Biography
Nakamura Ganjirō II (born Hayashi Yoshio) was a Japanese kabuki and film actor. Born in Osaka on 17 February 1902, he was the son of kabuki actor Nakamura Ganjirō I and began performing in 1906. He took the name Nakamura Ganjirō II in 1947 and was designated a Living National Treasure for his contributions to kabuki.
He appeared in more than 70 films between 1941 and 1980, working with directors including Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Akira Kurosawa and Mikio Naruse. Notable screen roles include Komajuro Arashi in Floating Weeds (1959), Rokubei in The Lower Depths (1957), Goda in When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960), Kohayagawa Manbei in The End of Summer (1961) and Sansai Dobe in An Actor's Revenge (1963). He died on 13 April 1983.
