Kenichi Enomoto
Enomoto Ken'ichi (Japanese榎 本 健 一, born October 11, 1904 in Aoyama, Akasaka, Tokyo ( today: Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo); † January 7, 1970 ), primarily known by his stage name Enoken (エノケン), was a famous singing comedian and actor in Japan.
Enomoto is true in Japan as a great innovator of the theater world in his time. His stage and radio appearances and several rolls of film had a major impact on the Tokyo theater world before the Second World War. the return of the comedy in the post-war period he has also influenced. He is regarded as the Japanese " Charlie Chaplin ".
Born as the son of a shopkeeper for rice cakes in Aoyama, Tokyo, he worshiped the stars of the opera Asakusa such as Taya Rikizo and Fujiwara Yoshie. In 1922, he started his career at the age of 18 years as a choir member of the Asakusa Kinryukan Theatre.
The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 brought a major upheaval in the Tokyo theater world to himself. At this time, Enomoto joined the comedy. He occupied many small roles as a comedian before he returned in 1929 as part of the troop Casino Folly on stage in Asakusa. In 1930, he presented his own troops ( Enoken Gekidan ), which made him immediately to a leading figure in the Tokyo theater circles.
1934 followed the lead role in the movie " Enoken no Seishun Suikoden " by which he gained national greatness. His film career was his secondary. He represented many Japanese historical personalities including Kondō Isami and Sakamoto Ryoma. He appeared in historical dramas and samurai films ( Jidai - geki ), such as the movie " The men who came to the tiger 's tail " by Akira Kurosawa.
In the 1950s, his right leg had to be amputated, which ended his career as an actor in the film, but he managed in 1963 with his prosthetic leg a legendary comeback at Shinjuku Koma Theater in Tokyo. He died in 1970 and is in the Hase Temple Nishi- Azabu in Minato -ku buried in Tokyo. On his grave stone is inscribed: Jugoi Kunshitō Kigeki Ō Enoken Koko ni Nemuru. (従 五 位 勲 四 等 喜劇 王 エノケン ここ に 眠る, GV " The King of Comedy Enoken rests here. ").