Stage names:

Ichikawa Dannosuke VI
Ichikawa Masusaburô III
Ichikawa Wakamatsu
Jitsukawa Ashimaru [1]

Real name: Hata Yôzô

Guild: Mikawaya, Naritaya

Line number: ROKUDAIME (VI)

Poetry name: Sankô

Existence: 1 July 1876 ~ 27 September 1963

Connections:

Adoptive father: Ichikawa Shôjaku II (Jitsukawa Rogan ^[2])

Masters: Ichikawa Danzô VII, Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, Ichikawa Sadanji I

Disciples: Ichikawa Sanzô III, Ichikawa Noshimatsu

Career:

1st of July 1876: born in Kyôto. He was the son of a Kyôto shibai jaya owner.

1883: he was adopted by the actor Jitsukawa Rogan ^[2], a disciple of Jitsukawa Enjaku I. He started his career in Kyôto and his first stage name was Jitsukawa Ashimaru ^[1].

1886: he settled in Tôkyô with his adoptive father. They both became disciple of Ichikawa Sadanji I in 1887. His adoptive father took the name of Ichikawa Shôjaku II while he received the name of Ichikawa Wakamatsu.

November 1897: he became a disciple of Ichikawa Danjûrô IX and received the name of Ichikawa Masusaburô III.

End of the Meiji era: he performed in Kansai in Kabuki troupes led by Ichikawa Ichijûrô III or Nakamura Tokizô I. He also became disciple of Ichikawa Danzô VII.

13 September 1903: his second master Ichikawa Danjûrô IX died.

7 August 1904: his first master Ichikawa Sadanji I died.

2 May 1906: his adoptive father Ichikawa Shôjaku II died.

11 September 1911: his third master Ichikawa Danzô VII died.

November 1915: he became nadai and took the name of Ichikawa Dannosuke VI at the Shintomiza.

Taishô era: he performed in koshibai, in venues like the Daikokuza (Yotsuya), the Mikuniza (Asakusa) or the Kotobukiza (Honjo).

From the beginning of the Shôwa era: he went back to ôshibai as a supporting actor and often performed with the troupe led by Nakamura Kichiemon I.

April 1947: Dannosuke played for the first time the role of Otose in "Obiya", in Tôkyô at the Tôkyô Gekijô; the role of Obiya Chôemon was played by Sawamura Sôjûrô VII.

January 1948: Dannosuke played for the first time the role of Tanbaya Hachiemon in "Fûin Giri", in Tôkyô at the Imperial Theater, sharing the stage with Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kameya Chûbê), Nakamura Shikan VI (Umegawa), Sawamura Tanosuke V (Tsuchiya Jiemon) and Nakamura Moshio IV (Oen).

March 1949: Dannosuke played at the Shinbashi Enbujô the role of Tanbaya Hachiemon in "Fûin Giri", sharing the stage with Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kameya Chûbê), Nakamura Shikan VI (Umegawa), Ichikawa Danzô VIII (Tsuchiya Jiemon) and Nakamura Moshio IV (Oen).

May 1949: Dannosuke played at the Misonoza the role of Tanbaya Hachiemon in "Fûin Giri", sharing the stage with Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kameya Chûbê), Nakamura Shikan VI (Umegawa), Ichikawa Danzô VIII (Tsuchiya Jiemon) and Nakamura Moshio IV (Oen).

August 1950: Dannosuke played at the Tôkyô Gekijô the role of Otose in "Obiya"; the role of Obiya Chôemon was played by Nakamura Kichiemon I.

March 1952: Dannosuke played for the last time the role of Tanbaya Hachiemon in "Fûin Giri", in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, sharing the stage with Nakamura Kichiemon I (Kameya Chûbê), Nakamura Utaemon VI (Umegawa), Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII (Tsuchiya Jiemon) and Sawamura Tosshô IV (Oen).

July 1955: premiere at the Tôkyô Takarazuka Theater of Uno Nobuo's drama "Mômoku Monogatari"; Dannosuke played the role of Sôbê [more details]. This drama was part of the first Tôhô Kabuki postwar performance. The Tôkyô Takarazuka Theater was taken over by the American occupation forces in 1945, becoming the Ernie Pyle Theater. It was forbiden to Japanese for 10 years and was finally given back to the Tôhô Company in 1955, which renamed it with its original name.

December 1955: Dannosuke played at the Kabukiza the role of Otose in "Obiya"; the role of Obiya Chôemon was played by Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII.

July 1958: Dannosuke played for the last time the role of Otose in "Obiya", in Tôkyô at the Shinjuku Shôchikuza; the role of Obiya Chôemon was played by Ichikawa Chûsha VIII.

1960: he received the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhô in Japanese).

27 September 1963: Dannosuke died.

Comments:

Ichikawa Dannosuke VI was a talented and popular supporting actor, who spent 80 years on stage! His atariyaku were Otose ("Obiya") and Tanbaya Hachiemon ("Fûin Giri"). Born and trained in Kansai, he gave to these two roles a colorful Kamigata touch through his acting. Tachiyaku, onnagata, katakiyaku or fukeyaku, he was able to perform a wide range of roles thanks to his wealth of experience which he gained in koshibai in Tôkyô or in tabi shibai. He was popular in koshibai during the 1910s and the 1920s and he had the opportunity to play major roles like Soga Gorô ("Soga no Taimen"), Baba Saburobê ("Ôsakazuki"), Marubashi Chûya ("Keian Taiheiki"), Omitsu ("Nozaki-mura"), Yaoya Oshichi or the leading roles of the dance-dramas like "Momijigari" and "Modoribashi".

[1] In the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran", his first stage name was Jitsukawa Ashimaru. In the National Theatre Digital Library, his first stage name was Jitsukawa Rogan (a different reading for the same ideograms used for Ashimaru). In Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten", his first stage name was Kataoka Yoshimaru. In the Ritsumeikan University Actors Database, his first stage name was Kataoka Rogan.

[2] In the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran", his adoptive father's first stage name was Jitsukawa Rogan. In Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten", his adoptive father's first stage name was Kataoka Rogan.

Ichikawa Dannosuke VI playing the role of Oshô Kichisa in the drama "Sannin Kichisa"

The Ichikawa Masusaburô line of actors

The Ichikawa Dannosuke line of actors