Stage names:

Sakurayama Shirosaburô I
Sakurayama Kodayû

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: ??? ~ 7th lunar month of 1732

Connection:

Elder brother: Sakurayama Shôzaemon I

Son: Sakurayama Shirosaburô II

Father-in-law: Arashi Kanshirô I

Career:

1680s: he started his career in Kyôto as a wakashugata, performing under the name of Sakurayama Kodayû.

1690s: he performed in Kyôto as a wakaonnagata.

1st lunar month of 1700: he went to Ôsaka, became tachiyaku and took the name of Sakurayama Shirosaburô I, playing the role of Fukuyama Sanzaemon in the new year drama "Nanto Jûsangane", which was produced in Ôsaka by Iwai Hanshirô II.

1st lunar month of 1702: Shirosaburô played in Kyôto at Ebisuya Shôdayû's theater in the drama "Ôtô-no-Miya Kumano Ochi", which was produced by Yamatoya Tôkichi; his others stage partners were Yamada Jinpachi, Fujikawa Buzaemon I and Kanazawa Goheiji I.

Fall 1708: Shirosaburô went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1708: Shirosaburô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Onna Sanbijin Imose Nishiki"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danzô I, Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Fujimura Handayû II, Takeshima Kôzaemon I and Iwai Sagenta I.

3rd lunar month of 1709: Shirosaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-(shiro)jô (superior - (white) superior) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Murayama Jûheiji I, Katsuyama Matagorô, Narukawa Genzaemon and Hamazaki Isogorô.

11th lunar month of 1709: Shirosaburô performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Tametomo Furiwakegami", which welcomed in Edo the Ôsaka actors Hisamatsu Tasanta and Iwai Tamanoe; his main stage partners were Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Matsumoto Shirosaburô, Takii Hannosuke, Narukawa Genzaemon, Ichikawa Danzô I and Saruwaka Sanzaemon II.

3rd lunar month of 1710: Shirosaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Ichikawa Danjûrô II and Murayama Jûheiji I.

11th lunar month of 1710: Shirosaburô performed at the Yamamuraza in the kaomise drama "Jinriki Teika Azuma Asobi", which celebrated the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Arashi Kiyosaburô I; his main stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Ôtani Hiroji I, Ikushima Shingorô, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Asao Jûjirô I and Kokan Tarôji I.

Fall 1711: Shirosaburô went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1711: Shirosaburô played in Ôsaka the role of Dansuke, in reality Kondô Hidanosuke, in the kaomise drama "Futabashira Aioi Chôja", which was coproduced by Ogino Yaegiri I and Miyazaki Denkichi.

3rd lunar month of 1712: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Yamamura Kazaemon, Takenaka Tôzaburô and his brother Sakurayama Shôzaemon I.

11th lunar month of 1712: Shirosaburô played in Ôsaka the role of Aoto Gorô in the kaomise drama "Onna Imagawa Seishi no Jôjô", which was produced by Shinozuka Shômatsu I.

1st lunar month of 1713: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1714: Shirosaburô played in Ôsaka the role of Kumagai Tsunaemon in the kaomise drama "Daikoku Shinmai Dawara", which was produced by Anegawa Shinshirô I.

11th lunar month of 1715: Shirosaburô played in Ôsaka the role of Bantazaemon in Kaneko Kichizaemon's kaomise drama "Hachiman Chôja no Oto Musume", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1716: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1716: Shirosaburô played in Ôsaka the role of Watônai in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen", which was produced by the zamoto Arashi Gosaburô for the nadai Ôsaka Kuzaemon at the Higashi no Shibai. This was the first time this play was staged in Ôsaka. Shirosaburô's stage partners were Sanogawa Mangiku (Kinshôjo), Takenaka Tôzaburô (Kanki), Kirinoya Gonjûrô I (Rôikkan) and Kirinami Takie (Watônai's mother).

1st lunar month of 1717: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Sawamura Chôjûrô I, Kaneko Kichizaemon and Takeshima Kôzaemon II.

11th lunar month of 1717: Shirosaburô played in Ôsaka at the Higashi no Shibai the role of Kumagai Tsunaemon [illustration] in the kaomise drama "Meryû Oryû Kogane no Uroko", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1718: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell back to jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1720: Shirosaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Miura Tsunaemon [illustration] in the kaomise drama "Daimyô Nishiki no Kusazuri", which was produced by the zamoto Takeshima Kôzaemon II.

11th lunar month of 1722: Shirosaburô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Musashi Saemon Arikuni in the kaomise drama "Shingoten Aioi no Komatsu", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1723: Shirosaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Tada Manjû in the kaomise drama "Chûshin Futaba no Matsu", which was produced by Matsushima Hyôtarô.

11th lunar month of 1724: Shirosaburô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Akaboshi Nawaemon in the kaomise drama "Banzei no Minato", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1725: Shirosaburô became jitsuaku and played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kyôgoku Umanojô in Kaneko Kichizaemon's kaomise drama "Wagô no Futabashira", which was produced by Arashi San'emon III.

1st lunar month of 1726: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1726: Shirosaburô became tachiyaku and played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Kurihara Sanzaemon in the kaomise drama "Bunbu Aioi no Matsu", which was produced by Fujii Hanamatsu and celebrated the shûmei of Fujikawa Hanzaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1727: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1727: Shirosaburô moved to Kyôto with the actor Arashi San'emon III.

11th lunar month of 1727: Shirosaburô played the role of Sonenomatsu Jûnai in Azuma Sanpachi's kaomise drama "Tônai Tarô Danjiri Roppô", which was produced by Sanogawa Mangiku at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater.

1st lunar month of 1728: Shirosaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1728: Shirosaburô played in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater in the kaomise program "Daimyô Kogane no Uroko", which was produced by Sanogawa Mangiku; his stage partners were Arashi San'emon III, Segawa Kikunojô I, Segawa Kikujirô I, Ichikawa Sôzaburô I, Arashi Sangorô I and Nakamura Shingorô I.

1st lunar month of 1729: Shirosaburô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell to jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

Fall 1729: Shirosaburô went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1729: Shirosaburô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Matsuda Buemon in the kaomise drama "Banzai Kogane Tsukuri", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II; his stage partners were Nakayama Shinkurô I, Yoshizawa Ayame II, Kirinoya Gonjûrô I, Yamashita Kinsaku I, Nakamura Sôjûrô and Fujii Hanamatsu.

1st lunar month of 1730: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1730: Shirosaburô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sadaemon in the kaomise drama "Meotogura Wagô no Nakatomi", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô III; his stage partners were Nakayama Shinkurô I, Anegawa Shinshirô I, Kirinoya Gonjûrô I, Yamashita Kinsaku I, Sanogawa Hanazuma I, Arashi Sanjûrô II, Hanagiri Toyomatsu I and Izumikawa Sennosuke.

1st lunar month of 1731: Shirosaburô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

12th lunar month of 1731: Shirosaburô appeared on stage for the last time, playing at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ôyamato Wagô no Tsuchi", which was produced by Iwai Hanshirô III and celebrated the arrival in the new line-up of Fujikawa Heikurô, Fujikawa Hanzaburô II and Arashi Sangorô I.

Summer 1732: Shirosaburô died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Sakurayama Shirosaburô I was a Kamigata tachiyaku actor. Born and trained in Kyôto, he started to make a name for himself in Edo at the end of the 1700s. He achieved fame for himself in Ôsaka during the Kyôhô era but never succeeded in reaching the same level of fame in Kyôto. His two fields of excellence were yatsushigoto and jitsugoto. He was also good in aragoto and jitsuaku roles.

Sakurayama Shirosaburô I (left) and Ichikawa Sukejûrô I (right) in a print made by Torii Kiyonobu I (1708~1711)

Prints & Illustrations

The Sakurayama Shirosaburô line of actors