apprenticed, he would naturally betake himself to the most eminent stager; and hence to Ichikawa Danjuro flocked every stage-mad candidate. All Danjuro’s pupils took the stage-surname Ichikawa and the trade-name Naritaya; but some of these, on subsequently making their mark, founded their own histrionic families with new trade-names, which were also bestowed on all their pupils. In the theatre, the audience bawl out the actor’s trade-name where in other countries he would be greeted with plaudits. Beyond this distinction between the various branches of the same professional family, the tradename appears to be of little use.
But to return to Danjuro, the second bearer of that name, being childless, adopted a son to whom he gave his own name; but the young man dying before him, he adopted another, the fourth Danjuro (1711–1788), who was succeeded by his son, the fifth of that name (1741–1806). The sixth (1778–1799) also dying before his father whose name had been transmitted to him in 1790, his nephew (1790–1855) inherited the coveted name. He was the ablest of the seven Danjuro. His son (1823–1854) committed suicide to save his father from reproach; and the name remained in abeyance for nineteen years until it was assumed in 1873 by his half-brother, who was born in 1838. This ninth Danjuro, who worthily upholds the traditions of his family, is acknowledged the greatest living actor in Japan. His rival, Onoye Kikugoro, who is his junior by six years, is the fifth of that name, its founder (1711–1783) having gone on the stage in 1735, so that this nom-de-guerre has been in existence for 160 years, while Danjuro’s has continued with a few interruptions for 220 years. Besides the chief stage names, there are other hereditary ones. Thus, a Danjuro, on transmitting that name in his own lifetime to his son, generally took for himself the nom-de-guerre Ebizo, the private name of the founder of the family. An actor shows the degree of his
