Stage names:

Ichikawa Danshirô II
Ichikawa Ennosuke I
Matsuo Ennosuke
Yamazaki Ennosuke
Bandô Utasaku
Ichimura Chômatsu

Real name: Kinoshi Kamejirô

Guild: Omodakaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry names: Juen, Shôraku

Existence: 21st day of the 7th lunar month of 1855 ^[1] ~ 6 February 1922

Connection:

Masters: Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, Bandô Hikosaburô V, Ichimura Uzaemon XIII

Father: Bandô Santarô

Sons: Ichikawa En'ô I, Ichikawa Chûsha VIII, Ichikawa Kodayû II, Ichikawa Juen I

Grandsons: Ichikawa Danshirô III, Ichikawa Miyosuke, Ichikawa Kômori II

Great-grandsons: Ichikawa En'ô II (Ichikawa Ennosuke III), Ichikawa Danshirô IV

Great-great-grandsons: Ichikawa Ennosuke IV, Ichikawa Chûsha IX

Disciples: Ichikawa Kimizô, Ichikawa Kosaburô, Ichikawa Emisaburô I

Career:

21st day of the 7th lunar month of 1855 ^[1]: born in Edo in the district of Umamichi in Asakusa. Son of the tateshi Bandô Santarô.

1860: he became disciple of Ichimura Uzaemon XIII, who gave him the name of Ichimura Chômatsu.

1862: he became disciple de Bandô Hikosaburô V, who gave him the name of Bandô Utasaku.

1868: tour in Kamigata with his master.

1870: he became disciple of Kawarasaki Gonnosuke VII.

1872: he took the name of Yamazaki Ennosuke.

1873: Ennosuke played without his master's permission the prestigious role of Benkei at the Nakajimaza (Tôkyô) in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô". This was a lese-majesty crime and the sentence was irrevocable: Ennosuke was expelled from the Kawarasaki clan. He had to give up the Yamazaki name and took the name of Matsuo Ennosuke.

13 October 1877: his 2nd master Bandô Hikosaburô V died.

January 1884: he achieved a great success in Ôsaka at the Nakaza, playing the forbidden role of Benkei in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô".

October 1890: Ichikawa Danjûrô IX forgave him and accepted to reintegrate Ennosuke in the Ichikawa clan; he took the name of Ichikawa Ennosuke I.

March 1891: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ôchi's drama "Buyû no Homare Shusse Kagekiyo", a revised revival of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's jidaimono "Shusse Kagekiyo"; Ennosuke played the roles of the plasterer Kyûsaku and Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka [casting]. This was also the celebration of Ennosuke's success at the nadai exam.

November 1893: Ennosuke took part in the opening ceremony of the Meijiza [more details].

January 1896: revival at the Harukiza of the dance "Kashiragaki Ise Monogatari", staged under the title "Noriaibune Ehô Manzai", with Ennosuke and Nakamura Kangorô XII performing the two comic dancers.

April 1897: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ochi's drama "Otokodate Harusame Gasa"; Ennosuke played the role of Henmi Ikkaku, later the rônin Henmi Tetsushinsai [more details].

July 1901: premiere at the Tôkyôza of "Tsuri Onna", the Kabuki version of the kyôgen "Tsuribari", originally written in 1883 by Kawatake Mokuami (lyrics) and Kishizawa Shikisa VI (music) and revised for the stage by Takeshiba Shinkichi. It starred Ennosuke and Nakamura Kangorô XII in the roles of Tarôkaja and the ugly girl.

18 February 1903: his 1st master Onoe Kikugorô V died.

13 September 1903: his 3rd master Ichikawa Danjûrô IX died.

February/March 1904: successful premiere at the Tôkyôza of Tsubouchi Shôyô's drama "Kiri Hitoha"; Ennosuke played the role of Ishikawa Sadamasa and Toyotomi Hideyoshi [more details].

October 1904: premiere at the Tôkyôza of the Kabuki adaptation of the kyôgen "Buaku"; Ennosuke played the role of the servant Buaku [casting].

March 1906: Tsubouchi Shôyô's drama "Hototogisu Kojô no Rakugetsu" was produced for the first time in Tôkyô, at the Tôkyôza; Ennosuke played the roles of Katagiri Katsumoto and Ujiie Naizen [casting].

November 1908: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Kagekiyo"; Ennosuke played the role of Hase no Hachirô [casting].

April 1910: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Yuki no Yûbe Iriya no Azemichi", a few scenes taken from "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana" focusing on Kataoka Naojirô and his lover Michitose and staged independently from the rest of the play; Ennosuke played the role of Kaneko Ichinojô [casting].

October 1910: Ichikawa Ennosuke I and his son Ichikawa Danko I respectively took the names of Ichikawa Danshirô II and Ichikawa Ennosuke II at the Kabukiza. The two actors performed together in the drama "Kiri Hitoha" and the long-forgotten bombastic drama "Kamahige". The name Danshirô has not been held since the 10th lunar month of 1687. The new Danshirô also revived the yagô Omodakaya.

April 1912: premiere at the Kabukiza of the dance "Hashi Benkei"; Danshirô played the role of Benkei [more details].

October 1913: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Zôhiki", a drama belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Danshirô played the role of Mita no Genji Takeru [more details].

August 1917: the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was produced at the Kabukiza for the first time; Danshirô played the role of Mikawaya Giheiji [casting].

September 1919: premiere at the Kabukiza of the Kiyomoto-based dance "Sumidagawa" (a Nô adapted for Kabuki by Yamazaki Shikô with a musical accompaniment made by Kiyomoto Umekichi II); Danshirô played the role of the boatman [casting].

November 1919: Danshirô played at the Meijiza the role of Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima".

6 February 1922: Danshirô died.

Comments:

Ichikawa Danshirô II was a talented actor, the founder of an original line of actors. He excelled in both dances and jidaimono dramas (especially the gidayû kyôgen). He rebelled against the Kabuki feudal system and his expulsion from the Ichikawa clan led him to walk his own way in koshibai or on tour in provinces. He was finally reintegrated in ôshibai and helped to fight the existing discrimination against koshibai actors.

[1] The 21st day of the 7th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Ansei era was the 2nd of September 1855 in the western calendar.

Ichikawa Danshirô II playing the role of Henmei Tesshinai in a print made by Yamamura Toyonari in 1919

The Ichikawa Ennosuke line of actors

The Ichikawa Danshirô line of actors