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 artistic mantle.

Life and career Tōjūrō was born in Kyoto 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. 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.

Lineage Sakata Tōjūrō I (1646–1709) - Originated the wagoto form; innovator of Genroku kabuki. - Student of Tōjūrō I. and as part of a greater effort to maintain Kamigata kabuki.