 Sorekara no MusashiMiyamoto Musashi
1982 Yagyū Shinkage-ryūYagyū Munenori
1986 Musashibō BenkeiFujiwara no Hidehira
1987 TabaruzakaKatsu Kaishū[10]
1990–1992 Yagyū Bugei-chōYagyū Munenori
1994 Hana no RanYamana Sōzen
1996 KanpanîHimself

Producer

  • Sorekara no Musashi (1981) TV series
  • Bakumatsu (1970) (associate producer)

Awards and nominations

  • In 1958 he won for Best Actor in Isshin Tasuke - Tenka no ichidaiji by the Asia-Pacific Film Festival.
  • In 1959 he won the Most Popular Award by the Blue Ribbon Awards.
  • In 1964 he won for Best Actor in Bushidô zankoku monogatari by the Blue Ribbon Awards.
  • In 1979 he was Nominated for the Award of the Japanese Academy for Best Actor in Yagyû ichizoku no inbô.
  • In 1990 he was Nominated for the Award of the Japanese Academy for Best Supporting Actor in Sen no Rikyu.
  • In 1996 he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Awards of the Japanese Academy.
  • In 1998 he was awarded a Special Award by the Awards of the Japanese Academy for his career.
  • In 1998 he was awarded a Special Award by the Mainichi Film Concours for his career.

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 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).
  2. 1 2 John Berra, ed. (2012). Directory of world cinema. Vol. 11, Japan 2. Bristol: Intellect. pp. 158–160. ISBN 978-1-84150-598-5. OCLC 860602860.
  3. ↑ "淡路さん「錦之介さんをまだ愛していた」 - 芸能ニュース". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "「あれは失敗でした。今でも許せません」 有馬稲子、不倫についての告白も". Bushuin (in Japanese). 13 July 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  5. ↑ "Revenge 仇討". animeigocom. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ "祇園祭". Movie Walker. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. ↑ "仕掛人梅安". Movie Walker. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  8. ↑ "青春の門 自立篇(1982)". Movie Walker. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ "最後の博徒". Movie Walker. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  10. ↑ "田原坂". Haiyaku Jiten (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.