SUKETAKAYA TAKASUKE III

Stage names:

Suketakaya Takasuke III
Sawamura Chôjûrô V
Sawamura Sôjûrô V
Sawamura Tosshô I
Sawamura Gennosuke II
Sawamura Genpei I

Other name:

Sawamura Tosshi V

Guild: Kinokuniya

Line number: GODAIME (V)

Poetry names: Kôga, Tosshi (5), Tosshô

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

Existence: 1802 ~ 15th day of the 11th lunar month of 1853^[1]

Connections:

Adoptive father: Sawamura Sôjûrô IV

Brother (and disciple): Sawamura Gennosuke III

Sons: Suketakaya Takasuke IV, Sawamura Tanosuke III

Grandson: Sawamura Yoshijirô II

Career:

1802 ~ 1807: born in Edo. His father Hamazaki Chôkichi was a dekata at the shibai jaya Izumiya, located in the Ichimuraza. His mother was the daughter of a farmer living in the district of Kameido. He became a disciple of Sawamura Gennosuke I, who adopted him a few years later.

11th lunar month of 1807: first stage appearance at the Ichimuraza, where he received the name of Sawamura Genpei I.

8th day of the 12th lunar month of 1812^[2]: his adoptive father Sawamura Sôjûrô IV died.

11th lunar month of 1817: Sawamura Genpei I took the name of Sawamura Gennosuke II at the Nakamuraza, playing in the kaomise drama "Hana to Yuki Wagô Taiheiki", which also celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Mitsuemon I, Matsumoto Goroichi and Bandô Hidesuke.

1819: tour in the Northeastern provinces.

1820: tour in Nagoya and Ise; then Gennosuke settled in Ôsaka.

6th lunar month of 1821: Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Kachi Zumô Ukina no Hanabure", commonly called "Shirafuji Genta", was revived for the first time, 11 years and 3 months after its premiere in Edo, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Gennosuke played the role of Tomihachi [casting].

Fall 1828: Gennosuke went back to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1828: Gennosuke performed at the Kawarasakiza in Mimasuya Nisôji's kaomise drama "Sakigake Genji no Kibamusha", which welcomed in Edo the actors Arashi Danpachi and Yoshizawa Enjirô; his yearly salary was 510 ryô.

1st lunar month of 1830: Gennosuke's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

2nd lunar month of 1830: Gennosuke plays 6 roles^[3] at the Kawarasakiza in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" [print].

5th lunar month of 1830: Gennosuke plays 11 roles^[4] at the Kawarasakiza in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

5th lunar month of 1831: Gennosuke played at the Kawarasakiza the role of Ofuna in the drama "Shinrei Yaguchi no Watashi". He created the definitive kata for this role; the role of Ofuna's father Tonbê was played by Ichikawa Danjûrô VII.

11th lunar month of 1831: Sawamura Gennosuke II took the name of Sawamura Tosshô I at the Kawarasakiza, performing in the kaomise drama "Matsu o Chikara Tomoe no Fujinami".

2nd lunar month of 1834: Tosshô went to Ôsaka for a few months, after the destruction of Edo in a giant fire.

6th lunar month of 1834: Tosshô went back to Edo.

1st lunar month of 1835: Tosshô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was (shiro)itaru-jô-jô-kichi ((white) unique - superior - superior - excellent).

8th lunar month of 1835: Tosshô achieved a great success at the Moritaza playing 7 roles^[5] in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1836: premiere at the Moritaza of the Kiyomoto-based dance-drama "Kurama Jishi Oshie no Hinagata", which starred Tosshô, Onoe Kikujirô II and Ichikawa Ebizô V [more details].

11th lunar month of 1837: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Sakurada Jisuke III's Tokiwazu-based hengemono "Kubeki Yoi Kumo no Itosuji", which was staged at the end of the kaomise drama "Kanzen Chôaku Tsuwamono no Kao Kagami". It starred Iwai Shijaku I and Tosshô [more details].

3rd lunar month of 1839: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of the dance program "Shiki no Nagame Maru-ni-I no Toshi", which was made up of four dances dedicated to the four seasons and starred Tosshô, supported by Ichikawa Ebizô V and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII [more details].

9th lunar month of 1839: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of the Kiyomoto-based dance "Shimero Yare Iro no Kakegoe", which is still part of the current Kabuki repertoire under the title "Kanda Matsuri". It starred Tosshô, Ichikawa Ebizô V and Onoe Eizaburô III.

1840: Tosshô became zagashira at the Nakamuraza.

8th lunar month of 1840: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the drama "Koi Minato Hakata no Hitofushi", a revised version of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's masterpiece "Hakata Kojorô Nami Makura"; Tosshô played the role of Komatsuya Sôshichi [casting].

10th lunar month of 1842: Tosshô took part in the opening ceremony of the newly-built Nakamuraza in the district of Asakusa Saruwaka-chô, performing in the drama "Kinryûzan Chikai no Ishizue", which was produced by Nakamura Kanzaburô XII; his stage partners are Iwai Tojaku, Arashi Kichisaburô III, Onoe Eizaburô III, Bandô Hikosaburô IV, Osagawa Tsuneyo IV, Arashi Izaburô II and Ichikawa Danzaburô V.

7th lunar month of 1844: Sawamura Tosshô I took the name of Sawamura Sôjûrô V at the Ichimuraza, performing in the drama "Sawamura Sakisomete Yoshibê".

1st lunar month of 1848: Sôjûrô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was ô-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent). He was also the kanjiku for tachiyaku actors.

11th lunar month of 1848: Sawamura Sôjûrô V took the name of Sawamura Chôjûrô V at the Nakamuraza.

9th lunar month of 1851: Chôjûrô played at the Kawarasakiza the role of Shigenoi in the drama "Shigenoi Kowakare"; the role of Shigenoi's son Sankichi was played by Chôjûrô's son Sawamura Yoshijirô I.

1st lunar month of 1852: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Sakurada Jisuke III's drama "Satomi Hakkenden"; Chôjûrô played the roles of Yamabayashi Fusahachi, Inusaka Keno, the ghost of Yatsufusa and Inuyama Dôsetsu Tadatomo [casting].

10th lunar month of 1852: Sawamura Chôjûrô V took the name of Suketakaya Takasuke III.

9th lunar month of 1853: Takasuke performed in Nagoya at the Tachibana no Shibai but he suddenly fell ill. He went back to Edo but could not recover.

15th day of the 11th lunar month of 1853^[1]: Takasuke died in Edo.

Comments:

Suketakaya Takasuke III was an outstanding tachiyaku, who covered himself in glory in both Edo and the Kamigata theaters. When he was young, he received the patronage of stars like Onoe Kikugorô III or Matsumoto Kôshirô V, who wanted to make an actor of him. He made a dazzling career, reaching the jô-jô-kichi and ô-jô-jô-kichi ranks in 1830 and 1848. The wajitsu roles were his forte. He was also able to play onnagata roles and had the reputation to be an excellent dancer, a refined poet and a master of tea ceremony.

"The fifth Sawamura Sôjûrô was the son of a servant in a chaya of the Ichimuraza, and his mother was the daughter of a farmer living at Kameido, a district famous for its wisteria garden. He seems to have been a pet of all the actors, and became a pupil of the fourth Sôjûrô, who died at the age of 21. The third Onoe Kikugorô said he would make an actor of him. Matsumoto Kôshirô also lent him his patronage, and took him to Ôsaka where he remained to study. Sôjûrô, the fifth, had four daughters, and two sons, one of whom, the third Tanosuke, became a star of the Meiji period." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

[1] The 15th day of the 11th lunar month of the 6th year of the Kaei era was the 15th of December 1853 in the western calendar.

[2] 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.

[3] The 6 roles were Kawagoe Tarô Shigeyori, Yasuke (in reality Taira no Koremori), Igami no Gonta, Tokaiya Ginpei (in reality Taira no Tomomori), the fox Tadanobu and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan (in reality Taira no Noritsune).

[4] The 11 roles were Ko no Moronô, Kakogawa Honzô, Hayano Kanpei, Ono no Sadakurô, the farmer Yoichibê, Honzô's wife Tonase, Amakawaya Gihei, Igo, Dekisaku, Teraoka Heiemon and Ôboshi Yuranosuke.

[5] The 7 roles were En'ya Hangan, Hayano Kanpei, Amakawaya Gihei, Yajibei, Kisuke, Teraoka Heiemon and Honzô's wife Tonase.