Sakata Tōjūrō IV facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sakata Tōjūrō IV
四代目坂田藤十郎 |
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Sakata Tōjūrō in 1955
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| Born |
Hirotarō Hayashi
31 December 1931 |
| Died | 12 November 2020 (aged 88) |
| Other names | Kōtarō Hayashi, Nakamura Senjaku II, Nakamura Ganjirō III, Narikomaya Yamashiroya |
| Years active | 1941 - 2020 |
| Spouse(s) | Chikage Oogi |
| Children | 2 |
Sakata Tōjūrō IV (四代目坂田藤十郎, Yondaime Sakata Tōjūrō, born Hirotarō Hayashi (林 宏太郎, Hayashi Hirotarō), 31 December 1931 – 12 November 2020) was a very famous Japanese kabuki actor. Kabuki is a traditional Japanese theater art with singing, dancing, and drama. He was known for his special acting style from the Kamigata region (around Osaka and Kyoto). He was even named a Living National Treasure, which is a special honor given to people who are masters of traditional Japanese arts.
What made Sakata Tōjūrō IV unique was that he could perform both male and female roles. He was excellent as a wagotoshi, which is a male role known for being gentle and romantic. He was also amazing as an onnagata, which is an actor who plays female characters. He was the fourth person to use the name Sakata Tōjūrō, bringing it back after more than 230 years!
A Family of Actors
Even though Sakata Tōjūrō IV didn't directly inherit the Sakata Tōjūrō name from a family member, he came from a long line of kabuki actors. His father was Nakamura Ganjirō II, his grandfather was Nakamura Ganjirō I, and his great-grandfather was Nakamura Kanjaku III. Many of his family members were adopted into famous kabuki families.
His sons, Nakamura Ganjirō IV and Nakamura Senjaku III, are also kabuki actors. Even his grandsons, Nakamura Kazutarō and Nakamura Toranosuke, perform on stage. It's truly a family tradition!
His Life and Stage Career
Sakata Tōjūrō IV was born on New Year's Eve in 1931. His first time on stage was in October 1941, when he was just 9 years old. He used the name Nakamura Senjaku II and performed in a play called Komochi Yamanba in Osaka.
He spent most of his career performing in Osaka. He acted in many old, traditional kabuki plays. He also performed in new plays written by a playwright named Nobuo Uno. He often helped bring back old plays by the famous puppet theater writer Chikamatsu Monzaemon. For example, in 1973, a play called Horikawa Nami no Tsuzumi was performed again to honor Chikamatsu.
In 1982, he started his own theater group called the Chikamatsu-za. This group traveled around, performing and bringing back Chikamatsu's plays. They performed in many cities across Japan and even in other countries like England, the US, and China. Besides performing, they also gave talks and workshops to teach people about kabuki. In 1998, they even performed a play called Keisei Mibu Dainenbutsu, which hadn't been seen since 1702!
In November 1990, he took on his father's name and became Nakamura Ganjirō III. This was part of a special ceremony called a shūmei. A few years later, in 1994, he was named a Living National Treasure.
In December 2005, he took on the name Sakata Tōjūrō. He did this at the Minami-za theater in Kyoto. His main goal was to bring back this important name, which had not been used since Sakata Tōjūrō III passed away in 1774. He wanted to honor the actors who came before him and helped create the Kamigata kabuki style. He also wanted to help keep this special tradition alive himself. Because of this, he is seen as a very important symbol of the Kamigata kabuki tradition.
Besides acting, Sakata Tōjūrō IV worked hard to get more people interested in kabuki. He also helped keep the Kamigata style strong. He performed in other countries, too. In September 2007, he toured cities in China like Guangzhou and Beijing. In December of that same year, he celebrated his 77th birthday with a performance of Musume Dōjōji. In Japan, turning 77 is a very special birthday!
Honors and Awards
Sakata Tōjūrō IV received many awards for his amazing work in kabuki:
- 1990 – Medal with Purple Ribbon
- 1994 – Living National Treasure
- 2003 – Person of Cultural Merit
- 2006 – Osaka Culture Prize Cultural Transmission Prize
- 2008 – Praemium Imperiale
- 2009 – Order of Culture
See also
- Nakamura Kanzaburō
