SAWAMURA UJÛRÔ
   
FIVE GENERATIONS
Sawamura Ujûrô I
Sawamura Ujûrô I  In Japanese
 

Born in 1724. He was the son of the Nagauta shamisen player Kineya Uemon. He started his career in Edo in 1749 as a disciple of the actor Sawamura Sôjûrô I, who gave him the name of Sawamura Ujûrô I. He performed as a dôkegata in the 11th lunar month of 1749 at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Onnô Taiheiki", which celebrated the shûmei of Sakata Hangorô II and Ichikawa Yaozô I. He performed in the 11th lunar month of 1765 at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Kachidoki Sakae Genji". His last ranking in the 1766 Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual]. He died in Edo the 16th day of the 4th lunar month of 1766. This supporting actor excelled in sewamono and was also the tôdori at the Moritaza, where he spent most of his career.

There will be in the future to come a full page dedicated to Sawamura Ujûrô I in kabuki21.com.

Yagô Haimyô
Kineya Bunpuku

Sawamura Ujûrô I playing the role of Bettô Nôken in the kaomise drama "Gyosei Kanatami no Megumi", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1764 at the Moritaza

Sawamura Ujûrô II
Sawamura Ujûrô II  In Japanese | Sawamura Shichijûrô  In Japanese
 

Son of Sawamura Ujûrô I and disciple of Sawamura Sôjûrô I, his first stage name was Sawamura Shichijûrô. He took the name of Sawamura Ujûrô II in the 11th lunar month of 1767 at the Moritaza, where he performed in the kaomise drama "Sanada no Yoichi Banjaku no Iezuto". He also performed in the 11th lunar month of 1772 at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Izu Goyomi Shibai no Ganjitsu", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Chôjûrô IV, Sawamura Kijûrô II and Mikuni Fujigorô. His last ranking in the 1766 Edo hyôbanki, dôkegata section, was (superior) [visual]. He appeared on stage for the last time in the same theater in the 9th lunar month of 1773, where he performed in the drama "Hidakagawa Iriai Zakura".

Yagô Haimyô
Kineya Bunpuku
Sawamura Ujûrô 2.3
Sawamura Ujûrô  In Japanese
 

A wakashugata held the name of Sawamura Ujûrô between 1784 and 1791.

Sawamura Ujûrô (top) and Morita Kanjirô II (bottom) performing yakko roles in a print made by Katsukawa Shunkô (1783~1791)

Sawamura Ujûrô 2.4
Sawamura Ujûrô  In Japanese | Sawamura Kannosuke  In Japanese
 

Dates of birth and death unknown. Disciple of Sawamura Gennosuke II, his first stage name was Sawamura Kannosuke and he made his debut on stage as a wakashugata at the end of the 1820s. He took the name of Sawamura Ujûrô in the 7th month of 1744 at the Ichimuraza, where he performed in the drama "Sawamura Sakisomete Yoshibê" which celebrated the shûmei of his master Sawamura Sôjûrô V. He was active in Edo up to the 1st lunar month of 1855. No record afterwards.

Sawamura Ujûrô 2.4 in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

Sawamura Ujûrô III
Sawamura Ujûrô III  In Japanese
 

Born in 1849. Disciple of Sawamura Sôjûrô VII, he held the name of Sawamura Ujûrô III between 1884 and 1917. He died the 23rd of March 1917. His real name was Hamada Shôjirô.

Sawamura Ujûrô III (left) and Nakamura Kantarô (right) in a print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai

Sawamura Ujûrô IV
Sawamura Ujûrô IV  In Japanese | Ichikawa Engorô  In Japanese | Sawamura Ujûrô IV  In Japanese | Sawamura Sôji  In Japanese | Sawamura Tokan  In Japanese | Bandô Hanasaburô  In Japanese | Ichikawa Seitarô  In Japanese
 

Born the 14th of September 1887. His father was a theater dekata and was named Ôtani Kichizô. He started his career in Yokohama, where he performed locally under the name of Ichikawa Seitarô. He became a disciple of Bandô Rokuzô and received the name of Bandô Hanasaburô at unknown times. He joined the Sawamura clan led by Sawamura Tosshô III in 1903 and received the name of Sawamura Tokan. later, he switched to Sawamura Sôji in September 1908 when his master took the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô VII. He became nadai and took the name of Sawamura Ujûrô IV in October 1918 at the Imperial Theater. He became a disciple of Sawamura Tosshô IV and followed his master in November 1929 when he joined the Ichikawa clan. The master took the name of Ichikawa Shôen and the disciple of the name of Ichikawa Engorô. When his father quarreled with Ichikawa Sadanji II, they went back to the Sawamura clan and they took back the names of Sawamura Tosshô IV and Sawamura Ujûrô IV in October 1936. One night, in Ôsaka in the backstage of the Kabukiza, he was spending the night gambling with several actors or staff members. Somebody betrayed them and they were all arrested by the police. One major Ôsaka newspaper reported it as "Sôjûrô under arrest", mistaking the first ideogram of Ujûrô with the first ideogram of jûrô. Sawamura Sôjûrô VII was so upset that he called his disciple Jûrô instead of Ujûrô for several years! After WWII and the death of Sawamura Sôjûrô VII in 1949, he joined Sawamura Tosshi VIII and settled with him in Ôsaka in 1953, performing mostly in Ôsaka, Kyôto and Nagoya. His last-recorded performance occurred in February 1961 at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza, where he performed in the dramas "Inazuma Monogatari" and "Roji no Kitsune". No record afterwards. Day of death unknown. He had the reputation to be a party animal and a womanizer. It was a custom for the Sawamura troupe on tour to let him organize the parties. He was profoundly a good guy and always took good care of young Sawamura Yoshijirô.

Sawamura Ujûrô V
Sawamura Ujûrô V  In Japanese | Sawamura Kiyoshi  In Japanese
 

Born in Tôkyô the 24th of December 1965. He graduated from the Actors Training Center of the National Theatre (tenth graduation) and made his debut on stage in April 1990 at the Kabukiza, where he performed in "Onna Shibaraku" and "Hototogisu Kojô no Rakugetsu". He became a disciple of Sawamura Sôjûrô IX in November 1990 and received the name of Sawamura Kiyoshi in January 1991. He became nadai and took the name of Sawamura Ujûrô V in October 2008 at the Kabukiza, where he played the roles of Yoshida Gengosa and the priest Unshinbô in the drama "Shigenoi Kowakare" and the dance-drama "Yakko Dôjôji". He is a supporting tachiyaku actor of the Kinokuniya guild.

Yagô Honmyô
Kinokuniya Yoshida Akiyoshi
 
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