KABUKI's News

Kataoka Kamezō sadly passes away

Kabuki actor Kataoka Kamezō sadly passed away on November 24. He was 64. May his soul rest in peace.

Kamezō was the second son of Kataoka IchizōⅤ. He was an extremely talented actor whose solid acting skills and commanding stage presence provided a strong foundation for the stage. He appeared in a wide range of characters across different genres—historical plays, domestic plays and modern kabuki—from villains to elderly roles as well as comedic parts.

Possessing a dignified presence and a deep, resonant voice, in recent years he portrayed Musashibō Benkei from 'YOSHITSUNE SENBON ZAKURA', Seno'o no Tarō Kaneyasu from 'SHUNKAN', Ono Kudayū from ‘KANADEHON CHŪSHINGURA’ and Urabe in 'Kabuki NEXT : OBORO NO MORI NI SUMU ONI’, enriching the stage with his deeply nuanced performances.

His last appearance was in October 2025 at the Misonoza Theatre, as a priest in 'KYŌKANOKO MUSUME NININ DŌJŌJI', and as Yosobē, a city guard in 'NEZUMI KOMON HARUGI NO HINAGATA'.