Stage names:
Sakurayama Shirosaburô I
Sakurayama Kodayû
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Existence: ??? ~ July 1732
Connection:
Elder brother: Sakurayama Shôzaemon I
Son: Sakurayama Shirozô I (Sakurayama Shirosaburô II)
Father-in-law: Arashi Kanshirô I
Career:
1680s: he starts his career in Kyôto as a wakashugata, performing under the name of Sakurayama Kodayû.
1690s: he performs in Kyôto as a wakaonnagata.
January 1700: he goes to Ôsaka, becomes tachiyaku and takes the name of Sakurayama Shirosaburô I, playing the role of Fukuyama Sanzaemon in the new year drama "Nanto Jûsangane", which is produced in Ôsaka by Iwai Hanshirô II.
January 1702: Shirosaburô plays in Kyôto at Ebisuya Shôdayû's theater in the drama "Ôtô no Miya Kumano Ochi", which is produced by Yamatoya Tôkichi; his others stage partners are Yamada Jimpachi, Fujikawa Buzaemon I and Kanazawa Goheiji.
Fall 1708: Shirosaburô goes to Edo.
November 1708: Shirosaburô plays the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Onna Sanbijin Imose Nishiki"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Danzô I, Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Fujimura Handayû II, Takeshima Kôzaemon I and Iwai Sagenta I.
March 1709: Shirosaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior). He shares the same rank with Murayama Jûheiji I, Katsuyama Matagorô, Narukawa Genzaemon and Hamazaki Isogorô.
November 1709: Shirosaburô plays at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Tametomo Furiwakegami", which welcomes in Edo the Ôsaka actors Hisamatsu Tasanta and Iwai Tamanoe. The others main stage partners are Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Matsumoto Shirosaburô, Takii Hannosuke, Narukawa Genzaemon, Ichikawa Danzô I and Saruwaka Sanzaemon II.
March 1710: Shirosaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior). He shares the same rank with Ichikawa Danjûrô II and Murayama Jûheiji I.
November 1710: Shirosaburô plays at the Yamamuraza in the kaomise drama "Jinriki Teika Azuma Asobi", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Arashi Kiyosaburô I. The others main stage partners are Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Ôtani Hiroji I, Ikushima Shingorô, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Asao Jûjirô and Kokan Tarôji I.
Fall 1711: Shirosaburô goes back to Ôsaka.
November 1711: Shirosaburô plays in Ôsaka the role of Dansuke, in reality Kondô Hidanosuke, in the kaomise drama "Futahashira Aioi Chôja", which is coproduced by Ogino Yaegiri I and Miyazaki Denkichi.
March 1712: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior). He shares the same rank with Yamamura Kazaemon, Takenaka Tôzaburô and his brother Sakurayama Shôzaemon I.
November 1712: Shirosaburô plays in Ôsaka the role of Aoto Gorô in the kaomise drama "Onna Imagawa Seishi no Jôjô", which is produced by Shinozuka Shômatsu.
January 1713: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
November 1715: Shirosaburô plays in Ôsaka the role of Bantazaemon in Kaneko Kichizaemon's kaomise drama "Hachiman Chôja no Oto Musume", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III.
January 1716: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent).
November 1716: Shirosaburô plays in Ôsaka the role of Watônai in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen", which is produced by the zamoto Arashi Gosaburô for the nadai Ôsaka Kuzaemon at the Higashi no Shibai. This is the first time this play is staged in Ôsaka. Shirosaburô's stage partners are Sanogawa Mangiku (Kinshôjo), Takenaka Tôzaburô (Kanki), Kirinoya Gonjûrô I (Rôikkan) and Kirinami Takie (Watônai's mother).
January 1717: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He shares the same rank with Sawamura Chôjûrô I, Kaneko Kichizaemon and Takeshima Kôzaemon II.
January 1718: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, falls back to jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - almost excellent).
November 1724: Shirosaburô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Akaboshi Tsunaemon in the kaomise drama "Banzei no Minato", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III.
November 1725: Shirosaburô becomes jitsuaku and plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kyôgoku Umanojô in Kaneko Kichizaemon's kaomise drama "Wagô no Futabashira", which is produced by Arashi San'emon III.
January 1726: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
November 1726: Shirosaburô becomes tachiyaku and plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kurihara Sanzaemon in the kaomise drama "Bunbu Aioi no Matsu".
January 1727: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
Fall 1727: Shirosaburô moves to Kyôto with the actor Arashi San'emon III.
November 1727: Shirosaburô plays the role of Sonenomatsu Jûnai in Azuma Sampachi's kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô", which is produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater.
January 1728: Shirosaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, falls to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent).
November 1728: Shirosaburô plays in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater in the kaomise program "Daimyô Kogane no Uroko", which is produced by Sanogawa Mangiku; his stage partners are Arashi San'emon III, Segawa Kikunojô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Ichikawa Sôzaburô I, Arashi Sangorô I and Nakamura Shingorô I.
January 1729: Shirosaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, falls to jô-jô (superior - superior).
Fall 1729: Shirosaburô goes back to Ôsaka.
November 1729: Shirosaburô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Matsuda Buemon in the kaomise drama "Banzai Kogane Tsukuri", which is produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II; his stage partners are Nakayama Shinkurô I, Yoshizawa Ayame II, Kirinoya Gonjûrô I, Yamashita Kinsaku I, Nakamura Sôjûrô and Fujii Hanamatsu.
January 1730: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).
November 1730: Shirosaburô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sadaemon in the kaomise drama "Meotogura Wagô no Nakatomi", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô III; his stage partners are Nakayama Shinkurô I, Anegawa Shinshirô I, Kirinoya Gonjûrô I, Yamashita Kinsaku I, Sanogawa Hanazuma I, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Hanagiri Toyomatsu I and Izumikawa Sennosuke.
January 1731: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
December 1731: Shirosaburô appears on stage for the last time, playing at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôyamato Wagô no Tsuchi", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô III and celebrates the arrival in the new line-up of Fujikawa Heikurô, Fujikawa Hanzaburô II and Arashi Sangorô I.
Summer 1732: Shirosaburô dies in Ôsaka.
Comments:
Sakurayama Shirosaburô I was a Kamigata tachiyaku actor. Born and trained in Kyôto, he started to make a name for himself in Edo at the end of the 1700s. He achieved fame for himself in Ôsaka during the Kyôhô era but never succeeded in reaching the same level of fame in Kyôto. His two fields of excellence were yatsushigoto and jitsugoto. He was also good in aragoto and jitsuaku roles.
Sakurayama Shirosaburô I playing at the Kado no Shibai the role of Musashi Saemon Arikuni in the kaomise drama "Shingoten Aioi no Komatsu", which was staged in November 1722 at the Kado no Shibai