Ichikawa Danjuro V
Encyclopedia
Ichikawa Danjūrō V (August 1741 - 29 October 1806), also known as Ichikawa Ebizō, was one of the most famous and popular Kabuki
actors of all time. Throughout his career, Danjūrō would hold some of the highest ranks in the hyōbanki
, an annual Edo publications which evaluated actors and performances. At one point in 1782, he was even granted the rank of tōji-muri-hiiki (当時無理贔屓, "the favorite unequaled in those days").
He is depicted in countless ukiyo-e
actor prints (yakusha-e
), and unlike many actors who focus on one type of role, Danjūrō excelled at many types of roles, playing heroes, villains, samurai, peasants, and beautiful women with equal skill. One of his most famous roles is that of the hero in Shibaraku
, a scene contained within full plays.
, and though not the first to be known as Ichikawa Ebizō
, he used different kanji
(characters) than his predecessors in writing the name. He was a member of the guilds Naritaya and Kōraiya, and could be referred to by these names (see yagō
). Other names he used on stage include Ichikawa Hakuen I, Matsumoto Kōshirō III, Matsumoto Kōzō, Matsumoto Umimaru, and Naritaya Shichizaemon (I). In poetry circles, he often used the names Baidō, Omegawa, Sanshō, and Hakuen.
and IX
were his grandsons.
(now Tokyo
) in August 1741, and appeared on stage for the first time at the age of four. His first role in a play was in 1754, at the age of thirteen, in Miura no Ōsuke Bumon no Kotobuki at the Nakamura-za in Edo. Until 1770, his stage name was Matsumoto Kōshirō (III).
In 1760, the Nakamura-za and Ichimura-za
theaters were destroyed by a fire, called the Akashiya fire after the shop where it began, which claimed a fair portion of the city as well. Kōshirō aided in the reconstruction of the theaters, and performs at the Ichimura-za the following month.
Like all Kabuki actors, Kōshirō would devote his life almost exclusively to the theater. By the age of 29, he had performed in at least 35 plays, quite possibly many more. In November 1770, Kōshirō, aged 29, took part in a grand naming ceremony (襲名, shūmei
) at the Nakamura-za and took the name Ichikawa Danjūrō. This was followed by a performance of Nue no Mori Ichiyō no Mato, in which Danjūrō would perform the lead role of Shibaraku for the first time. This role was nearly always played by a member of the Ichikawa Danjūrō line, and it would become one of Danjūrō V's most famous roles.
The following year, Danjūrō became the head (座頭, zagashira) of the Morita-za
troupe and left the Nakamura-za, where his father still performed. He would return to the Nakamura-za in 1773, but left it again the following year along with a number of other actors, returning once more to the Morita-za.
Danjūrō's son Momotarō, born in 1768, died in 1776 at the age of eight. Danjūrō began performing at the Ichimura-za, leaving the Morita-za again. At this point, according to the book Yakusha Sensakuron (役者詮索論, "About Actors Prying"), he was living in the town of Sakai in Sumiyoshi district, and earning 800 ryō
a year.
August 1778 marks another major event in Danjūrō's life, and in the kabuki world as a whole. As a result of Danjūrō's growing influence among patrons and within other elements of the kabuki world had created enmities among a number of other actors. Accused of misappropriation of funds, Danjūrō was forced to give up his name to another actor, Matsumoto Kōshirō IV, and to take on the name Ichikawa Ebizō for himself. After showing his anger on stage, and accusing Matsumoto Kōshirō IV and Iwai Hanshirō IV in public of plotting against him, Danjūrō was forced to leave the stage for a time. Though he returned to performing three months later at the Morita-za, Danjūrō would not return to the Nakamura-za for a full year. In November 1779, he did so and became troupe head (zagashira). Seven years later, Kōshirō IV would join Danjūrō in performing at the Kiri-za, and reconcile the dispute.
Danjūrō formally took on the name Ebizō at a ceremony at the Ichimura-za in 1791. However, in writing "Ebizō" he chose different kanji
(characters) from those used by his father and grandfather. Ebizō had formerly been written as "海老蔵", but the new Ebizō would instead use "鰕蔵".
Five years later, Ebizō announced his retirement. He was 55. He took on the name Naritaya Shichiemon and moved to a small hut on the tiny island of Ujishima, near Mukōjima. The following month, the hyōbanki would give his rank as sanga no tsu murui-dai-shigoku-jô-jô-kichi-murui (山河の津無類大至極上々吉無類, "Unequaled in the Three Capitals - grand - exceedingly - superior - superior - excellent).
He returned to the stage shortly after the death of his adopted son, Ichikawa Danjūrō VI, in 1799, taking on the name Ichikawa Hakuen. His definitively final performance, after countless performances in an incredible variety of roles and at a number of theaters, would be in March 1802, at the Kawarazaki-za
.
Ichikawa Hakuen died in October 1806, in his small hut on Mukōjima.
He had many disciples, including Matsumoto Kōshirō IV, Ichikawa Omezō I, Ichikawa Tatsuzō I (Hanai Saizaburō IV), Ichikawa Mitsuzō (Nakamura Matsue II), Ichikawa Takizō, Ichikawa Hamazō, Ichikawa Tomiemon, and Ichikawa Kosanza.
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actors of all time. Throughout his career, Danjūrō would hold some of the highest ranks in the hyōbanki
Hyobanki
Hyōbanki were compilations of rankings and critiques of kabuki actors and courtesans published in Edo period Japan. They were generally published at the new year in Edo and Kamigata, reviewing and ranking the courtesans and actors of the previous year...
, an annual Edo publications which evaluated actors and performances. At one point in 1782, he was even granted the rank of tōji-muri-hiiki (当時無理贔屓, "the favorite unequaled in those days").
He is depicted in countless ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
actor prints (yakusha-e
Yakusha-e
Yakusha-e , often referred to as "actor prints" in English, are Japanese woodblock prints or, rarely, paintings, of kabuki actors, particularly those done in the ukiyo-e style popular through the Edo period and into the beginnings of the 20th century...
), and unlike many actors who focus on one type of role, Danjūrō excelled at many types of roles, playing heroes, villains, samurai, peasants, and beautiful women with equal skill. One of his most famous roles is that of the hero in Shibaraku
Shibaraku
Shibaraku is among the most popular pieces in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated Kabuki Jūhachiban . The flamboyantly dramatic costume and makeup used in this scene is famous and widely associated by the average Westerner with Kabuki in general...
, a scene contained within full plays.
Names
Like most kabuki actors, and many artists, of his time, Danjūrō had a number of names. He was the fifth to be called Ichikawa DanjūrōIchikawa Danjuro
is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. It is a famous and important name, and receiving it is an honor...
, and though not the first to be known as Ichikawa Ebizō
Ichikawa Ebizo
Ichikawa Ebizō is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family...
, he used different kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
(characters) than his predecessors in writing the name. He was a member of the guilds Naritaya and Kōraiya, and could be referred to by these names (see yagō
YAGO
YAGO was an early LAN startup acquired by Cabletron Systems in the mid-1990s, fueling its growth into Gigabit Ethernet switching and ultimately being re-spun off into the entity Riverstone Networks....
). Other names he used on stage include Ichikawa Hakuen I, Matsumoto Kōshirō III, Matsumoto Kōzō, Matsumoto Umimaru, and Naritaya Shichizaemon (I). In poetry circles, he often used the names Baidō, Omegawa, Sanshō, and Hakuen.
Lineage
He was the fifth in the line of Ichikawa Danjūrō, his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather being the fourth, second, and first in the line respectively (his father and grandfather were also known as Ebizō II and III). He had a son, named Momotarō, who died at a very young age, but Danjūrō also adopted a son who would succeed him and become Ichikawa Danjūrō VI. Danjūrō VIIIchikawa Ebizo V
Ichikawa Danjūrō VII was a Japanese kabuki actor who specialized in male hero roles, said to be the greatest of the 19th century...
and IX
Ichikawa Danjuro IX
Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period ....
were his grandsons.
Life and career
The actor who would later be known as Ichikawa Danjūrō V was born in EdoEdo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(now Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
) in August 1741, and appeared on stage for the first time at the age of four. His first role in a play was in 1754, at the age of thirteen, in Miura no Ōsuke Bumon no Kotobuki at the Nakamura-za in Edo. Until 1770, his stage name was Matsumoto Kōshirō (III).
In 1760, the Nakamura-za and Ichimura-za
Ichimura-za
The ' was a major kabuki theatre in the Japanese capital of Edo , for much of the Edo period, and into the 20th century. It was first opened in 1634 and was run by members of the Ichimura family for much of the following nearly three centuries before being destroyed by fire in 1932 and not...
theaters were destroyed by a fire, called the Akashiya fire after the shop where it began, which claimed a fair portion of the city as well. Kōshirō aided in the reconstruction of the theaters, and performs at the Ichimura-za the following month.
Like all Kabuki actors, Kōshirō would devote his life almost exclusively to the theater. By the age of 29, he had performed in at least 35 plays, quite possibly many more. In November 1770, Kōshirō, aged 29, took part in a grand naming ceremony (襲名, shūmei
Shumei
Shūmei are grand naming ceremonies held in Kabuki theatre. Most often, a number of actors will participate in a single ceremony, taking on new stage-names....
) at the Nakamura-za and took the name Ichikawa Danjūrō. This was followed by a performance of Nue no Mori Ichiyō no Mato, in which Danjūrō would perform the lead role of Shibaraku for the first time. This role was nearly always played by a member of the Ichikawa Danjūrō line, and it would become one of Danjūrō V's most famous roles.
The following year, Danjūrō became the head (座頭, zagashira) of the Morita-za
Morita-za
The Morita-za , also known later as the Shintomi-za , was one of the major Kabuki theaters in Edo during the Edo period and into the beginning of the 20th century...
troupe and left the Nakamura-za, where his father still performed. He would return to the Nakamura-za in 1773, but left it again the following year along with a number of other actors, returning once more to the Morita-za.
Danjūrō's son Momotarō, born in 1768, died in 1776 at the age of eight. Danjūrō began performing at the Ichimura-za, leaving the Morita-za again. At this point, according to the book Yakusha Sensakuron (役者詮索論, "About Actors Prying"), he was living in the town of Sakai in Sumiyoshi district, and earning 800 ryō
Ryo
Ryo may refer to:* The Japanese kana digraph ryo, ryō, or ryoh * Ryō , a gold piece in pre-Meiji era Japan worth about sixty monme or four kan...
a year.
August 1778 marks another major event in Danjūrō's life, and in the kabuki world as a whole. As a result of Danjūrō's growing influence among patrons and within other elements of the kabuki world had created enmities among a number of other actors. Accused of misappropriation of funds, Danjūrō was forced to give up his name to another actor, Matsumoto Kōshirō IV, and to take on the name Ichikawa Ebizō for himself. After showing his anger on stage, and accusing Matsumoto Kōshirō IV and Iwai Hanshirō IV in public of plotting against him, Danjūrō was forced to leave the stage for a time. Though he returned to performing three months later at the Morita-za, Danjūrō would not return to the Nakamura-za for a full year. In November 1779, he did so and became troupe head (zagashira). Seven years later, Kōshirō IV would join Danjūrō in performing at the Kiri-za, and reconcile the dispute.
Danjūrō formally took on the name Ebizō at a ceremony at the Ichimura-za in 1791. However, in writing "Ebizō" he chose different kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
(characters) from those used by his father and grandfather. Ebizō had formerly been written as "海老蔵", but the new Ebizō would instead use "鰕蔵".
Five years later, Ebizō announced his retirement. He was 55. He took on the name Naritaya Shichiemon and moved to a small hut on the tiny island of Ujishima, near Mukōjima. The following month, the hyōbanki would give his rank as sanga no tsu murui-dai-shigoku-jô-jô-kichi-murui (山河の津無類大至極上々吉無類, "Unequaled in the Three Capitals - grand - exceedingly - superior - superior - excellent).
He returned to the stage shortly after the death of his adopted son, Ichikawa Danjūrō VI, in 1799, taking on the name Ichikawa Hakuen. His definitively final performance, after countless performances in an incredible variety of roles and at a number of theaters, would be in March 1802, at the Kawarazaki-za
Kawarazaki-za
The ' was one of the major kabuki theatres in Edo during the Edo period and into the Meiji period. Not being one of the four theatres formally licensed by the Tokugawa shogunate, the theatre was largely inactive for long stretches of time, operating only when the Morita-za, facing financial...
.
Ichikawa Hakuen died in October 1806, in his small hut on Mukōjima.
He had many disciples, including Matsumoto Kōshirō IV, Ichikawa Omezō I, Ichikawa Tatsuzō I (Hanai Saizaburō IV), Ichikawa Mitsuzō (Nakamura Matsue II), Ichikawa Takizō, Ichikawa Hamazō, Ichikawa Tomiemon, and Ichikawa Kosanza.
See also
- ShūmeiShumeiShūmei are grand naming ceremonies held in Kabuki theatre. Most often, a number of actors will participate in a single ceremony, taking on new stage-names....