Kamejiro Ichikawa , Kabuki Actor

─ Kamejiro, you have participated in overseas performance of Kabuki in June.

Yes, it was for a short period, but I performed in London and Amsterdam. This was my first experience to perform overseas, but many people came to see our performance, and it was a great success. What surprises me when I visit a foreign country is that there is always a Mita-kai organization in the country. Seniors whom I have never met before are so kind to me. I really appreciate it.

─ At overseas performances, do you feel any differences from when you perform in Japan, such as how you act?

No, everything is exactly the same as in Japan. Obviously, the audience cannot understand Japanese, so they use earphone guides and subtitles, but we performers act exactly the same way as in Japan. If we try to act in a different way in overseas performances to make it easier to understand, we may be disrespecting the audience who came to see Japanese Kabuki. Therefore, we always try to keep in mind to maintain a standard as a professional where ever we perform. As a result, I think we did really good.

─ How do you judge a "good" performance?

When I feel comfortable with my performance.

─ What do you mean by comfortable?

Well, it's hard to explain in words, but it is a sense of feeling that I have developed through experience of performing since I was a child.

─ I heard that your first performance was when you were only 4 years old. How were you able to separate performing and practice from private life?

I don't feel it necessary to have a private part of myself other than acting. Since my first performance, I felt professional. Acting was the most exciting thing for me to do, and I cannot think of anything more exciting than acting. I still feel the same way today. The only thing I think about everyday is Kabuki.... and I am not exaggerating.

─ Why did you decide to study at Keio University, when you were already acting as a professional?

Probably because I had been told of all the fun of college life from my father (fourth Danshiro Ichikawa) and my uncle (third Ennosuke Ichikawa) who both studied at Keio. I had also chosen several other universities, but Keio was the only university I actually applied for entrance. This was the year when AO exams started at the Faculty of Letters, so I was one of the first students to take the exams. At the exams, we had to write an essay, and I thought the theme will be related to Yukichi Fukuzawa, so I read many books by Fukuzawa and studied about the founder in preparation for the exams. However, when the exams started, the theme had nothing to do with Yukichi Fukuzawa, and it was about a current topic written in a foreign language. At the end of the exams, there was a space where you can write comments on the first AO exams, and because I was so upset that my speculation was completely wrong, I wrote a comment saying "Is it really right to use such a theme for the exams? What happens to the tradition of Keio that I've heard about so much?". At that time, I was so arrogant. I was pretty sure that I failed the exams, but for some reason, I passed. Maybe, the teachers understood my strong feelings for the tradition of Keio.

─ You majored in Japanese literature?

I didn't want to study a subject that had nothing to do with Kabuki, so naturally I chose Japanese literature.

─ How was your college life?

I was a serious student, taking lectures from 1st period to 5th, and aiming at taking grade A in all the subjects. I always had high targets. For a Kabuki actor, the four years at this age is an important period for training. Studying at university had to be worth the sacrifice, and I couldn't waste a moment of my college life.

─ So while you were attending college, you were away from acting?

Yes. If you try to study seriously, being a college student is quite busy. There was no way I could balance Kabuki and studying. At the same time, I had a "playful" spirit of trying to fully enjoy my college life. For example, skipping a lecture is a privilege for university students, so I tried skipping class even when I didn't really want to. Maybe I was acting as a college student because I am an actor. I had interest in academic things, so I enjoyed attending lectures and studying in my own way. For my graduation thesis, I chose Kabuki as my theme because this is where I belong.

─ What was the advantage of studying at university for you?

First of all, I was able to increase my general knowledge and broaden my views. It was good that I could take many courses out of my major. I still think that the flexibility of the curriculum was really great. Also, at university, I think it is more important to learn how to obtain knowledge than the knowledge itself. To study a certain issue, observing it from different viewpoints and finally coming up with a conclusion ... repeating this training will help acquire a methodology that can be used in any kind of work.

─ Four years ago, you started an independent performance called "Kamejiro no Kai" , and you seem to be trying to create your own territory in the traditional world of Kabuki.

I started "Kamejiro no Kai" to work on performances that I truly think is interesting. I manage everything by myself, just like the spirit of "dokuritsu jison (independence and self respect)", the concept of Keio University. As in the proverb "the nail sticking up will be hammered", the Japanese tend to take the independent spirit negatively. For people of the Meiji era, I think the word "dokuritsu jison" sounded arrogant. However, Yukichi Fukuzawa kept emphasizing this point, with a strong belief that graduates of Keio will lead Japan to independence. I think that even in today's world, "dokuritsu jison" has an important meaning, and it is also my favorite word.

─ Your uncle, Ennosuke, innovated "Super Kabuki" with the "dokuritsu jison" spirit and you have also performed in "Super Kabuki". What motivated you to set apart from that to go on your own way?

The belief that once I have taken over the tradition of Kabuki, the path I take will become a new tradition. To hold a tradition is also to break it. However, you cannot simply break it, because if you don't know the traditional form, breaking tradition will end up with an act of "no form". If you know the traditional form, you can create a "new form" that will lead to new tradition. As in dialectics, it is to understand the value of tradition, then deny it, and then rebuild it. We need to keep taking on the challenge to create a performance that will inspire people.

─ You will be acting as Shingen Takeda in NHK's period drama "Furin Kazan" in 2008. As this is your first experience to act in TV drama, this will be another challenge for you.

Actually, I had no interest in TV dramas until recently, but now, I am getting more interested in "acting in the real world" which is different from Kabuki. Actually, acting in TV is not real either. It would be funny if people talked like characters of a TV drama. People exaggerate when they are acting. The question is, how different is it from Kabuki? I would like to use this opportunity to study these things. I' m also excited because the different sense of tension I will feel acting in TV dramas will stimulate myself as an actor.

─ It seems like many Kabuki actors work in different fields such as modern dramas, TV dramas and musicals.

Kabuki is similar to a comprehensive university with many faculties. It has the deepness and width capable of covering all kinds of genres. Therefore, I am quite confident that what I have acquired over the years of Kabuki performance will work with TV dramas.

─ By the way, the role of Yuhime, concubine of Shingen Takeda, will be played by Yuki Shibata, who graduated from the same faculty of Keio.

There aren't many Keio graduates in performance art and dramatic art, so I think I was really lucky. Also, Masaaki Uchino, who plays the role of leading character Kansuke Yamamoto, is a graduate of Waseda University, so next year's NHK period drama will be a Sokei-sen. Please look forward to it!

─ Could you give a message to Keio students?

Firstly, please study harder! I studied a lot when I was a student, but now when I recall back in the days when I was in college, I feel that I should have studied harder. I really think that the 4 years in university should be spent to study. I understand students wanting to have fun, but once you are out in the work force, it is hard to spare the time even if you want to study. It is such a shame not to use all the time you have in college to study. Also, I used to go the library quite often. I would search for books no one has ever borrowed, and go to the old university library to check on old books. Today, I always carry a book with me, and I try to read books of all kinds. Mr. Asao Uchida, an actor who passed away a while ago, gave me an advice that "a life of a person has limits, but by reading many books, you can experience lives of many others". It's true that the experience of concentrating on studying and reading at young age made my life richer.

Secondly, please make a lot of good friends. It is another privilege of university students to make friends with no economic interest. I met a lot of friends from my foreign language class and Japanese literature major. A lot of my classmates became teachers, and once when I visited New York, I met with a former classmate who was teaching at Keio Academy of New York. Although we hadn't met for a long time, we could get back to the old days in a moment. That is why I treasure my friends from college.

Finally, I would like every Keio student to be proud of being a part of the Keio family, and also take responsibility. Even when I was a student, I felt that the academic culture of Keio was thinning down, compared to what I heard from my father and uncle. I think many students entered Keio attracted by the noble spirit of Keio in opposition to the "bankara" spirit of Waseda, but in general, I think Keio students aren't showing enough mettle to keep this spirit. It's the same in the world of Kabuki. In order to pass along the noble spirit, we have to be proud and have a desire to improve ourselves. I'm sure some things need to be reformed to keep up with the times, but I think the noble spirit of Keio should maintain its value indefinitely.

Graduated from the Faculty of Letters in 1998 and son of the fourth Danshiro Ichikawa. The third Ennosuke Ichikawa, famous for his "Super Kabuki" performance, is his uncle. Followed by his first act in 1980 as Antokutei in "Yoshitsune Senbonzakura", he succeeded to the name of the second Kamejiro Ichikawa in 1983. After graduating from Keio University, Kamejiro acted in Kabuki, Super Kabuki and Asakusa Hanagata Kabuki. In 2002, he started an independent performance called "Kamejiro no Kai", and continues to take the challenge to act in new fields. His energetic acting and ability to play different roles makes him an up-and-coming Kabuki star. In "Furin Kazan", NHK's period drama of 2008, Kamejiro will debut as a film actor and play the role of Shingen Takeda.