Ichikawa Danjūrō IX

Who was Ichikawa Danjūrō IX?

Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period.

Ninth in the line of actors to hold the name Ichikawa Danjūrō, he is depicted in countless ukiyo-e actor prints, and is widely credited with ensuring Kabuki stayed vibrant and strong as Japan struggled with modernization and Westernization.

According to one scholar,

Ichikawa Danjūrō, 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. Danjūrō, 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.