{"id":545,"date":"2026-07-20T10:10:48","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/?p=545"},"modified":"2026-07-20T10:10:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:10:48","slug":"somedansa-to-somedantatsu-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/somedansa-to-somedantatsu-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"From Somedansa to Somedantatsu: Three Young Stars Shaping Kabuki&#8217;s Next Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ichikawa Somegor\u014d (21), Ichikawa Danko (22), and Onoe Sakon (20) are the rising stars widely seen as the next generation of kabuki. Having pushed each other forward since childhood, the three had long been known by the affectionate nickname &#8220;Somedansa.&#8221; But in May 2026, with Sakon&#8217;s succession to the name Onoe Tatsunosuke III, they stepped into a new chapter together \u2014 now known as &#8220;Somedantatsu.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"adsense-block\" style=\"margin:2em 0;text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The &#8220;Somedansa&#8221; Years: Comrades in Arms<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tatsunosuke describes the bond among the three not as simple friendship, but as something closer to &#8220;comrades in arms.&#8221; Each with a distinct personality, they&#8217;ve spent years pushing and inspiring one another.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting in May 2020, the online series <em>Kabuki Kawa<\/em> gave audiences a rare, informal look at the three away from the stage. In January 2025, an event at T\u014dgeki theater celebrating Somegor\u014d&#8217;s and Danko&#8217;s coming of age drew considerable attention.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside taking on major roles in classic works for the first time, each has continued to branch out into new challenges. Somegor\u014d took the lead role of Ina Kikunosuke in <em>Kobikich\u014d no Adauchi<\/em> during the April Grand Kabuki production; Danko took on the role of Ashitaka in Super Kabuki&#8217;s <em>Princess Mononoke<\/em>; and Sakon expanded into new-style kabuki, television, and stage work, including the role of Kasu Kiyomitsu in the kabuki production <em>T\u014dken Ranbu: Azuma Kagami Yukimayoi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\"><div class=\"p-blogCard -internal\" data-type=\"type1\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\"><div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\"><span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u8aad\u307f\u305f\u3044<\/span><div class=\"p-blogCard__body\"><a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/super-kabuki-princess-mononoke-review\/\">Super Kabuki Princess Mononoke Review\uff5cStory, Highlights, and What It Looks Like From the Balcony<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"adsense-block\" style=\"margin:2em 0;text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Succession to Onoe Tatsunosuke III: A Name Inherited, a New Challenge Ahead<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On May 3, 2026, Sakon formally succeeded to the name Onoe Tatsunosuke III at Kabukiza&#8217;s &#8220;Dan-Kiku Festival&#8221; May Grand Kabuki in Tokyo. &#8220;Tatsunosuke&#8221; was previously carried by his grandfather, the first-generation Tatsunosuke, and his father, Onoe Sh\u014droku (51) \u2014 a lineage traditionally associated with bold, powerful male roles.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than staying within that tradition alone, the new Tatsunosuke has charted a path as a performer who takes on both male and female roles. &#8220;What I&#8217;m aiming for as a performer who does both is to follow in the footsteps of Onoe Kikugor\u014d VII,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I want to keep working toward two figures I deeply admire: my grandfather, the first Tatsunosuke, and Kikugor\u014d VII.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The succession plays were the classics <em>Kotobuki Soga no Taimen<\/em> and the &#8220;Kikubatake&#8221; scene from <em>Kiichi H\u014dgen Sanryaku no Maki<\/em> \u2014 the former notably giving him the chance to perform alongside Kikugor\u014d VII, the very artist he named as his goal. &#8220;I imagine he&#8217;ll bring an extraordinary intensity to the stage,&#8221; he said, &#8220;so all I can do is meet that head-on.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Details of the &#8220;Dan-Kiku Festival&#8221; May Grand Kabuki Celebration<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Run:<\/strong> May 3\u201327, 2026<br\/>\n<strong>Venue:<\/strong> Kabukiza<br\/>\n<strong>Showtimes:<\/strong> Matinee 11:00 AM \/ Evening 4:30 PM<br\/>\n<strong>Dark days:<\/strong> May 11 (Mon), May 19 (Tue)<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The succession celebration took place on stage, with leading figures of the kabuki world \u2014 including Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d, Onoe Kikugor\u014d VIII, and Onoe Kikugor\u014d VII \u2014 lending their support. In the evening program&#8217;s <em>Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura<\/em>, Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d&#8217;s son Ichikawa Shinnosuke delivered a formal congratulatory speech \u2014 a moment that, alongside the &#8220;Sannosuke&#8221; grouping the three represent, underscored a genuine sense of solidarity spanning generations of the kabuki world.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\"><div class=\"p-blogCard -internal\" data-type=\"type1\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\"><div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\"><span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u8aad\u307f\u305f\u3044<\/span><div class=\"p-blogCard__body\"><a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/sannosuke-kabuki-explained\/\">What Is &#8220;Sannosuke&#8221;? The Young Star Trio Tradition From Sh\u014dwa to Reiwa<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beyond Kabuki: A Shared Dream of Historical Drama<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As &#8220;Somedantatsu,&#8221; the three aren&#8217;t just pushing each other in kabuki. All three share a common ambition: appearing in NHK&#8217;s annual year-long historical drama series (<em>taiga drama<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Somegor\u014d has already appeared in 2022&#8217;s <em>Kamakura-dono no 13-nin<\/em>, and Danko is set to appear in 2026&#8217;s <em>Toyotomi Ky\u014ddai!<\/em>. Tatsunosuke, meanwhile, has a real name that happens to be Fujima Taiga \u2014 and he&#8217;s joked, with a laugh, about searching his own name online in January and finding posts describing Somegor\u014d and Danko as &#8220;taiga drama actors&#8221; while he was simply &#8220;a taiga,&#8221; poking fun at the coincidence.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But taiga dramas carry real weight for Tatsunosuke&#8217;s family specifically. His great-grandfather, Onoe Sh\u014droku II, starred in the very first taiga drama, 1963&#8217;s <em>Hana no Sh\u014dgai<\/em>, and both his grandfather and father have appeared in the series as well. &#8220;It means a lot to me personally,&#8221; he has said, expressing hope that he might one day continue that family tradition into a fourth generation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"adsense-block\" style=\"margin:2em 0;text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Weight of Turning 40: Honoring His Grandfather<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tatsunosuke&#8217;s grandfather, the first-generation Onoe Tatsunosuke, passed away suddenly in 1987 at just 40 years old. &#8220;I think of 40 as my own personal milestone,&#8221; the new Tatsunosuke has said. &#8220;This year is a starting point. I want to have accomplished something solid by the time I reach 40.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I want to keep the core of who I am as a kabuki actor while still exploring many different things. By living as Tatsunosuke, I hope today&#8217;s audiences come to know the first Tatsunosuke through me.&#8221; He believes his own growth can help elevate his grandfather&#8217;s legacy in turn.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2025, he also performed the role of Kaworu Nagisa in <em>Kabuki K\u014dky\u014dkyoku Dai Ky\u016b-ban: Evangelion<\/em>, based on the classic anime series \u2014 continuing to build a career spanning both tradition and innovation in equal measure.<\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"adsense-block\" style=\"margin:2em 0;text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<dl class=\"swell-block-faq\" data-q=\"col-text\" data-a=\"col-text\">\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">Why did the nickname change from &#8220;Somedansa&#8221; to &#8220;Somedantatsu&#8221;?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nickname reflects the three performers&#8217; names. When Onoe Sakon succeeded to the name Onoe Tatsunosuke III in May 2026, the &#8220;sa&#8221; from Sakon in the original nickname was replaced with &#8220;tatsu&#8221; from Tatsunosuke.<\/p>\n\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">Are these three the same as the &#8220;Sannosuke&#8221; trio?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes \u2014 Ichikawa Somegor\u014d, Ichikawa Danko, and Onoe Tatsunosuke also form the Reiwa-era &#8220;Sannosuke,&#8221; a recurring kabuki tradition naming trios of promising young stars whose names end in &#8220;-nosuke.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">Have any of the three appeared in NHK taiga dramas?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes \u2014 Somegor\u014d appeared in 2022&#8217;s Kamakura-dono no 13-nin, and Danko is set to appear in 2026&#8217;s Toyotomi Ky\u014ddai!. Tatsunosuke has not yet appeared in one, though his family has a long history with the taiga drama series.<\/p>\n\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/dl>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@id\":\"#FAQContents\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did the nickname change from \\\"Somedansa\\\" to \\\"Somedantatsu\\\"?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>The nickname reflects the three performers' names. When Onoe Sakon succeeded to the name Onoe Tatsunosuke III in May 2026, the \\\"sa\\\" from Sakon in the original nickname was replaced with \\\"tatsu\\\" from Tatsunosuke.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are these three the same as the \\\"Sannosuke\\\" trio?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Yes \u2014 Ichikawa Somegor\u014d, Ichikawa Danko, and Onoe Tatsunosuke also form the Reiwa-era \\\"Sannosuke,\\\" a recurring kabuki tradition naming trios of promising young stars whose names end in \\\"-nosuke.\\\"<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Have any of the three appeared in NHK taiga dramas?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Yes \u2014 Somegor\u014d appeared in 2022's Kamakura-dono no 13-nin, and Danko is set to appear in 2026's Toyotomi Ky\u014ddai!. Tatsunosuke has not yet appeared in one, though his family has a long history with the taiga drama series.<\\\/p>\"}}]}<\/script>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From &#8220;Somedansa&#8221; to &#8220;Somedantatsu,&#8221; the name change marks more than wordplay \u2014 it reflects three young performers stepping into a new stage of their careers together. Each sharpening a distinct artistic identity, occasionally crossing paths, sometimes resonating in unexpected ways \u2014 that trajectory is breathing new energy into the kabuki world. A promising Tatsunosuke building range across both male and female roles, a Somegor\u014d moving fluently between classical and new works, and a Danko pushing at the boundaries of what kabuki can become: where these three young comrades take their story next may be one of the more compelling threads to watch in kabuki&#8217;s future.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"p-blogParts post_content\" data-partsID=\"597\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udfad Want to See Kabuki Live?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re planning a trip to Tokyo, Kabuki-za is one of the most memorable ways to experience Japanese culture firsthand. GetYourGuide offers English-friendly Kabuki-za tickets and guided experiences, including options with headset translation and pre-show introductions for first-time viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/gyg.me\/NBu7mZJy\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Check Kabuki-za Tickets on GetYourGuide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard -external\" data-type=\"type3\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">GetYourGuide<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard__thumb c-postThumb\"><figure class=\"c-postThumb__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.getyourguide.com\/img\/tour\/61166ad0c66a062bf083f89402f12428b4d4d985c79241e9cb46288e05863c81.jpg\/53.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"c-postThumb__img u-obf-cover\" width=\"320\" height=\"180\"><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"p-blogCard__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/gyg.me\/NBu7mZJy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tokyo: KABUKI Show at Kabukiza Theatre Admission Ticket | GetYourGuide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"p-blogCard__excerpt\">Discover the enchanting world of Kabuki in central Tokyo. Enjoy a performance of this traditional and dynamic Japanese art form, complete with English or simpli&#8230;<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This section may contain affiliate links. Booking through them costs you nothing extra and helps support this site.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three young kabuki stars once known as &#8220;Somedansa&#8221; step into a new era as &#8220;Somedantatsu&#8221; \u2014 their shared history, ambitions, and a name succession that changed everything.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-actors-lineage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=545"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":602,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545\/revisions\/602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}