- Kenichi Enomoto
Kenichi Enomoto (榎本 健一 "Enomoto Ken’ichi" ) (
October 11 ,1904 –January 7 ,1970 ) was a popularJapan ese singingcomedian , mostly known by hisstage name Enoken (エノケン).Enomoto was a major innovator during his heyday, Enoken's stage shows, radio appearances, and film roles were a major influence within
Tokyo theatre beforeWorld War II , and was a catalyst for the revival of comedy in the postwar period.Born in
Aoyama ,Tokyo , the son of rice cracker shop owners, Enomoto fell under the spell of such stars of theAsakusa Opera asTaya Rikizo andFujiwara Yoshie , and in 1922 he made his stage debut at age 18 as a chorus member of the Asakusa Kinryukan Theatre. TheGreat Kanto Earthquake of the following year dealt a great blow to the opera world in Tokyo, at which time Enomoto shifted to comic theatre. Playing small roles in various comedy productions, he returned to theAsakusa stage in 1929 as part of the troupe Casino Folly. The following year saw him launch his own troupe, Enoken Gekidan, which would firmly establish him as a leading figure in Tokyo theatrical circles. In 1934, he starred in the movieEnoken no Seishun Suikoden (Enoken’s Tale of Youth’s Folly), and gained national popularity. His subsequent film career saw him parody a whole parade of Japanese historical personages, includingKondo Isamu andSakamoto Ryoma , in a series of "jidai-geki" (historical dramas) and "chanbara" (samurai drama) films, including some directed byAkira Kurosawa .Enomoto became afflicted with
necrosis of the right leg in the 1950s, which required amputation, curtailing his film and stage career. He did however make a legendary comeback at theShinjuku Koma Theatre 1963 wearing aprosthetic leg . He died in 1970 and is entombed in Hase Temple in Nishi-Azabu ,Minato, Tokyo , on whose tombstone is enscribed "The King of Comedy".Sources
「父から子におくる一億人の昭和史：人物現代史」（100 Million People's Showa History, from Father to Child: Historical Biographies), Mainichi Shimbun Press, 1977.
"Kenichi Enomoto IMDB Biography" http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0257951/bio
"Prominent People of Minato City" http://www.lib.city.minato.tokyo.jp/yukari/e/man-detail.cgi?id=13&CGISESSID=dcd5fd43789c08a3a564dcfaa4f6ce9b
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