Tetsunojo KANZE (the Ninth) (観世銕之丞 (9世))
Tetsunojo KANZE the Ninth (October 23, 1956 -) is a Noh actor of the Kanze school of shite-kata (lead actors). The present head of the Tetsunojo KANZE family. He presides over the Tessenkai Noh-gaku Institute. His real name is Akeo KANZE.
Career
He is the eldest son of Tetsunojo KANZE the Eighth (Living National Treasure). He was apprenticed to his uncle, Hisao KANZE, and his father. He made his debut at the age of four in 1960. He played his first starring role in "Iwafune" (The Stone Ship) in 1964. He performed "Sagi" (The White Heron) in 1971, "Shakkyo" (The Stone Bridge) in 1974, "Okina" (The Old Man) in 1983, and "Dojoji" (Dojo-ji Temple) in 1984. In 2002, he succeeded to the name of Tetsunojo KANZE the Ninth.
The general holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property. Chief Director of the Tessenkai Noh-gaku Institute.
Yachiyo INOUE, the fifth head of the Inoue school of Kyoto dancing, is his wife. Yasuko INOUE (Yasuko KANZE) is his eldest daughter; Atsuo KANZE is his eldest son.
He oversaw the writing of a comic book, 'Hana Yorimo Hana no Gotoku' (more flowerlike than any natural flower).
He supervised Minako NARITA's comic book, 'Hana Yorimo Hana no Gotoku,' in which he himself made a cartoon drawing of a frog on the page 185 of Vol. 2 with his comment saying, 'What a poorly made drawing!'