FAMILY DRAMA

Japanese Kabuki Star Arrested for Helping Mother Die by Suicide

Ennosuke Ichikawa said he was planning to kill himself after his parents’ death.

A prominent Japanese kabuki star whose parents were found unconscious at his home last month has been arrested on a charge of assisting suicide. Ennosuke Ichikawa’s parents—Nobuko, 75, and Hiroyuki, 76—both died after being found by rescue workers at his home in Tokyo on May 18. Ichikawa, who is 47, was in a hospital himself until being taken for questioning and arrested on Tuesday. Police said he assisted in his mother’s suicide by feeding her drugs and may have done the same for his father. Ichikawa has suggested there was a family suicide pact, with the three planning to meet again in the afterlife, but police said he had made a clear admission of guilt by telling them: “It is true I helped my parents commit suicide. I had also intended to follow them by killing myself.” Ichikawa is well-known in the world of kabuki—a traditional form of theater involving mine, dance, and elaborate costumes—as was his father under the stage name Ichikawa Danshiro.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can also text or dial 988.