The actor Ichikawa Danjuro VI as Sukeroku in the play "Omiura Date no Nebiki," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the third month, 1799

Utagawa Toyokuni I depicts the kabuki star Ichikawa Danjuro VI as Sukeroku in the play Omiura Date no Nebiki, performed at the Nakamura Theater in the third month of 1799. Sukeroku, the dashing Edo townsman of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, is one of the most iconic roles in the entire kabuki tradition, and the Ichikawa Danjuro line treated it as a hereditary signature part. As a foremost designer of Edo ukiyo-e yakusha-e, Toyokuni I commemorates this performance with attention to the celebrated costume elements: the bold purple headband, layered robes, and bamboo umbrella that the Edo audience would have recognized instantly. The actor's pose carries the swagger and confident charm associated with the role, capturing the moment of stage entry rather than a generic likeness. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this impression, where Toyokuni's controlled keylines and saturated colors testify to the high production quality of Edo print publishing at the turn of the nineteenth century. Beyond its commercial role, the sheet operates as historical evidence: it documents a precise Nakamura-za run, naming theater, month, and year in a way that few other media of the period could. As an Utagawa Toyokuni representation of Ichikawa Danjuro VI in his hereditary signature role, the print stands at the intersection of celebrity, family legacy, and Edo woodblock craft, exemplifying why Toyokuni is so central to the history of yakusha-e.