OSAKA -- The Osaka District Court on Tuesday ordered a woman accused of stalking popular kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke to stay at least 200 meters away from him and pay him 500,000 yen in damages.
Ichikawa had filed suit against the unidentified female fan, hoping to ban the woman from theaters at which he performs.
According to the court, the woman, who was not named, has been present at almost every performance by Ichikawa since the actor's February 1992 show in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture.
Flamboyantly dressed, the woman always sat in the front-most seat and stared blankly at the actor, wearing an expression like a "noh mask," even during comedic scenes, the court said. During the intermission, the woman spread rumors among other fans, claiming to be Ichikawa's fiancee and saying they would marry soon, it added.
The woman also stayed at the same hotels as Ichikawa and rode the same trains, the court said. Ichikawa told the court that the woman's actions began to scare him and he blamed her conduct for his lack of focus during performances. Ichikawa's agency asked the woman to stop stalking the actor, but the request was ignored, according to the court.
Presiding Judge Masaharu Otani said the woman's behavior "far exceeded the tolerance limit of the plaintiff, even when considering the fact that the success of a kabuki actor is based on popularity."