Stage names:

Ichikawa Danzô VIII
Ichikawa Kuzô IV
Ichikawa Momotarô III
Ichikawa Ginzô II

Guild: Mikawaya

Line number: HACHIDAIME (VIII)

Poetry names: Juen, San'en, Shikô

Existence: 15 May 1882 ~ 4 June 1966

Connection:

Father: Ichikawa Danzô VII

Adopted son: Ichikawa Kuzô V

Grandson (and adopted son): Ichikawa Danzô IX

Great-grandsons: Ichikawa Ginnosuke II, Ichikawa Momotarô V

Career:

1882: born in Tôkyô in the district of Nihonbashi Hisamatsu.

1885: he made his first stage appearance at the Torigoeza, under his real name, playing a child role in the drama "Nichirenki".

1896: Ichikawa Ginzô II took the name of Ichikawa Momotarô III at the Asakusaza.

1897: Momotarô joined a children-actors troupe (kodomo shibai), in which performed Nakamura Kichiemon I.

March 1908: Ichikawa Momotarô III took the name of Ichikawa Kuzô IV at the Kabukiza by playing the role of Shirai Gonpachi in the drama "Suzu-ga-Mori".

March 1910: Kuzô played at the Miyatoza the role of Miuranosuke in the drama "Kamakura Sandaiki"; his stage partners in the roles of Sasaki Takatsuna and Princess Toki were Arashi Yoshisaburô IV and Bandô Shûchô III.

11 September 1911: his father Ichikawa Danzô VII died.

September 1911: Kuzô played at the Kirakuza (Yokohama) the roles of Sodehagi and Abe no Sadatô in the drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara".

January 1914: Kuzô played at the Tôkyôza the roles of En'ya Hangan and Hayano Kanpei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Kudanji (Moronô), Sawamura Tosshi VII (Yuranosuke) and Ichikawa Kigan V (Okaru).

July 1920: Kuzô played at the Hongôza the prestigious role of Shunkan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's "Heike Nyogo no Shima"; his stage partners were Nakamura Kamon I (Chidori), Kawarasaki Gonjûrô II (Tanzaemon) and Ichikawa Ichijûrô V (Senoo Tarô). Shunkan was an important role for the Ichikawa Danzô line of actors.

April 1926: Kuzô played at the Hongôza the role of Yakushiji Jirozaemon in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

October 1927: revival at the Hongôza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", produced under the title "Kiyomizudera Azuma Bunshô", which has not been staged since the 3rd lunar month of 1817; Kuzô played the role of Iruma Akugorô [casting].

May 1932: Kuzô played at the Kabukiza the roles of Ono no Kudayû and Kakogawa Honzô in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

October 1933: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Yoshida Genjirô's drama "Nijô-jô no Kiyomasa"; Kuzô played the role of Ikeda Terumasa [more details].

February 1934: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Ôishi Saigo no Ichinichi", the tenth and last play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura"; Kuzô played the role of Chikamatsu Kanroku [casting].

September 1935: Kuzô played at the Kabukiza (Nagoya) the roles of Moronô and Fuwa Kazuemon in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

May 1938: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Mayama Seika's drama "Katsu Awa no Chichi"; Kuzô played the role of Inoue Kakubê [more details].

October 1943: Ichikawa Kuzô IV took the name of Ichikawa Danzô VIII.

December 1946: Danzô was a member of the Kabuki troupe which celebrated the reopening of the rebuilt Mitsukoshi Gekijô [more details].

January 1953: Danzô played at Kabukiza the role of Yasôzaemon in the drama "Shigenoi Kowakare"; the role of Shigenoi was played by Nakamura Tokizô III.

November 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of Mishima Yukio's comical play "Iwashi Uri Koi no Hikiami"; Danzô played the role of the proprietor [casting].

February 1955: second edition at the Kabukiza from the 24th to the 27th of February of the Tsubomikai, a study group led by Nakamura Utaemon VI [more details]. It included the premiere of Mishima Yukio's dance-drama "Yuya" [casting] and Izumi Kyôka's drama "Tenshu Monogatari" was staged for the first time with Kabuki actors [casting]; Danzô played the roles of Ôminojô Tôroku and the sôjô Tanshin in "Tenshu Monogatari" and "Yuya".

July 1955: premiere at the Tôkyô Takarazuka Theater of Uno Nobuo's drama "Mômoku Monogatari"; Danzô played the role of Bunkasai [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.

October 1955: Danzô played at the Misonoza (Nagoya) the role of Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa"; the roles of Sukeroku and Agemaki were played by Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII and Nakamura Utaemon VI.

March 1956: premiere in Kabuki at the Meijiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Ii Tairô"; Danzô played the role of the zenji Sen'ei [more details].

July 1956: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Danzô played the role of the Shinkiyomizu chief priest Todorokibô [more details].

June 1958: revival at the Tôyoko Hall of the drama "Kishi no Himematsu Kutsuwa Kagami"; Danzô played the role of Yomosaku [more details].

November 1959: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which was supervised by Mishima Yukio; Danzô played the role of Tsunaemon [casting].

February 1960: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Shiranui Kengyô"; Danzô played the role of Shiranui Kengyô I [casting].

June 1961: Danzô played at the Kabukiza the role of Shôgen in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Hangonkô";. the roles of Matahei and Otoku were played by Onoe Shôroku II and Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII.

October 1962: Danzô played for the last time the role of Yazaemon, in Tôkyô at Kabukiza, in the "Sushiya" scene of the play "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

September 1963: Danzô played for the last time the role of Soga no Iruka, in Nagoya at the Misonoza, in the "Mikasayama Goten" scene of the classic "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

May 1965: shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 young actors of the Otowaya guild; Onoe Ushinosuke V, Onoe Sakon I and Bandô Kamesaburô IV respectively took the names of Onoe Kikunosuke IV, Onoe Tatsunosuke I, and Bandô Shinsui VIII. The program also commemorated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of Onoe Kikugorô VI. Revival in the same theater of the danmari "Otowa-ga-Dake Danmari"; Danzô played the role of Ôkubo Tomooki [more details].

April 1966: Danzô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at Kabukiza, playing the roles of Kiichi Hôgen and Ikyû in the "Kikubatake" scene of "Kiichi Hôgen Sanryaku no Maki" and "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa" (the role of Sukeroku was played by Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII). Danzô retired because of health problems.

May ~ June 1966: Danzô made a pilgrimage, visiting the 88 temples on Shikoku Island.

4 June 1966: Danzô jumped from the boat which brought him back from Shikoku to Ôsaka; he drowned in the Seto Inland Sea.

Comments:

Ichikawa Danzô VIII was a talented supporting tachiyaku and katakiyaku actor.

Ichikawa Danzô VIII's best roles: Soga no Iruka ("Imoseyama Onna Teikin"), Nagao Kenshin ("Honchô Nijûshikô"), Hansai ("Obiya"), Karainu Gonbê ("Yudono no Chôbê"), Rokurôdayû ("Ishikiri Kajiwara"), Tsuribune Sabu ("Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"), Hôjô Tokimasa ("Moritsuna Jin'ya"), Gonshirô ("Hirakana Seisuiki") and Ikyû ("Sukeroku").

"Ichikawa first appeared on stage as a child in arms. When he retired in April 1966, it was celebrated as eighty-two years on stage. After the fetes and final farewell performance, he traveled to Shikoku and set off, alone, to follow the Eighty-eight Temple Route of Kôbô Daishi. It was a remarkable undertaking for a man in his late years, and there are suggestions that he never expected to finish the pilgrimage, that he expected to die on the road. But Ichikawa finished his trek at the end of May, after the sakura had fallen and the circle had closed. He was at a loss over what to do. He sailed for Shôdo, apparently to complete that island's Pilgrimage as well - but something changed his mind. Why he chose to leave the final circle unfinished remains a mystery. Perhaps he was simply tired. --- --- Ichikawa's death became legend, the ultimate act of autonomy, the pilgrim deciding for himself how the journey would end. In Japanese Pilgrimage, Oliver Statler writes,"His was not an act of desperation but of resolution. He walked out of life he had walked off the stage, with composure" (Will Ferguson in "Hokkaidô Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan")

The mon of Ichikawa Danzô VIII

The Ichikawa Momotarô line of actors

The Ichikawa Kuzô line of actors

The Ichikawa Danzô line of actors