Stage names:

Ichikawa Danjûrô VI
Ichikawa Ebizô IV
Ichikawa Tokuzô

Guild: Naritaya

Line number: ROKUDAIME (VI)

Poetry names: Sanshô, Hakuen

Existence: 1778 ~ 13th day of the 5th lunar month of 1799 ^[1]

Connection:

Adoptive father: Ichikawa Danjûrô V

Adopted son: Ichikawa Ebizô V

Disciple: Ichikawa Danshichi I

Career:

1778 ~ 1781: born in Edo. He was most likely the illegitimate son of Ichikawa Danjûrô V. He was adopted by Izumiya Kanjûrô, nephew of Ichikawa Danjûrô V and manager of a shibai jaya.

10th lunar month of 1781: he was adopted by Ichikawa Danjûrô V, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Tokuzô.

1st lunar month of 1782: Tokuzô made his first stage appearance, in Edo at the Nakamuraza.

11th lunar month of 1782: Ichikawa Tokuzô took the name of Ichikawa Ebizô IV at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Godai Genji Mitsugi no Furisode".

1st lunar month of 1788: Ebizô achieved a great success at the Kiriza by playing the role of the medice peddler Tôkichi in the "Uirô Uri" scene, which was performed within the drama "Keisei Natori Soga".

1st lunar month of 1789: Ebizô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, koyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1791: great shûmei at the Ichimuraza for the Naritaya guild; the actors Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Ichikawa Ebizô IV respectively took the names of Ichikawa Ebizô and Ichikawa Danjûrô VI. The new Danjûrô played the roles of Sanada Yoichi and Ushiwaka in the kaomise drama "Kin no Menuki Genke no Kakutsuba".

9th lunar month of 1792: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Koganosuke in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin"; the role of Hinadori was played by Segawa Tomisaburô II.

5th lunar month of 1793: Danjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Rikiya and Nikaidô Hyôgônosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

Fall 1793: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Shinomiya Rokurô in the drama "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata".

11th lunar month of 1793: Danjûrô performed at the Miyakoza in the kaomise drama "Yasa Gunbai Miyako no Jintori"; his stage partners were Segawa Kikunojô III, Iwai Kumesaburô I, Ôtani Hiroji III and Bandô Mitsugorô II.

7th lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Miyakoza of the drama "Keisei Sanbon Karakasa"; Danjûrô played the role of Banzaemon's son Fuwa Bansaku [more details].

9th lunar month of 1794: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Kamei Rokurô in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

11th lunar month of 1794: Danjûrô performed at the Kiriza in the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Oedo no Ishizue".

4th lunar month of 1795: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Ono no Sadakurô [illustration] in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

6th lunar month of 1795: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Tanzaemon in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima".

7th lunar month of 1795: Danjûrô played the role of Hinadori in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin"; the role of Koganosuke was played by Arashi Sangorô II.

11th lunar month of 1795: Danjûrô played at the Miyakoza the role of Kumagai Tarô, the superhero of the "Shibaraku" scene, in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Yuki no Yoshitsune"; his stage partners were Nakamura Nakazô II, Bandô Hikosaburô III, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I and Kataoka Nizaemon VII.

4th lunar month of 1796 Danjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Naonobu and Shinsuke in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki".

7th lunar month of 1796: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Kurikara Tarô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

9th lunar month of 1796: the play "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" was staged for the first time in Edo, simultaneously at the Kiriza and the Miyakoza; Danjûrô played the role of Kinugawa Yasaburô in the latter theater [casting].

11th lunar month of 1796: Danjûrô played at the Miyakoza the roles of Yorimitsu, Ôya Tarô and the yakko Danpei in the kaomise drama "Seiwa Nidai Ôyose Genji".

5th lunar month of 1797: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Yoshimori in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".

6th lunar month of 1797: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of Yoshitsune in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

8th lunar month of 1797: Danjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Miuranosuke and Minamoto Yoriie in the drama "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata".

11th lunar month of 1797: Danjûrô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kaikei Kokyô no Nishikigi", sharing the stage with Matsumoto Kôshirô IV, Iwai Hanshirô IV, Ichikawa Komazô III, Nakayama Tomisaburô I, Bandô Hikosaburô III, Nakamura Noshio II, Onoe Matsusuke I, Bandô Minosuke I, Iwai Kumesaburô I and Ichikawa Ebizô V. This kaomise program, which celebrated the reopening of the Nakamuraza, was a huge success.

6th lunar month of 1798: Danjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Igami no Gonta, Tokaiya Ginpei and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

9th lunar month of 1798: Danjûrô played in the same theater the role of the yakko Yokanpei in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1798: Danjûrô became zagashira at the Nakamuraza and achieved a great success by performing in Fukumori Kyûsuke I's kaomise drama "Hana no Mimasu Yoshino no Miyuki"; his stage partners were Iwai Hanshirô IV, Iwai Kumesaburô I and Ichikawa Komazô III.

1st lunar month of 1799: Danjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1799: Danjûrô played at the Nakamuraza the prestigious role of Sukeroku in the drama "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Hanami Doki", which commemorated the 22nd anniversary (23rd memorial service) of late Ichikawa Ebizô III; the role of the courtesan Agemaki ^[2] was played by Iwai Kumesaburô I [print].

4th lunar month of 1799: Danjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Teraoka Heiemon, Ôwashi Bungo and Momonoi Wakasanosuke in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". He suddenly fell ill the 18th April and died the 13th day of the 5th lunar month of 1799 ^[1].

Comments:

Ichikawa Danjûrô VI was a promising tachiyaku actor, excelling as a young aragotoshi. In 1795, the hyôbanki made a reference to a popular trio of young actors, called Shusse Sanpukutsui section ("a successful trio") and made up of Ichikawa Danjûrô VI, Ichikawa Omezô I and Bandô Minosuke I. He unfortunately died before reaching the peak of his career.

[1] The 13th day of the 5th lunar month of the 11th year of the Kansei era was the 16th of June 1799 in the western calendar.

[2] The roles of Ikyû and Shinbê were played by Ichikawa Komazô V and Bandô Minosuke I.

Ichikawa Danjûrô VI in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I (1790)

Prints & Illustrations

The Ichikawa Ebizô line of actors

The Ichikawa Danjûrô line of actors