Stage names:

Ichikawa Danzô V
Ichikawa Shikô I
Ichikawa Danzaburô IV
Ichikawa Danjirô I
Ichikawa Morinosuke I

Nickname: Shibudanzô (from "Shibui Danzô", the sober and refined Danzô)

Guild: Mikawaya

Line number: GODAIME (V)

Poetry names: Shikô, Kôsan, Senshô

Existence: 9th lunar month of 1788 ~ 6th day of the 6th lunar month of 1845 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Ichikawa Ebijûrô I

Adoptive father: Ichikawa Danzô IV

Adopted sons: Ichikawa Danzô VI, Ichikawa Danzaburô V, Ichikawa Danzaburô VI

Disciples: Ichikawa Aragorô II, Ichikawa Aragorô III

Career:

1788~1795: born in Ôsaka. He started his career as a disciple of the actor Ichikawa Ebijûrô I, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Morinosuke I. He spent his first years in the minor theaters of Ôsaka (hama shibai). He was adopted by Ichikawa Danzô IV at an unknown date and took the name of Ichikawa Danjirô I, performing in Kyôto and Ôsaka major theaters.

10th lunar month of 1795: Ichikawa Danjirô I took the name of Ichikawa Danzaburô IV in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, performing in the drama "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura" which was produced by Bandô Iwagorô.

7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Segawa Jokô II's drama "Zôho Izari no Adauchi"; Danzaburô played the role of Iinuma Sanzaburô [casting].

9th day of the 10th lunar month of 1808 ^[2]: his adoptive father Ichikawa Danzô IV died.

1st lunar month of 1815: Ichikawa Danzaburô IV took the name of Ichikawa Shikô I in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, playing 4 roles in the drama "Keisei Wakana no Isaoshi" which was produced by Ichikawa Zentarô.

4th lunar month of 1819: Ichikawa Shikô I took the name of Ichikawa Danzô V in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, playing the roles of Manno Hyôgô and Shinano Tôzô in the drama "Keisei Shinobazu-ga-Ike".

1821: tour in Ise.

11th lunar month of 1830: Danzô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai (Kyôto) the roles of Terukuni and Sakuramaru in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; he suddenly fell ill and had to be replaced by Arashi Sangorô IV.

1831: he adopted Ichikawa Danzaburô V in order to train him as the next Ichikawa Danzô.

1st lunar month of 1833: Danzô went to Edo, after 26 years spent in Kamigata. He played at the Ichimuraza in the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô".

9th lunar month of 1837: last performance of Danzô in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; he played 7 roles, including Yuranosuke, in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

1837 ~ 1839: Danzô went on tour in the Western provinces.

11th lunar month of 1839: Danzô was back in Ôsaka, after an absence of 8 years; he played the roles of Kiichi Hôgen, Akoya and Chôemon in the jidaimono "Kiichi Hôgen Sanryaku no Maki", which was staged at the Kado no Shibai.

6th lunar month of 1840: Danzô played for the fifth time the role of the exiled priest Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima", which was staged at the Sakai Shinchi no Shibai (Ôsaka); his stage partners were Fujikawa Kayû III (Chidori), Nakamura Shikan III (Tanzaemon Motoyasu), Arashi Rikaku II (Fujiwara Naritsune) and Nakamura Rankurô (Senoo Tarô).

24th of the 10th lunar month of 1843: his adopted son Ichikawa Danzaburô V died.

1st lunar month of 1844: Danzô simultaneously played at the Kado no Shibai and the Naka no Shibai, in the dramas "Keisei Ishikawa-zome" and "Kokusen'ya Gassen". He suddenly fell ill and decided to retire definitively.

6th day of the 6th lunar month of 1845 ^[1]: Danzô died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Ichikawa Danzô V was an outstanding tachiyaku, the worthy heir of his adoptive father Ichikawa Danzô IV. He gave importance to realism in his way of acting. He adopted several of his adoptive father's roles as his own, like Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima", but was also able to play onnagata or katakiyaku roles. He excelled in wajitsu, budôgoto and jitsugotoshi roles.

[1] The 6th day of the 6th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Kôka era was the 10th of July 1845 in the western calendar.

[2] The 9th day of the 10th lunar month of the 5th year of the Bunka era was the 26th of November 1808 in the western calendar.

Ichikawa Danzô V playing the role of Manno Hyôgô in the drama "Keisei Shinobazugaike", during his shûmei in the 4th lunar month of 1819 in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai (print made by Ashiyuki)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1801

Print made by Asayama Ashiyuki in 1827

Print made by Shunshosai Hokuchô in 1828

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1833

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1833

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1835

Print made by Utagawa Kunisada

The Ichikawa Morinosuke line of actors

The Ichikawa Danzaburô line of actors

The Ichikawa Danzô line of actors