Naritaya Today

  • The ties between Ichikawa Danjuro XII and Komatsu were first born out of the 1987 performance of Kanjincho at the Kanjincho Komatsu 800 Years Festival, thereafter extending to the former’s mentorship of children’s kabuki performances of Kanjincho at the National Children’s Kabuki Festival. Today, this goodwill has been inherited by his children, Ichikawa Danjuro XIII and Ichikawa Suisen IV. Along with Danjuro’s younger sister Ichikawa Juko I, as well as Ichikawa Botan IV and Ichikawa Shinnosuke VIII who are to continue the Naritaya and Ichikawa legacy, it is the wish of our citizens that Naritaya will pass on the kabuki tradition to future generations, and that the bonds between Naritaya and Komatsu will ever deepen.

    Ichikawa Juko I

    Born as the eldest daughter of Ichikawa Danjuro XI, she assumed the name of Ichikawa Kobai in 1981. As her elder brother Ichikawa Danjuro XII was fully occupied by his acting career, she took on responsibility as the representative of the Ichikawa lineage of Nihon Buyo. She has been involved in the choreography of many plays, including new adaptations of the 18 Best Kabuki Plays and independent performances. In 2019, she took on the name of Ichikawa Juko.

    Ichikawa Botan IV

    Born 2011, as the eldest daughter of Ichikawa Danjuro XIII. Made her stage debut in March of 2014 at the Yachiyoza Theatre. At the “Ichikawa Kai” held in August 2019 at the Theatre Cocoon, she assumed the title of Ichikawa Botan IV in her role as Kamuro in Hane no Kamuro. Apart from theater, she also appears in television dramas and other diverse entertainment sectors.

    Ichikawa Shinnosuke VIII

    Born 2013, as the eldest son of Ichikawa Danjuro XIII. Made his stage debut in November of 2015 at the Kabukiza Theatre. His first performance as Ichikawa Shinnosuke VIII was in November 2022, as the medicine-seller (in reality Soga Goro) in The Medicine Peddler (Uiro Uri, one of the 18 Best Kabuki Plays). In December the same year, he became the youngest actor to challenge the role of Kumedera Danjo in The Tweezers (Kenuki, another of the 18 Best Kabuki Plays), capturing the hearts of audiences.