SAWAMURA SÔJÛRÔ
   
NINE GENERATIONS
Sawamura Sôjûrô 0.1
 

The actor Sawamura Chôjûrô I held the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô in the 11th lunar month of 1716 in Ôsaka during his performance in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Ichigura".

Sawamura Sôjûrô playing the role of Matsuda Jûsuke in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Ichigura", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1716 in Ôsaka at the Ônishi no Shibai

Sawamura Sôjûrô I
 

The actor Suketakaya Takasuke I held the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô I from the 11th lunar month of 1718 to the 6th lunar month of 1746, then from the 11th lunar month of 1746 to the 10th lunar month of 1747.

Sawamura Sôjûrô I portraying Soga Jûrô Sukenari in a print made by Torii Kiyomasu II

Sawamura Sôjûrô 1.2
Sawamura Sôjûrô 1.2  In Japanese | Sawamura Harugorô I  In Japanese | Somekawa Ichijûrô  In Japanese
 

Born in Kyôto. He started his career in Kamigata at the beginning of the 1730s, performing under the name of Somekawa Ichijûrô. He settled in Edo in spring 1741 and became a disciple of Sawamura Sôjûrô I, who gave him the name of Sawamura Harugorô I. In the 7th lunar month of 1746, his master took the name of Sawamura Chôjûrô III and let him take the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô. He took the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô in the 11th lunar month of 1747, playing at the Moritaza the role of Akita Jônosuke in the kaomise drama "Aruji Môke Onna Hachinoki". His rank in the 1748 Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He fell ill afterwards and died the 25th day of the 11th lunar month of 1748 [1]. He was never acknowledged as an official member of the line.

The actors Nakajima Kanzaemon II (left) and Sawamura Sôjûrô (right) playing the roles of Suruga no Zenji Yasumura and Akita Jônosuke in the kaomise drama "Aruji Môke Onna Hachinoki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1747 at the Moritaza

Sawamura Sôjûrô II
 

The actor Sawamura Sôjûrô II held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1749 to the 8th lunar month of 1770.

Sawamura Sôjûrô II playing the role of Ôtomo no Ôji in the kaomise drama "Shôgaichi Kaomise Matsuri", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1759 at the Nakamuraza

Sawamura Sôjûrô III
 

The actor Sawamura Sôjûrô III held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1771 to the 3rd lunar month of 1801.

Sawamura Sôjûrô III portraying Soga Jûrô Sukenari in a print made by Katsukawa Shunrô

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV
 

The actor Sawamura Sôjûrô IV held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1811 to the 12th lunar month of 1812.

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV playing the role of Tabakoya Genshichi, in reality Sakata Kurando Tokiyuki, in the drama "Komochi Yamanba", which was staged in the 4th lunar month of 1812 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

Sawamura Sôjûrô V
 

The actor Suketakaya Takasuke III held the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô V from the 7th lunar month of 1844 to the 10th lunar month of 1848.

Sawamura Sôjûrô V playing the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Kichirei Soga no Toshidama", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1848 at the Kawarasakiza (print made by Utagawa Kuniyoshi)

Sawamura Sôjûrô VI
 

The actor Suketakaya Takasuke IV posthumously received the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô VI.

The tombstone (the right one) of Sawamura Sôjûrô VI in the Tama Cemetery

Sawamura Sôjûrô VII
 

The actor Sawamura Sôjûrô VII held this name from September 1908 to March 1949.

Sawamura Sôjûrô VII portraying Hashiba Hisayoshi in a print made by Hanayama

Sawamura Sôjûrô VIII
 

The actor Sawamura Sôjûrô VIII held this name from September 1953 to December 1975.

Sawamura Sôjûrô VIII (bottom/left) and Nakamura Fukusuke V (top/right) playing the roles of the koshimoto Nureginu and Nagao Kenshin in the drama "Jusshukô", which was staged in March 1957 at the Shinbashi Enbujô

Sawamura Sôjûrô IX
 

The actor Sawamura Sôjûrô IX held this name from September 1976 to January 2001.

Sawamura Sôjûrô IX playing the role of Oshizu in the drama "Hôkaibô" in a print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in July 1994
Print courtesy of Ted Jagoda

 

Notes

[1] The 25th of the 11th lunar month of the 1st year of the Kan'en era was the 13th of January 1749 in the western calendar.

 
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