Popular Japanese Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke was indicted Friday for allegedly assisting in his parents' taking of their own lives, prosecutors said, in what is believed to have been a family suicide pact.
The 47-year-old, whose real name is Takahiko Kinoshi, is suspected of giving his mother Nobuko, 75, and his father Hiroyuki, 76, known as Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro, an excessive amount of sleeping drugs on May 17, resulting in their deaths, according to the indictment.
Investigative sources believe that Ennosuke, who was found collapsed alongside his parents at their home in Tokyo on May 18, also intended to commit suicide.
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.
"A weekly magazine report prompted us to hold a family meeting, and we decided to say goodbye," he was quoted by an investigative source as saying.
Ennosuke's manager found the parents collapsed in their home's second-floor living room around 10:15 a.m. on May 18, police have said.
Ennosuke, who was conscious but in a hazy condition, was taken to the hospital, where he remained until his initial arrest on June 27 in connection with the death of his mother. He was served a fresh arrest warrant on July 18 over the death of his father.
Ennosuke began his career in the early 1980s and is considered a major figure in the Kabuki world. He has also appeared in several popular television series.
He also featured in a series of "Super Kabuki" plays, a new genre of Kabuki that combines traditional performance with modern theater effects and music, attracting attention for his role in one based on the manga "One Piece."
After the play achieved major commercial success, he announced that he would be involved in another production based on the popular "Demon Slayer" series in 2024.
Emergency service in Japan: 119
If you are having suicidal thoughts, help is available.
For Japan, call Yorisoi Hotline at 0120279338 (toll-free). Press 2 after the recorded message for consultation in English, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Nepali, or Indonesian. The service in these languages is also available on Facebook messenger.
For those outside Japan, you can find a list of other resources here.
Related coverage:
Kabuki actor Ennosuke charged again, this time over father's death
Kabuki actor Ennosuke arrested for alleged role in mother's suicide
Ennosuke leaves hospital as police suspect Kabuki family suicide
