SAWAMURA SHIROGORÔ

FIVE GENERATIONS

Sawamura Shirogorô I

The actor Suketakaya Takasuke II held the name of Sawamura Shirogorô I from the 11th lunar month of 1767 to october 1769, then from the 11th lunar month of 1777 to the 10th lunar month of 1779.

Sawamura Shirogorô I in a print made by Kitao Shigemasa

Sawamura Shirogorô II

The actor Sawamura Shirogorô II held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1808 to the 10th lunar month of 1819, a second time from the 11th lunar month of 1821 to the 7th lunar month of 1824, then a third time from the 11th lunar month of 1828 to the 7th lunar month of 1832.

Sawamura Shirogorô II playing the role of the sushiya Yazaemon in the "Sushiya" act of the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura", which was staged in the 9th lunar month of 1811 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

Sawamura Shirogorô III

The actor Sawamura Shirogorô III held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1838 to the beginning of the 1840s.

Sawamura Shirogorô III playing the role of Nisôta in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

Sawamura Shirogorô IV
Sawamura Shirogorô IV

| Jitsukawa Gangorô

Born in Ôsaka in 1862. Son of Shirota Iwakichi and brother of the actors Nakamura Tsurusaburô and Nakamura Hikaku. He started his career as a disciple of the actor Jitsukawa Enjaku I, who gave him the name of Jitsukawa Gangorô. After the death of his master (the 18th of September 1885), he went on tour in Nagoya and was spotted there by Suketakaya Takasuke IV. He took the name of Sawamura Shirogorô IV in January 1886 at the Shinmoriza. Unfortunately for the new Shirogorô, his new master died a few weeks after the shûmei (the 2nd of February 1886). He decided to be based in Nagoya, starring in all the venues like the Shinmoriza, the Suehiroza or the Murôza. He went regularly on tour in Tôkyô, to perform in koshibai venues (Kotobukiza, Miyatoza) or ôshibai venues (Shintomiza, Kabukiza). This tall tachiyaku, who excelled as a jitsugotoshi or a katakiyaku, died in Nagoya the 2nd of April 1911.

Real name	Yagô
Shirota Takichi	Kinokuniya

Sawamura Shirogorô IV playing the role of Kenjô Naokata in the drama "Sodehagi Saimon", which was staged in February 1908 in Nagoya at the Suehiroza

Sawamura Shirogorô V
Sawamura Shirogorô V

| Sawamura Kuninosuke

| Nakamura Fukuji

Born in Tôkyô the 15th of September 1877. He started his career as a disciple of Nakamura Fukusuke III, who gave him the name of Nakamura Fukuji. He spent a few years with his master in Kamigata. He went back to Tôkyô and became the disciple of Sawamura Tosshi VII, taking the name of Sawamura Kuninosuke in November 1901. He finally took the name of Sawamura Shirogorô V in October 1914, playing at the Imperial Theater the role of Ôba Saburô in the drama "Ishibashiyama". He left the Kabuki world in October 1916 to become a movie actor. He died the 27th of August 1932.

The list of Sawamura Shirogorô's movies (in Japanese)

Real name	Yagô
Nozawa Otokichi	Kinokuniya

Sawamura Shirogorô V