Ichikawa Danjuro 9th generation circa 1870-1873 kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX October 13, 1838 (November 29, 1838) - September 13, 1903 (Meiji 36) Kabuki actor active in the Meiji era. His store name was Naritaya. His family name was Naritaya, and his family crest was Mimasu. His haiku stage names include Shisen, Danshu, Jukai, and Sansho, and his stage name is Yoan. His real name was Horikoshi Hideshi. Together with Onoe Kikugoro V and Ichikawa Sadanji I, he established the so-called "Dan Kikuza era. While modernizing kabuki through realistic staging and historical research, he also organized the rough and tumble of traditional Edo kabuki and determined many of the forms that have been handed down to the present day, thereby elevating kabuki from a humble townsman's pastime to a noble art form representative of Japanese culture. For his many accomplishments, he was called "Gekisei," or the "Sage of Theater. Ichikawa Danjuro IX (Nov. 29, 1838 - Sept. 13, 1903) was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period. 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 modern kabuki. Photo by Uchida Kuichi. (Japanese names listed surname first.)