Ichikawa Danjuro II

• Born: 1688/10/11
• Died: 1758/9/24
• Other Names: Ichikawa Kuzô I, Ichikawa Ebizô II
• Poetry Names: 才牛 (Saigyû), 白煙 (Hakuen), 三升 (Sanshou)
• Japanese: 二代目市川團十郎 (nidaime Ichikawa Danjuurou)

Ichikawa Danjûrô II was a prominent kabuki actor of the Genroku period, son and heir to kabuki pioneer Ichikawa Danjûrô I.

He was 16 years old and held the name Ichikawa Kuzô I on 1704/2/19, when his father was killed onstage, possibly before young Kuzô's eyes. At the suggestion of friends and family, he immediately adopted his father's name, becoming Danjûrô II and establishing the name Ichikawa Danjûrô as a hereditary name held by the top actor in the community. He famously gave an extemporaneous memorial speech several days later which included a discussion of famous historical swords in which, through the use of wordplay, he named his father's killer.

On key anniversaries of his father's death, Danjûrô led public performances and private ceremonies in memory of his father. As was typical, guests to these private family affairs would donate "incense money" to help support the costs of the gatherings, and the family would prepare small gifts in return. The woodblock-printed volume Chichi no on was produced in 1730 as one such gift, setting a precedent for memorial albums for kabuki actors.

References

• "Ichikawa Ebizô II." Kabuki21.com. Accessed 19 Feb 2013.
• Roger Keyes, Ehon: The Artist and the Book in Japan, New York Public Library (2006), 72-74.