 He is the brother of Ichikawa Danshirō IV; their father is Danshirō III, and their mother is Sanae Takasugi.Their great-grandfather and grandfather, respectively, were the first and second to be called Ichikawa Ennosuke.Ennosuke is known as a great proponent of dramatic costumes, flamboyant theater signage, and stage tricks ("keren"), which are looked down upon by many kabuki connoisseurs as "playing to the gallery" and as distracting from the true dramatic art.