Stage names:

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV
Sawamura Gennosuke I

Other name:

Sawamura Tosshi IV

Guild: Kinokuniya

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry names: Kôga, Tosshi (4)

Blazon: the syllabic ideogram "i" in a circle [in Japanese: い]

Existence: 1784 ~ 8th day of the 12th lunar month of 1812 ^[1]

Connections:

Father: Sawamura Sôjûrô III

Father-in-law: Matsumoto Kôshirô IV

Brother: Sawamura Tanosuke II

Brothers-in-law: Sawamura Shirogorô II, Iwai Hanshirô V

Adopted son: Sawamura Sôjûrô V

Career:

1784: born in Edo. He was the son of the star Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

1st lunar month of 1791: first stage appearance at the Ichimuraza, where he received the name of Sawamura Gennosuke I and performed in the new year sogamono drama "Shunshoku Edo Soga".

1793 ~ 1794: tour in Kamigata with his father Sawamura Sôjûrô III.

2nd lunar month of 1794: Gennosuke and his father were back in Edo and performed in the drama "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga", which was staged at the Miyakoza.

1798 ~ 1800: second tour in Kamigata with his father.

8th lunar month of 1800: Sawamura Sôjûrô III fell ill in Ôsaka and decided to go back to Edo after his recovery.

29th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1801 ^[2]: his father Sawamura Sôjûrô III died.

9th lunar month of 1804: Namiki Gohei I's drama "Kanjin Kanmon Tekuda no Hajimari" was staged for the first time in Edo, produced by Ichimura Uzaemon XI at the Ichimuraza; Gennosuke played the role of Tsuzuki Denshichi [more details].

1st lunar month of 1805: Gennosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

7th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Toki-mo Kikyô Shusse no Ukejô"; Gennosuke played the role of Oda Harunaga [casting].

11th lunar month of 1811: Sawamura Gennosuke I took the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô IV at the Ichimuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Itsukushima Yuki no Mitegura" ^[3]. Publication in Edo of "Sawamura Kagami", a book containing the biographies of Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Sawamura Sôjûrô II, Sawamura Sôjûrô III and the new Sôjûrô.

4th lunar month of 1812: Sôjûrô played in the same theater the role of Genshichi in the drama "Komochi Yamanba".

5th lunar month of 1812: Sôjûrô was supposed to perform in the same theater in the drama "Shôbudachi Rishô Kagami" but he suddenly fell ill.

8th day of the 12th lunar month of 1812 ^[1]: Sôjûrô died in Edo.

Comments:

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV was a talented tachiyaku, who formed with Ichikawa Danjûrô VII and Onoe Matsusuke II a popular threesome in Edo. He unfortunately died too young, before reaching the heights of fame.

[1] The 8th day of the 12th lunar month of the 9th year of the Bunka era was the 10th of January 1813 in the western calendar.

[2] 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.

[3] It was also the shûmei of the tatesakusha Tsuruya Nanboku IV and the minor actors Sawamura Kinpei II, Ichikawa Tsunejûrô and Bandô Denzaburô.

Sawamura Sôjûrô IV in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I (1811~1812)

Prints & Illustrations

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni (1801~1807)

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1811

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1811 (courtesy of V.)

The Sawamura Tosshi line of actors

The Sawamura Gennosuke line of actors

The Sawamura Sôjûrô line of actors