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Kabuki theatre of Japan
Shunkôsai Hokushû, Nakamura Utaemon III (Shikan) as Katô Masakiyo, colour woodblock with metallic pigment
Shikan was born in 1778, the son of the great villain-role actor Nakamura Utaemon I. By 1808, frustrated at being unable to lead his own troupe in Osaka, he accepted an invitation to become head of the troupe at the Nakamura Theatre, Edo. This five-year tour proved a great success and when Shikan returned to Osaka in 1812 he took his place as Rikan's rival. Shikan undertook two further tours to Edo during his career.
Shikan played a complete range of roles, often performing quick-change pieces which involved taking on several parts within the same play. A tremendously energetic performer, he was a master at cultivating audiences and sophisticated patrons. He had a broad social network and was also good at spotting talented younger actors and supporting them to stardom. Many items relating to Shikan show him travelling between Osaka and Edo, enjoying enthusiastic welcomes and farewells along the way.
Shikan's career, seventeen years longer than Rikan's, spanned a golden age of print production. He died a few years before the 1842 Tenpô Reforms cracked down on social extravagance, and was remembered as a legendary figure. This striking portrait shows Shikan in the role of the Osaka hero Katô Masakiyo, crossing his eyes and grimacing for a dramatic 'stage pose'.