Spot Info
Real Name: Ken'ichi Enomoto
Nickname: Enomoto
Other names: Enoken
Personal Details
Nationality: Japanese
Religion: Shinto
Mother Tongue: Japanese
Languages Known: Japanese, English
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Birth Place: Tokyo, Japan
Born on: 11 October 1904
Died on: 7 January 1970
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Gender: Male
Martial Status: Married
Blood Type: A
Education Details
School: Tokyo Institute of Technology
College: The University of Tokyo
Education Qualification: Arts and Science
Family Details
Siblings: No
Ken’ichi Enomoto, well known by his stage name ‘Enoken,’ was a prominent Japanese singing comedian. He was born on October 11, 1904, in Tokyo, Japan, and raised there. His father had a rice cracker shop and he came from a middle-class family.
At the age of 18, he made his stage debut as a member of the Asakusa Kinryukan Theatre’s chorus. The Great Kant earthquake of the following year inflicted a significant blow to Tokyo’s opera scene, prompting Enomoto to switch to comedic theatre. He returned to the Asakusa stage in 1929 as a member of the ensemble Casino Folies, after appearing in small roles in several comic performances.
He founded the group, Enoken Gekidan, the following year, firmly establishing him as a critical figure in Tokyo theatrical circles. He was known as Enoken and he pioneered a new comedy genre by combining conventional Kansai-style humor with American slapstick to create a new genre.
In 1927, he made his film debut with “Foreign Daughter”. He rose to national prominence after starring in the 1934 film “Enoken no Seishun Suikoden” (Enoken’s Tale of Youth’s Folly). He signed a significant deal with the PCL movie company in 1934, which later became the Toho Studio in 1937.
He became the company’s most famous comedic player after a few more films. He then went on to play “Isamu Kondo” and “Ryoma Sakamoto” in 1934, “Sasuke Sarutobi” in 1937, “Kitahachi” (from “Hizakurige”) in 1939, “Tengu Kurama” in 1940, “Son Goku” in 1940, “Tasuke Isshin” in 1945, and other parts in jidai-geki and chanbara films. He began working on television in 1953 and returned to the theatre in 1955, but he never left the film industry.
Enken got gangrene, an incurable condition, while he was in his forties, and his right foot was amputated at the ankle. He did, however, make a spectacular comeback wearing a prosthetic leg at the Shinjuku Koma Theater in 1963. Enomoto died in 1970 and is buried at the Nishi-Azabu Cemetery in Minato, Tokyo. “The King of Comedy” is engraved on his tombstone.
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Urassaya Sperbund
Professional Details
Skills: Supporting Actor
Profession: Supporting Actor
Casual Details
Dating History: No
Physical Details
Eye colour: Black
Hair Colour: Black
Tattoo: No
Favourites
Favourite Movies: Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Career
Debut Year: 1928
First Break: Enoken no Seishun Suikoden (1934)
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Awards: No Awards
