Stage names:

Sawamura Gennosuke III
Ichikawa Seijûrô
Ichikawa Udanji
Sawamura Seishi I
Ichikawa Seishi

Other name:

Sawamura Seijûrô I

Guilds: Kinokuniya, Kiyotakiya

Line number: SANDAIME (III)

Poetry names: Seishi, Tosshi

Existence: 1804 ~ 15th day of the 9th lunar month of 1863 ^[1]

Connection:

Brother and master: Sawamura Sôjûrô V (Suketakaya Takasuke III)

Master: Ichikawa Danjûrô VII (Ichikawa Ebizô V)

Adopted son: Sawamura Gennosuke IV

Career:

1804: born in Edo. His father Hamazaki Chôkichi was a dekata at a shibai jaya named Izumiya and located within the Ichimuraza. His mother was the daughter of a farmer living in the district of Kameido. His first stage name was Sawamura Seishi I.

11th lunar month of 1813: he became disciple of Ichikawa Danjûrô VII and received the name of Ichikawa Seishi at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1814: he took the name of Sawamura Seishi I at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1815: he took the name of Ichikawa Udanji at the Kawarasakiza.

11th lunar month of 1822: Ichikawa Udanji took the name of Ichikawa Seijûrô at the Ichimuraza.

1825: Seijûrô went on tour in Kamigata and in the western provinces.

6th lunar month of 1834: Seijûrô went back to Edo to perform at the Moritaza.

1st lunar month of 1846: Seijûrô went to Ôsaka.

1st lunar month of 1851: Seijûrô went back to Edo; he became a disciple of his elder brother Sawamura Chôjûrô V and took the name of Sawamura Gennosuke III at the Nakamuraza, performing in the new year sogamono drama "Konoshita Soga Megumi no Masagoji".

8th lunar month of 1851: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Segawa Jokô III's drama "Higashiyama Sakura Sôshi" (commonly called "Sakura Giminden"); Gennosuke played the role of Hosokawa Katsumoto [casting].

15th day of the 11th lunar month of 1853 ^[2]: his elder brother and second master Suketakaya Takasuke III died in Edo.

End of the 1850s (1858?): Gennosuke went to Kamigata.

23rd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1859 ^[3]: his first master Ichikawa Ebizô V died.

1st lunar month of 1862: Gennosuke's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

3rd lunar month of 1863: Gennosuke played at the Chikugo no Shibai the roles of Kô no Moronô and Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

15th day of the 9th lunar month of 1863 ^[1]: Gennosuke died.

Comments:

Sawamura Gennosuke III was a good 19th century tachiyaku actor, who was also able to perform female roles if needed and excelled in wajitsu. He was born and trained in Edo but achieved fame in Kamigata.

[1] 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.

[2] The 15th day of the 11th lunar month of the 6th year of the Kaei era was the 15th of December 1853 in the western calendar.

[3] The 23rd day of the 3rd lunar month of the 6th year of the Ansei era was the 25th of April 1859 in the western calendar.

Sawamura Gennosuke III portraying Chienai in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1849

The Sawamura Seishi line of actors

The Ichikawa Udanji line of actors

The Sawamura Gennosuke line of actors