Danjuro’s stage career ended suddenly at the age of 45. His death is one of the most tragic events in the history of the Japanese theatre. He was murdered in his dressing-room by a fellow-actor in 1704. Some accounts say that the murderer’s name was Sugiyama Hanroku. Ihara Seiseiin, who has closely inspected the suspected actor’s record for the year in which Danjuro was murdered, says he was unable to find the name of Sugiyama Hanroku, but discovered one Ikushima Hanroku, who was recorded as an actor of considerable ability, being ranked as first of the middle class. Accounts with regard to the motive prompting the deed are conflicting. Some say jealousy; others that this actor had a son who was a deshi, or follower, of Danjuro, and had changed his name to Ichikawa; again that Hanroku was a man of evil character, and Danjuro gave him some sound advice which he did not heed, and that this made Danjuro indifferent to the son. Yet most accounts agree that the cause of the tragedy was Danjuro’s changed attitude towards the son. The result of this crime was that the proprietors of the theatres were summoned to the magistrate’s office, and an order was issued that continuous plays could not be given, and only those of one act were allowed, the audience to be changed at the end of each act. Hanroku made good his escape from Danjuro’s dressing-room, but was taken to prison on that day, and died there before his sentence could be carried out. Danjuro’s widow cut her hair short, and lived a life of retirement in Meguro, now a suburb of Tokyo. Danjuro, the first, was fortunate in leaving behind him the successor who had been given to him in answer to the prayer made to Fudo, the God of Fire, at the Narita Temple, for this son was to become one of the most famous actors of the Danjuro line. [Illustration: Crest of Ichikawa Danjuro (Three rice measures).] [Illustration: Crest of Ichikawa Ennosuke (Derived from toy resembling three monkeys).] [Illustration: Crest of Ichikawa Chusha (Peony).] [Illustration: Onoe Matsusuke as Komori Yasu, or Bat Yasu, so called because of the birthmark on his cheek which resembles a bat. A bold, bad man of Yedo.] CHAPTER XII YAKUSHA OF GENROKU During the Genroku period that produced so many men of distinction in art, literature, and the drama, the audiences of the three towns had a brilliant array of actor talent from which to choose, and the achievements of the contemporaries of Sakata Tojuro and Ichikawa Danjuro resulted in a keen appreciation of the actor’s creativeness. The common people were to become familiar with a high order of acting, since the emphasis, whether rightly or wrongly, as judged by Occidental standards, was always on the actor, the playwright being of secondary importance.