Nakaiya in other media (all Japanese of course...)
Nakaiya Enjou (Nakaiya In Flames) by Sofue Ichirou - a fictional account of Nakaiya's life where he gets called to Abe Ise-no-kami Masahiro's residence by Abe's well-known right-hand-man, Matsudaira Kawachi-no-kami Chikanao. There he meets up with other people regarding Japan's economic situation in light of its opening up and how Nakaiya could exploit Western demand for silk. It details his many encounters and tribulations with numerous other figures like: the Tosa-han daimyo Yamauchi Yodo who was trying to exploit John Manjirou (a Japanese who had beached up in the US), Mito-han's Tokugawa Nariaki, and of course Ii Naosuke. (They even threw in the obligatory Sakamoto Ryouma.) You can read a description and review of it here.
Original name: 幕末士伝 中居屋炎上 by 祖父江一郎. 313 pages. Published 2002.
Shinpan Honoo no Kiito-shou Nakaiya Juubee (New Edition: The Blazing Silk Merchant - Nakaiya Juubee) by Hagiwara Shin - A detailed, non-fiction account of all of Nakaiya's life in detail, examining existing evidence and sources, as well as utilising newly discovered material. There are 5 sections: 1. Life in his hometown, 2. Edo period, 3. Preparation to depart for Yokohama, 4. Yokohama period and 5. Mysterious last period of life as well as the family he left behind. Here's another link.
Original name: 新版 炎の生糸商 中居屋重兵衛 by 萩原進. 216 pages. Published 1994.
Shingan - Nakaiya Juubee no Maboroshi (Authenticity - The Illusion of Nakaiya Juubee) by Matsumoto Ken'ichi - Non-fiction. While the author was examining and verifying the authenticity of various documents related to Nakaiya that are owned by a certain Nakayama Nobuo, he came to the conclusion that the historical figure Nakaiya never actually existed. If historical evidence was fabricated, then who did it for what purpose, and who is this Nakayama Nobuo? That is what the book is about.
Original name: 真贋 中居屋重兵衛のまぼろし by 松本健一. 198 pages. Published 1998.
Douten (Moving Heaven) Directed by Masuda Toshio, originally by Nakanishi Rei - A movie featuring Nakaiya. WTF, you say? Well, I say WTF to you too.
Here is a description of the plot roughly translated from goo movies. (Alternatively, you might like to read a more concise one at the New York Times online here).
While beginning his life as a merchant, Nakaiya meets up with and studies under Sakuma Shozan (who coincidentially is Katsu Kaishuu's real mentor), excelling in his learning of the science of firearms, gunpowder, medicine languages. In fact he was so good that even Katsu acknowledged it. Deciding he wanted to take on the global market (zomg!), he closes his shop at Nihonbashi (in Edo), and sets his sights on the newly-opened Yokohama port.
Through Katsu's connections he gets to rent some land from an official called Iwase Higo-no-kami, and proceeds to build a shop that would be a match for other grand foreign establishments. Just then, the head of the "Shungetsu-rou" pleasure quarters, O-ran, moves in from Shinagawa to Yokohama. Nakaiya gets O-ran to instruct his wife, O-sono, about the art of entertainment, with the intention of having his new shop be not only a place for trading with The World, but to make it a godo social location managed by O-sono. The completed premises, replete with dazzling bronze tiles, quickly became known as the "Akagane Ten" (Bronze Palace).
However, Iwase Higo-no-kami loses his position/job and his stipend due to his objection to the feudal policies of the Shogunate. To complicate matters Nakaiya himself gets a sudden summons from the local magistrate regarding his use of bronze tiles for his shop's roof when bronze was a restricted item. And then three British sailors are killed in front of his own shop.
The foreign authorities were angered at the government's standard way of dealing with the situation, but because Nakaiya treated the dead bodies with care and respect, the ties between them and Nakaiya became stronger.
In 1859 Katsu is set to go to America, and Nakaiya meets up with him again. Jubilated at their reunion he boldly talks about his dream of investing 3000 ryo into building a good, sturdy ship and doing business with the peoples of other nations. However, the Shogunate's infuence on Yokohama was getting more and more oppresive and the merchants there could be hit by some detrimental policy any day. Finally, on the 3rd of March 1860, the tairo Ii Naosuke is attacked. It was a divine calling for Nakaiya Juubee, a man who believed in the opening of Japan and freedom of trade, to quietly support the activists in Mito-han.
Original name: 動天, directed by 舛田利雄. 122 minutes long. Screened 1991, released on VHS 1995. Nakaiya is acted by Kitaooji Kinya 北大路欣也. Osono by Kuroki Hitomi 黒木瞳, Oran by Shimada Youko 島田楊子, and Katsu by Saigou Teruhiko 西郷輝彦. Script by Ashizawa Toshirou, Kasahara Kazuo, Masuda Toshio.
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And believe it or not, he's the namesake of Kappou Nakaiya, a restaurant in Nakaiya's birthplace. Cool, eh?
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Return to Nakaiya in history
Nakaiya Enjou (Nakaiya In Flames) by Sofue Ichirou - a fictional account of Nakaiya's life where he gets called to Abe Ise-no-kami Masahiro's residence by Abe's well-known right-hand-man, Matsudaira Kawachi-no-kami Chikanao. There he meets up with other people regarding Japan's economic situation in light of its opening up and how Nakaiya could exploit Western demand for silk. It details his many encounters and tribulations with numerous other figures like: the Tosa-han daimyo Yamauchi Yodo who was trying to exploit John Manjirou (a Japanese who had beached up in the US), Mito-han's Tokugawa Nariaki, and of course Ii Naosuke. (They even threw in the obligatory Sakamoto Ryouma.) You can read a description and review of it here.
Original name: 幕末士伝 中居屋炎上 by 祖父江一郎. 313 pages. Published 2002.
Shinpan Honoo no Kiito-shou Nakaiya Juubee (New Edition: The Blazing Silk Merchant - Nakaiya Juubee) by Hagiwara Shin - A detailed, non-fiction account of all of Nakaiya's life in detail, examining existing evidence and sources, as well as utilising newly discovered material. There are 5 sections: 1. Life in his hometown, 2. Edo period, 3. Preparation to depart for Yokohama, 4. Yokohama period and 5. Mysterious last period of life as well as the family he left behind. Here's another link.
Original name: 新版 炎の生糸商 中居屋重兵衛 by 萩原進. 216 pages. Published 1994.
Shingan - Nakaiya Juubee no Maboroshi (Authenticity - The Illusion of Nakaiya Juubee) by Matsumoto Ken'ichi - Non-fiction. While the author was examining and verifying the authenticity of various documents related to Nakaiya that are owned by a certain Nakayama Nobuo, he came to the conclusion that the historical figure Nakaiya never actually existed. If historical evidence was fabricated, then who did it for what purpose, and who is this Nakayama Nobuo? That is what the book is about.
Original name: 真贋 中居屋重兵衛のまぼろし by 松本健一. 198 pages. Published 1998.
Douten (Moving Heaven) Directed by Masuda Toshio, originally by Nakanishi Rei - A movie featuring Nakaiya. WTF, you say? Well, I say WTF to you too.
Here is a description of the plot roughly translated from goo movies. (Alternatively, you might like to read a more concise one at the New York Times online here).
While beginning his life as a merchant, Nakaiya meets up with and studies under Sakuma Shozan (who coincidentially is Katsu Kaishuu's real mentor), excelling in his learning of the science of firearms, gunpowder, medicine languages. In fact he was so good that even Katsu acknowledged it. Deciding he wanted to take on the global market (zomg!), he closes his shop at Nihonbashi (in Edo), and sets his sights on the newly-opened Yokohama port.
Through Katsu's connections he gets to rent some land from an official called Iwase Higo-no-kami, and proceeds to build a shop that would be a match for other grand foreign establishments. Just then, the head of the "Shungetsu-rou" pleasure quarters, O-ran, moves in from Shinagawa to Yokohama. Nakaiya gets O-ran to instruct his wife, O-sono, about the art of entertainment, with the intention of having his new shop be not only a place for trading with The World, but to make it a godo social location managed by O-sono. The completed premises, replete with dazzling bronze tiles, quickly became known as the "Akagane Ten" (Bronze Palace).
However, Iwase Higo-no-kami loses his position/job and his stipend due to his objection to the feudal policies of the Shogunate. To complicate matters Nakaiya himself gets a sudden summons from the local magistrate regarding his use of bronze tiles for his shop's roof when bronze was a restricted item. And then three British sailors are killed in front of his own shop.
The foreign authorities were angered at the government's standard way of dealing with the situation, but because Nakaiya treated the dead bodies with care and respect, the ties between them and Nakaiya became stronger.
In 1859 Katsu is set to go to America, and Nakaiya meets up with him again. Jubilated at their reunion he boldly talks about his dream of investing 3000 ryo into building a good, sturdy ship and doing business with the peoples of other nations. However, the Shogunate's infuence on Yokohama was getting more and more oppresive and the merchants there could be hit by some detrimental policy any day. Finally, on the 3rd of March 1860, the tairo Ii Naosuke is attacked. It was a divine calling for Nakaiya Juubee, a man who believed in the opening of Japan and freedom of trade, to quietly support the activists in Mito-han.
Original name: 動天, directed by 舛田利雄. 122 minutes long. Screened 1991, released on VHS 1995. Nakaiya is acted by Kitaooji Kinya 北大路欣也. Osono by Kuroki Hitomi 黒木瞳, Oran by Shimada Youko 島田楊子, and Katsu by Saigou Teruhiko 西郷輝彦. Script by Ashizawa Toshirou, Kasahara Kazuo, Masuda Toshio.
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And believe it or not, he's the namesake of Kappou Nakaiya, a restaurant in Nakaiya's birthplace. Cool, eh?
---
Return to Nakaiya in history
