Ichikawa Ennosuke IV

, better known by the stage name , is a Japanese kabuki, film, and television actor and stage director.

Early life and career

Ichikawa Ennosuke IV was born on 26 November 1975, in Tokyo, Japan, into a family with deep connections to the kabuki tradition. He is the son of Ichikawa Danshirō IV, a kabuki actor known for his ''aragoto'' style of performances. Ennosuke made his first stage appearance as the child emperor Antoku in the kabuki production ''Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura'' at the age of 5. Three years later in 1983, he took the stage name . He became known for his ''tachiyaku'' and ''onnagata'' roles over the course of his career, in addition to his repertoire of dances.

Ennosuke made his television debut in 2007 in the taiga drama '' Fūrin Kazan'' as Takeda Shingen, from there he began being cast in major supporting roles in high-profile dramas such as ''Ryōmaden'' (2010), '' Naoki Hanzawa'' (2020), and ''The 13 Lords of the Shogun'' (2022). He has also made several film appearances.

In 2012, his uncle Kinoshi Masahiko, stage name Ichikawa Ennosuke III, retired from kabuki and passed his appellation to Takahiko, heretofore known as Kamejirō II. From this point on, Takahiko would become known as Ichikawa Ennosuke IV, the fourth in his family to carry the name. Ennosuke IV has carried on his predecessor's mission in revitalizing the art of kabuki to attract contemporary audiences with what's called "Super Kabuki" productions, playing a central role in a kabuki reimagining of the manga ''One Piece'' ('' Super Kabuki II: One Piece'') that achieved major commercial success.

Arrest

Ennosuke and his parents were found unconscious on 18 May 2023 by his manager in their home in the Meguro ward of Tokyo. Ennosuke survived, but his mother was pronounced dead at the scene, while his father Danshirō IV was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. All three were found to have overdosed on sleeping pills. On the day the three were discovered in their homes, the weekly magazine ''Josei Seven'' (女性セブン) published a report detailing allegations that Ennosuke had bullied staff and sexually harassed female cast members. Ennosuke told police that the report prompted him to hold a family meeting with his parents, in which the three decided to "say goodbye" and "to meet in the next world."

On June 27, Ennosuke was arrested on a charge of assisting suicide by supplying his mother with prescription sleeping pills and covering her head with a plastic bag. On July 18 he was arrested again on a separate charge for doing the same to his father. He was indicted on both charges on July 28, and was released on bail set at 5 million yen on July 31.

When news of his initial arrest broke, the NHK removed shows featuring Ennosuke from its streaming service as had been done for other actors being embroiled in criminal investigations. Due to public opposition to the decision, the NHK announced on July 26 that they will no longer pull shows off on-demand streaming services in similar situations as a policy to "respect the freedom of consumer choice", and the affected shows will be made available again.

Filmography

Television drama

* NHK taiga drama
** '' Fūrin Kazan'' (2007) as Takeda Shingen
** ''Ryōmaden'' (2010) as Imai Nobuo
** ''The 13 Lords of the Shogun'' (2022) as Mongaku
* ''Puzzle'' (2008) as Kenji Hashimoto
* ''Nanase Futatabi'' (2008) as Detective Takamura
* ''Nene: Onna Taikōk''i (2009) as Toyotomi Hideyoshi
* ''Hissatsu Shigotonin 2009'' (2009) as Yasukawa Shingo
* ''Shirasu Jirō'' (2009) as Jirō Aoyama
* ''Hanchō: Jinnansho Azumihan'' (2009) as Andy Matsuo
* ''Daibutsu Kaigan'' (2010) as Genbō
* ''Detective Tokunosuke Jinbo 4'' (2010) as Shūichi Ichinose
* ''Detective Tokunosuke Jinbo 5'' (2011) as Shūichi Ichinose
* ''Rikon Syndrome'' (2010) as Mitsutoshi Itō
* ''Chance'' (2010) as Kenji Fujimoto
* ''Necchu Jidai'' (2011) as Keisuke Tōjō
* ''Jin'' (2011) as Nakaoka Shintarō
* ''Bull Doctor'' (2011) as Takahiro Ōdachi
* ''Hikaru Hekiga'' (2011) as Shūjiro Tsukamoto
* ''Unmei no Hito'' (2012) as Hiroshi Yokomizo
* '' Soko o Nantoka'' (2012) as Hiroaki Shōji
* ''A Chef of Nobunaga'' (2013) as Kennyo
* ''Sennyu Tantei Tokage'' (2013) as Yoshiki Sudō
* ''Pin to Kona'' (2013) as Jūdō Kawamura
* ''Camera Man Aaiichirō no Meikyū Suiri'' (2013) as Aichirō A
* ''A Chef of Nobunaga Part II'' (2014) as Kennyo
* '' Soko o Nantoka 2'' (2014) as Hiroaki Shōji
* '' Yōkoso, Wagaya e'' (2015) as Shinshi Akazaki
* ''Watashi to iu Na no Hensōkyoku'' (2015) as Yasuhiko Hamano
* ''Black Forceps'' (2018) as Keisuke Nishizaki
* ''Everyone's Demoted!!'' (2019) as Ryōsuke Machida
* ''Yumeshokudō no Ryōrinin: Senkyūrokujūyon Tōkyō Olympic Senshūmura Monogatari'' (2019) as Shunichi Murayama
* '' Naoki Hanzawa'' (2020) as Taiji Isayama
* ''Miyako ga Kyoto ni Yattekita!'' (2021) as Junpei
* ''Tokyo Chiken no Otoko'' (2021) as Kōichi Saegusa
* ''Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe'' (2021) as Masazō Kinoto
* ''Saisho wa pā'' (2022) as Ginpei Sawamura

Film

* ''Snakes and Earrings'' (2008) as Detective
* ''The Magic Hour'' (2008) as Kame
* After the Flowers (2010) as Fujii Kageyu
* ''Koi Suru Neapolitan - Sekai de Ichiban Oishii Aisarekata'' (2010) as Jōji Mizusawa
* Shuffle (2011) as Agasa
* ''Hakuji no Hito'' (2012) as Masatoshi Asada
* '' Tenchi: The Samurai Astronomer'' (2012) as Seki Takakazu
* ''Samurai Hustle'' (2014) as Tokugawa Yoshimune
* ''Samurai Hustle Returns'' (2016) as Tokugawa Yoshimune
* ''Flower and Sword'' (2017) as Toyotomi Hideyoshi
* ''Emergency Interrogation Room: The Final'' (TBA) as Yōjirō Nagauchi

Anime

* ''One Piece: Adventure of Nebulandia'' (2015) as Komei
* ''One Piece - Episode of Skypiea'' (2018) as Gan Fall

References

External links

Official websiteIchikawa Ennosuke IV on Kabuki21

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ichikawa, Ennosuke 4
1975 births
20th-century Japanese male actors
21st-century Japanese male actors
Japanese male film actors
Japanese male television actors
Kabuki actors
Keio University alumni
Living people
Male actors from Tokyo
Parricides