Sakata Tojuro I
Encyclopedia
was an early kabuki
actor of the Genroku
period in Japan
. He was a pioneer of the wagoto
style, and of Kamigata
kabuki more generally. His influence persists in the lineage of actors who have taken up his artistic mantle.
in 1647; his father, Sakata Ichiemon, was a theatre owner. Sakata Tōjūrō was actor-manager (zagashira) of the Mandayū Theatre in Kyoto; and during this period, the house playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon
. Chikamatsu praised the actor's craft, including careful attention to the dramatic requirements of the script and encouraging other actors to study the actual details of a character's circumstances.
He played tachiyaku
roles.
In February 1678, Tōjūrō organized and performed in a play called Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu which centered upon Osaka
's famous and popular courtesan
Yūgiri, who had died the previous month. It was in this play that Tōjūrō first pioneered the wagoto style of restrained, emotional, and realistic or naturalistic acting. This play would set the precedent not only for on-stage acting styles in Kamigata kabuki, but also for plot elements and structure. Kuruwa Bunshō, a play heavily based on Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu, and first performed in 1808, remains today one of the core pieces in the Kamigata repertoire.
After a number of years in Osaka, Tōjūrō returned to Kyoto, where he continued performing regularly. The year 1693 saw the premiere, at the Miyako Mandayū theatre, of Butsumo Mayasan Kaichō, the first of a number of plays written by the great bunraku
playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon
specifically for Tōjūrō.
As zamoto, Tōjūrō not only performed regularly, but oversaw the production of plays along with the management and upkeep of the theatre. In addition to performing at his own Miyako Mandayū theatre, he performed at Kyoto theatres owned by Hayagumo Chōdayū, Kameya Kumenojō, and Hoteiya Umenojō, the last of which was managed by his son, Sakata Heishichirō.
He is particularly famous for performing alongside Yoshizawa Ayame I
, the chief pioneer onnagata, specializing in playing only female roles. Tōjūrō is also known for his friendship with Edo actor Nakamura Shichisaburō I, whom he met when the latter was on tour in Kamigata in 1698. Along with Ayame, Tōjūrō features prominently in the "Actor's Analects", a collection of Genroku era (1688–1704) writings on kabuki, containing primarily insights into the lives of kabuki actors, their insights and advice on acting.
Over the course of his career, Tōjūrō played a great many roles, perhaps most frequently that of Fujiya Izaemon, the male lead and Yūjiri's lover in the various versions of Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu which were written and produced over the years. It was in this role that he made his wagoto debut in the 1678 production of Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu, and in which he made his final stage appearance, in an October 1708 production by the same name.
Unlike his Edo
counterpart, Ichikawa Danjūrō I
, Tōjūrō's line lasted a very few generations and died out less than a century after his death. His sons Sakata Tōkurō and Sakata Heishichirō were active in the kabuki world, but neither succeeded to the Tōjūrō name. Rather, Sakata Tōjūrō II was an unrelated disciple of the first Tōjūrō; His successor, Sakata Tōjūrō III, was a distant relative of the first Tōjūrō. adopted by Tōjūrō II adopted Tōjūrō III as his son and heir.
Following the death of Tōjūrō III in 1774, no one held the name of Sakata Tōjūrō for over 230 years, until in 2005, the third Nakamura Ganjirō revived the name, becoming Sakata Tōjūrō IV
.
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actor of the Genroku
Genroku
was a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
period in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He was a pioneer of the wagoto
Wagoto
, or soft style, is a style of kabuki acting that emphasizes realistic speech and gestures. Wagoto actors typically do not employ the exaggerated makeup and costuming common to the more exaggerated aragoto style....
style, and of Kamigata
Kamigata
Kamigata is a region of Japan referring to the cities of Kyoto and Osaka; the term is used particularly when discussing elements of Edo period urban culture such as ukiyo-e and kabuki, and when making a comparison to the urban culture of the Edo/Tokyo region.Kabuki, ukiyo-e, and many of the other...
kabuki more generally. His influence persists in the lineage of actors who have taken up his artistic mantle.
Life and career
Tōjūrō was born in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in 1647; his father, Sakata Ichiemon, was a theatre owner. Sakata Tōjūrō was actor-manager (zagashira) of the Mandayū Theatre in Kyoto; and during this period, the house playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu Monzaemon was a Japanese dramatist of jōruri, the form of puppet theater that later came to be known as bunraku, and the live-actor drama, kabuki...
. Chikamatsu praised the actor's craft, including careful attention to the dramatic requirements of the script and encouraging other actors to study the actual details of a character's circumstances.
He played tachiyaku
Tachiyaku
' is a term used in the Japanese theatrical form kabuki to refer to young adult male roles, and to the actors who play those roles. Though not all tachiyaku roles are heroes, the term does not encompass roles such as villains or comic figures, which form their own separate categories...
roles.
In February 1678, Tōjūrō organized and performed in a play called Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu which centered upon Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
's famous and popular courtesan
Oiran
were courtesans in Japan. The oiran were considered a type of "woman of pleasure" or prostitute. However, they are distinguished from the yūjo in that they were entertainers, and many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts...
Yūgiri, who had died the previous month. It was in this play that Tōjūrō first pioneered the wagoto style of restrained, emotional, and realistic or naturalistic acting. This play would set the precedent not only for on-stage acting styles in Kamigata kabuki, but also for plot elements and structure. Kuruwa Bunshō, a play heavily based on Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu, and first performed in 1808, remains today one of the core pieces in the Kamigata repertoire.
After a number of years in Osaka, Tōjūrō returned to Kyoto, where he continued performing regularly. The year 1693 saw the premiere, at the Miyako Mandayū theatre, of Butsumo Mayasan Kaichō, the first of a number of plays written by the great bunraku
Bunraku
, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai—puppeteers* Tayū—the chanters* Shamisen players...
playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu Monzaemon was a Japanese dramatist of jōruri, the form of puppet theater that later came to be known as bunraku, and the live-actor drama, kabuki...
specifically for Tōjūrō.
As zamoto, Tōjūrō not only performed regularly, but oversaw the production of plays along with the management and upkeep of the theatre. In addition to performing at his own Miyako Mandayū theatre, he performed at Kyoto theatres owned by Hayagumo Chōdayū, Kameya Kumenojō, and Hoteiya Umenojō, the last of which was managed by his son, Sakata Heishichirō.
He is particularly famous for performing alongside Yoshizawa Ayame I
Yoshizawa Ayame I
Yoshizawa Ayame I was an early Kabuki actor, and the most celebrated onnagata of his time. His thoughts on acting, and on onnagata acting in particular, are recorded in Ayamegusa , one section of the famous treatise on Kabuki acting, Yakusha Rongo .A.C...
, the chief pioneer onnagata, specializing in playing only female roles. Tōjūrō is also known for his friendship with Edo actor Nakamura Shichisaburō I, whom he met when the latter was on tour in Kamigata in 1698. Along with Ayame, Tōjūrō features prominently in the "Actor's Analects", a collection of Genroku era (1688–1704) writings on kabuki, containing primarily insights into the lives of kabuki actors, their insights and advice on acting.
Over the course of his career, Tōjūrō played a great many roles, perhaps most frequently that of Fujiya Izaemon, the male lead and Yūjiri's lover in the various versions of Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu which were written and produced over the years. It was in this role that he made his wagoto debut in the 1678 production of Yūgiri Nagori no Shōgatsu, and in which he made his final stage appearance, in an October 1708 production by the same name.
Unlike his Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
counterpart, Ichikawa Danjūrō I
Ichikawa Danjūrō I
Ichikawa Danjūrō I was an early kabuki actor in Japan. He remains today one of the most famous of all kabuki actors and is considered one of the most influential...
, Tōjūrō's line lasted a very few generations and died out less than a century after his death. His sons Sakata Tōkurō and Sakata Heishichirō were active in the kabuki world, but neither succeeded to the Tōjūrō name. Rather, Sakata Tōjūrō II was an unrelated disciple of the first Tōjūrō; His successor, Sakata Tōjūrō III, was a distant relative of the first Tōjūrō. adopted by Tōjūrō II adopted Tōjūrō III as his son and heir.
Following the death of Tōjūrō III in 1774, no one held the name of Sakata Tōjūrō for over 230 years, until in 2005, the third Nakamura Ganjirō revived the name, becoming Sakata Tōjūrō IV
Sakata Tojuro IV
' is a Japanese kabuki actor in the Kamigata style. and is officially designated a Living National Treasure. Unlike most kabuki actors, he performs both male and female roles, and is renowned as both a skilled wagotoshi and onnagata...
.
Lineage
- Sakata Tōjūrō I (1646–1709) - Originated the wagoto form; innovator of GenrokuGenrokuwas a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
kabuki. - Sakata Tōjūrō II (1711–1724) - Student of Tōjūrō I.
- Sakata Tōjūrō III (1739–1774) - Adopted son of Tōjūrō II.
- Sakata Tōjūrō IVSakata Tojuro IV' is a Japanese kabuki actor in the Kamigata style. and is officially designated a Living National Treasure. Unlike most kabuki actors, he performs both male and female roles, and is renowned as both a skilled wagotoshi and onnagata...
(2005–present) - Formerly Nakamura Ganjirō IV. Took on the name in order to revive the lineage, and as part of a greater effort to maintain Kamigata kabuki.