Sadayakko Kawakami

Actress. Her real name was Oguma Sada. She was born in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. At the age of 15, she became a geisha in Yoshicho and became acquainted with Ito Hirobumi. In 1891 (Meiji 24), she met Kawakami Otojiro during a performance at the Nakamuraza Theater, married him, and supported him financially. In 1899, she toured Europe and America with Otojiro and made her first appearance as an actress, but her popularity surpassed that of her husband, and when she returned to Europe two years later, she was even called the Douze of the East. After returning to Japan, she was active as an actress in Kawakami's Seigeki movement, and in 1908 (Meiji 41), she established the Imperial Actress Training School and built the foundation for actresses at the Imperial Theater. She retired in 1917 (Taisho 6), but in 1924, with the help of Kurushima Takehiko, she launched the "Kawakami Children's Theatre Company" and ran it until 1932 (Showa 7). After Kawakami's death, Momosuke Fukuzawa (Yukichi Fukuzawa's son-in-law) helped her, which sometimes drew criticism from the public. In 1958, she built Teishoji Temple in Unuma, Gifu Prefecture, and entered the temple. She died in Atami on December 7, 1946, at the age of 75.

[Noriko Matsumoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

女優。本名小熊貞。東京・日本橋生まれ。15歳で葭町(よしちょう)の芸者となり、伊藤博文(ひろぶみ)の知己を得た。1891年（明治24）、川上音二郎(おとじろう)と中村座公演の際に知り合って結婚し、経済的に彼を支えた。1899年に音二郎とともに欧米に巡業し初めて女優として舞台を踏んだが、彼女の人気は夫を凌駕(りょうが)し、2年後の再渡欧では東洋のドゥーゼとまでいわれた。帰国後は川上の正劇(せいげき)運動の女優として活躍、1908年（明治41）には帝国女優養成所を主宰して帝劇女優劇の基礎を築いた。1917年（大正6）引退したが、1924年には久留島武彦(くるしまたけひこ)の協力で「川上児童劇団」を発足させ、1932年（昭和7）まで経営にあたった。川上没後、福沢桃介(ももすけ)（福沢諭吉の女婿）が彼女を助けてきたため、世間の批判を受けることもあった。33年に岐阜県鵜沼(うぬま)に貞照寺を建立して入山。昭和21年12月7日、75歳で熱海(あたみ)に没した。

［松本伸子］

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