Raizô Ichikawa

Ranked 3rd on the list "All Time Best Japanese Film Stars: Male Actors" by Kinema Junpo magazine in 2014.

Ranked 6th on the list "Film Stars of the 20th Century: Male Actors" by Kinema Junpo magazine in 2000.

The fan club called "Raizo-kai" was formed in 1974.

In 1971, director Seiji Hoshikawa claimed that Raizo's death was a precursor for Daiei studio's bankruptcy after his death.

In 1968, he wanted to start his own theater production called "Teatoro Kaburaya", in which he would assume the position as a producer. However, he had to halt his plans due to the illness. The theater never started any operations.

He is known in cinema for Conflagration (1958), Ninja, a Band of Assassins (1962) and The Outcast (1962).

Won the Kinema Junpo Award for best male actor in a leading role, and the Blue Ribbon Award for best performer in a leading role for Conflagration (1954).

In 1951 he was both re-adopted by Shôzô Ôta (actor Jukai Ichikawa III) as Yoshiya Ôta and changed his stage name to Raizô Ichikawa VIII.

In 1949, Raizo formed a study group with two other young kabuki performers. These were Risho Arashi (known later in his kabuki career as Arashi Kichisaburo VIII, and as Yataro Kitagami in his acting career) and Nakamura Taro II. They called this group the "Tsukushikai" which can be translated as "exhaustive meeting," and together they focused diligently on training.

Started his kabuki career in 1946 as Enzo Ichikawa II.

Raizô Ichikawa was born on August 29, 1931 in Kyoto, Japan as Akio Kamezaki, at the age of 6 months was adopted by his uncle Kazo Takeuchi (kabuki actor Kudanji Ichikawa III) as Yoshio Takeuchi.