Actors' names in Japan

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>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.)

While waiting for the savants, a very brief discussion is given here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_name#Professional_names

My own initial impression (from a position of relative ignorance) is
that "Nakamura" acts as a surname here: it looks like a surname (this
same "Nakamura" is the surname of something like 0.8% of Japan, I
think) and it has initial position like a surname. I suppose it would
be indexed under N but I myself would follow the style manual (or
maybe some authoritative librarians' cataloguing reference) if I
considered it important.

I would think "Mr. Nakamura" would be expected in English, but since
there are multiple Nakamuras here, I suppose some disambiguation is
desirable ....

-- Doug Wilson


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