Stage names:

Ichikawa Udanji II
Ichikawa Unosuke I
Itô Unosuke

Real name: Ichikawa Unosuke

Guild: Takashimaya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Kashô

Existence: 30 January 1881 ~ 16 October 1936

Connections:

Grandfather: Ichikawa Kodanji IV

Father: Ichikawa Sai'nyû

Son: Ichikawa Unosuke II

Grandson: Ichikawa Unosuke III

Career:

30 January 1881: born in Ôsaka in the district of Kasaya-chô.

November 1886: he starts his career as a child actor; his first stage name is Itô Unosuke.

January 1902: Itô Unosuke takes the name of Ichikawa Unosuke I (his real name).

January 1909: Ichikawa Udanji I and his son Ichikawa Unosuke I respectively take the names of Ichikawa Sai'nyû and Ichikawa Udanji II at the Kadoza.

June 1835: Udanji plays at the Naniwaza the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Yoichibei and Sadakurô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

January 1836: Udanji plays at the Nakaza the roles of Sagisaka Bannai, Rokuzô and Jûtarô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

April 1836: Udanji appears on stage for the last time, playing at the Nakaza the role of Sakanaya Sôji in the drama "Higo no Komageta"; his main stage partners are Bandô Jusaburô III and Nakamura Kaisha.

Fall 1936: Udanji falls ill.

16 October 1936: Udanji dies.

Comments:

Ichikawa Udanji II was a Kamigata actor, who followed in the footsteps of his father, excelling in hayagawari and keren, like the koi tsukami scene, the chûnori in a wicker basket for the robber Ishikawa Goemon, or the stage tricks of "Yotsuya Kaidan", "Hôkaibô" or "Kohata Koheiji". He was also a talented dancer, especially in spectacular dances like "Ayatsuri Sambasô".

Ichikawa Udanji II

Print made by Utagawa Yoshiiku in 1893

The Ichikawa Udanji line of actors