One of Japan’s most famous traditional theater actors was sentenced to three years’ probation on Friday, November 17, for abetting his parents’ suicide, a Tokyo court announced.
Ichikawa, 47, is a star of classical Japanese theater known as “kabuki” and has performed in London, Amsterdam and Paris.
This photo taken on July 31, 2023 shows Japanese kabuki actor Ennosuke Ichikawa, accused of helping his parents commit suicide, leaving the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Harajuku Station. | Photo: AFP
According to the local press, the actor informed his parents of his intention to take his own life after being informed of the publication of an article in a tabloid accusing him of sexual harassment and assault.
Before the incident Ennosuke searched the internet for ways to kill himself and went to his parents to tell them his plans. He crushed sleeping pills, dissolved them in glasses of water and gave them to his parents. According to the investigation, he then covered his parents’ heads with plastic bags.
Ennosuke denied asking his parents to die with himHe said his mother told him, “There’s no way I can let you go alone,” a position he said his father agreed with.
Ichikawa said he felt “indescribable guilt,” according to a statement released after learning of the decision. “I thought it would leave deep scars on the tradition and culture of ‘Kabuki,'” he said, based on the allegations in the article.
Ichikawa, one of Japan’s best-known kabuki actors, was found collapsed in his home along with his parents. | Photo: AFP
“Suicidal” feelings
Ennosuke said he has struggled with depression at various stages of his life. He stated in court that he had felt “useless” and that he would be better off dead. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the decision I made that day. “I regret that I was the only one who survived while my parents died,” he added.
“It would be a lie if I said I no longer have suicidal thoughts, but they have faded somewhat. If I have such feelings, I will consult the doctor in the hospital. “I cannot live alone, so from now on I will consult with those who supported me,” Ennosuke confessed at the beginning of the trial.
He also stated that his personality and upbringing make it difficult for him to open up to people and that he tends to be reserved. However, he vowed to change this trend after being insulted by those around him. Although Ennosuke was released on 5 million yen bail on July 31, the trial took a turn and he is sent to prison.
The Kabuki actor began his career in the early 1980s. and became an important figure in the world of Kabuki. He has also appeared in several popular television series. During the trial, he expressed his hope of continuing his career as a kabuki actor. “Ever since I was young, kabuki was my existence,” he said, adding that there was no point in existing if you couldn’t play kabuki.
The production company Shochiku, which organized many “Kabuki” shows starring Ichikawa, said that nothing had been decided yet about his possible return to the cinema. Ichikawa, whose real name is Takahiko Kinoshi, made his debut in kabuki theater in the 1980s and became one of the country’s most famous actors.
*With information from AFP.