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 ~ 8th day of the 12th lunar month of 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
Career:
1784: born in Edo. He is the son of the star Sawamura Sôjûrô III.
1st lunar month of 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.
2nd lunar month of 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.
8th lunar month of 1800: Sawamura Sôjûrô III falls ill in Ôsaka and decides to go back to Edo after his recovery.
3rd lunar month of 1801: his father Sawamura Sôjûrô III dies.
1st lunar month of 1805: Gennosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Namboku IV's drama "Toki-mo Kikyô Shusse no Ukejô"; Gennosuke plays the role of Oda Harunaga [casting].
11th lunar month of 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.
4th lunar month of 1812: Sôjûrô plays in the same theater the role of Genshichi in the drama "Komochi Yamamba".
5th lunar month of 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 the 12th lunar month of 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 Tosshi line of actors
The Sawamura Gennosuke line of actors
The Sawamura Sôjûrô line of actors