Kabuki Actor's Parents Suspected to Have Died of Drug Poisoning

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)--The parents of Japanese kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke IV are believed to have died of psychoactive drug poisoning, police sources said Friday.

The previous day, Ennosuke, 47, was rushed to hospital after being found collapsed at his home in Tokyo's Meguro Ward. His father, kabuki actor Ichikawa Danshiro IV, 76, and his mother, 75, were also found lying in the second-floor living room and were later confirmed dead.

According to the sources, autopsies found that the parents possibly died of poisoning by a psychoactive drug. No sleeping or other pills were found at the scene. Their bodies had no major external injuries.

A note apparently about inheritance was found in the home, and no traces of third-party intervention were detected, the sources said.

Ennosuke was discharged from the hospital on Friday. Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department plans to hear from him while analyzing several confiscated smartphones.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]