Ennosuke's parents may have died of psychotropic poisoning, Tokyo police say

NHK -- May 20

Tokyo police say the parents of popular kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke may have died of psychotropic poisoning.

On Thursday morning, the 47-year-old actor, his father, Ichikawa Danshiro, who is also a kabuki actor, and his mother were found collapsed at their home in Tokyo. The parents were later confirmed dead.

Ennosuke was half conscious when he was taken to a hospital. He had difficulty speaking on the day, but police say he has already been released from the hospital.

The police say the parents were found lying on their backs in the home's second-floor living room. Ennosuke was discovered in a basement, with an apparent suicide note nearby.

On Friday, the police performed a legally ordered autopsy to look into the parents' deaths. They say the results show that both may have died of psychotropic drug poisoning.

But investigators say no sleep-inducing or other drugs in the category have been found in the home. ...continue reading