Two months after assuming the name of Danjuro Ichikawa, the beginning of the year was full of anxiety.

It was a little past 3:00 p.m. in early January when Danjuro Ichikawa Shirasaru XIII, 45, emerged from the backstage entrance of the Shinbashi Enbujo Theater in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, guarded by a staff member. Danjuro has been very busy since his succession to the title of Ichikawa Danjuro last October, with a series of shows to be held throughout the country until next October. On this day, after finishing his stage performance in the “New Year Kabuki Performance: SANEMORI,” a program commemorating Danjuro Ichikawa’s succession to the title of Ichikawa Danjuro, which began on January 6.

Danjuro was wearing a dandy suit, sunglasses, and sneakers on his bare feet. There were a few female fans around the area who seemed to be waiting for him to come out, but they did not seem to react at all when they saw him standing there for a while to cross the street.

The fans waiting to go out were probably there for Ryota Miyadate (29), a member of Snow Man. In fact, this is not Miyadate’s first appearance on the Kabuki stage; in 2019, when Miyadate was still a Johnny’s Jr. member, he appeared with Abe Ryohei (29) of the same group, and this will be his first appearance in three years.

The first performance of “SANEMORI” was staged in 2019 as part of “ABKAI,” an independent performance project initiated by Danjuro (Ebizo at the time) with the aim of “carrying on tradition” and “creating a new era of Kabuki,” and Miyadate also appeared in the production. Miyadate also appeared in the play and it attracted a great deal of attention. Since it is the first time the play has been performed again, tickets have been sold out every day. Danjuro must be relieved, but not a few people in the pears garden are also worried about this result.

Danjuro is probably relieved, but there are many people in the Rien circle who are annoyed by this result. This proves once again that classic kabuki and Danjuro’s name alone are not enough to fill the seats. Well, that can’t be helped. To be honest, Danjuro’s plays were not at a level worthy of the name, even in the “Succession Performance.

However, Mr. Miyadate was improving his skills. I hope Danjuro feels “frustrated” or “must devote himself more to his art” because of this result. The performances of ABKAI are always wonderful, and they always attract an audience. He has the ability to produce, but he is a member of the Ichikawa Soke. He is from the Ichikawa Soke family, so I still want him to shine on the classical kabuki stage…”

Around 2015, during Ebizo’s tenure, he was greeted after performances at the Shinbashi Enbujo by so many female fans that they covered both sides of the street, and he even had time to say, “Thank you.