There are many versions of the so-called "Sanbasô" dance which are all derived originally from the ritualistic Nô play "Okina", a felicitous number that is of ancient origin and probably has its source in some religious rite as a prayer for peace and a good harvest, later incorporated into the Nô repertory. "Ninin Sanbasô" is a version of the dance in which two sanbasô instead of one perform in the dance. This version was first seen in the Bunraku puppet theater adaptation, and proved highly successful. The late Ichikawa En'ô I with his son who resembled him strongly, presented this Bunraku number in a Kabuki adaptation, which was staged in April 1936 at the Tôkyô Gekijô, making effective use of their striking physical resemblance by presenting a twin pair of sanbasô. "Ninin Sanbasô" makes use of the Gidayû music instead of the lighter Kiyomoto or Nagauta music generally associated with others sanbasômono.

In the original form, three old men performed dances in turn, the trio being the okina (the old man), the senzai (the one thousand years old man) and the sanbasô (literally the third old man). The Nô number is titled after the dignified and ritualistic first old man and is known as "Okina", but the Kabuki versions lay emphasis on the lighter, faster dance of the third old man and is generally entitled "Sanbasô" Incidentally, the sanbasô, even in Nô, is no longer portrayed as an old man but as a more lively character.

"Ninin Sanbasô" is a version of the dance in which two sanbasô make their appearance on stage instead of the classic single sanbasô. Following the dances of both the okina and the senzai, the two sanbasô wearing the traditional eboshi hat go through their lively dance, in the course of which one of the pair becomes quite out of breath and finds it difficult to keep up the pace. The second sanbasô, seeing the other's suffering, does his best in a very humorous way to encourage his partner to continue the lively dance.

Ichikawa Ennosuke II and Ichikawa Danshirô III performing in the dance "Ninin Sanbasô", which was staged in December 1937 at the Kokusai Gekijô