Stage names:
| Ichikawa Danjûrô XII |  |
| Ichikawa Ebizô X | |
| Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI | |
| Ichikawa Natsuo | |
Real name: Horikoshi Natsuo
Pen name: Mimasuya Hakuji
Guild: Naritaya
Line number: JÛNIDAIME (XII)
Existence: 6 August 1946 ~ 3 February 2013
Connections:
Grandfather: Matsumoto Kôshirô VII
Father: Ichikawa Danjûrô XI
Son: Ichikawa Ebizô XI
Disciples: Ichikawa Shinzô VI, Ichikawa Shinjûrô IV
Career:
October 1953: he makes his first appearance on stage, at the Kabukiza, where he receives the name of Ichikawa Natsuo and plays in the drama "Daitokuji".
May 1958: Ichikawa Natsuo takes the name of Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI at the Kabukiza.
10 November 1965: Shinnosuke's father Ichikawa Danjûrô XI dies.
September 1966: Shinnosuke plays at the Kabukiza the role of Yosaburô in the "Gen'ya Dana" scene of the drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi"; the role of Otomi is played by Onoe Kikunosuke IV.
February 1967: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Dattan"; Shinnosuke plays the role of a rengyôshû [casting].
August 1968: Shinnosuke plays for the first time the prestigious role of Narukami in the eponymous play, which is staged at the National Theatre; the role of princess Taema is played by Ichikawa Monnosuke VII.
November 1969: Ichikawa Shinnosuke VI takes the name of Ichikawa Ebizô X at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Sukeroku and Togashi in the play "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura" and the dance-drama "Kanjinchô".
September 1970: Ebizô and Bandô Tamasaburô, a very popular and successful duo, play together for the first time in the classic "Narukami", which is performed at the Kabukiza. Ebizô plays Narukami and Bandô Tamasaburô plays princess Taema.
April 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Nishizawa Ippô's drama "Keisei Hama no Masago"; Ebizô plays the roles of Sanni no Goroshichi and Toyotomi Hisatsugu [casting].
April 1985: Ichikawa Ebizô X takes the name of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Benkei and Sukeroku in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô" and the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".
May 1985: Danjûrô celebrates his second month of shûmei at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Kamakura Gongorô Kagemasa, Soga Gorô and Benkei in the plays "Shibaraku", "Uirô Uri" and "Kanjinchô". His stage partners in "Kanjinchô" are Onoe Shôroku II (Togashi) and Nakamura Utaemon VI (Yoshitsune).
June 1985: Danjûrô celebrates his third month of shûmei at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Oda Nobunaga, Narukami and Sukeroku in the plays "Wakaki Hi no Nobunaga", "Narukami" and "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".
Summer 1985: Danjûrô celebrates his shûmei in the USA, playing the roles of Kamakura Gongorô Kagemasa and Minamoto Raikô in the bombastic drama "Shibaraku" and the dance-drama "Tsuchi Gumo" [more details].
October 1985: Danjûrô celebrates his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza, playing the roles of Benkei and Sukeroku in the plays "Kanjinchô" and "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".
December 1985: Danjûrô celebrates his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza, playing the roles of Benkei and Sukeroku in the plays "Kanjinchô" and "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".
January 1986: Danjûrô celebrates his comeback at the Kabukiza after the great shûmei of 1985, performing in a great new year show the roles of Soga Gorô and Oshô Kichisa in the plays "Ya-no-Ne" and "Sannin Kichisa".
April 1986: Danjûrô celebrates his shûmei at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza, playing the roles of Benkei and Sukeroku in the plays "Kanjinchô" and "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".
January 1997: tôshi kyôgen revival at the National Theatre of the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; Danjûrô plays the roles of Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo and the priest Sekigahara Jinnai (in reality Iba-no-Jûzô Kazuyoshi) [casting].
January 1999: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono "Irogoyomi Gen'yadana"; Danjûrô plays the role of Yosaburô [casting].
March 2000: an amazing threesome at the Kabukiza for the performance of "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". Danjûrô plays Umeômaru, with Matsumoto Kôshirô and Onoe Kikugorô in the roles of Matsuômaru and Sakuramaru.
March 2001: Danjûrô plays at the Shimbashi Embujô the role of Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which is staged by the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan to commemorate the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) and the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the deaths of late Onoe Shôroku II and Onoe Baikô VII.
November 2001: Danjûrô plays the 3 leading roles of Tadanobu, Gonta and Tomomori in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is staged as a tôshi kyôgen at the National Theatre.
May 2004: Danjûrô plays the roles of Fukuoka Mitsugi and Benkei in the drama "Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba" and the dance-drama "Kanjinchô", which are staged at the Kabukiza to celebrate the shûmei of his son Ichikawa Ebizô XI. He suddenly falls ill the 9th (first symptoms of a leukemia) and has to be replaced. He stops acting up to Fall 2004.
October 2004: Danjûrô is back on stage ... in France at the Théâtre de Chaillot, playing the role of Sakata Ichinosuke in the drama "Toribeyama Shinjû", which celebrates the shûmei in Paris of his son Ichikawa Ebizô XI [more details].
August 2005: Danjûrô falls ill again. He has to be hospitalized and to be on sick leave for at least 6 months.
May 2006: Danjûrô is back on stage and plays at the Kabukiza the role of the moxa peddler, in reality Soga Gorô Tokimune, in the drama "Uirô Uri".
March 2007: tour in Paris (France); Danjûrô plays at the Palais Garnier the roles of Togashi/Benkei (in alternance with his son) and Taira no Koremochi in the dance-dramas "Kanjinchô" and "Momijigari", which celebrate the Ichikawa clan [more details].
January 2009: revival at the National Theatre of "Zôhiki", a bombastic play in the aragoto style which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Danjûrô plays the role of the warrior Mita no Genji Takeru [casting].
September 2009: short Kabuki tour in Monaco for the Naritaya guild; Danjûrô plays the role of the evil priest Narukami in the drama "Narukami" [more details].
December 2012: Danjûrô appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Minamiza, where he plays the roles of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki and Benkei in "Ishikiri Kajiwara" and "Funa Benkei"; falling ill, he is replaced from the 18th of December by Nakamura Kanjaku and Nakamura Hashinosuke to perform the former and the latter roles.
15 December 2012: Danjûrô joins the prestigious Japan Art Academy (Nihon Geijutsuin).
3 February 2013: Danjûrô dies of pneumonia in a Tôkyô Hospital.
Comments:
Ichikawa Danjûrô XII was the holder of the most prestigious Kabuki name and an amazing tachiyaku actor.
Official internet website of the Naritaya guild: http://www.naritaya.jp/
Ichikawa Danjûrô playing the role of Benkei in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô"
Print courtesy of Paul Binnie (all rights reserved)
Print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in 1988
The Ichikawa Shinnosuke line of actors
The Ichikawa Ebizô line of actors
The Ichikawa Danjûrô line of actors