Stage names:
Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII
Ichikawa Ebizô VI
Ichikawa Shinnosuke II
Other name: Ichikawa Hakuen (III)
Guild: Naritaya
Line number: HACHIDAIME (VIII)
Poetry name: Sanshô
Existence: 5 October 1823 ~ 6 August 1854
Connection:
Great-great-great-great-grandfather: Ichikawa Danjûrô I
Great-great-great-grandfather: Ichikawa Ebizô II (Danjûrô II)
Great-great-grandfather: Ichikawa Ebizô III (Danjûrô IV)
Great-Grandfather: Ichikawa Hakuen I (Danjûrô V)
Father: Ichikawa Danjûrô VII
Brothers: Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, Ichikawa Ebizô VII, Ichikawa Ebizô VIII, Ichikawa Komazô VI, Ichikawa Enzô I, Ichikawa Kôzô
Career:
November 1823: he appears on stage for the first time, at the Ichimuraza, where he receives the name of Ichikawa Shinnosuke II during the kaomise performance.
March 1825: Ichikawa Shinnosuke II takes the name of Ichikawa Ebizô VI.
March 1832: great shûmei at the Ichimuraza for the Naritaya guild. His father Ichikawa Danjûrô VII takes back the name of Ichikawa Ebizô V and Ichikawa Ebizô VI, who is only 9 years old, becomes Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII. Danjûrô plays the role of Hidari no Jingorô in Tsuruya Namboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome". He also plays the role of the moxa peddler Toraya Tôkichi in a "Uirô Uri" scene (kabuki jûhachiban) which is included in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura".
November 1832: Danjûrô plays Nose Tarô, the leading role of the "Shibaraku" scene, in the Kawarazakiza kaomise program "Tanomiaru Gohiiki no Tsuna".
January 1833: Danjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, sôkantô section ("global leader"), is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
May 1833: Danjûrô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Irie Tanzô in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
July 1835: Danjûrô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Ranmaru in the drama "Konoshita Kage Hazama Gassen".
April 1836: premiere at the Moritaza of the drama "Hakkenden Uwasa no Takadono"; Danjûrô plays the roles of Inue Shimbei and the monk Shakuunbô [casting].
January 1838: Danjûrô becomes zagashira at the Kawarazakiza. He plays 4 roles in the new year drama "Fude Hajime Mazebari Soga", including the roles of Kojirô and Atsumori in the classic "Gempei Nunobiki no Taki".
March 1838: Danjûrô plays at the Kawarazakiza the 2 minor roles, including Sugiômaru, in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
March 1839: premiere at the Kawarazakiza of the dance program "Shiki no Nagame Maru-ni-I no Toshi", which is made up of four dances dedicated to the four seasons and stars Ichikawa Ebizô V, Sawamura Tosshô I and Danjûrô. The autumn dance, "Yashiki Musume", is still part of the current Kabuki repertoire.
March 1840: première of the dance-drama "Kanjinchô" at Kawarazakiza. The main role (Benkei) is played by Ichikawa Ebizô V. His stage partners are Ichikawa Kuzô II (Togashi) and Danjûrô (Yoshitsune).
August 1841: Danjûrô plays at the Kawarazakiza the role of Katô Masakiyo in the drama "Ehon Taikôki".
June 1843: Danjûrô plays for the first and last time the role of the wicked priest Narukami in the drama "Mayoi no Kumoiro ni Narukami", which is staged at the Kawarazakiza. His stage partner in the role of Princess Taema is Onoe Eizaburô III.
March 1844: Danjûrô plays at the Nakamuraza the prestigious role of Sukeroku in the drama "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momosakura". The roles of the courtesan Agemaki, the villain Ikyû and the sake seller Shimbei are played by Iwai Hanshirô VII, Matsumoto Kôshirô VI and Onoe Kikugorô IV. This performance, which celebrates the shûmei of both Iwai Hanshirô VII and Matsumoto Kôshirô VI, is a huge success and a long run
November 1845: Danjûrô plays at the Kawarazakiza the roles of Matsunaga Daizen and the sumô wrestler Tetsugadake in the dramas "Ehon Taitôki" and "Sekitori Senryô Nobori".
August 1848: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Nishizawa Ippô's drama "Eiri Shôsetsu Asagao Monogatari"; Danjûrô plays the role of Miyagi Asojirô/Komazawa Jirozaemon [casting].
March 1849: Danjûrô plays for the first time the role of Benkei in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô", which is performed at the Kawarazakiza. His stage partners are Ichikawa Kodanji IV (Togashi) and Bandô Takesaburô I (Yoshitsune).
August 1849: Danjûrô plays at the Kawarazakiza the eponymous role of the drama "Kagekiyo". His stage partners are Onoe Kikujirô II (Akoya) and Bandô Hikosaburô IV (Shigetada).
November 1849: Danjûrô plays at the Kawarazakiza the role of Hiranoya Tokubei in the drama "Sonezaki Shinjû". The role of the courtesan Ohatsu is played by Onoe Kikujirô II.
September 1850: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the drama "Minoriyoshi Kogane no Kikuzuki"; Danjûrô plays the roles of Asayama Tetsuzan and Funase Sampei [more details].
February 1851: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Sakurada Jisuke III Kiyomoto-based dance "Akegarasu Hana no Nureginu", commonly called "Urazato Tokijirô"; Danjûrô plays the role of Tokijirô [casting].
May 1851: Danjûrô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of the wicked priest Narukami in the drama "Narukami". The role of Princess Taema is played by Bandô Shûka I.
July 1852: premiere at the Kawarazakiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari"; Danjûrô plays the role of Jiraiya [casting].
March 1853: premiere of Segawa Jokô III's drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi" (commonly called "Kirare Yosa"), which is staged at the Nakamuraza and in which Danjûrô plays the role of Yosaburô [casting]. This performance is a huge success.
May 1853: Danjûrô plays at the Nakamuraza for the second and last time the role of Yosaburô in Segawa Jokô III's drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi". The role of Otomi is played by Onoe Baikô IV.
August 1854: a few days after his triumphant arrival in Ôsaka, where he is supposed to perform together with his father, Danjûrô commits suicide in his inn.
Comments:
"Like his father, Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII excelled in the aragoto ('rough-stuff') roles for which the Ichikawa lineage was famous. But as well as audacious young heroes, he was also extremely successful in the various roles of young lover (nimaime). Together with his good looks, this made him especially popular with female fans. When he played Sukeroku, in which he had to immerse himself in a barrel of water, the water was subsequently sold at exorbitant cost to avid admirers. Even when he had to appear as Yosaburô with a scarred face, pastry shops sold beanpaste buns with cracked outer skins called 'Yosaburô buns, which were devoured by the actor's fans. Despite his success, or even because of it, he was plagued by personal problems, perhaps exacerbated by his early achievements and the jealousy this caused among older actors. In 1854, during a tour of performances in Osaka with his father, he was found in his inn with his wrists slashed. He was suffering from massive debts, caused by his lifestyle, which emulated the excesses of his father." (from the The Fitzwilliam Museum Website)
Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII playing the role of Takeda Katsuyori in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô"
Print made by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in 1832
Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1854
The Ichikawa Shinnosuke line of actors
The Ichikawa Ebizô line of actors
The Ichikawa Danjûrô line of actors
