Theatre star’s bar brawl costs him €1.8 million

A star of traditional Japanese Kabuki theatre who called in sick, then went drinking and ended up in a bar brawl, apologised for the scandal that has embarrassed the rarefied world of his art.

Ebizo Ichikawa, 33, known as the prince of Kabuki, has lost stage and TV ad appearances worth an estimated 200 million yen (€1.8 million).

He gave a televised news conference yesterday hours after leaving a Tokyo hospital where he was treated for the facial injury sustained in the fracas that has riveted the nation for almost two weeks.

Originating in the 1600s, Kabuki is a stylised all-male theatre that combines music, dance and acting to tell stories about samurai vendettas, love suicides and everyday city-life.

Although the audience still tends to be elderly, young performers like Mr Ichikawa have revived interest in Kabuki in recent years by tackling TV shows and other works outside their genre.

But Mr Ichikawa has been suspended indefinitely following the incident at a celebrity bar in Tokyo on November 25.

He had been out drinking after skipping a daytime media event, citing health reasons.

“I’m very sorry for causing tremendous trouble and concerns. I deeply regret what I did,” Mr Ichikawa said.

He said he had been drinking with a group of young men whom he had just met and later helped one of them who passed out. He said this may have led to a misunderstanding, as other men in the group then attacked him.

The Kabuki star admitted he was very drunk. He said he suffered a fractured left cheek bone, two chipped front teeth, and multiple internal and head bruises.

At least three main sponsors have scrapped TV ads featuring him.