Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke IV pleaded guilty at the Tokyo District Court on Friday on charges that he assisted his parents in their suicides, saying he had thought that suicide was the only option for him and his parents after a magazine report accused him of sexual abuse.
The 47-year-old, whose real name is Takahiko Kinoshi, is on trial for what is believed to have been a family suicide pact. The incident took place at the actor's home in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward on May 18.
“The feelings of regret, remorse and gratitude (to my supporters) are something I will carry for the rest of my life,” Ennosuke said. His voice broke when he spoke about his father.
Prosecutors are seeking a three-year prison sentence. The ruling is scheduled to be handed down on Nov 17. His defense lawyers have asked for a suspended sentence.
According to prosecutors, Ennosuke gave his mother Nobuko, 75, and his father Hiroyuki, 76, better known as kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro, an excessive amount of sleeping pills resulting in their deaths.
Ennosuke, who was found collapsed in a seated position in front of a closet, also intended to take his own life. His parents were covered in blankets when they were found. His mother was already dead, while his father was confirmed dead at a hospital.
The incident occurred on the same day that a weekly magazine published a report detailing Ennosuke's alleged involvement in cases of bullying and sexual abuse, including instances involving actors and staff in his theater collective.
Prior to the incident, Ennosuke searched for ways to take his own life on the internet and went to his parents to tell them of his plans. He crushed the sleeping pills and dissolved them in glasses of water and handed them to his parents. Afterward, he covered his parents’ heads with plastic bags, according to the investigation.
Ennosuke denied asking his parents to die together with him, saying that his mother told him that “there’s no way I can let you go alone,” to which his father agreed.
Ennosuke also said he had battled depression at various stages of his life. In court, he said in the past he had felt he was “worthless” and “better off dead."
“It’d be a lie if I say I’m no longer feeling suicidal, however it has faded a bit. If I have such feelings, I will consult with the doctor at the hospital. I cannot live alone so I will consult from now on with those who have supported me,” Ennosuke said.
He also said that due to his personality and the way he was raised, he has a hard time opening up to people and tends to keep to himself. However, he promised to change that tendency after being scolded by people around him.
Ennosuke was released on bail of ￥5 million on July 31.
His trial has drawn significant attention from the public and the media. Over 1,000 people lined up for a lottery Friday to receive one of the 22 seats available inside the courtroom.
The kabuki actor began his career in the early 1980s and became a major figure in the kabuki world. He has also appeared in several popular television series.
During the trial, he expressed his hope to continue in his career as a kabuki actor.
“Since when I was young, kabuki has been my existence,” he said, adding that if he can’t perform kabuki there is no meaning for him to exist.
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