Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Ichikawa Danjūrō IX

Japanese actor

Date of Birth: 29-Nov-1838

Place of Birth: Edo, Japan

Date of Death: 13-Sep-1903

Profession: actor, child actor, kabuki actor

Nationality: Japan

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Ichikawa Danjuro IX (??? ?? ???, Kudaime Ichikawa Danjuro, 29 November 1838 – 13 September 1903) was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period (1868–1912). Ninth in the line of actors to hold the name Ichikawa Danjuro, he is depicted in countless ukiyo-e actor prints (yakusha-e), and is widely credited with ensuring Kabuki stayed vibrant and strong as Japan struggled with modernization and Westernization. According to one scholar, Ichikawa Danjuro, 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 (1868–1912).
Danjuro, 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.