One of Japan’s most popular kabuki actors has been arrested for allegedly helping his mother die by suicide.

Ennosuke Ichikawa, the 47-year-old actor of the Japanese traditional theatre form, was taken into custody on Tuesday on allegations that he helped his elderly mother take sleeping pills.

Mr Ichikawa was found unconscious at his Tokyo home alongside his father, the kabuki actor Danshiro, 76, and his 75-year-old mother, Nobuko, on 18 May, according to Japanese media reports.

Investigators believe it’s likely that he took the pills along with his parents, the Japan Times reported.

There were multiple suicide notes recovered from the scene, according to local media, with the police suspecting that Mr Ichikawa gave “sleep-inducing pills” to his mother.