Ichikawa Ennosuke III
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese Kabuki
actor, famous for his love of keren
(stage tricks). He is considered the king of chūnori; he has flown out over the audience, held aloft on strings, over 5000 times.
Ennosuke made his stage debut at the age of eight, at the Tōkyō Gekijō, as Ichikawa Danko III. He would formally take the name Ennosuke in 1963, at the age of 24. He is the brother of Ichikawa Danshirō IV; their father is Danshirō III. Their great-grandfather and grandfather, respectively, were the first and second to be called Ichikawa Ennosuke.
Ennosuke is known as a great proponent of dramatic costumes, flamboyant theater signage, and stage tricks (keren), which are looked down upon by many kabuki connoisseurs as "playing to the gallery" and as distracting from the true dramatic art. Nevertheless, among those who enjoy keren, Ennosuke is quite well regarded. He performed chūnori for the first time in 1968, as the fox in Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura
, and for the five thousandth time in 2000, as Guan Yu
. He has revived a number of old plays, including Date no Jūyaku (The Ten Roles of Date
), in which he played ten roles in one performance, through the use of a number of methods of hayagawari (costume quick-change).
In November 2003, Ennosuke suffered from symptoms of a stroke
, and did not perform for most of the following year. However, today he is still actively performing.
His son is the actor Teruyuki Kagawa.
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...
actor, famous for his love of keren
Keren (kabuki)
are stagecraft tricks used in Japanese kabuki theater, making use of trapdoors, revolving stages, and other equipment.Often translated as "playing to the gallery," many drama enthusiasts consider these sorts of adaptations to be demeaning to the art of kabuki...
(stage tricks). He is considered the king of chūnori; he has flown out over the audience, held aloft on strings, over 5000 times.
Ennosuke made his stage debut at the age of eight, at the Tōkyō Gekijō, as Ichikawa Danko III. He would formally take the name Ennosuke in 1963, at the age of 24. He is the brother of Ichikawa Danshirō IV; their father is Danshirō III. Their great-grandfather and grandfather, respectively, were the first and second to be called Ichikawa Ennosuke.
Ennosuke is known as a great proponent of dramatic costumes, flamboyant theater signage, and stage tricks (keren), which are looked down upon by many kabuki connoisseurs as "playing to the gallery" and as distracting from the true dramatic art. Nevertheless, among those who enjoy keren, Ennosuke is quite well regarded. He performed chūnori for the first time in 1968, as the fox in Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura
Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura
Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura , or Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees, is a Japanese play, one of the three most popular and famous in the Kabuki repertoire...
, and for the five thousandth time in 2000, as Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
. He has revived a number of old plays, including Date no Jūyaku (The Ten Roles of Date
Date family
The ' was a lineage of daimyo who controlled northern Japan in the late 16th century and into the Edo period. Their most famous member was Date Masamune, who established the family's power by avenging his father's death and through support of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-History:The Date family was founded in...
), in which he played ten roles in one performance, through the use of a number of methods of hayagawari (costume quick-change).
In November 2003, Ennosuke suffered from symptoms of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, and did not perform for most of the following year. However, today he is still actively performing.
His son is the actor Teruyuki Kagawa.