Stage names:

Ichikawa Danshirô III
Ichikawa Danko II

Real name: Kinoshi Masanori

Guild: Omodakaya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Existence: 5 October 1908 ~ 18 November 1963

Connection:

Grandfather: Ichikawa Danshirô II (Ichikawa Ennosuke I)

Father: Ichikawa En'ô I (Ichikawa Ennosuke II)

Sons: Ichikawa En'ô II (Ichikawa Ennosuke III), Ichikawa Danshirô IV

Grandsons: Ichikawa Chûsha IX, Ichikawa Ennosuke IV

Career:

October 1913: he made his first stage appearance, at the Tôkyôza, where he received the name of Ichikawa Danko II.

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); Danko played the role of the spirit of Umewakamaru [casting].

6 February 1922: his grandfather Ichikawa Danshirô II died.

Summer 1928: Danko joined the troupe led by Ichikawa Sadanji II, who organized the first tour of a Kabuki troupe outside Japan. The destination was the USSR and the troupe performed in Moscow and Leningrad [more details].

July 1930: Ichikawa Danko II took the name of Ichikawa Danshirô III at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Kotôta in the drama "Kamahige".

April 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Saigo no Daihyôjô", the third play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Danshirô played the roles of Ôishi Matsunojô and Kataoka Gengoemon [casting].

April 1936: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Ninin Sanbasô", a 2-dancer version of the Sanbasô dance, starring Danshirô and his father Ichikawa Ennosuke II.

November 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's dance-drama "Kurozuka"; Danshirô played the role of Tarôgo [casting].

October 1955: first Kabuki tour in the Popular Republic of China, in Beijing (2~13 october), Shanghai (17~18 october) and Guangzhou (24~25 october); Danshirô played the role of Togashi in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô" [casting].

June 1959: Danshirô played at the Tôyoko Hall the role of Matsunaga Daizen in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki"; the roles of Princess Yuki and Konoshita Tôkichi were played by Sawamura Tosshô V and Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III.

July 1961: second Kabuki tour in the USSR, in Moscow (3~16 July, Vakhtangov Theatre) and Leningrad (20~31 July, Lensoviet Cultural Palace); Danshirô played the role of Father Lion and Senoo Tarô Kaneyasu in the dance "Renjishi" and the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima".

May 1962: Danshirô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Tôkyô Takarazuka Theater, where he performed in the Tôhô Kabuki dramas "Rômon no Satsujin", "Otoko no Hanamichi" and "Shunkashûtô".

May 1963: great shûmei at the Kabukiza for the Omodakaya guild; Danshirô's father Ichikawa Ennosuke II, his elder son Ichikawa Danko III and his younger son Ichikawa Kamejirô I respectively took the names of Ichikawa En'ô I, Ichikawa Ennosuke III and Ichikawa Danko IV. Danshirô, who had some health troubles, appeared on stage only for the kôjô.

12 June 1963: his father Ichikawa En'ô I died.

18 November 1963: a few month after his father, Danshirô died because of a sarcoma.

Comments:

Ichikawa Danshirô III was a tachiyaku actor, who did not reach the levels of fame of his father Ichikawa En'ô I or his elder son Ichikawa Ennosuke III but was a steady mainstay of the Omodakaya guild. His best roles were Tarôgo ("Kurozuka"), Hayami no Tôta ("Yoshinoyama") and Iwanaga Saemon ("Akoya"). He was married to the movie actress Takasugi Sanae and he was also a movie actor, performing in 14 movies between 1949 and 1962. The most notable one was the 1952 movie "Kenka Yasubê", in which he played the role of Yasubê.

Ichikawa Danshirô III in a print made by Natori Shunsen in 1952

The Ichikawa Danko line of actors

The Ichikawa Danshirô line of actors