Shūmei

Most often, a number of actors will participate in a single ceremony, taking on new stage names.

These stage names, most often those of the actor's father, grandfather, or teacher, are passed down between generations of actors' lineages, and hold great honor and importance.

The shūmei usually is followed by a performance significant to the actors' new names; these might involve larger parts, a new play, or roles traditional for actors with those names.

For example, the stage name of Ichikawa Danjūrō is strongly associated with the role of the hero in the Shibaraku scene.

Many of the thirteen men to be called Ichikawa Danjūrō excelled at this role, and so upon becoming the next Ichikawa Danjūrō, an actor may perform that role, which he never would have as a younger, less experienced actor with a different stage name.