| SAWAMURA SÔJÛRÔ II |
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Guild: Kinokuniya Line number: NIDAIME (II) Poetry names: Kion, Tosshi (2), Shozan Blazon: the syllabic ideogram "i" in a circle [in Japanese: い] Existence: 1713 ~ 30th day of the 8th lunar month of 1770 [1] Connections: Master: Tomizawa Montarô I Adoptive father: Sawamura Sôjûrô I Sons: Suketakaya Takasuke II, Sawamura Sôjûrô III Disciples: Sawamura Yodogorô II, Sawamura Tsuruzô, Sawamura Fukumatsu, Takinaka Shigenoi Career: 1713 ~ 1733: born in Kyôto. He started his career as a disciple of Tomizawa Montarô I, who gave him the name of Tomizawa Chônosuke. Fall 1733: he went to Edo. 11th lunar month of 1733: he took the name of Takenaka Utagawa at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Nagi no Hana Asahi Genji". 1737: Takenaka Utagawa took the name of Takinaka Utagawa. 11th lunar month of 1740: Utagawa played at the Ichimuraza the role of Izumo no Okuni in the kaomise drama "Kichirei Imagawajô", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Matsushima Moheiji. 11th lunar month of 1742: Takinaka Utagawa took the name of Utagawa Shirogorô at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Keisei Akazawayama". 11th lunar month of 1744: Shirogorô performed at the Moritaza, a theater which was closed since Spring 1734, in the kaomise drama "Higashiyama Bandai no Watamashi". 11th lunar month of 1746: Shirogorô played at the Moritaza the role of the Hachiman Tarô Yoshiie (the enemy of the Abe brothers) in the kaomise drama "Ôtorii Gojûshigun"; the roles of the rebels Abe no Sadatô and Abe no Munetô were played by Matsumoto Kôshirô II and Tsuuchi Monzaburô I. 1st lunar month of 1747: Shirogorô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. 1st lunar month of 1748: Shirogorô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Nitta Shirô Tadatsune in the drama "Kazari Ebi Yoroi Soga". 5th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Shirogorô played the role of Yoshitsune [casting]. 1749: Shirogorô was adopted by Sawamura Chôjûrô III. 6th lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Shirogorô played the role of Momonoi Wakasanosuke [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1749: Utagawa Shirogorô took the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô II at the Moritaza, performing in Tsuuchi Jihê II's kaomise drama "Bijo Kurabe Kiso no Kakehashi". 7th lunar month of 1753: the play "Hirakana Seisuiki" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza [casting]. Sôjûrô played the role of Yoshitsune. 3rd day of the 1st lunar month of 1756 [2]: his adoptive father Suketakaya Takasuke I died. 4th lunar month of 1756: Sôjûrô played at the Nakamuraza the role of the villain Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku", sharing the stage with Ichikawa Danjûrô IV (Sukeroku) and Nakamura Kiyosaburô I (Agemaki). 11th lunar month of 1756: Sôjûrô played 5 roles at the Moritaza, including Taira no Kiyomori, in the kaomise drama "Manazuru Heike Monogatari". 3rd lunar month of 1761: Sôjûrô played at the Ichimuraza the role of the villain Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura"; his stage partners were Ichimura Kamezô I (Sukeroku), Ichikawa Danjûrô IV (the shirozake seller Shinbê) and Segawa Kikunojô II (the courtesan Agemaki). 1st lunar month of 1763: Sôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. 11th lunar month of 1763: Sôjûrô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Shikai Nami Yawaragi Taiheiki". 1st lunar month of 1764: Sôjûrô played in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Edo-zome Soga no Hinagata". 11th lunar month of 1764: Sôjûrô played at the Moritaza the role of Suketakaya Takasuke [3] in the kaomise drama "Gyosei Kanatami no Megumi", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Sawamura Kunitarô I. 2nd lunar month of 1765: Sôjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari [4] in the new year sogamono drama "Bunjin Omokage Soga". 11th lunar month of 1765: Sôjûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Kachidoki Sakae Genji". 1st lunar month of 1766: Sôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. 11th lunar month of 1766: Sôjûrô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Tsuno Moji Izu no Irifune", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Mitsugorô I, Ichikawa Somegorô and Sawamura Yodogorô II. 11th lunar month of 1767: Sôjûrô performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Nue Shigedô Sakiwake Yûsha", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Shirogorô I. 8th lunar month of 1768: Sôjûrô played in the same theater the roles of Matsuômaru and Kakuju in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners in the roles of Kan Shôjô, Umeômaru, Sakuramaru and Matsuômaru's wife Chiyo were Ichimura Uzaemon IX, Bandô Matatarô IV, Sanogawa Ichimatsu II and Azuma Tôzô II. 11th lunar month of 1768: Sôjûrô played at the Ichimuraza the role of Abe no Sadatô in the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Tomozô I and Tomizawa Hanzaburô II; the roles of Hachiman Tarô Yoshiie and Abe no Munetô were played by Ichimura Uzaemon IX and Ôtani Hiroji III. 3rd lunar month of 1769: Sôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was itaru-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. Fall 1769: Sôjûrô went to Kamigata. 11th lunar month of 1769: Sôjûrô performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Asahimaru Genji Kagami", which was produced by Onoe Kumesuke and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Shingorô II. 1st lunar month of 1770: Sôjûrô appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto, performing in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kayoi Chidori", which was produced by the zamoto Onoe Kumesuke. 3rd lunar month of 1770: Sôjûrô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, sôkanjiku section ("all kanjiku"), was itaru-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent) [Visual]. 30th day of the 8th lunar month of 1770 [1]: Sôjûrô died in Kyôto [5]. Comments: Sawamura Sôjûrô II, who started and ended his career in Kamigata, was a talented tachiyaku and katakiyaku of the Hôreki and Meiwa eras. He was able to play in both jidaimono and sewamono, excelling in budôgoto and jitsuaku roles. [1] The 30th day of the 8th lunar month of the 7th year of the Meiwa era was the 18th of October 1770 in the western calendar. [2] The 3rd day of the 1st lunar month of the 6th year of the Hôreki era was the 2nd of February 1756 in the western calendar. [3] It is worth noting that this role is none other than the last stage name of his late adoptive father Sawamura Sôjûrô I. [4] It was a rare feature for the same actor to play the 3 main roles in a sogamono! [5] Sawamura Sôjûrô II's tombstone was located in the Shôjukuan subtemple of the famous Chion'in Temple. |
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The Actor Sawamura Sôjûrô II as an Outlaw Print made by Kitao Shigemasa at the end of the 1760s Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1769 Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1770 The Sawamura Tosshi line of actors The Sawamura Sôjûrô line of actors |
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