Shigeyama Masakuni (茂山正邦)

Masakuni SHIGEYAMA (born on July 7, 1972 to now) is a kyogen performer of Okura-ryu (the Shigeyama family, Kyoto) (Okura school). He is the eldest son of Sengoro SHIGEYAMA, the thirteenth.

He graduated from Ritsumeikan University. He studied kyogen under his father Sengoro, grandfather Sensaku SHIGEYAMA, the fourth, and great-grandfatherSensaku SHIGEYAMA, the third, and has trained himself.
He made a debut playing as Shite (main actor) in a kyogen play 'I-ro-ha (ABC).'
In 1993 he became a member of 'Hanagata Kyogen Kai' (the Young Star Kyogen Performers Society). In 1998 he was awarded 'Osakashi sakuya konohana sho' (Osaka city blooming flowers on the tree prize).

Since 1995 he has formed and operated 'Shinmi no kai' (Shinmi association) with Yasuhiro URATA, Yasuchika URATA (shite-kata (main roles) of Kanze school), Yuji TANIGUCHI (Otsuzumi kata of Ishii school) and Naoyasu SOWA (Kotsuzumi kata of Ko school). He gives a performance once a year and promotes nogaku (the art of Noh) including kyogen.

[Original Japanese]