Actors' names in Japan

[Joel S. Berson]

For those expert in the traditions of assumed (i.e., stage) names of
Japanese Kabuki actors (or other artists of various kinds), a few questions.

I read, in Charles Isherwood's review in yesterday's New York Times
of a Kabuki performance
(http://theater2.nytimes.com/2007/07/19/theater/reviews/19kabu.html),
the following sentences,  picture caption, and cast list:

"Four centuries of theatrical history sit with disarming ease on the
solid shoulders of Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII, the master Kabuki artist
... who is also the artistic director of the Heisei Nakamura-za
company from Tokyo."

"In 'Hokaibo,' the rollicking sex comedy from 1784 (!) [sic] ... Mr
Kanzaburo is cutting up with an audience-seducing brio ... ."

"Rolling his eyes at the high-pitched, slowly cadenced vocal delivery
and liquid gestures of Nakamura Shichinosuke (one of Mr. Kanzaburo's
sons), who plays the role of a princess, Mr Kanzaburo cracks, 'Why is
she always so damn slow?'"

And finally, a picture caption and the actors' credits list an
additional 3 Nakamuras in the cast!  Each with a different 2nd name.

1)  In "Nakamura Kanzaburo", which is the equivalent of a sur- or
family name -- Nakamura or Kanzaburo?  (Is the name in traditional or
Western order?)

2)  In the index to a book, how would you expect that name to be
indexed -- under N, under K, or under both?  (Related to this
question is whether, where only one name is used in the book, you
would expect to see it be Nakamura or Kanzaburo.)

I have already consulted the following:  Library of Congress
Authorities; Wikipedia (article on Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII); Chicago
Manual of Style, chapter on indexing.  I am most interested in
information supplementing those, and especially on any written works
(in English) that might discuss the traditions of assumed names
(actors, artists, etc.)

(My own opinion is that Mr. Isherwood was incorrect in referring to
Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII as Mr. Kanzaburo, since "Nakamura" should be
treated as the equivalent of a surname.)

Joel

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org