A moment with Ebizo Ichikawa on his ‘cross bike’ as he heads out to dinner with his children

An electrically power assisted cross bike speeds through the streets of Shibuya. A man in a T-shirt, shorts, flip-flops, and sunglasses pedaled briskly. It was Ebizo Ichikawa, 43.

I thought he was cycling alone, but then I saw two bicycles chasing behind him. They were his eldest daughter, Reika, 10, and his youngest son, Kangen, 8. The children’s bicycles were not motorized, but they struggled to stay close to their father as they rode along the sidewalk, finally meeting up with him at a traffic light on the main street.

The three of them finally met up at a traffic light on the main street, “Originally, last year, Ebizo was scheduled to take the name of Ichikawa Danjuro Hakuzaru and binsen was to take the name of Ichikawa Shinnosuke, but due to the Corona disaster, this was postponed. The success of the two men’s succession performances will be extremely important not only for Naritaya but also for the future of the kabuki world,” says a kabuki insider.

Although he has not yet assumed the name of his successor, he has the air of an heir to the Naritaya family. Although he has yet to take the name, he has the air of a Naritaya heir, and the T-shirt with the name “Shinnosuke” on it suits him well. According to Ebizo’s blog, the three of them were out for dinner that day.

The kabuki world and all of Japan are looking forward to the father and son’s succession.

From “FRIDAY” September 10, 2021 issue