Stage names:
Ichikawa Danjûrô IX
Kawarazaki Sanshô
Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VII
Kawarazaki Gonjûrô I
Kawarazaki Chôjûrô III
Other name: Ichikawa Jukai II
Guild: Naritaya
Line number: KUDAIME (IX)
Poetry names: Sanshô, Jukai (2), Shisen, Danju
Existence: 1838 ~ 13 September 1903
Connection:
Great-great-great-great-grandfather: Ichikawa Danjûrô I
Great-great-great-grandfather: Ichikawa Ebizô II (Danjûrô II)
Great-great-grandfather: Ichikawa Ebizô III (Danjûrô IV)
Great-grandfather: Ichikawa Hakuen I (Danjûrô V)
Father: Ichikawa Danjûrô VII (Ebizô V)
Brothers : Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII, Ichikawa Ebizô VII, Ichikawa Ebizô VIII, Ichikawa Komazô VI, Ichikawa Saruzô I, Ichikawa Kôzô
Adopted father: Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VI
Son-in-laws: Ichikawa Sanshô V (Danjûrô X), Ichikawa Shinnosuke V
Daughters: Ichikawa Suisen II, Ichikawa Kyokubai II
Disciples: Ichikawa Monnosuke VI, Ichikawa Chûsha VII, Ichikawa Shinzô V, Ichikawa Gangyoku II, Ichikawa Raizô V, Ichikawa Gonjûrô, Ichikawa Sumizô V, Ichikawa Dan'emon I, Ichikawa Dan'emon II, Ichikawa Shôzô III, Ichikawa Shinjûrô II, Ichikawa Shinjûrô III, Ichikawa Danshirô II
Granddaughter: Ichikawa Suisen III
Career:
1838 ~ 1844: born in Edo in the district of Sakai-chô. Fifth son of Ichikawa Danjûrô VII, his mother is not the legal wife of his father. He is adopted by Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VI, the head of the Kawarazakiza.
January 1845: he makes his first appearance on stage, at the Kawarazakiza, where he receives the name of Kawarazaki Chôjûrô III.
September 1852: Kawarazaki Chôjûrô III takes the name of Kawarazaki Gonjûrô I, playing the role of Hatsushima Gorô in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
2 October 1855: the Ansei earthquake (Ansei Daijishin) ravages Edo; the Kawarazakiza is completely destroyed. Gonjûrô moves to the Ichimuraza.
February 1859: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Kosode Soga Azami no Ironui" (commonly called "Izayoi Seishin"); Gonjûrô plays the role of the rônin Yaegaki Monzô [casting].
March 1859: his father Ichikawa Ebizô V dies.
July 1859: Gonjûrô plays for the first time the role of Benkei in the drama "Kanjinchô", which is staged at the Ichimuraza; the roles of Togashi and Yoshitsune are played by Ichikawa Kodanji IV and Iwai Kumesaburô III.
September 1859: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's Kiyomoto-based dance "Jitsugetsusei Chûya no Oriwake", commonly called "Ryûsei". The leading roles are played by Iwai Kumesaburô III, Ichikawa Kodanji IV and Gonjûrô.
January 1860: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Sannin Kichisa Kuruwa no Hatsugai"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Obô Kichisa [casting].
March 1860: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Kagamiyama Gonichi no Iwafuji"; Gonjûrô plays the roles of Hasebe Tatewaki and Taga no Tairyô [casting].
July 1860: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Hachiman Matsuri Yomiya no Nigiwai" (commonly called "Chijimiya Shinsuke"); Gonjûrô plays the role of Shinzaburô [casting].
March 1862: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie" (commonly called "Shiranami Gonin Otoko"); Gonjûrô plays the role of Tadanobu Rihei [casting].
September 1868: his adopted father Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VI is killed by a thief.
March 1869: Kawarazaki Gonjûrô I takes the name of Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VII at the Ichimuraza and becomes zagashira.
September 1869: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Momoyama Monogatari", commonly called "Jishin Katô" ("Earthquake Katô"); Gonnosuke plays the leading role of Katô Kiyomasa. This drama is a first experiment, which foreshadows the katsureki plays.
October 1872: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's zangirimono "Tsuki no En Masu no Igaguri"; Gonnosuke plays the role of Yosaburô [casting].
March 1873: premiere at the Murayamaza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Taiko no Oto Chiyû Sanryaku"; Gonnosuke plays the roles of Sakai Saemon, Okabe Nagashige and Torii Tadamoto [casting].
September 1873: Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VII takes the name of Kawarazaki Sanshô.
July 1874: reopening of the Kawarazakiza; Kawarazaki Sanshô takes the prestigious name of Ichikawa Danjûrô IX (not holden for 20 years) in his rebuilt family theater, playing the roles of Bingo no Saburô, Wada Masatô and Kusunoki Masanari in the drama "Shinbutai Iwao no Kusunoki".
October 1874: Danjûrô produces at the Kawarazakiza the drama "Kumo no Ueno San'e no Sakumae", in which he plays the roles of Kôchiyama and Kezori; this is a comercial failure.
May 1875: Danjûrô, a talented actor but a poor zamoto, gives up the management of the Kawarazakiza and goes on tour in the Jôshû and Yashû pronvinces.
16 July 1879: Danjûrô takes part in the gala night at the Shintomiza in the honor of the General Ulysses S. Grant [more details].
March 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's masterpiece "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana"; Danjûrô plays the role of Kôchiyama Sôshun [casting].
June 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's dance-drama "Tsuchi Gumo"; Danjûrô plays the roles of a Kyôgen performer and Gunnai [casting].
October 1881: premiere at the Harukiza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Kiwametsuki Banzui Chôbei"; Danjûrô plays the role of Banzui Chôbei [casting].
November 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono drama "Shima Chidori Tsuki no Shiranami"; Danjûrô plays the role of Mochizuki Akira [casting].
November 1882: Danjûrô plays at the Saruwakaza the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the bombastic "Ya-no-Ne" scene.
May 1883: Danjûrô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of the deity Fudô Myôô, an important symbol for the Naritaya guild, in the drama "Hashi Kuyô Bonji no Mongaku".
November 1884: premiere at the Saruwakaza of Kawatake Mokuami's katsureki drama "Hôjô Kudai Meika no Isaoshi"; Danjûrô plays the role of Hôjô Takatoki [casting].
November 1885: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Funa Benkei"; Danjûrô plays the roles of Shizuka Gozen and the spirit of Taira no Tomomori [casting].
21 April 1887: the emperor views Kabuki for the first time at the residence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The casting includes the three leading stars Danjûrô, Onoe Kikugorô V and Ichikawa Sadanji I.
October 1887: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's matsubamemono "Momijigari"; Danjûrô plays the roles of Princess Sarashina and the ogress of Mount Togakushi [casting].
November 1889: Danjûrô becomes zagashira at the newly-built Kabukiza.
July 1890: Danjûrô plays at the Shintomiza the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the bombastic "Ya-no-Ne" scene.
October 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of the matsubamemono "Suô Otoshi", starring Danjûrô and Nakamura Fukusuke IV in the roles of Tarôkaja and the Princess.
March 1893: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ôchi's Nagauta-based dance "Shunkyô Kagami Jishi". The roles of Yayoi and the spirit of the Lion are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô IX. His two daughters play the roles of the butterflies.
November 1893: Danjûrô takes part in the opening ceremony of the Meijiza [more details].
October 1897: première of Fukuchi Ôchi's drama "Ômori Hikoshichi" at the Meijiza; Danjûrô plays the role of Ômori Hikoshichi [casting].
April 1899: Danjûrô plays for the last time the role of Benkei in the drama "Kanjinchô", which is staged at the Kabukiza; the roles of Togashi and Yoshitsune are played by Onoe Kikugorô V and Ichikawa Metora II.
March 1903: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kichirei Soga no Ishizue", which is produced to celebrate the shûmei of Onoe Kikugorô VI, Onoe Baikô VI and Onoe Eizaburô VI; Danjûrô plays the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune [casting].
May 1903: Danjûrô appears on stage for the last time, at the Kabukiza, where he plays the roles of Ofuku no Kata, Kasuga no Tsubone and Ieyasu in the drama "Kasuga no Tsunone".
13 September 1903: Danjûrô dies in Tôkyô.
Comments:
Ichikawa Danjûrô IX belonged to the triumvirat of stars who dominated the Kabuki world during the Meiji era (the two others were Onoe Kikugorô V and Ichikawa Sadanji I). He spent lots of time and energy pioneering a new genre called katsureki but the Tôkyô audience was more receptive to his amazing performances in the great roles of Kabuki like Ôboshi Yuranosuke ("Kanadehon Chûshingura"), Kumagai Jirô Naozane ("Kumagai Jin'ya"), Sukeroku ("Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura") or Benkei ("Kanjinchô").
"Ichikawa Danjûrô, the ninth, was the torch-bearer of Kabuki during the long reign of the Emperor Mutsuhito, known as the Meiji era, which endured for forty-five years ( 1868-1912). Danjûrô, the ninth, was the bridge that spanned the sudden gulf which yawned between the traditional past and the uncertain and changing modern world. He may be regarded as the saviour of Kabuki during a period when it might have suffered shipwreck, had there not been a man of genius at the helm to guide the craft through the troubled waters." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")
En travaillant les profiles psychologiques et émotionnels de ses héros et en exigeant de ses auteurs (Kawatake Mokuami, Fukuchi Ôchi) un effort intense en terme de véracité historique, il crée un nouveau genre, le katsureki (abréviation de katsudô rekishi, « l'histoire vivante »). Le public ne suit pas et boude le Katsureki, dont les pièces sont souvent terriblement ennuyeuses. Amer, Ichikawa Danjûrô IX déclare en 1893 : « les créations de ce genre [katsureki] me donnent un mal fou alors que les spectateurs n'y prennent aucun plaisir. Pourtant, lorsque je monte une pièce du vieux répertoire, je n'ai qu'à prendre une belle pose pour que, comblés, ils éclatent en applaudissements. Alors puisque c'est comme ça, les créations d'œuvres nouvelles, maintenant ça suffit, basta ! » (source : Le Kabuki devant la modernité).
The actor Ichikawa Danjûrô IX playing the role of Kamakura Gongorô Kagemasa in the bombastic drama "Shibaraku", which belong to the kabuki jûhachiban (print made by Torii Kiyosada)
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Yoshitsuya in 1862
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1863
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1871
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1871
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1873
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1877
Print made by Yôshû Chikanobu in 1881
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1882
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1887
The Kawarazaki Chôjûrô line of actors
The Kawarazaki Gonjûrô line of actors
The Kawarazaki Gonnosuke line of actors
The Ichikawa Danjûrô line of actors