Kankurō is a member of the acting guild Nakamura-ya and son of the celebrated Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII.

Their family can trace their lineage back, within the kabuki world, at least seven generations, to Onoe Kikugorō III and Ichimura Uzaemon XI, who performed in the early 19th century.

The year 2000 marked the 12th anniversary of the death of Kankurō's grandfather, actor Nakamura Kanzaburō XVII.

Kankurō enjoyed the honor of playing the role of the elder shishi in the commemorative lion dance performance.

In 2004, he played Tōdō Heisuke in the NHK Taiga drama Shinsengumi!, reprising the role two years later in a historical television documentary.