SAWAMURA KODENJI I

Guild: Bicchûya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: 1665 ~ ???

Connection:

Brother (through adoption): Sawamura Chôjûrô I

Career:

1665 ~ 1681: this young bonze in a Kyôto temple is adopted by Bicchûya Rokuroemon, a renowned Kyôto dance teacher, who lives and works in the district of Miyagawa-chô. The son of Bicchûya Rokuroemon, Sawamura Chôjûrô I, is the founder of the Sawamura clan.

November 1681: Kodenji performs as a wakashugata in Ôsaka.

November 1686: Kodenji performs as a tachiyaku in Ôsaka at Arashi Monzaburô's theater. His yearly salary is 75 ryô. His stage partners are Arashi San'emon I, Takeshima Kôzaemon I, Uemura Tatsuya, Namie Kokan, Hanai Saijirô, Kaneko Hikotarô, Kawashima Kazuma, Yoshijima Kodayû, Sawai Hannosuke, Matsumoto Hyôzô, Ichimura Shirôji, Ôyama Giemon, Iwakura Man'emon and Sendai Yahachi.

1693: Kodenji becomes wakaonnagata.

Fall 1694: Kodenji goes to Edo.

January 1695: Kodenji plays at the Yamamuraza the role of Katsuragi in the new year drama "Katsuragi Kôkiden".

March 1698: Kodenji plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Tsuyu-no-Mae in the drama "Kantô Koroku".

March 1699: Kodenji's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô (superior).

March 1700: Kodenji's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô (superior - superior).

November 1700: Kodenji plays at the Nakamuraza the leading role of the dôjôjimono "Dôjôji".

January 1701: Kodenji plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Ayano in the new year drama "Keisei Ôshôkun".

March 1701: Kodenji plays in the same theater the role of Hanjo-no-Mae in the sumidagawamono "Shusse Sumidagawa".

February 1704: Kodenji plays at the Yamamuraza the role of the keisei Hanjo in the sumidagawamono "Keisei Sumidagawa".

March 1706: last recorded performance of Kodenji, who plays at the Yamamuraza. We don't know what happens to him afterwards.

Comments:

Sawamura Kodenji I was born and raised in Kamigata, where he learnt the art of acting before coming down to Edo and becoming one of the best onnagata actor during the Genroku era. His field of excellence was nuregoto. He formed with Iwai Sagenta I and Hayakawa Hatsuse a popular threesome of onnagata in Edo.

"Sawamura Kodenji, brother of Sawamura Chôjûrô, occupies a prominent place as a leading onnagata in the history of Kabuki. There is a story told of Kodenji that he visited a temple, Fujidera, in the Province of Kawachi. He travelled thither in a kago, or palanquin, and was so fatigued after his long journey that when he got out he uttered an exclamation that would have come naturally from a woman under like circumstances. Kodenji acted with the first Danjûrô." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

Sawamura Kodenji I portraying Tsuyu-no-Mae (1698)

The Sawamura Kodenji line of actors