Kabuki actor Kanzaburo Nakamura dies at age 57

December 5, 2012 @ 1:52 am


In this photo taken Sept. 2, 2011, Kabuki actor Kanzaburo Nakamura performs in a dance drama titled "Omatsuri" at the New Kabukiza theater in Osaka, Japan. Kanzaburo, who helped boost the popularity of the traditional Japanese art form, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. He was 57. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) NO ARCHIVE, ONE TIME USE ONLY, JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA | Zoom

TOKYO (AP) - Kabuki actor Kanzaburo Nakamura, who helped boost the popularity of the traditional Japanese art form, has died. He was 57.

The Shimbashi Embujo Theatre, where he performed regularly, said Kanzaburo _ as he was known among the Japanese public _ died early Wednesday of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

One of Japan's most famous contemporary kabuki actors, Kanzaburo also played roles in film, TV and stage dramas.

Japanese TV stations ran tributes to Kanzaburo, who won fame for his outstanding theatrical skills, both as a "tachiyaku" male actor and an "onnagata" female impersonator.

In July, he underwent successful surgery for esophageal cancer, Kyodo News agency reported, but later caught pneumonia. His real name was Noriaki Namino.


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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