Princess Tenko

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Poster of Princess Tenko's Las Vegas show (2005)
Poster of Princess Tenko's Las Vegas show (2005)

Princess Tenko is the stage name of Mariko Itakura (板倉満里子 Itakura Mariko?) (born 1959 June 29 in Arai, Niigata), a pop singer turned magician specialising in grand illusions. Her name is taken from Tenkō Hikita (引田天功 Hikita Tenkō?), a male Japanese magician who was managed by the same person as Mariko and to whom Mariko was apprenticed in 1976. The older Tenko passed his mantle to her before he died, creating controversy because she was a woman in a male dominated field and the older Tenko had chosen her over two male apprentices.[1]

In 1990, Princess Tenko was named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts.[2] The same award had been previously given to David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Siegfried & Roy, and other famous magicians. She debuted in North America at the Radio City Music Hall in 1994, and subsequently achieved worldwide fame. She was famous to the extent that an American magical girl-inspired cartoon series based on her character was created and Mattel produced a line of fashion dolls named after her. In 1996 she became an honorary goodwill ambassador of the African Wild Animal Conservation Fund. A plan for the opening of multiple theme parks based on her shows was mentioned but appears not to have proceeded.

She was the subject of controversy after making a visit to North Korea in April 1998. It was reported that she met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il but she reportedly denied this in interviews.[3] She has stated that the purpose of her visit was to perform at the Friendship Art Festival held in Pyongyang and to meet Korean artists.[4] She again visited North Korea in 2000 and performed for Kim Jong Il; she was asked to stay in North Korea but refused.[5]

Besides being an illusionist, she is also known as a singer, stage director, movie director, video photographer and painter. As a singer she originally performed under the stage name Mari Asakaze (朝風まり Asakaze Mari?).[6]

On Tuesday, 24th of July 2007 it was reported that she performed The Spike Illusion, but that the trick went wrong causing serious injury. After being released, she continued the show for a further thirty minutes before terminating it early due to her injuries.[7]

[edit] Cartoon

Princess Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic, the cartoon series based on her by Saban, is centered around Princess Tenko leading a team of warriors (Bolt, Hawk, Steel and apprentice Ali) called the Guardians who tried to amass the magical Starfire Gems, each of which had a special power. Standing against them were twin villains Janna and Jason, who had the power to combine into a two-headed dragon. The cartoon ran for a single season of 13 episodes from 1995-1996. At the end of each episode, the real Princess Tenko would appear on stage and perform an illusion or teach a magic trick.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Article dated 18 July 2006 by Diana Lee on the "Japanwatch" section of the uniorb.com website. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  2. ^ ibid
  3. ^ She politely refused to confirm the story when interviewed by Jonathan Ross for the BBC series Japanorama
  4. ^ See Interview with "Princess Tenko" on The People's Korea website. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. and also Article dated 12 May 2000 at Asiaweek.com website. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  5. ^ Japanorama, Series 3 Episode 4, BBC Three, 9 April 2007
  6. ^ Article dated 18 July 2006 by Diana Lee on the "Japanwatch" section of the uniorb.com website. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  7. ^ Article on the BBC website regarding "The Spike Illusion" accident.. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.

[edit] External links

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