Hanzawa Naoki actor Ennosuke Ichikawa found in semi-conscious state at home

TOKYO – Japanese kabuki actor Ennosuke Ichikawa, who starred in the second season of the popular Japanese television drama series Hanzawa Naoki (2013 and 2020), was found in a semi-conscious state at home with his parents on Thursday.

According to the Japanese media, they were discovered at his home by his manager after 10am that day.

The 47-year-old actor was found collapsed in the basement with a letter suspected to be a suicide note beside him. He was sent to hospital and was not in critical condition.

His parents were found lying in the living room on the second floor with no external injuries.

His 75-year-old mother was pronounced dead at the scene, while his father Danshiro Ichikawa, 76, also a kabuki actor, was in a coma and died later in hospital.

The Japanese police are treating the case as suspected suicide.

Born into a kabuki family, Ichikawa’s original name was Takahiko Kinoshi. He later adopted the stage name Ennosuke Ichikawa IV.

He has starred in TV series such as the historical drama The 13 Lords Of The Shogun (2022).

In the second season of Hanzawa Naoki which aired in 2020, he left a deep impression on viewers with his role as Taiji Isayama, the head of Tokyo Chuo Bank’s equity sales department and the antagonist of the titular banker played by Japanese actor Masato Sakai.

Ichikawa is also the cousin of another famed Japanese kabuki actor, Teruyuki Kagawa, who played Isayama’s mentor and bank director Akira Owada in the show.