Ichikawa Danjuro XIII

Born as the eldest son of Ichikawa Danjuro XII in Tokyo, 1977. Made his first stage appearance in May 1983, performing as Harumiya in “The Tale of Genji”. Following that in 1985, he was initiated into the Ichikawa kabuki lineage as Ichikawa Shinnosuke VII, performing as Kikanbo in The Medicine Peddler (Uiro Uri, one of the 18 Best Kabuki Plays). He then took the name of Ichikawa Ebizo XI in May 2004 through a series of plays at the Kabukiza Theatre: “Shibaraku”, “Kanjincho”, “Shunkyo Kagamijishi” and “Sukeroku: Flower of Edo”.

In 2013, he started up a self-produced project “ABKAI”, through which original contemporary kabuki plays have been staged, starting with “Roppongi Kabuki” in 2015. His many performances abroad have made international headlines, starting with his debut as Ichikawa Ebizo XI at the Paris Chaillot National Theatre in 2004, and extending to London, Amsterdam, Monaco, Rome, Singapore, UAE, and New York.

He was a member of the Culture and Education Commission of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee from 2015, and performed at the Olympic opening ceremony in 2021.

With his performances at the Kabukiza Theatre in November 2022, in “Kanjincho” and “Sukeroku: Flower of Edo”, and in December, in “Kyoganoko Musume Ninin Dojoji” and “Sukeroku: Flower of Edo”, he inherited the name of Ichikawa Danjuro XIII.

He was bestowed the newcomer award under the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Fine Arts in 2001, and the Chevalier rank under France’s prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres award, in 2007.