Real name: Takeda Ukon
Guild: Omodakaya
Birthday: 26 November 1963
Connections:
Master: Ichikawa En'ô II (Ichikawa Ennosuke III)
Career:
June 1972: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Minamiza theater, playing in the play "Ten'ichibô".
July 1975: he takes the name of Ichikawa Ukon at the Kabukiza, playing in the dance "Ninin Sambasô".
July 1980: revival at the Kabukiza of the never-performed 5th act of "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura"; Ukon plays the role of Suruga Jirô Kiyoshige [more details].
April 1987: Ukon takes part in the revival at the Meijiza of the play "Jûni Hitoe Komachi Zakura", which includes the famous Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no seki no To" [more details].
1 August 1993: first edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the role of Danshichi Kurobei in the play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".
21 August 1993: second edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the roles of Taira no Tomomori and Ozawa Gyôbu Tomofusa in the plays "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura" and "Mochizuki".
August 1994: third edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the role of Kawachiya Yohei in the play "Onna Goroshi Abura no Jigoku". He also plays the main role of the dance "Hanami Yakko".
August 1995: fourth edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the role of Kamiya Jihei in the play "Shinjû Ten no Amijima". He also plays seven roles in the spectacular dance "Ôtsue Dôjôji".
August 1997: fifth edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the role of Igami no Gonta in the "Sushiya" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". He also plays the main role of the dance "Kokaji".
July 1998: Ukon becomes nadai and celebrates it by playing the role of Kokingo in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is performed at the Kabukiza.
August 1998: sixth edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the role of Hayano Kampei in the fifth and sixth acts of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". He also plays the roles of Shizuka Gozen and the ghost of Taira no Tomomori the dance "Funa Benkei".
August 1999: seventh edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the role of the warrior Kumagai Naozane in the play "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" (commonly called "Kumagai Jin'ya"). He also plays the main role of the dance "Ukiyo Buro".
August 2000: eighth edition of the special performance produced by the association Ukon no Kai. Ukon plays the role of Shunkan in the play "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima". He also plays the main role of the dance "Tsuri Gitsune".
December 2000: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Kaka Saiyûki", Ichikawa Ennosuke III's version of Kawatake Shinshichi III's 1878 drama "Tsûzoku Saiyûki" (Kaka is the haimyô of Ichikawa Ennosuke III); Ukon plays the role of Songokû [casting].
July 2002: Ukon plays the bombastic role of the warrior-monk Benkei in the play "Gohiiki Kanjinchô".
October 2003: revival at the National Theatre with the Omodakaya guild of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari"; Ukon plays the role of Kujaku Saburô (later Ban no Yoshio) [casting].
Comments:
Ichikawa Ukon is a young and dynamic tachiyaku of the Omodakaya guild.
For more details and great pictures, check the following website dedicated to Ichikawa Ukon (in Japanese only):
http://www1.u-netsurf.ne.jp/~ukon/
The mon of Ichikawa Ukon