Tetsunojō IX Kanze

Tetsunojō IX Kanze (real name Akeo Kanze, born 1956), is a shite actor and master of the art of Noh representing the Kanze school. He is the firstborn son of master Tetsunojō VIII Kanze, who has been recognised as Living National Treasure. He learned his art from his father and his uncle, the outstanding actor Hisao Kanze. Kanze made his stage debut at the age of four. In 2002, he was given the ancestral name Tetsunojō IX. Currently, he is the head of the actors’ line of Kanze Tetsunojō and directs the highly regarded Noh theatre company Tessenkai. He has been inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Japan. In 2008, Tetsunojō IX Kanze was awarded the Nihon Geijutsuin Shō (Japan Art Academy Award). He is a lecturer at the Tokio University.