SAWAMURA SHIROGORÔ II

Stage names:

Sawamura Shirogorô II In Japanese
Sawamura Shabaku In Japanese | In Japanese
Sawamura Shirogorô II In Japanese
Sawamura Tôjûrô I In Japanese
Sawamura Shirogorô II In Japanese
Sawamura Tôzô I In Japanese | In Japanese
Ogino Tôzô In Japanese
Ogino Monzô [1] In Japanese

Guild: Kawatakiya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Shabaku

Existence: ??? ~ 6th day of the 7th lunar month of 1832 [2]

Connections:

Masters : Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Ogino Itarô

Father-in-law (after death): Sawamura Sôjûrô III

Disciples: Sawamura Tôzô II [3], Sawamura Kinpei II [3], Sawamura Kinpei III [3]

Career:

???~1792: born in Kamigata. His first stage name was Ogino Monzô [1].

Fall 1792: he went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1792: he took the name of Ogino Tôzô and performed at the Ichimuraza as a wakashugata in the kaomise drama "Iromigusa Tsukuri Yamabushi".

7th lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Miyakoza of the drama "Keisei Sanbon Karakasa"; Tôzô played the role of Ishizuka Genba [more details].

1st lunar month of 1795: Namiki Gohei I's drama "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Miyakoza; Tôzô played the role of the yakko Tatahei [casting].

7th lunar month of 1796: he became a disciple of the star Sawamura Sôjûrô III and took the name of Sawamura Tôzô I at the Miyakoza, playing the role of Sukune Tarô in the "Dômyôji" scene of the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

9th lunar month of 1796: the play "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" was staged for the first time in Edo, simultaneously at the Kiriza and the Miyakoza; Tôzô played the role of Harukaze Tôzô in the latter theater [casting].

1st lunar month of 1798: premiere at the Kiriza (Edo) of Namiki Gohei I's play "Tomioka Koi no Yamabiraki", commonly called "Ninin Shinbê"; Tôzô played the role of Ibara no Tôbê [casting].

29th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1801 [4]: his master Sawamura Sôjûrô III died.

11th lunar month of 1808: Sawamura Tôzô I took the name of Sawamura Shirogorô II and became katakiyaku. Around the same time, he got married with the daughter of late Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

3rd lunar month of 1809: premiere at the Moritaza of Fukumori Kyûsuke I's drama "Sono Mukashi Koi no Edo-zome"; Shirogorô played the roles of Beniya Chôbê and Arai Genzô Shigekuni [casting].

11th lunar month of 1809: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Katsu Hyôzô I and Sakurada Jisuke II kaomise drama "Misao no Hana Toba no Koizuka", which celebrated the shûmei of Onoe Shôroku I and Onoe Matsusuke II; Shirogorô played the roles of Iga no Heinaizaemon Naganori, Musashi Saemon Arikuni, the yakko Nomahei and Tachibana Shichirô Sadakage [more details].

3rd lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Kachi Zumô Ukina no Hanabure" (commonly called "Shirafuji Genta"); Shirogorô played the role of Shioda Bannoshin [casting].

5th lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Katsu Hyôzô I and Sakurada Jisuke II drama "Ehon Gappô-ga-Tsuji"; Shirogorô played the roles of the farmer Sagoemon and Sasayama Kanbê [casting].

7th lunar month of 1811: premiere at the Ichimuraza of "Tamamo-no-Mae Obana no Nishiki", the Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Tamamo-no-Mae Asahi no Tamoto"; Shirogorô played the role of Washizuka Kintôji Hidekuni [more details]. It was followed by the premiere at the Ichimuraza of the drama "Nazo no Obi Chotto Tokubê"; Shirogorô played the role of the ashigaru Namano Hachinai, later Mikawaya Giheiji [more details].

3rd lunar month of 1813: premiere at the Moritaza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's play "Osome Hisamatsu Ukina no Yomiuri" (commonly called "Osome no Nanayaku", in English 'The Seven Roles of Osome'). The seven roles were played by Iwai Hanshirô V; Shirogorô played the role of the tedai Zenroku [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Shirogorô played the roles of Matsui no Gengo Sadakage and the yakko Sudahei [more details].

7th lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's natsu kyôgen "Imaori Hakata no Irifune"; Shirogorô played the roles of bashi Utsunoya Goroemon, Kurahashi Daizen and Ishikawaya Shichirosuke [casting].

5th lunar month of 1815: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kakitsubata Iro mo Edozome" (commonly called "Oroku to Gantetsu" or "Dote no Oroku"); Shirogorô played the role of Sadaijin Magoroku [casting].

7th lunar month of 1815: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Haji Momiji Ase no Kaomise" (commonly called "Date no Jûyaku", in English the ten roles of Date), whose plot and characters belonged to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world; Shirogorô played the role of Yamana Mochitoyo [casting].

1st lunar month of 1816: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Nazoraete Fujigane Soga"; Shirogorô played the role of Ômi Kotôta Nariie [casting].

11th lunar month of 1819: Sawamura Shirogorô II took the name of Sawamura Tôjûrô I at the Tamagawaza, playing 3 roles in the drama "Nana Komachi Yagura no Amagoi".

3rd lunar month of 1820: premiere at the Tamagawaza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sakura Butai Maku no Datezome"; Tôjûrô played the roles of Ukiyo Tôfuya Tohei and Ôe Onitsura [casting].

11th lunar month of 1821: he took back the name of Sawamura Shirogorô II at the Ichimuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Nani o Tanete Ukiki no Kaobure".

1st lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Yaegasumi Soga no Kumiito"; Shirogorô played the roles of Tsurugizawa Danjôzaemon and the yanushi Sagobê [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Ukiyogara Hiyoku no Inazuma"; Shirogorô played the role of Mamushi no Jihê [casting].

7th lunar month of 1823: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's natsu kyôgen "Torimazete Sekison Miyage"; Shirogorô played the roles of Sawai Jôgorô and Ikezoe Magohachi [casting].

8th lunar month of 1824: Sawamura Shirogorô II took the name of Sawamura Shabaku at the Ichimuraza, playing 3 roles in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

1st lunar month of 1825: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's new year sogamono drama "Okuni-iri Soga Nakamura"; Shabaku played the roles of Ômi Kotôta Nariie, Honjô Sukedayû and the tabiya Akaneya Heizaemon [casting].

8th lunar month of 1826: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Soga Nakamura Aki no Torikomi"; Shabaku played the roles of Adachi Tôkurô and Jigoku Seizaemon [casting].

5th lunar month of 1828: Shabaku played at the Ichimuraza the role of Fujiwara no Shihei in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

11th lunar month of 1828: he took back the name of Sawamura Shirogorô II at the Ichimuraza, playing 3 roles in the kaomise drama "Mitsugi no Yuki Genji Hiiki".

3rd lunar month of 1829: he went on tour to Ôsaka with Ichikawa Danjûrô VII.

1st lunar month of 1830: he performed in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, then decided to go back to Edo.

6th day of the 7th lunar month of 1832 [2]: Shirogorô died in Edo.

Comments:

Sawamura Shirogorô II was a good katakiyaku of the Bunka and Bunsei eras. His vocal projection and the way he delivered his lines were quite stern and manly. He had a strong stage presence, allowing him to excel in roles like Fujiwara no Shihei ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami").

[1] Not recorded in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten".

[2] The 6th day of the 7th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Tenpô era was the 1st of August 1832 in the western calendar.

[3] Only our assumption. No proof that Sawamura Tôzô II, Sawamura Kinpei II and Sawamura Kinpei III were really disciples of Sawamura Shirogorô II.

[4] The 29th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 1st year of the Kyôwa era was the 11th of May 1801 in the western calendar.

Sawamura Shirogorô II (top) and Ichikawa Danjûrô VII (bottom) playing the roles of the villain Fujiwara no Shihei and Umeômaru in the "Kurumabiki" scene of the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which was staged in the 9th lunar month of 1812 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1799

The Sawamura Tôzô line of actors

The Sawamura Shirogorô line of actors

 
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