Stage names:

Ichikawa Aragorô IV
Ichikawa Aratarô I
Ichikawa Nanzaburô

Real name: Ichikawa Nanzaburô

Guild: Mikawaya

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry name: Shigan

Existence: 6th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1861 ^[1] ~ 17 May 1930

Connections:

Father: Ichikawa Aragorô III

Sons: Ichikawa Aratarô II, Ichikawa Aratarô III

Career:

6th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1861 ^[1]: born in Ôsaka, near the Sakurabashi bridge in Dôjima.

10th lunar month of 1869: first stage appearance, at the Inari Shibai in Ôsaka, where he played the role of Kôemon's son Kômatsu in the drama "Tengajaya".

1875: Ichikawa Nanzaburô took the name of Ichikawa Aratarô I.

May 1882: Aratarô played at the Takashimaza (Ôsaka) the roles of Adachi Motoemon and Kyôya Mansuke in the drama "Tengajaya"; the roles of Hayase Iori and Tôma Saburôemon were played by Nakamura Ganjirô I and Matsuo Ennosuke.

24th February 1906: his father Ichikawa Aragorô III died.

September 1907: Ichikawa Aratarô I and his son Ichikawa Yasutarô took the names of Ichikawa Aragorô IV and Ichikawa Aratarô II in Ôsaka at the Bentenza; the new Aragorô played the roles of Mitsuhide and Tokuemon in "Myôshinji" and "Asagao Nikki".

5th December 1925: his son Ichikawa Aratarô II died.

17th May 1930: Aragorô died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Ichikawa Aragorô IV was a katakiyaku actor, who made all his career in Kamigata koshibai from the beginning of the Meiji era to the beginning of the Shôwa era. His most famous performances were in roles like Ikuta Denhachirô ("Katakiuchi Sôzenji Baba"), Tatara Shindôzaemon ("Imorizake"), Tonbê ("Yaguchi no Watashi") or Adachi Motoemon ("Tengajaya").

[1] The 6th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 1st year of the Bunkyû era was the 15th of April 1861 in the western calendar.

Ichikawa Aragorô IV playing the role of Sôgan in the drama "Sakaya", which was staged in 1923 at the Naniwaza

The Ichikawa Aratarô line of actors

The Ichikawa Aragorô line of actors