Stage names:

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV
Sawamura Gennosuke I

Other name: Sawamura Tosshi IV

Guild: Kinokuniya

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry names: Kôga, Tosshi (4)

Crest: the syllabic ideogram "i" in a circle [in Japanese: い]

Existence: 1784 ~ 8 December 1812

Connections:

Father: Sawamura Sôjûrô III

Father-in-law: Matsumoto Kôshirô IV

Brother: Sawamura Tanosuke II

Brothers-in-law: Sawamura Shirogorô II, Iwai Hanshirô V

Adopted son: Sawamura Sôjûrô V

Disciple: Sawamura Gennosuke III

Career:

1784: born in Edo. He is the son of the star Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

January 1791: first stage appearance at the Ichimuraza, where he receives the name of Sawamura Gennosuke I and plays in the drama "Shunshoku Edo Soga".

1793 ~ 1794: tour in Kamigata with his father Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

February 1794: Gennosuke and his father are back in Edo and play in the drama "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga", which is staged at the Miyakoza.

1798 ~ 1800: second tour in Kamigata with his father.

August 1800: Sawamura Sôjûrô III falls ill in Ôsaka and decides to go back to Edo after his recovery.

March 1801: his father Sawamura Sôjûrô III dies.

January 1805: Gennosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).

November 1811: Sawamura Gennosuke I takes the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô IV at the Ichimuraza, playing in the kaomise drama "Itsukushima Yuki no Mitegura". Publication in Edo of "Sawamura Kagami", a book containing the biographies of Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Sawamura Sôjûrô III and the new Sôjûrô.

April 1812: Sôjûrô plays in the same theater the role of Genshichi in the drama "Komochi Yamamba".

May 1812: Sôjûrô is supposed to play in the same theater in the drama "Shôbudachi Rishô Kagami" but he suddenly falls ill, can't recover and dies in December 1812.

Comments:

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV was a talented tachiyaku, who formed with Ichikawa Danjûrô VII and Onoe Matsusuke II a popular threesome in Edo. He unfortunately died too young, before reaching the heights of fame.

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I (1811~1812)

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni (1801~1807)

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1811

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1811

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1811 (courtesy of V.)

The Sawamura Sôjûrô line of actors