hakuen
白猿
はくえん"white monkey"—the humble literary name of the Danjūrō line
INSTANT ANSWER
Hakuen, "white monkey," is the literary name originated by Danjūrō V as an emblem of humility—still falling short of the masters—and borne today by Danjūrō XIII.
Kabuki actors often carry a haimyō—a literary name used when composing haiku. In the Ichikawa Sōke, the haimyō Hakuen (written with different characters but read the same way) had been in use since Danjūrō II.
Danjūrō V is said to have changed the name to Hakuen written as "white monkey," drawing on the folk saying that a monkey falls three hairs short of a human: he meant that his own art still fell three hairs short of the true masters. That an actor at the height of his fame chose to call himself "the one who falls short" is the depth of this name.
The haimyō reflects the actor's literary face—the man of letters who composes haiku beside his life on stage. Danjūrō V is said to have borne several in his lifetime, from Baidō and Onagawa to Sanshō, before arriving at Hakuen. It was this playful spirit of letters that gave the white-monkey name its urbane twist.
In 2022 the present holder succeeded to the name as Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII Hakuen, joining the white-monkey name to his own—a vow, engraved in the name itself, to keep striving as one who has not yet reached his forebears.
Read this next
These words meet on the same stage. Knowing one makes the next easier to see.
- 襲名shūmeiShūmei is the succession to a historic stage name—not a mere renaming, but the acceptance of an artistic lineage, its history, and its responsibilities.Read
- 屋号yagōA yagō is the hereditary "house name" of a kabuki acting family—Naritaya for the Ichikawa Danjūrō line—often shouted from the audience in appreciation.Read
- 三升mimasuMimasu, the crest of the Ichikawa Sōke (the head family of the Ichikawa Danjūrō lineage), depicts three nested measuring boxes—an auspicious design said to derive from three masu presented to Danjūrō I.Read
- 口上kōjōKōjō is the formal address delivered from the stage to the audience—most famously the ceremonial scene in which actors in formal dress announce a name succession.Read
Sources & Supervision
- Author
- KABUKI Universe Editorial Team
- Supervision
- Ichikawa Danjūrō
- Published
- Aug 16, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 9, 2026
Supervision means Ichikawa Danjūrō has reviewed this page's intent and key points. The text is the editorial team's writing, not Ichikawa Danjūrō's own statements. Editorial responsibility rests with the team, which corrects any error. Read the editorial policy