出生于京都，6个月大时被市川九团次（第三代）收养，15歳时改名为市川莚蔵，年少时成为歌舞伎，初次登上舞台。 1951年时又被市川寿海（第三代）收养，又更名为市川雷藏。雷藏在歌舞伎的演出不慎看好，不久退出歌舞伎，1954年转行成为电影演员。

　　1955年出演「新平家物语」被受到瞩目，1959年电影『炎上』更是获得影界好评、得到电影旬报最佳男主角奖、蓝丝带奖最佳男主角奖。 1960年代和胜新太郎成为大映电影公司的明星演员，从影期间与知名导演市川昆合作什久，出演了「大菩萨岭」3集、「眠狂四郎」12集、「陆军中野学校」等许多脍炙人口佳作，1962年与大映公司社长永田雅一的养女太田雅子结婚。

　　1968年6月罹患直肠癌并进行手术，之后隔年7月因癌细胞扩散至肝脏，再次住院，最后因肝癌逝世，享年37岁。

Raizō Ichikawa war ein japanischer Film- und Kabuki-Schauspieler.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ichikawa Raizō VIII (born 29 August 1931 in Kyoto, Japan, died 17 July 1969 in Tokyo, Japan) was a Japanese film and kabuki actor. Died of rectal cancer.

He was born as Yoshiya Ōta in Kyoto on August 29, 1931.

Ichikawa Raizō appeared mostly in period dramas (jidaigeki). He is best known for the Sleepy Eyes of Death (Nemuri Kyoshiro) series, Ninja (Shinobi no Mono) series and Nakano Spy School (Rikugun Nakano Gakkō) series (based on the Nakano School). Raizō worked many times with director Kenji Misumi. Their collaborations include The Sword (Ken) (from a book by Yukio Mishima) and Destiny's Son (Kiru).

Other great works include An Actor's Revenge (Yukinojo henge).

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