Yorozuya Kinnosuke

(November 20, 1932 – March 10, 1997) was a Japanese kabuki actor. Born , son of kabuki actor Nakamura Tokizō III, he entered kabuki and became the first in the kabuki tradition to take the name Nakamura Kinnosuke. He took on his guild name (''yagō'') Yorozuya as his surname in 1971.

In addition to his kabuki activity, Kinnosuke had an extensive film career. A specialist in ''jidaigeki'', Kinnosuke appeared in more than 140 films. These include a 1957 ''Mito Kōmon'' and a 1961 appearance as the title character in the Toei Company's ''Miyamoto Musashi'' series (a role he reprised in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965, and again in 1971). A versatile actor, he has played as many as seven characters in a single film. In various productions of ''Chūshingura'', he also portrayed Oyamada Shōzaemon (1956), Asano Naganori (1959), Wakisaka Awaji no Kami (1961), and Ōishi Yoshio (1978). Other appearances include Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1957, 1958, 1962), Tokugawa Iemitsu (1958), Oda Nobunaga (1965), Takeda Shingen (1969), Sakamoto Ryōma (1970), Matsudaira Katamori (1980), and Oda Yūrakusai (1989).

Kinnosuke portrayed Yagyū Munenori multiple times, first on television as the star of the year-long 1971 NHK Taiga drama ''Haru no Sakamichi'', then on the Big Screen in the 1978 film ''Shogun's Samurai''. His next appearance as Munenori was in a 13 episode TV production entitled ''Yagyū Shinkage-ryū'' which aired in 1982. His final appearance as Munenori was in 4 of 5 ''Yagyu Bugeicho'' TV movies that aired between 1990 and 1992. From 1973 to 1976, he played Ogami Ittō, the Lone Wolf in the NTV series ''Kozure Ōkami'' based on the manga ''Lone Wolf and Cub''. A late-career role was Yamana Sōzen in the Taiga drama ''Hana no Ran''.

Kinnosuke's younger brother Nakamura Katsuo and nephew Nakamura Shidō II are currently active in kabuki, television, and film. Provided by Wikipedia