Conquering the Floating World
The Southern California native broke into kabuki. Now other traditional actors are bobbing their heads to MP3s and hip-hop.
With every furrow of his brow and fiery sidelong gaze, porcelain skinned Nakamura Gankyo infuses new energy into the ancient art of kabuki. As Sawaichi, the blind man tortured by the question of his wife’s fidelity, he is alternately despondent and remorseful — every inch the epitome of regal theater idol.
Except his real name is Ken Kanesaka, a 25-year-old native of Huntington Beach, Calif., who was swallowed up into the world of kabuki as a toddler and reborn as a dashing kabuki actor — the first Japanese American to break into this cloistered theater world.
Nisei-han (2.5 generation) blood flows in his veins, which some critics call an affront to the deep-rooted traditions of kabuki. For centuries, kabuki star begat other stars through a direct bloodline, giving the art form — which uses classical Japanese language — an air of mystery. Then Ken entered their world from stage left not speaking a word of Japanese and loving, of all things, golf and hiking.
“I think children always love a fantasy world or a world of make-believe where they can disappear into,” said Ken via e-mail from Japan. His earliest memory of the ancient theater art came from videotapes, which he studied intently. While his peers made fruitless jabs at cultural activities before quitting altogether, young Ken, for hours, would practice acting out plays with very adult themes of love, betrayal and suicide.
“My world, when I was younger, was the world of kabuki. I could be a villain, or a hero, and I think that is what attracted me the most,” added Ken.
The cultural seed was planted at an early age for Ken who started dance lessons in Los Angeles at three while accompanying his sister to classical Japanese dance classes. Through the sea of female students, who she knew would abandon dance to start families and careers, Madame Bando Mitsuhiro saw longevity and passion in Ken.
Her vision proved prescient. Ken is currently the youngest member of Japan’s Grand Kabuki Chikamatsu-za and he counts a kabuki living legend as his mentor and namesake.
Will the Real Kabuki Actor Please Stand Up?
“Kabuki was known to be the ‘floating world.’ It was a place where commoners could escape to, and it was a world of dreams. It is this floating world that still gives hope and a place to escape,” said Ken.
For awhile, his “real” world was dictated by a linear path and choreographed with a steady percussion of white-collar success. A drum major in his high school marching band and a good student, he entered the University of California at Los Angeles to start his career as a lawyer.
There was one catch.
“I hated to read books, and sit there studying,” so during his sophomore year he decided to resurrect his childhood dream to study abroad at the University of Tokyo. Really, he just wanted to live and breathe his culture and dance in the homeland. Then one day, his dance teacher told him about a kabuki training school in Osaka.
You may never become a kabuki actor, the dance teacher told Ken, but the training would benefit your dancing.
So without telling anyone, Ken followed his dreams to Osaka to take entrance exams and endure interviews just to train in the ancient art.
“When I was accepted, I packed my things, informed Tokyo University that I was quitting, which was unheard of in Japan — Tokyo University is on the same level as Harvard … ,” he said. “I sent my parents a letter informing them of the change of address.”
In two years, he graduated at the top of his class, despite the language barrier.
And the way he tells it, being embraced by the most famous kabuki actor in the world was as natural as the flow of water from melting snow.
“Upon graduating, the ‘National Living Treasure’ Nakamura Ganjiro III (now Sakata Tojuro IV) told me that if I wanted to study kabuki more, why don’t we study together. I was the first non-Japanese citizen to be accepted into the kabuki theater in its 405 or so year history.”
Suddenly American English newspapers made its debut in the dressing rooms. “There are other young actors who sip their coffee, listen to their iPods. Others talk about the new clubs opening up and of course the latest hip hop artists.”
Ken was given the stage name of Nakamura Gankyo — “gan” inherited from his teacher and “kyo” from Kyoto.
“My teacher told me that since his family is from Kyoto and his style of acting is Kyoto, I am now a Kyoto actor. Also, since my name-taking was in Kyoto, I should never forget where I started out in my kabuki life.”
Celebrating Heritage
Those who have seen him perform are mesmerized.
“He transcends being my brother,” said Kevin Kanesaka, a lawyer based in New York.
But kabuki life isn’t all glamorous. As the youngest student, Ken cleans his teacher’s dressing room and cleans props and make-up. Between performances, he squeezes in lessons in classical dance, Jyu uta (a singing style), tea ceremony, flower arrangement and Japanese percussion.
“Within the theater itself, I was also told that gaijin dakara (because you are a foreigner) that my work is dirty,” said Ken. “However, I can honestly say that it is because of these people, that I had to work harder. I had to make sure that my work is 10-times better than my peers …”
“As far as I can recall, he has always been motivated,” said Kari Kanesaka, his mom. “When he was little, he would practice by himself for hours. Even in college, he would practice at least one hour a day in his studio.”
“I believe Ken’s vision is to make [kabuki] relevant to the coming generations without losing the beauty and form of the tradition,” said his sister Sheri Kanesaka, an L.A. based lawyer.
Through Ken a bridge is formed between two worlds.
“My grandmother has also told me that if traditions stop here then what is the purpose of us learning it to begin with?” said Ken. “Japanese American heritage is about creating dreams and traditions for the next generation.”
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