地歌舞伎が盛んな地域・岐阜各務原で育ち、幼少期から歌舞伎に親しむ。15歳で上京、やがて市川百十郎と名乗り、百十郎一座を創設。舞台と映像が融合する途切れがない連鎖劇を展開、その演出手法は「まくなし」と呼ばれ一世を風靡し、東海一の花形役者となった。日本全国を旅する役者生活の途中、郷里の川辺の情緒に心を打たれ、「この地を桜の名所に」との想いが募り、吉野桜1200本を寄贈。そして「百十郎桜」が誕生した。

Born in Kakamigahara, Gifu, an area where local kabuki is popular, he has been familiar with Kabuki since childhood. At the age of 15, he moved to Tokyo, where before long he named himself Hyakujuro Ichikawa and founded the Hyakujuro troupe. He developed a seamless chain drama that fused the stage and image, and his directing method was called ‘Makunashi’, which took the world by storm and became the top Kabuki star actor in the Tokai region. During his life as an actor traveling all over Japan, he was deeply moved by the riverside atmosphere of his hometown, and a desire to “make this place a famous place for cherry blossoms” came to him, and he donated 1200 Yoshino cherry trees. Thus, the “Hyakujuro Sakura” was born.