| ICHIKAWA SADANJI IV |
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Stage names:
Real name: Arakawa Kin'ya Guild: Takashimaya Line number: YODAIME (IV) Existence: 12 November 1940 ~ 15 April 2023 Connections: Grandfather: Ichikawa Monnosuke VI Father: Ichikawa Sadanji III Son: Ichikawa Omezô VI Grandson: Ichikawa Otora VII Career: 12 November 1940: born in Tôkyô. May 1947: he made his first appearance on stage at the Tôkyô Gekijô, receiving the name of Ichikawa Otora V and playing the role of Kan Shûsai in "Terakoya" [1]. January 1958: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of the of the matsubamemono dance-drama "Tôzumô"; Otora played the role of a kanjo [more details]. February 1962: Ichikawa Otora V took the name of Ichikawa Omezô V at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Yawata no Saburô (and a taiko mochi) and Môri Terumoto in "Tsurugaoka Tsugiki no Ishizue" and "Izumo Okuni" [2]. January 1967: revival at the National Theatre of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura"; Omezô played the roles of Yatsurugi Kazuma and Sakuramachi Chûjô Kiyofusa [casting]. February 1967: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Dattan"; Omezô played the role of a rengyôshû [casting]. July 1968: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kama-ga-Fuchi Futatsu Domoe"; Omezô played the role of Kobuna Gengorô [casting]. 3 October 1969: his father Ichikawa Sadanji III died. December 1969: revival at the Kabukiza of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kumo no Ito Azusa no Yumihari"; Omezô played the role of Sakata Kintoki [more details]. February 1976: revival at the Kabukiza of a 5-act revised version of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Omezô played the role of the zamoto Yamamura Chôdayû V [casting]. July 1977: revival at the Kabukiza of Katsu Genzô III's drama "Ogasawara Sôdô"; Omezô played the role of Ogasawara Buzen-no-Kami [casting]. February 1979: Ichikawa Omezô V took the name of Ichikawa Sadanji IV at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Hidari Jingorô, a kakubê and Kumedera Danjô in "Kyô Ningyô", "Echigo Jishi" and "Kenuki" [3]. August 1979: revival at the National Theatre Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kanzen Chôaku Nozoki Garakuri"; Sadanji played the role of Ôoka Echizen-no-Kami Tadasuke [casting]. January 1980: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's kaomise drama "Modoribashi Sena-ni Gohiiki" [more details]; Sadanji played the role of the sadaishô Higekuro. March 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Sadanji played the role of Arakuma no Kurozô [casting]. Summer 1985: tour in the USA; Sadanji played the roles of Narita Gorô, the magistrate, Zangetsu and Watanabe Tsuna in "Shibaraku", "Tachi Nusubito", "Sakurahime Azuma Bunshô" and "Tsuchi-gumo", which celebrate the shûmei in the USA of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII [more details]. January 1997: tôshi kyôgen revival at the National Theatre of the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; Sadanji played the role of Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi [casting]. March 2001: Sadanji played at the Shinbashi Enbujô the role of Kô no Moronô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged by the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan to commemorate the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) and the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the deaths of late Onoe Shôroku II and Onoe Baikô VII. March 2009: Kabuki adaptation by the famous stage director Ninagawa Yukio of Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night", which was entitled "Ninagawa Jûniya", from the 24th to the 28th of March 2009 in London (UK) at the Barbican Theater; Sadanji played the role of Tôin Kanemichi (Sir Toby Belch) [more details]. The same play was staged with the same casting in June 2009 at the Shinbashi Enbujô and in July 2009 at the Shôchikuza. November 2014: the Annual Festive Face-Showing Grand Kabuki at the Kabukiza commemorated the 32nd anniversary (33rd memorial service) of the passing away of Matsumoto Hakuô I. His two sons, Matsumoto Kôshirô and Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon, were the zagashira [more details]. April 2023: Sadanji appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, where he played the role of Izutsuya Tazaemon in the drama "Kirare Yosa"; he fell ill the 11th of April and had to be replaced by Kawarasaki Gonjûrô. 15 April 2023: Sadanji passed away. Comments: Ichikawa Sadanji IV was a tachiyaku actor endowed with a great loud voice, big eyes and physical strength helping him to perform the best katakiyaku roles. Ichikawa Sadanji IV's best roles: Kô no Moronô ("Kanadehon Chûshingura"), Ikyû ("Sukeroku"), Kudô Saemon Suketsune ("Soga no Taimen"), Senoo Tarô ("Shunkan"), Senoo Jûrô ("Sanemori Monogatari"), Hoshikage Doemon ("Gosho no Gorozô"), the okugata ("Migawari Zazen"), Ôba Saburô ("Ishikiri Kajiwara"), Takuetsu ("Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan"), Takarai Kikaku ("Matsuura no Taiko"), Arai Kageyu ("Ohama Goten"), the yanushi Chôbê ("Kamiyui Shinza") and the old man ("Yûgao Dana"). |
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[1] The roles of Matsuômaru, Takebe Genzô, Chiyo and Tonami were played by Onoe Kikugorô VI, Nakamura Kichiemon I, Sawamura Sôjûrô VII and Nakamura Tokizô III. [2] It was also the shûmei of Ichikawa Monnosuke VII. [3] It was also the shûmei of Ichikawa Sashô III. |
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Ichikawa Sadanji IV playing the role of Sagisaka Bannai in the michiyuki "Michiyuki Tabiji no Hanamuko" in a print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in May 1988 The Ichikawa Otora line of actors The Ichikawa Omezô line of actors The Ichikawa Sadanji line of actors |
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