Stage names:

Sawamura Chôjûrô VII
Sawamura Chônosuke III

Real name: Itô Tamakichi

Guild: Kinokuniya

Line number: SHICHIDAIME (VII)

Poetry name: Shizan

Existence: 9 November 1889 ~ ???

Connections:

Father: Sawamura Tosshi VII

Brothers : Suketakaya Kodenji I, Sawamura Sônosuke I

Career:

1894: he made his first appearance on stage in Tôkyô at the Asakusaza, where he received the name of Sawamura Chônosuke III.

24 August 1899: his brother Suketakaya Kodenji I died.

January 1903: Chônosuke performed at the Miyatoza in the drama "Miyako Dori Kuruwa no Shiranami".

September 1904: Chônosuke played for the first time the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which was staged at the Miyatoza; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Sawamura Gennosuke IV and Sawamura Tosshi VII.

March 1908: Chônosuke played at the Miyatoza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Sawamura Gennosuke IV and Bandô Tsurunosuke II.

March 1909: tour in Nagasaki; Chônosuke played at the Maizuruza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

July 1910: Chônosuke played at the Tôkyôza the role of Benten Kozô in the drama "Shiranami Gonin Otoko".

September 1910: Chônosuke played at the Tôkyôza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the role of Shigetada was played by his father Sawamura Tosshi VII.

June 1911: tour in Ôsaka; Chônosuke and Sawamura Tosshi VII performed together in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which was staged at the Bentenza.

September 1911: Sawamura Chônosuke III took the name of Sawamura Chôjûrô VII at the Imperial Theater.

November 1913: Chôjûrô played at the Imperial Theater the role of Irie Tanzô in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

February 1915: tour in Ôsaka and Nagoya with the Sawamura clan; Chôjûrô played the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Sawamura Sôjûrô VII and Sawamura Sônosuke I.

February 1916: Chôjûrô played at the Imperial Theater the role of Iwanaga in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of the courtesan Akoya and Shigetada were played by the actress Murata Kikuko and the Kabuki actor Sawamura Sônosuke I.

April 1918: Chôjûrô performed at the Imperial Theater in the drama "Shiranami Gonin Otoko".

May 1922: Chôjûrô played at the Kôen Gekijô the role of Kajiwara Kagetoki in the "Sushiya" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

September 1922: Chôjûrô played at the Tokiwaza the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei and Taira no Tomomori in the "Tokaiya" and "Daimotsu no Ura" scenes of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

February 1923: Chôjûrô played at the Tokiwaza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

May 1923: Chôjûrô played at the Tokiwaza the role of the fox Tadanobu in the michiyuki "Yoshinoyama".

October 1923: tour in Nagoya; Chôjûrô played at the Suehiroza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

January 1924: tour in Nagasaki; Chôjûrô played at the Minamiza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

February 1924: Chôjûrô played at the Daikokuza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

8 April 1924: his brother Sawamura Sônosuke I died.

April 1924: Chôjûrô played at the Daikokuza the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei and Taira no Tomomori in the "Tokaiya" and "Daimotsu no Ura" scenes of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

October 1924: Chôjûrô played at the Kôen Gekijô the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the role of Shigetada was played by Ichikawa Yaozô VIII.

November 1924: Chôjûrô played at the Kôen Gekijô the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei and Taira no Tomomori in the "Tokaiya" and "Daimotsu no Ura" scenes of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

December 1924: Chôjûrô played at the Bentenza in Ôsaka the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Matsumoto Kojirô and Matsumoto Kingo II.

March 1925: Chôjûrô played at the Kannon Gekijô the role of Kajiwara Kagetoki in the "Sushiya" scene of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

April 1925: Chôjûrô played at the Kanda Gekijô the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Ôtani Tomosaburô III and Bandô Shinsha II.

October 1925: Chôjûrô played the role of Benten Kozô in the eponymous movie, which was directed by Numata Kôroku and produced by Makino Production.

February 1926: tour in Nagoya; Chôjûrô played at the Suehiroza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

March 1926: the troupe of Chôjûrô and Kawarasaki Gonjûrô II performed at the Tokiwaza the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

26 March 1926: his father Sawamura Tosshi VII died.

January 1927: Chôjûrô played at the Kannon Gekijô the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Arashi Tokusaburô VI and Bandô Shinsha II.

April 1929: Chôjûrô played at the Miyatoza the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei and Taira no Tomomori in the "Tokaiya" and "Daimotsu no Ura" scenes of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

June 1929: Chôjûrô played at the Miyatoza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Nakamura Senshô and Nakamura Kichiji.

November 1929: Chôjûrô played at the Kannon Gekijô the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

January 1931: Chôjûrô played at the Shôwaza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Shigetada and Iwanaga Saemon were played by Ichikawa Shinnosuke V and Bandô Shinsha II.

October 1933: Chôjûrô played at the Kôen Gekijô the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

April 1934: Chôjûrô played at the Miyatoza the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki".

January 1935: Chôjûrô played at the Miyatoza the roles of Tokaiya Ginpei and Taira no Tomomori in the "Tokaiya" and "Daimotsu no Ura" scenes of the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

April 1935: Chôjûrô played for the last time the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which was staged at the Miyatoza.

Comments:

Sawamura Chôjûrô VII was a talented kaneru yakusha, who spent most of his career either on tour or in the koshibai theaters in Tôkyô, like the Miyatoza, the Asakusa Kôen Gekijô or the Kanda Gekijô (Misakiza).

His best role was the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki". This role requires the mastery of three traditional instruments of music: koto, shamisen and kokyû.

His name disappeared from the playbills around 1944. Nobody knows what happened to him. Did he die during the 1945 bombing of Tôkyô?

In some Kabuki-related books, he was sometimes referenced as Sawamura Chôjûrô VI.

Sawamura Chôjûrô VII playing the role of the courtesan Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"

Prints & Illustrations

The Sawamura Chôjûrô line of actors