Stage names:

Ichikawa Sumizô VII
Ichikawa Danjirô
Ichikawa Tomisaburô

Real name: Ôta Mitsunosuke

Guild: Masudaya

Line number: SHICHIDAIME (VII)

Existence: 1 April 1902 ~ 7 March 1985

Connections:

Grandfather: Ichikawa Sumizô V

Father: Ichikawa Dankurô II

Uncle: Ichikawa Jukai III

Disciple: Ichikawa Mikizô II

Career:

May 1906: his grandfather Ichikawa Sumizô V dies.

May 1912: he makes his first stage appearance at the Tôkyôza, where he receives the name of Ichikawa Tomisaburô and plays a little role in the drama "Yamatobashi".

1919: Ichikawa Tomisaburô takes the name of Ichikawa Danjirô.

July 1924: Danjirô becomes nadai at the Asakusa Shôchikuza.

1940: his father Ichikawa Dankurô II dies.

January 1948: Danjirô settles in Ôsaka.

February 1949: Ichikawa Danjirô and his uncle Ichikawa Sumizô VI respectively take the names of Ichikawa Sumizô VII and Ichikawa Jukai III at the Ôsaka Kabukiza.

1956: Sumizô plays in Shima Kôji's movie "Zangiku Monogatari".

March 1958: Sumizô takes part in the final Kabuki performance at the Ôsaka Kabukiza [more details].

November 1959: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Namboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which is supervised by Mishima Yukio; Sumizô plays the role of Matsui Gengo [casting].

April 1971: his uncle Ichikawa Jukai III dies.

March 1980: Sumizô receives the National Theater Excellence Prize (Kokuritsu Gekijô Yûshûshô) for his performance in the role of Gunsuke in the drama "Miyakodori Nagare no Shiranami".

Comments:

Ichikawa Sumizô VII was a good supporting tachiyaku actor. He was born in Tôkyô but joined the Kamigata Kabuki after WW2. He gradually rose in the hierarchy and finally entered the first league of actors. He became a talented oyajigata in his latter years. His best roles were Sagisaka Bannai in the third and seventh acts of "Kanadehon Chûshingura", Shibata Jûdayû in "Banchô Sarayashiki" and Taira no Kenjô Naokata in "Sodehagi Saimon".

The Ichikawa Sumizô line of actors