Ichikawa Danjūrō (市川 團十郎) is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. It is a famous and important name, and receiving it is an honor. There are a number of roles that the line of Danjūrō specialize in, as well as a series of plays, the Kabuki Jūhachiban (The Kabuki Eighteen), which showcase the specialties of the Ichikawa family. Danjūrō, like other actors' names, is bestowed (or given up) at grand naming ceremonies called shūmei in which a number of actors formally change their names. The name Danjūrō is generally taken at the peak of an actor's career; another name may be taken after retirement. Prior to taking the name Danjūrō, an actor frequently had the names Matsumoto Kōshirō, Ichikawa Shinnosuke, or Ichikawa Ebizō. The design of the Ichikawa family mon, three squares nested inside one another, is called mimasu or sanshō (三升). Some of the actors in this line used "Sanshō" as their haimyō, a nickname or alias used in poetry circles.

[Top row, from left:

Ichikawa Danjūrō I as Yamagami Gennaizaemon (Zōhiki) Ichikawa Danjūrō II as Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa (Shibaraku) Ichikawa Danjūrō III as Uirō-uri or Soga no Gorō (Uirō) Ichikawa Danjūrō IV as Roku-bu (Kamahige) Second Row, from left: Ichikawa Danjūrō V as Fudō-myō-ō (Fudō) Ichikawa Danjūrō VI as Hanatogawa Sukeroku (Sukeroku) Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as Taira no Kagekiyo (Kagekiyo) Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as Soga no Gorō in Ya no Ne Third Row, from left: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX Sanshō Ichikawa V (Danjūrō X) Ichikawa Danjūrō XI Ichikawa Danjūrō XII | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Danjuro///Ichikawa///I%2C///II%2C///III%2C///IV%2C///V%2C///VI%2C///VII%2C///VIII%2C///IX%2C///X%2C///XI///and///XII.jpg]

Lineage