Stage names:

Sawamura Gennosuke IV
Sawamura Seijûrô II
Sawamura Seizaburô
Sawamura Seishi II

Real name: Sawamura Seizaburô

Nickname: Tanbo no Tayû ^[1]

Guild: Kinokuniya

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry names: Shûkô, Seigaku

Existence: 14th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1859 ^[2] ~ 20 April 1936

Connections:

Adoptive father: Sawamura Gennosuke III

Son-in-law: Sawamura Gennosuke V

Disciple: Sawamura Genjûrô III

Career:

1859 ~ 1865: born in Ôsaka the 14th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1859 ^[2]. His family moved to Edo when he was a child. He was adopted by the actor Sawamura Gennosuke III, who gave him the name of Sawamura Seishi II.

5th lunar month of 1865: hatsubutai in Edo at the Moritaza.

15th day of the 9th lunar month of 1863 ^[3]: his adoptive father Sawamura Gennosuke III died.

1st lunar month of 1870 ^[6]: he took the name of Sawamura Seizaburô at the Moritaza.

October 1873: he took the name of Sawamura Seijûrô II at the Sawamuraza, playing the role of the kamuro Midori in the drama "Akegarasu Neya no Akatsuki".

June 1876: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Hototogisu Date no Kikigaki"; Seijûrô played the roles of Omura and the koshimoto Wakaba [casting].

October 1878: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Seijûrô played the role of the okujochû Miyuki [casting].

November 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono drama "Shima Chidori Tsuki no Shiranami"; Seijûrô played the role of the Mochizuki gejo Osei [casting].

November 1882: Sawamura Seijûrô II took the name of Sawamura Gennosuke IV at the Saruwakaza ^[4], playing the roles of the Suma ama Matsukaze, the Kyôya musume Oura and Chûemon's younger sister Otami in Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Kokubyakuron Oriwake Hakata".

February 1885: Gennosuke took part in the opening ceremony of the Chitoseza [more details]. Premiere at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Suitengû Megumi no Fukagawa"; Gennosuke played the role of the courtesan Kohina [casting].

May 1888: première at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame"; Gennosuke played the role of Okitsu [casting].

March 1890: premiere at the Kiriza of Takeshiba Kisui's drama "Kami no Megumi Wagô no Torikumi"; Gennosuke played the role of Tatsugorô's nyôbô Onaka [more details].

November 1893: the puppet drama "Kamiko Jitate Ryômen Kagami" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naniwaza; Gennosuke played the role of Omatsu [casting].

April 1897: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ochi's drama "Otokodate Harusame Gasa"; Gennosuke played the role of the keisei Hinotoyama [more details].

October 1898: premiere at the Meijiza of Takeshiba Kisui's dance-drama "Sannin Katawa"; Gennosuke played the role of the deaf and mute girl [casting].

March 1899: premiere at the Meijiza of the drama "Kurotegumi Kuruwa no Tatehiki", which gathered the main scenes from the sukerokumono part of Kawatake Shinshichi II's 1858 drama "Edo Zakura Kiyomizu Seigen"; Gennosuke played the roles of Miuraya Agemaki and Omaki [casting].

June 1907: the dance-drama "Kyô Ningyô" was staged for the first time under the title "Meisaku Hidari Kogatana" at the Miyatoza; Gennosuke played the role of the spirit of the doll [more details].

October 1911: premiere at the Meijiza of the Okamoto Kidô's drama "Minowa no Shinjû"; Gennosuke played the role of Ayaginu [casting].

January 1912: revival at the Meijiza of the drama "Fudô" ^[5]; Gennosuke played the role of Chitoseya Miyoshino [more details].

August 1917: the play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" was produced at the Kabukiza for the first time; Gennosuke played the role of Otatsu [casting].

February 1925: Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Kachi Zumô Ukina no Hanabure", commonly called "Shirafuji Genta", was revived at the Hongôza, under the supervision of the writer Nagai Kafû; Gennosuke played the roles of Gonsuke's wife Otsuta and Sakama Denbê [casting].

April 1926: Gennosuke played at the Hongôza the role of Ichimonjiya Osai in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

November 1935: Gennosuke appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Meijiza, performing in the drama "Suzuki Mondo".

20 April 1936: Gennosuke died.

Comments:

Sawamura Gennosuke IV was an outstanding onnagata actor, who was also able to play a wide range of male roles. Akuba roles were his field of excellence, like Otomi ("Kirare Otomi") or Dakki no Ohyaku ("Hyaku Monogatari"). He moved at the beginning of the 20th century from ôshibai, where he was supporting the stars Ichikawa Danjûrô IX and Onoe Kikugorô V, to koshibai, performing as a leading actor in venues like the Asakusaza or the Miyatoza. He joined back the ôshibai in his latter years. He was considered as the last true Edo onnagata.

[1]Literally 'the Paddy Field Master'. Tanbo was the name of his neighbourhood in Asakusa.

[2] The 14th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 6th year of the Ansei era was the 16th of April 1859 in the western calendar.

[3] The 15th day of the 9th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Bunkyû era was the 27th of October 1863 in the western calendar.

[4] The Saruwakaza was in fact the Shintomiza, which was rented by Nakamura Akashi V.

[5] A drama belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban.

[6] 11th lunar month of 1870 in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten". 1st lunar month of 1870 in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran".

Sawamura Gennosuke IV playing the role of Okoi in the drama "Izu Miyage Keiô Kibun", which was staged in September 1900 at the Meijiza (print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai)

Print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai in 1900

Print made by Kôchôrô Hôsai in 1901

The Sawamura Seishi line of actors

The Sawamura Gennosuke line of actors