Stage names:

Ichikawa Sadanji IV
Ichikawa Omezô V
Ichikawa Otora V

Real name: Arakawa Kin'ya

Guild: Takashimaya

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Birthday: 12 November 1940

Connections:

Grandfather: Ichikawa Monnosuke VI

Father: Ichikawa Sadanji III

Son: Ichikawa Omezô VI

Grandson: Ichikawa Otora VII

Career:

May 1947: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Tôkyô Gekijô, receiving the name of Ichikawa Otora V and playing in "Terakoya".

February 1962: Ichikawa Otora V takes the name of Ichikawa Omezô V at the Kabukiza.

January 1967: revival at the National Theatre of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura"; Omezô plays the roles of Yatsurugi Kazuma and Sakuramachi Chûjô Kiyofusa [casting].

February 1967: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Dattan"; Omezô plays the role of a rengyôshû [casting].

July 1968: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kama-ga-Fuchi Futatsu Domoe"; Omezô plays the role of Kobuna Gengorô [casting].

December 1969: revival at the Kabukiza of the Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kumo no Ito Azusa no Yumihari"; Omezô plays the role of Sakata Kintoki [more details].

February 1976: revival at the Kabukiza of a 5-act revised version of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Omezô plays the role of the zamoto Yamamura Chôdayû V [casting].

July 1977: revival at the Kabukiza of Katsu Genzô III's drama "Ogasawara Sôdô"; Omezô plays the role of Ogasawara Buzen-no-Kami [casting].

February 1979: Ichikawa Omezô V takes the name of Ichikawa Sadanji IV at the Kabukiza, playing in the dance "Kyô Ningyô" and the drama "Kenuki".

August 1979: revival at the National Theatre Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kanzen Chôaku Nozoki Garakuri"; Sadanji plays the role of Ôoka Echizen-no-Kami Tadasuke [casting].

March 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Sadanji plays the role of Arakuma no Kurozô [casting].

Summer 1985: tour in the USA; Sadanji plays the roles of Narita Gorô, the magistrate, Zangetsu and Watanabe Tsuna in "Shibaraku", "Tachi Nusubito", "Sakurahime Azuma Bunshô" and "Tsuchi Gumo", which celebrate the shûmei in the USA of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII [more details].

January 1997: tôshi kyôgen revival at the National Theatre of the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; Sadanji plays the role of Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi [casting].

March 2001: Sadanji plays at the Shinbashi Enbujô the role of Kô no Moronô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which is staged by the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan to commemorate the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) and the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the deaths of late Onoe Shôroku II and Onoe Baikô VII.

March 2009: Kabuki adaptation by the famous stage director Ninagawa Yukio of Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night", which is entitled "Ninagawa Jûniya", from the 24th to the 28th of March 2009 in London (UK) at the Barbican Theater; Sadanji plays the role of Tôin Kanemichi (Sir Toby Belch) [more details]. The same play is staged with the same casting in June 2009 at the Shinbashi Enbujô and in July 2009 at the Shôchikuza.

November 2014: the Annual Festive Face-Showing Grand Kabuki at the Kabukiza commemorates the 32nd anniversary (33rd memorial service) of the passing away of Matsumoto Hakuô I. His two sons, Matsumoto Kôshirô and Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon, are the zagashira [more details].

Comments:

Ichikawa Sadanji IV is a tachiyaku actor endowed with a great loud voice, big eyes and physical strength helping him to perform the best katakiyaku roles.

Ichikawa Sadanji IV's best roles: Ikyû ("Sukeroku"), Senoo Tarô ("Shunkan"), Senoo Jûrô ("Sanemori Monogatari") and Takuetsu ("Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan").

Ichikawa Sadanji IV playing the role of Sagisaka Bannai in the michiyuki "Michiyuki Tabiji no Hanamuko" in a print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in May 1988
Print courtesy of Castle Fine Arts, Inc. (all rights reserved)

The Ichikawa Otora line of actors

The Ichikawa Omezô line of actors

The Ichikawa Sadanji line of actors