ICHIKAWA SADANJI III

Stage names:

Ichikawa Sadanji III In Japanese
Ichikawa Omezô IV In Japanese
Ichikawa Otora IV In Japanese

Guild: Takinoya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Existence: 26 August 1898 ~ 3 October 1969

Connections:

Father: Ichikawa Monnosuke VI

Son: Ichikawa Sadanji IV

Grandson: Ichikawa Omezô VI

Great-grandson: Ichikawa Otora VII

Career:

October 1902: he made his first appearance on stage and received the name of Ichikawa Otora IV.

1907: Otora joined a troupe led by Onoe Kikugorô VI.

January 1909: Otora played at the Meijiza the role of Sankichi in the drama "Shigenoi Kowakare"; the role of Sankichi's mother Shigenoi was played by Otora's father Ichikawa Metora II.

September 1914: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Furukawa Shinsui's drama "Ansei Kibun Tsukuda no Yoarashi"; Otora played the role of the geisha Ohide [more details].

April 1917: he became nadai and took the name of Ichikawa Omezô IV at the Ichimuraza.

September 1921: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Yamamoto Yûzô's drama "Sakazaki Dewa-no-Kami"; Omezô played the role of Honda Yahachirô [more details].

November 1922: creation of the Tôeikai, a Kabuki dance study group led by Omezô and Onoe Eizaburô VII. The first program was staged at the Ichimuraza at the end of the month and was made up of one old dance and 2 new creations.

March 1923: second dance program of the Tôeikai, staged at the Imperial Theater.

April 1926: Omezô played at the Hongôza the role of Momonoi Wakasanosuke in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

November 1928: premiere at the Kabukiza of Oka Onitarô's dance-drama "Kakuju Senzai"; Omezô played the role of an artisan [more details].

May 1933: Ikeda Daigo's bakumatsumono drama "Saigô to Buta-hime" was staged for the first time in ôshibai, in Tôkyô at the Meijiza; Omezô played the role of Nakamura Hanjirô [more details].

June 1934: premiere in Tôkyô at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Kurayami no Ushimatsu"; Omezô played the role of Oyone [casting].

September 1935: premiere at the Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Kôdan Yomiya no Ame"; Omezô played the role of Tokubê's nyôbô Otoma [more details].

January 1939: Omezô played at the Kabukiza the role of Tonami in the "Terakoya" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners were Onoe Kikugorô VI (Matsuômaru), Nakamura Kichiemon I (Genzô) and Nakamura Tokizô III (Chiyo).

July 1944: Omezô played at the Misonoza (Nagoya) the role of Otoku in the drama "Domo Mata"; the role of Otoku's husband Matahei was played by Onoe Kikugorô VI.

September 1947: premiere at the Imperial Theater of Atsumi Seitarô's version of "Nansô Satomi Hakkenden"; Omezô played the roles of Inuyama Dôsetsu Tadatomo, Inuzuka Shino Moritaka and Yamashita Sakuzaemon Sadakane [casting].

July 1949: Omezô became the head of the Onoe Kikugorô Gekidan, a troupe founded a few days after the death of the illustrious actor Onoe Kikugorô VI.

February 1950: Omezô played the role of Mitsukuni at the Shinbashi Enbujô in the drama "Masakado"; the role of Princess Takiyasha was played by Nakamura Tokizô III.

July 1951: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Omezô played the role of the hinin Oguri no Umakichi [casting].

May 1952: Ichikawa Omezô IV took the name of Ichikawa Sadanji III at the Kabukiza, performing in "Genji Monogatari", "Wakaba no Tsuta Kabuki no Nigiwai" and "Kumo no Uwasa Onna Narukami".

October 1952: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Wakaki Hi no Nobunaga"; Sadanji played the role of Kinoshita Tôkichirô [casting].

March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Sadanji played the role of the hatamoto Matsudaira Kamon [casting].

March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Sadanji played the role of the sokushitsu Gekkôin [more details].

March 1955: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 3rd (and last) part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Sadanji played the role of the sokushitsu Gekkôin [more details].

January 1958: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of the of the matsubamemono dance-drama "Tôzumô"; Sadanji played the role of the Chinese Emperor [more details].

1963: Sadanji became the head of the Japan Actors Association (Nihon Haiyû Kyôkai).

1964: Sadanji received the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhô in Japanese).

January 1967: revival at the National Theatre of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura"; Sadanji played the roles of Fujiwara no Mototsune and Abe no Kiyoyuki [casting].

June 1969: Sadanji appeared on stage for the last time, at the National Theatre, where he played the roles of Motome and Kamatari in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

3 October 1969: Sadanji died.

Comments:

Ichikawa Sadanji III was a talented supporting actor able to play a wide range of roles, as a tachiyaku or an onnagata. His two fields of excellence were nimaime or wagotoshi roles. He was an important stage partners for stars like Onoe Baikô VI, Onoe Kikugorô VI or Onoe Shôroku II. In his latter years, he often played fukeyaku roles.

Ichikawa Sadanji III's best roles: Yasuke/Koremori ("Sushiya"), Chûshichi ("Kamiyui Shinza") and Tokijirô ("Akegarasu Yume no Awayuki").

Ichikawa Sadanji III playing the role of Yuranosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura" (print made by Ôta Masamitsu in 1955)

The Ichikawa Otora line of actors

The Ichikawa Omezô line of actors

The Ichikawa Sadanji line of actors

 
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