One of the kabuki world's most prominent figures, he made his first acting appearance in 1983, at the Kabuki-za Theater in the role of Harunomiya in The Tale of Genji. In 1985 he appeared there as Kikanbo in The Medicine Peddler, and took the name Shinnosuke VII, as the 7th generation of Ichikawa kabuki lineage. Since then, he has appeared in numerous kabuki plays.
Having appeared in roles such as Kamakura Gongoro in Shibaraku, he then took the name Ebizo XI in May of 2004, becoming the 11th generation Ebizo Ichikawa. He performed in Paris (Theatre National de Chaillot) in October 2004 to commemorate his succession to that name. Following that, he was actively involved in appearances outside of Japan, such as in the Paris Opera House Shochiku Grand Kabuki (2007), and was awarded the French Order of Culture that year. He also appeared in Shochiku Grand Kabuki performances in London and Rome in 2010. Apart from kabuki, he has been active in a variety of roles, including the protagonist, Miyamoto Musashi, in the NHK TV historical drama series Musashi (2003).
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