Sawamura Sôjûrô VII (沢村宗十郎; 澤村宗十郎) as
Takechi Jûjirô Mitsuyoshi (武智十次郎 光義)
Play: Ehon Taikôki (繪本太功記)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 01/01/22
Print Date: 1950 or later
Artist: Ota Gakô (太田雅光)
Series: Meifu Miyage Geki no Omokage
(冥府苞苴劇容彩) (#5)
Medium: ?
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
Note: It is unclear if this is a woodblock print, a watercolor
drawing, or a hand-colored keyblock print for an
unpublished design.
This is a curious work. Although the cartouche identifies
the actor as Sawamura Sônosuke I (沢村宗之助;
澤村宗之助), I can find no evidence that Sônosuke I,
who was primarily a onnagata, ever played the role of
Takechi Jûjirô Mitsuyoshi. Sôjûrô VII, however, did,
starting with a production at the Teikoku Gekijô in
September 1912. In both the September 1912 and
January 1922 productions, Sônosuke I played
opposite Sôjûrô VII as Takechi Jûjirô Mitsuyoshi's
betrothed, Jûjirô Hatsukiku (十次郎妻初菊). Gakô
was likely working from a photograph which he
misread and inadvertently reversed the two actors
in the two roles. That Gakô thought the actor was
Sônosuke I is unmistakable given how the cartouche
is written and by the fact that he noted that Sônosuke
I died on April 7, 1924 at age 39.
