| Ichikawa Danjûrô II was a prominent [[kabuki]] actor of the [[Genroku]] period, son and heir to kabuki pioneer [[Ichikawa Danjuro I|Ichikawa Danjûrô I]]. | | Ichikawa Danjûrô II was a prominent [[kabuki]] actor of the [[Genroku]] period, son and heir to kabuki pioneer [[Ichikawa Danjuro I|Ichikawa Danjûrô I]]. |
| + | He was regarded as the greatest ''[[tachiyaku]]'' actor (specialist in heroic/protagonist male characters) of his time, and is credited with contributing to the creation of a number of the plays later included in the ''[[Kabuki Juhachiban|Kabuki Jûhachiban]]'', a collection of the greatest plays or pieces performed by the Ichikawa family. Those pioneered by Danjûrô II include ''[[Uiro Uri|Uirô Uri]]'', ''[[Ya no ne]]'', ''[[Kenuki]]'', ''[[Oshimodoshi]]'', ''[[Nanatsu men]]'', ''[[Kagekiyo]]'', and ''[[Kan'u]]''. Along with [[Sawamura Sojuro I|Sawamura Sôjûrô I]], [[Bando Hikosaburo I|Bandô Hikosaburô I]] and [[Otani Hiroji I|Ôtani Hiroji I]], he was also known as one of the "[[Shitenno|Shitennô]]," the Great Four Actors, of his time. |
| In [[1747]]/5, [[1748]]/5, and [[1749]]/6, Danjûrô performed in the premieres of ''[[Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami]]'', ''[[Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura]]'', and ''[[Kanadehon Chushingura|Kanadehon Chûshingura]]'', respectively, which have since become widely regarded as the three most famous, or most popular, plays in the kabuki repertoire. | | In [[1747]]/5, [[1748]]/5, and [[1749]]/6, Danjûrô performed in the premieres of ''[[Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami]]'', ''[[Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura]]'', and ''[[Kanadehon Chushingura|Kanadehon Chûshingura]]'', respectively, which have since become widely regarded as the three most famous, or most popular, plays in the kabuki repertoire. |
| + | After numerous periods of illness and convalescence, Ebizô performed onstage for the final time in [[1758]]/3, in the role of [[Soga Goro|Soga Gorô]], in a production of ''Ya no ne'' at the Ichimura-za; shortly afterwards, he fell ill once more, and died roughly six months later at his home in Meguro, a village near Narita-san, his family's patron temple. He was buried at Jôshô-in, a temple in the Shiba district of Edo. |