Japanese Kabuki Star Ichikawa Ennosuke Indicted for Assisting Parents’ Double Suicide
variety.comPatrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Ichikawa Ennosuke, a leading Japanese Kabuki actor, was indicted in Tokyo on Friday on charges of assisting his parents’ suicides.
The indictment, reported by public broadcaster NHK and other major Japanese media, alleges that Ichikawa gave an excessive amount of sleeping drugs to his father, Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro IV, and his mother Nobuko.
The pair were discovered at the family home by Ichikawa’s manager in mid-May. Ichikawa was also present, in a separate room, and in a semi-comatose state.
NHK reports that Ichikawa made a confession to Tokyo Metropolitan Police. The broadcaster quoted Ichikawa’s statement from the indictment: “The publication of articles about me, [alleging things] such as power harassment and sexual harassment, in a weekly magazine was a major trigger for my suicide [attempt].” The Kyodo news agency on Friday quoted another portion of the statement: “A weekly magazine report prompted us to hold a family meeting, and we decided to say goodbye.” On the same day that Ichikawa was taken to hospital, and his parents were found dead, the “Josei Sebun” (Women’s Seven) magazine had published an exposé, alleging that the actor had sexually harassed female cast members of stage productions.
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