began performing at the Ichimura-za. There, he would play Benkei for the first time in July 1859, a few months after the death of his biological father. Gonjūrō continued performing at the Ichimura-za for many years. In September 1868, his adoptive father was killed by a thief; Gonjūrō would become head (zagashira) of the theater the following year, taking his murdered father's name, and becoming Kawarasaki Gonnosuke VII. Later that year, Gonnosuke would play the leading role of Katō Kiyomasa in Momoyama Monogatari. This play was an early predecessor of an experimental form which would come to be called katsureki (活歴). Gonnosuke would later seek to develop and popularize katsureki plays, which sought to reproduce historical events as accurately as possible. In 1874, Gonnosuke, now known as Kawarasaki Sanshō, began managing and performing once more at the now-rebuilt and reopened Kawarasaki-za. At the reopening ceremony, or perhaps shortly afterwards, he took the honored name Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, which had not been held for twenty years. Danjūrō gave up managing the following year, however, and toured for six years in the provinces of Kozuke and Shimotsuke. He returned to Edo (now Tokyo) in 1881, and performed for Emperor Meiji at the house of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, along with the celebrated actors Onoe Kikugorō V and Ichikawa Sadanji I, in April 1887. Two years later, in November 1889, he became zagashira (head) of the newly opened Kabuki-za, which is today the principal Kabuki theater in Japan. Unquestionably one of the top actors of the time, Danjūrō performed in the premieres of many plays at the Kabuki-za, and took part in a number of other events of import. By this point, he also had his daughters performing on stage, as kuroko (stagehands) and in very minor roles. In 1893, he performed at the grand opening ceremonies for the Meiji-za theater. Along with Onoe Kikugorō V, he was very likely the first kabuki actor to appear in a film; Momijigari (Maple Leaf Viewing) was filmed in 1899. Danjūrō had nothing but contempt for film, but was eventually convinced that a film of his act would be a gift to posterity. He only agreed to be filmed on the condition that it would not be seen by anyone until after his death. The play was filmed by Shibata Tsunekichi in the open air on a windy day, and Danjūrō allowed only one take.