Seiko Group Ambassador
Kabuki Actor
Ichikawa Danjuro
XIII Hakuen
He officially inherited the Naritaya Ichikawa Soke, the head family of Kabuki, which is seen as the epitome of traditional Japanese performing arts.
While honoring Kabuki’s many traditions, he continues to take on new challenges, and has expanded his fan base around the world.
Seiko has its origins in the K. Hattori & Co., Ltd. watch and clock retail and repair store founded by Kintaro Hattori in 1881 in what is now Ginza. The old clock tower that sits atop Seiko House at the Ginza 4-chome intersection was finished in 1932, and is still an iconic landmark in the area. Seiko, which has a long history as an innovator, has enhanced its brand image in the world thanks to Grand Seiko, a luxury watch that embodies the Japanese sense of beauty.
Seiko and Ichikawa Danjuro are both associated with Ginza; both pay great respect to tradition yet are hailed for being innovative; and both are deeply involved in the culture of "time" - one through highly refined classical performing arts, and the other through the creation of exquisite timepieces.
Since his appointment as Seiko Group’s Ambassador in 2020, Ichikawa Danjuro has participated in the activities of Group companies to help promote the Seiko brand worldwide.
Profile
Seiko Group AmbassadorKabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjuro
Born the eldest son of Ichikawa Danjuro XII, he was first seen in 1983 as Harumiya in Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji) at the Kabukiza Theater in Ginza, and made his stage debut under the name Ichikawa Shinnosuke VII in 1985 as Kikanbo in Uirouri (The Medicine Peddler). In 2004, he officially succeeded to the name Ichikawa Ebizo XI at the Kabukiza Theater.
At the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, he performed Shibaraku (Stop a Moment!), one of the celebrated Juhachiban (Eighteen Great Plays of Kabuki), and showed the world his famous Nirami (glare), which is meant to drive away evil spirits. In November 2022, he succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro XIII Hakuen at the Kabukiza Theater.
He is also working in independent performances to pass on the essence of traditional Japanese performing arts to the next generation.
In 2014 he won the 37th Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film Rikyu ni Tazumeyo (Ask This of Rikyu).
In 2020, he was appointed a Seiko Group Ambassador.
Ichikawa Danjuro XIII Hakuen
Countdown & Danjuro Naming clock commemorate his succession to the name
Seiko produced a countdown & running-time clock to mark the actor’s succession to the name of Ichikawa Danjuro Hakuen
Prior to November 7, the day of Ichikawa Danjuro Hakuen’s name-succession performance at the Kabukiza Theater, the clock counted down to the exact time of the event, and then began to count forward again, marking the days since the event and adding to the overall excitement. The exterior of the clock features the Mimasu crest of Naritaya, the head family of Kabuki, in the center, and the base is Danjurocha, the Naritaya brown used by Ichikawa Danjuro for generations, overlaid with Rokuyata-goshi, a lattice-like pattern of Mimasu, also a design associated with Naritaya.
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Related information
Time and Japanese Culture Project
The Seiko Group's Time and Japanese Culture Project is aimed at rediscovering the attraction of Japanese culture in a variety of fields, including traditional craftsmanship, food culture, fine art, and the performing arts. Seiko House will serve as a platform to host both events and exhibitions that provide an immersive experience of multiple facets of Japanese culture.