Tsurumatsu’s Fall: Suspension Forces Delay of Maizuru Succession as Comeback Hangs in Limbo

The timing of his return remains uncertain

Rising young kabuki actor Nakamura Tsurumatsu (30) was arrested on January 18 on suspicion of property damage.

Because it was a minor offense committed while intoxicated, he was released the following day, the 19th. He was seen bowing to a large group of reporters gathered at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Kuramae Police Station, but he has yet to return to the stage and remains under suspension.

After working with a theater troupe, Tsurumatsu was discovered in 2005 at the age of 10 by the late 18th-generation Nakamura Kanzaburō (who passed away at 57) and became his disciple. Following 6th-generation Nakamura Kankurō (44) and 2nd-generation Nakamura Shichinosuke (42), he was regarded as a hope of the Nakamura-ya. He had been announced to succeed to the stage name Nakamura Maizuru I in “Saruwaka Festival February Grand Kabuki,” which opens on February 1 at the Kabukiza Theatre in Tokyo. However, due to the incident, the performance has been postponed.

A source in the kabuki world said the following:

“As you may know, holding a name-succession performance requires preparation and a great deal of money. When Ichikawa Ebizō (48) at the time assumed the name Ichikawa Danjūrō Hakuen in 2022, it was said that the unveiling performances cost hundreds of millions of yen. With box office revenue said to be close to 3 billion yen, it pays off if successful. This time, I heard that Tsurumatsu’s family had purchased a large number of tickets. They would then sell them to patrons and loyal supporters, but if cancellations occur due to the postponement, they would have to bear all the losses. It must be very difficult.”

Even so, Tsurumatsu belongs to the prestigious Nakamura family lineage. Discovered by Kanzaburō, he honed his skills as a disciple. As a result, he gained recognition as an onnagata (female-role specialist), and along with the Maizuru name succession, he had been set to be promoted to “kanbu” (executive rank), meaning he would take on major roles. However, this has now effectively been put on hold. When will he return? And will the name succession and promotion still happen?

“In January 2005, there was an incident where Nakamura Shichinosuke was arrested for obstruction of official duties after allegedly assaulting a police officer while heavily intoxicated following a celebration for his father Kanzaburō’s name succession. At that time, he received a suspension but returned after three months.

However, Tsurumatsu is not from a hereditary kabuki family but from a general household, so his position is different from Shichinosuke’s… I’ve heard that no specific timeline for his return has been decided yet. It also seems uncertain what will happen regarding his name succession and promotion,” the same source said.

When Shochiku, the organizer, was asked, “Has his return date been decided?” and “Will the name-succession performance be held?” they responded as follows:

“Regarding your inquiry, we are also monitoring how the situation develops, and there is nothing we can share at this time.”

In the film “Kokuhō,” an actor from a similar non-hereditary background as Tsurumatsu rises to become a Living National Treasure as an onnagata.

On YouTube, FRIDAY Digital’s “Entertainment Reporter Channel” features active entertainment reporters who thoroughly explain the “behind-the-scenes” and “dark side” of the kabuki world in a segment titled “Darker than Kokuhō: The ‘Shadows’ of the Kabuki World [Entertainment Reporters Explain #13].”