refers to a family of

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

actors in Kyoto and OsakaNussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Sakata Tōjūrō''" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File
. and it is the stage name of a series of

Kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

actors over the course of the history of the form. The first Sakata Tōjūrō (1646–1709) was the most popular kabuki actor in Kyoto-Osaka during the Genroku era.Brandon, James R. (2000). "Sakata Tojuro (1647 - 1709)," in He played '' tachiyaku'' roles. He pioneered the ''

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'' (''rough'') style. Wagoto was p ...

'' form of the

Kamigata Kamigata (上方) was the colloquial term for a region today called Kansai (''kan'', barrier; ''sai'', west) in Japan. This large area encompasses the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. The term is used particularly when discussing elements of Edo ...

(

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...

) theatre as his counterpart in Edo,

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. His many influences include the pioneering of the ''aragoto'' style of acting which came to be larg ...

, did the same for the ''

aragoto , or 'rough style', is a style of kabuki acting that uses exaggerated, dynamic (forms or movements) and speech. roles are characterised by the bold red or blue makeup () worn by actors, as well as their enlarged and padded costumes. The term i ...

'' form. Sakata Tōjūrō was actor-manager (''zagashira'') of the Mandayū Theatre in Kyoto; and during this period, the house playwright

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. The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' has written that he is "widely regarded as the greatest Japanese dramatis ...

. 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. Unlike most other kabuki lineages which can be traced back in a more or less unbroken line, whether by blood or by adoption, the name of Sakata Tōjūrō was not held for over 230 years, from the death of Sakata Tōjūrō III in 1774 until the name was taken up, and the lineage restarted, by Nakamura Ganjirô III, who changed his name to

Sakata Tōjūrō IV was a Japanese kabuki actor in the Kamigata style and was officially designated a Living National Treasure. Unlike most kabuki actors, he performed both male and female roles, and was renowned as both a skilled ''wagotoshi'' (actor of male role ...

in 2005.

Lineage

Sakata Tōjūrō I (1647 – 1 November 1709) 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 arti ...

(1646–1709) - Originated the ''wagoto'' form; innovator of

Genroku was a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. The Genroku period spanned the years from the ninth month of 1688 to the third month of 1704. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 415. The period was ...

kabuki. * Sakata Tōjūrō II (1711–1724) - Student of Tōjūrō I. * Sakata Tōjūrō III (1739–1774) - Adopted son of Tōjūrō II. *

(2005–2020) - Formerly Nakamura Ganjirō IV. Took on the name in order to revive the lineage,Kabuki Preservation Society. (2008). ''Kabuki techō,'' p. 130. and as part of a greater effort to maintain Kamigata kabuki.

Notes

References

* Brandon, James R. (2000)
"Sakata Tojuro (1647 - 1709),"
in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre '' (Martin Banham, ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
OCLC 174890379
* Irwin, Greg. "A Talk With the National Treasure Kabuki Actor, Tojuro Sakata: What's in a Name?" ''Kawaraban''. vol 32. Tokyo: Shinnichiya. * . (2008). . Tokyo: . * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

.
OCLC 58053128

External links

The Line of Sakata Tōjūrō
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakata, Tojuro Kabuki actors