Stage names:
Ichikawa Danshirô III
Ichikawa Danko II
Real name: Kinoshi Masanori
Guild: Omodakaya
Line number: SANDAIME (III)
Existence: 5 October 1908 ~ 18 November 1963
Connection:
Grandfather: Ichikawa Danshirô II
Father: Ichikawa En'ô
Sons: Ichikawa Ennosuke III, Ichikawa Danshirô IV
Grandson: Ichikawa Kamejirô II
Career:
October 1913: he makes his first stage appearance, at the Tôkyôza, where he receives the name of Ichikawa Danko II.
September 1919: premiere at the Kabukiza of the Kiyomoto-based dance "Sumidagawa" (a Nô adapted to Kabuki by Yamazaki Shikô with a musical accompaniment made by Kiyomoto Umekichi II); Danko plays the role of the spirit of Umewakamaru [casting].
February 1922: his grandfather Ichikawa Danshirô II dies.
Summer 1928: Danko joins the troupe led by Ichikawa Sadanji II, who organizes the first tour of a Kabuki troupe outside Japan. The destination is the USSR and the troupe performs in Moscow and Leningrad [more details].
July 1930: Ichikawa Danko II takes the name of Ichikawa Danshirô III at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Kotôta in the drama "Kamahige".
April 1936: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Ninin Sambasô", a 2-dancer version of the Sambasô dance, starring Danshirô and his father Ichikawa Ennosuke II.
November 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's dance-drama "Kurozuka"; Danshirô plays the role of Tarôgo [casting].
October 1955: first Kabuki tour in the Popular Republic of China, in Beijing (2~13 october), Shanghai (17~18 october) and Guangzhou (24~25 october); Danshirô plays the role of Togashi in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô" [casting].
June 1959: Danshirô plays at the Tôyoko Hall the role of Matsunaga Daizen in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki"; the roles of Princess Yuki and Konoshita Tôkichi are played by Sawamura Tosshô V and Kawarazaki Gonjûrô III.
July 1961: second Kabuki tour in the USSR, in Moscow (3~16 July, Vakhtangov Theatre) and Leningrad (20~31 July, Lensoviet Cultural Palace); Danshirô plays the role of Father Lion and Senoo Tarô Kaneyasu in the dance "Renjishi" and the drama "Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima".
May 1963: great shûmei at the Kabukiza for the Omodakaya guild; Danshirô's father Ichikawa Ennosuke II, his elder son Ichikawa Danko III and his younger son Ichikawa Kamejirô I respectively take the names of Ichikawa En'ô, Ichikawa Ennosuke III and Ichikawa Danko IV. Danshirô, who has some health troubles, appears on stage only for the kôjô.
June 1963: his father Ichikawa En'ô dies.
November 1963: a few month after his father, Danshirô dies because of a sarcoma.
Comments:
Ichikawa Danshirô III was a tachiyaku actor, who did not reach the levels of fame of his father Ichikawa En'ô or his elder son Ichikawa Ennosuke III but was a steady mainstay of the Omodakaya guild. His best roles were Tarôgo ("Kurozuka"), Hayami no Tôta ("Yoshinoyama") and Iwanaga Saemon ("Akoya").
Ichikawa Danshirô III in a print made by Natori Shunsen in 1952