Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Onoe Kikunousuke

おのえ きくのすけ

Onoe Kikunousuke

Aliases: 尾上菊五郎 / 尾上丑之助
Pen Names: Onoe Kikugorō（Succeeded the name Onoe Kikugorō in 2025 (8th)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1977-08-01 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → London (residency for performances)

Career

Occupations
Kabuki actor, Actor, Voice actor
Active Years
1984-
Affiliations
Traditional Kabuki Preservation Association
Memberships
Member, Traditional Kabuki Preservation Association
Influenced By
Yukio Ninagawa, William Shakespeare

Education

Aoyama Gakuin University, Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Letters
Period: 1996 - 中退
Country: Japan
Entered in 1996; left before completing degree

Awards

National Theatre Special Award
1985
Work: Kyōkanoko Musume Dōjōji (as Shōka Kikanbō)
Organization: National Theatre of Japan
Result: 受賞
National Theatre Special Award
1987
Work: Jitsuroku Sendaigaki (as Chiyomatsu)
Organization: National Theatre of Japan
Result: 受賞
Kabukiza Award
1992
Organization: Kabuki-za
Result: 受賞
Asakusa Entertainment Awards — Newcomer Award
1996
Organization: Asakusa Entertainment Awards
Result: 受賞
Matsuo Performing Arts Award — Drama / Newcomer
2003
Organization: Matsuo Performing Arts Award
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Drama Award — Sugimura Haruko Prize
2005
Work: Kyōkanoko Musume Futari Dōjōji and others
Organization: Yomiuri Theatre Awards
Result: 受賞
Arts Encouragement Prize (Newcomer)
2005
Work: Innovative activities in Kabuki
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Theatre Award — Best Actor
2011
Work: Sesshū Gokahōtsuji (complete play)
Organization: Yomiuri Theatre Awards
Result: 受賞
Matsuo Performing Arts Award — Excellence Prize
2023
Organization: Matsuo Performing Arts Award
Result: 受賞
Art Encouragement Prize — Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
2023
Work: Overall contributions to theatre
Organization: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Result: 受賞
Best Dresser Award — Entertainment Category
2017
Organization: Best Dresser Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Benten Musume Meoto Sennin (as Benten Kozō Kikunoshuke)

2000 Kabuki

A signature kabuki role in the White Waves story, showcasing his skills as an onnagata and as a handsome young lead.

Traditional performing artsOnnagata
Adaptations
  • [Film / Cinema Kabuki] Kyōkanoko Musume Futari Dōjōji (Cinema Kabuki) (2007)

NINAGAWA Twelfth Night (Viola / Cesario roles)

2005 Contemporary kabuki adaptation

A kabuki staging of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night directed by Yukio Ninagawa, notable for bridging kabuki and Western theatre.

AdaptationCross-cultural exchange

Sesshu Gokahōtsuji (Tamate Gozen)

2010 Kabuki (full play)

He inherited and performed a major family role in the full staging of the play, earning critical acclaim.

Family legacyOnnagata

The Inugami Family (as Inugami Sukekiyo)

2006 Film

Appeared in Kon Ichikawa's remake, one of his notable film appearances.

Film actingOn-screen family collaboration

Bibliography

  • KabuKabu: 8th Onoe Kikugorō & 6th Onoe Kikunousuke Naming Ceremony (Sankei Shimbun Publishing)
  • Otowaya Three Generations: Commemorative Publication for the Naming of the 8th Onoe Kikugorō and 6th Onoe Kikunousuke (Shogakukan)

Adaptations

  • The Inugami Family (2006 film)
  • Kyōkanoko Musume Futari Dōjōji (Cinema Kabuki)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Delicate, lyrical onnagata performanceInnovation in modern stagings of traditional repertoire
Recurring Motifs
Fusion of tradition and innovationFamily legacy and succession

Health

  • Partial fracture of the left elbow
    2019-12
    Temporary withdrawal from performance and modification of staging; returned the following day with adjustments to performances.

Legacy

He has preserved traditional kabuki techniques while expanding the art's expressive range through collaborations (notably with Yukio Ninagawa). A leading star who bridges family name succession and contemporary theatre.

Archives

  • Kabuki Actor Directory (Meikan DB)
  • NHK People Archive

In Popular Culture

  • Raised public profile through appearances in TV dramas such as 'Shitamachi Rocket 2' and 'Grand Maison Tokyo'
  • Appearances in films and cinema kabuki releases

Quotes

  • I wish to cherish kabuki traditions while continuing to challenge new forms of expression.
    Source: Comment at the naming ceremony (reported) (2025)

Trivia

  • Appeared on TV program 'Tetsuko's Room' with his mother at two months old.
  • Son of the 7th Onoe Kikugorō and actress Junko Fuji; his sister is actress Shinobu Terajima.
  • In 2019 his eldest son made his stage debut at Kabuki-za and took the name Onoe Ushinosuke.