was a Japanese

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

actor of the prestigious

Ichikawa Danjūrō is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. It is a famous and important name, and receiving it is an honor. There are a number of r ...

line. He was a ''tachiyaku'' (male roles) actor in the ''

aragoto , or 'rough style', is a style of kabuki acting that uses exaggerated, dynamic (forms or movements) and speech. roles are characterised by the bold red or blue makeup () worn by actors, as well as their enlarged and padded costumes. The term i ...

'' style, like all members of the lineage, but particularly specialized in the roles of young lovers, for which he was extremely popular.

Names

Like most kabuki actors, Danjūrō had a number of names over the course of his career. He was a member of the Naritaya guild, and could be called by this name (see ''

yagō , literally meaning "house name", is a term applied in traditional Japanese culture to names passed down within a guild, studio, or other circumstance other than blood relations. The term is synonymous with and . The term most often refers to the ...

''). He began his career as

Ichikawa Shinnosuke is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. Shinnosuke, like other actors' names, is bestowed (or given up) at grand naming ceremonie ...

II and soon afterwards took on the name

Ichikawa Ebizō is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. It is a famous and important name, and receiving it is an honor. Ebizō, like other acto ...

VI before becoming the eighth Ichikawa Danjūrō at the young age of nine. He also used the name Ichikawa Hakuen III at times; his '' haimyō'', or poetry name, was Sanshō.

Lineage

Unlike many kabuki actors who are adopted into the various theatre families, Danjūrō VIII was directly descended from

Ichikawa Danjūrō I was an early kabuki actor in Japan. He remains today one of the most famous of all kabuki actors and is considered one of the most influential. His many influences include the pioneering of the ''aragoto'' style of acting which came to be larg ...

. Danjūrō VIII was the son of

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII was a Japanese kabuki actor who specialized in male hero (''tachiyaku'') roles, said to be the greatest of the 19th century. He was responsible for the establishment of the ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'', a collection of the eighteen greatest plays in ...

, and had a number of brothers who also performed on stage, including

Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period (1868–1912). Ninth in the line of actors to hold the name Ichikawa Danjūrō, he is depicted in countless ''ukiyo-e'' actor prints (''yakusha-e''), and is widely cr ...

Ichikawa Ebizō VII may refer to: Places *Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan **Ichikawa Gakuen (Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School), a large private boys and girls school in Moto-kita-kata, Ichikawa, Chiba * Ichikawa, Hyogo, a town in Hyōgo, Japan *Ichikawa ...

Ichikawa Ebizō VIII may refer to: Places *Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan **Ichikawa Gakuen (Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School), a large private boys and girls school in Moto-kita-kata, Ichikawa, Chiba * Ichikawa, Hyogo, a town in Hyōgo, Japan *Ichikawa ...

, Ichikawa Komazō VI, Ichikawa Saruzō I, and Ichikawa Kōzō.

Life and career

Born in

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

, he appeared on stage barely a month after being born, being introduced as Ichikawa Shinnosuke II at the

Ichimura-za The was a major kabuki theatre in the Japanese capital of Edo (later, Tokyo), for much of the Edo period, and into the 20th century. It was first opened in 1634 and was run by members of the Ichimura family for much of the following nearly thre ...

's '' kaomise'' performance, in which the troupe for the following year is introduced. He then took on the name Ichikawa Ebizō VI at the age of two, and becomes Danjūrō VIII in 1832, at the age of nine. This is the same age at which his father took on this prestigious name, the two receiving the name at a younger age than any other Danjūrō has ever done. Danjūrō VIII performed for the first time in ''

Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura ''Sukeroku'' (助六由縁江戸桜) is a play in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'' ("Eighteen Great Plays"). The play is known in English as ''The Flower of Edo''. The play is strongly associated with the I ...

'' at the ''

shūmei ''Shūmei'' (, "name succession") are grand naming ceremonies held in kabuki theatre. Most often, a number of actors will participate in a single ceremony, taking on new stage-names. These stagenames, most often those of the actor's father, gran ...

'' naming ceremony, and in the lead role in ''

Shibaraku ''Shibaraku'' (暫, しばらく) is a play in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'' ("Eighteen Great Plays"). The play is noted for its flamboyantly dramatic costumes and makeup (''kumadori''). {{citation need ...

'' later that year. After appearing in a number of minor roles for the next several years, Danjūrō plays

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...

in the 1840 premiere of ''

Kanjinchō ''Kanjinchō'' (勧進帳, ''The Subscription List'') is a kabuki dance-drama by Namiki Gohei III, based on the Noh play ''Ataka''. It is one of the most popular plays in the modern kabuki repertory. Belonging to the repertories of the Naritaya ...

'' at the

Kawarazaki-za The was one of the major kabuki theatres in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period and into the Meiji period. Not being one of the four theatres formally licensed by the Tokugawa shogunate, the theatre was largely inactive for long stretche ...

. From then on, he played more prestigious roles, including Katō Masakiyo in ''

Ehon Taikōki is the Japanese term for picture books. It may be applied in the general sense, or may refer specifically to a type of woodblock printed illustrated volume published in the Edo period (1603–1867). The first were religious items with images ...

'' and the lead role in '' Narukami''. In 1844, he played Sukeroku for the first time, alongside Iwai Hanshirō VII, Matsumoto Kōshirō VI and Onoe Kikugorō IV. Danjūrō continued to be quite active for the next ten years, playing a number of major roles including Narukami and Katō Masakiyo again,

Benkei , popularly known as simply Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (''sōhei'') who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185) .html" ;"title="/sup>">/sup>. Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, ...

in ''Kanjinchō'', and the young lover Yosaburō in the new '' Kirare Yosa'' by Segawa Jōkō III. His popularity in these young lover roles ('' nimaime'') are said to have been such that when he played Sukeroku, a role which involves immersing himself in a barrel of water in one scene, the water was sold afterwards to clamoring female fans. In 1854, however, shortly after arriving in Osaka for a performance tour with his father, Danjūrō was found in his room at the inn with his wrists slashed. Some scholars surmise that he suffered from extensive debts as a result of the extravagant lifestyle he and his father led, and that his early successes and popularity attracted the envy or ire of other actors, worsening his relationships with them and complicating his personal problems.

Notes

References