Ichizō Kobayashi
Kobayashi devoted so much energy to his Takarazuka project out of a love of drama that dated back to his childhood. He was born within sight of Mount Fuji in the city of Nirasaki in Yamanashi Prefecture. According to Mukōyama Tateo, a visiting professor at the University of Yamanashi who lives in the city and has researched the life of Kobayashi, he came from a wealthy merchant family and at a young age frequently attended plays put on by a small theater near his elementary school. Even after entering Keiō University, he continued to regularly attend theater and kabuki performances. He also enjoyed writing and had a novel serialized in the local Yamanashi newspaper.