However, the decline of Kansai Kabuki became significant and because of sluggish growth in his own performances, due to the pressure of expectation of those around him and friction with Shochiku with respect to the performance policy to mainly use Jukai ICHAWA, the third, he left Shochiku in 1955.
しかしこの頃になると関西歌舞伎の凋落がいちじるしく、周囲の期待の重圧に対する自身の芸の伸び悩み、さらに市川壽海(3代目)を主とする興行方針をめぐる松竹との軋轢などがあり、1955年に松竹を離れる。