SAWAMURA KAMEEMON

Stage names:

Sawamura Kameemon In Japanese
Sawamura Chôjûrô IV In Japanese
Sawamura Kijûrô I In Japanese
Someyama Kijûrô II In Japanese
Okada Kamejûrô In Japanese
Okada Kamejirô In Japanese

Guild: Izutsuya

Poetry name: Kichô

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Sawamura Sôjûrô I (Suketakaya Takasuke I)

Son: Sawamura Kijûrô II

Disciples: Sawamura Kinjûrô, Sawamura Wadazô, Sawamura Sawazô

Career:

1730s: born in Edo. He started in career in koshibai, performing under the name of Okada Kamejirô.

11th lunar month of 1738: he took the name of Okada Kamejûrô.

Fall 1739: he became a disciple of Sawamura Sôjûrô I.

11th lunar month of 1739: he received the name of Someyama Kijûrô II at the Nakamuraza, where he performed in the kaomise drama "Miyakozome Kaoru Hachinoki".

11th lunar month of 1741: he became katakiyaku and changed his name to Sawamura Kijûrô I at the Nakamuraza, where he played the role of Urabe Iganosuke in Hayakawa Denshirô's kaomise drama "En'ya Hangan Kokyô no Nishiki", which welcomed in Edo the actors Sanogawa Mangiku, Nakamura Shingorô I, Nakayama Shinkurô I and Nakamura Tomijûrô I.

1st lunar month of 1742: Kijûrô played in the same theater the role of Unno Tarô in the new year sogamono drama "Musume Soga Gaijin Yashima".

3rd lunar month of 1747: the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; Kijûrô played the role of Sukune Tarô [casting].

6th lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was staged at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Kijûrô played the role of Ono Sadakurô [casting].

Fall 1752: Kijûrô went on tour in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1752: Kijûrô played at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater (Kitagawa no Shibai) the role of the yakko Edohei, in reality Watari Shinzaemon, in the kaomise drama "Tenka Taiheiki", which was produced by Arashi San'emon IV and celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Otoemon II.

1st lunar month of 1753: Kijûrô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1753: Kijûrô went back to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1753: he became tachiyaku and performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kokyô no Nishiki", which celebrated the shûmei of his master Suketakaya Takasuke I and Ichikawa Sôzaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1754: Kijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1758: Kijûrô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Numata Kurô and Oimi Genji in the kaomise drama "Kigoto no Hana Aioi Hachinoki", which welcomed the Kamigata actor Nakamura Utaemon I who left the Ichimuraza and celebrated the shûmei of Mizuki Tatsunosuke III.

1st lunar month of 1759: Kijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1759: Kijûrô became tachiyaku and performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Shôgaichi Kaomise Matsuri".

1st lunar month of 1760: Kijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1761: Kijûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Misonô Banzei no Hachinoki".

1st lunar month of 1762: Kijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1762: Kijûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Tôzai Tôzai Wagakuni no Umeyashiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Matahachi II.

2nd lunar month of 1763: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", which is staged at the Moritaza; Kijûrô played the role of Abe no Sadatô [casting|illustrations].

11th lunar month of 1763: Kijûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Ume ya Suisen Izu no Irifune", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Sukegorô II.

11th lunar month of 1764: Kijûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Gyosei Kanatami no Megumi", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Sawamura Kunitarô I.

11th lunar month of 1765: Kijûrô became jitsuaku and performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Furitsumu Hana Nidai Genji".

1st lunar month of 1766: Kijûrô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

9th lunar month of 1766: Kijûrô played in the same theater the roles of Teraoka Heiemon and Hara Gôemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged to celebrate the onagori kyôgen of the Kamigata star Onoe Kikugorô I.

11th lunar month of 1766: Kijûrô switched back to tachiyaku and performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Hana Kaijin Arasmusha", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Kirishima Gizaemon I.

1st lunar month of 1767: Kijûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1767: Kijûrô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Taiheiki Shizu no Furisode".

7th lunar month of 1768: the play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was staged for the first time at the Nakamuraza; Kijûrô played the role of Tsuribune Sabu [casting].

11th lunar month of 1771: Kijûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Fukikaete Tsuki no Yoshiwara", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Nakamura Jûzô II.

1st lunar month of 1772: Kijûrô played in the same theater the role of Akazawa Jûnai in the new year sogamono drama "Hatsu Akebono Niwatori Soga".

11th lunar month of 1772: Sawamura Kijûrô I took the name of Sawamura Chôjûrô IV at the Moritaza, playing the role of Hôjô no Tokimasa in the kaomise drama "Izu Goyomi Shibai no Ganjitsu", which also celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Kijûrô II and Mikuni Fujigorô.

1st lunar month of 1773: Chôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1773: Chôjûrô switched to jitsuaku and performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai".

1st lunar month of 1774: Chôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1774: Kijûrô switched back to tachiyaku and performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Tsuki no Kaomise", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Nakamura Shingorô II.

1st lunar month of 1775: Chôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1775: Chôjûrô played at the Moritaza the role of Fujiwara no Nakamitsu in the kaomise drama "Kikujidô Shuen no Iwaya". He also worked as a tôdori.

11th lunar month of 1776: Chôjûrô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Sakuya Kono Hana no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1777: Chôjûrô performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kanmuri no Hatsuyuki".

11th lunar month of 1778: Chôjûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Date Nishiki Tsui no Yumitori".

1st lunar month of 1779: Chôjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Aburaya Tarobê and Usami Jûnai in the new year sogamono drama "Edo Meisho Midori Soga".

7th lunar month of 1779: Chôjûrô played in the same theater the roles of the dôguya Magoemon and Sukematsu Yodayû in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1780: Chôjûrô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Mure Takamatsu Yuki no Shirahata".

11th lunar month of 1781: Chôjûrô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Mukashi Otoko Yuki no Hinagata", which celebrated the shûmei of Matsumoto Sanjûrô and Ichiyama Sukejûrô.

1st lunar month of 1782: Chôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He was the kanjiku for the Edo tachiyaku actors.

11th lunar month of 1786: Sawamura Chôjûrô IV took the name of Sawamura Kameemon at the Moritaza, performing in the kaomise drama "Onna Musha Kiku no Sen'yoki", which also celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Kichisaburô III.

1st lunar month of 1787: Kameemon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1787: Kameemon performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Tsuranaru Edamure Takamatsu", which celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Kiyotarô II and Sawamura Harugorô II.

1st lunar month of 1788: Kameemon's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual]. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Sawamura Kameemon was active from the 1730s to the second half of the 1780s. He was quite popular and performed a wide range of roles as a tachiyaku, a jitsuaku or a katakiyaku.

The actors Onoe Raisuke (top/left), Ôtani Hirohachi II (top/right) and Sawamura Kameemon (bottom) performing in the kaomise drama "Tsuranaru Edamure Takamatsu", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1787 at the Moritaza

Prints & Illustrations

The Sawamura Kijûrô line of actors

The Sawamura Chôjûrô line of actors

 
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