Stage names:

Ichikawa Danzô VI
Ichikawa Kuzô II
Ichikawa Hakuzô I
Ichikawa Momotarô I
Ichikawa Sanzô I
Ichikawa Teruyo I

Guild: Mikawaya

Line number: ROKUDAIME (VI)

Poetry names: San'en, Dan'en

Existence: 1800 ~ 22nd day of the 10th lunar month of 1871 ^[1]

Connection:

Father: Ichikawa Aragorô I

Master: Ichikawa Danjûrô VII

Adopted mother: Ichikawa Danzô V's widow

Son: Ichikawa Teruyo II

Adopted son: Ichikawa Danzô VII

Disciples: Ichikawa Hakunosuke, Ichikawa Danzaburô VII, Ichikawa Sanzô 1.2, Ichikawa Sanzô II, Ichikawa Sanzô

Career:

1800: born in Edo. He was the son of the actor Ichikawa Aragorô I.

11th lunar month of 1805: he made his first stage appearance, in Edo at the Kawarasakiza, where he received the name of Ichikawa Teruyo I and performed in the drama "Chô Hanagata Koi Muko Genji".

9th day of the 10th lunar month of 1808 ^[2]: Ichikawa Danzô IV died in Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1813: Teruyo became the disciple of Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Sanzô I.

11th lunar month of 1816: Ichikawa Sanzô I took the name of Ichikawa Momotarô I at the Kawarasakiza, performing in the kaomise drama "Kiyomori Eiga no Utena", which also celebrated the shûmei of Ôtani Bajû II, Sôryô Jinroku II, Sakata Hanjûrô, Bandô Matajûrô III, Tsuuchi Monzaburô III and Ichikawa Kodanji III.

3rd lunar month of 1817: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô"; Momotarô played the role of Yoshida no Matsuwakamaru [casting].

1825: Momotarô achieved a great success at the Ônishi no Shibai (Ôsaka) by playing the difficult role of Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

1828: tour in the Island of Shikoku, Shimonoseki and the Island of Kyûshû.

1831: he went back to Ôsaka and took the name of Ichikawa Hakuzô I.

Fall 1835: Hakuzô went back to Edo after 11 years spent in Kamigata or on tour.

11th lunar month of 1835: he took the name of Ichikawa Kuzô II ^[3] at the Moritaza, performing in the drama "Hanayagura Kabuki no Jintori".

4th lunar month of 1836: premiere at the Moritaza of the drama "Hakkenden Uwasa no Takadono"; Kuzô played the roles of Inukai Genpachi Nobumichi, Inusaka Keno, Horiuchi Kurando Sadayuki, Yamabayashi Fusahachi and the monk Hakuunbô [casting].

7th lunar month of 1836: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the dance-drama "Shinobi Yoru Koi no Kusemono". The roles of Princess Takiyasha and Mitsukuni were played by Kuzô and Ichimura Uzaemon XII.

7th lunar month of 1837: premiere at the Ichimuraza of "Sanshô-dayû Kogane no Toridoshi", a revised and expanded version of the gidayû kyôgen "Yura no Minato Sengen Chôja"; Kuzô played the roles of Ôwada Kuranoshin, the shichiya tedai Jûbê and the tayû Sanshô (in relaity Suzumura Hyôgo) [casting].

11th lunar month of 1838: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Nakamura Jûsuke IV's Tokiwazu-based dance "Hanabutai Kasumi no Saruhiki", commonly called "Utsubo Zaru"; Kuzô played the role of the female lord [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1840: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of the dance-drama "Kanjinchô"; Kuzô played the role of Togashi [more details].

3rd lunar month of 1842: Kuzô played at the Kawarasakiza the role of Shigetada in the drama "Kagekiyo"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Ebizô V (Kagekiyo) and Onoe Eizaburô III (Akoya).

1st lunar month of 1845: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Sakurada Jisuke III's dance-drama "Awa Mochi"; Kuzô played the role of an awa mochi maker [more details].

6th day of the 6th lunar month of 1845 ^[4]: Ichikawa Danzô V died in Ôsaka.

7th lunar month of 1852: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari"; Kuzô played the roles of Fûki Tarô, Yashagorô and Senso Dôjin [casting].

8th lunar month of 1852: Kuzô was adopted by the widow of the actor Ichikawa Danzô V.

10th lunar month of 1852: Ichikawa Kuzô II took the name of Ichikawa Danzô VI at the Kado no Shibai (Ôsaka), performing in the drama "Kin'ugyoku to Wakoku no Irifune".

1st lunar month of 1853: Danzô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Akoya in the drama "Kagekiyo"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Ebizô V (Kagekiyo) and Kataoka Gadô II (Shigetada).

5th lunar month of 1854: Danzô plays for the first time the role of Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima", which was staged at the Chikugo no Shibai (Ôsaka); his stage partners were Nakamura Tamashichi I (Chidori) and Arashi Rikaku II (Senoo Tarô).

4th lunar month of 1856: tour in Ise; Danzô plays for the second time the role of the exiled priest Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima", which was staged at the Naka-no-Jizô no Shibai; his stage partners were Fujikawa Tomokichi III (Chidori) and Nakayama Ichizô (Senoo Jûrô).

6th lunar month of 1856: tour in Nagoya; Danzô plays for the third time the role of the exiled priest Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima", which was staged at the Wakamiya no Shibai; his stage partners were the same as the 4th lunar month performance.

9th lunar month of 1856: Danzô went back to Edo; he achieved a great success at the Nakamuraza by playing the roles of Akoya, Kagekiyo and Masayuki in the drama "Hatsuyuki Tomimasu no Kagekiyo".

5th lunar month of 1857: Danzô played at the Moritaza the role of Otoku in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Matahei was played by Nakamura Fukusuke I.

6th ~ 7th lunar months of 1858: tour in Kôfu; Danzô plays for the fourth and last time the role of exiled priest Shunkan in the drama "Heike Nyogo no Shima", which was staged at the Kameyaza.

5th lunar month of 1859: Danzô played at the Moritaza the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Zôho Natsu Matsuri Otoko Kagami"; his stage partners in the roles of Danshichi Kurobê, Tokubê and Otatsu were Nakamura Fukusuke I, Ichikawa Kuzô III and Arashi Hinasuke VI.

1st lunar month of 1860: the 1762 puppet drama "Kishi no Himematsu Kutsuwa Kagami" (commonly called "Kishi Hime") was adapted for the first time to Kabuki, in Edo at the Moritaza; it was integrated within the new year sogamono drama "Momo Chidori Nigiwai Soga" and Danzô played the role of Iihara Hyôe Suekage [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1862: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie" (commonly called "Shiranami Gonin Otoko"), in which Danzô played the role of Hamamatsuya Kôbê [casting].

8th lunar month of 1870: Danzô took part in the performance of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", co-produced by the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.

Fall 1870: Danzô went on tour in Nagoya, performing at the Tachibana no Shibai. Then, he settled in Ôsaka and fell seriously ill.

22nd day of the 10th lunar month of 1871 ^[1]: Danzô died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Ichikawa Danzô VI was a talented tachiyaku, who made a name for himself in Edo, Ôsaka and Kyôto (as did his two predecessors in the line). Able to play in both jidaimono and sewamono, he was particularly appreciated in wagoto or budôgoto roles. He was also able to play female roles, like Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki". He had the reputation to be reluctant to play extravagant roles and, just like Ichikawa Danzô V, gave importance to both realism and classicism in his way of acting.

Ichikawa Danzô VI gathered eight roles popularized by Ichikawa Danzô I and Ichikawa Danzô II in a special collection called Kogeki no Hasshu. This long-forgotten collection included the roles of Taira no Kagekiyo, Aoto Saemon Fujitsuna and Ômori Hikoshichi.

[1] The 22nd day of the 10th lunar month of the 4th year of the Meiji era was the 4th of December 1871 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.

[3] The long-forgotten name of Ichikawa Kuzô was first held by Ichikawa Danjûrô II from the 5th lunar month of 1697 to the 6th lunar month of 1704. Then it was held by Ichikawa Kuzô from the 11th lunar month of 1718 to the 7th lunar month of 1720, who was never considered as an official holder of the name.

[4] 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.

Ichikawa Danzô VI playing the role of Akoya in a print made by Utagawa Kunisada I (1851~1853)

Print made by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in 1847

Print made by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in 1852

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1852 (courtesy of V.)

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1857

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861

Print made by Utagawa Yoshitsuya in 1862

The Ichikawa Teruyo line of actors

The Ichikawa Sanzô line of actors

The Ichikawa Momotarô line of actors

The Ichikawa Hakuzô line of actors

The Ichikawa Kuzô line of actors

The Ichikawa Danzô line of actors