Sawamura Shirogoro V (澤村四郎五郎 (5代目))

Shirogoro SAWAMURA V (September 15, 1877 - August 27, 1932) was a Japanese Kabuki actor and movie actor.
His actor name Mitsu Chidori
His acting-house name was Kinokuni-ya
His real name was Otokichi SAWANO

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He was born in Bakuro-cho, Nihonbashi, Tokyo (Chuo Ward, Tokyo), and was first on stage at age 11 in April 1888 as a child-actor playing the role of a woman with the name of Fukuji NAKAMURA as a student of Fukusuke NAKAMURA (Fukusuke TAKASAGOYA who later became Baigyoku NAKAMURA II). He changed his name to Kuninosuke SAWAMURA in November 1901. He signed an exclusive contract along with Sojuro SAWAMURA VII with Teikoku Gekijo (Imperial Theater). In 1914, he was invited to join a film studio, Tennenshoku Katsudo Shashin (meaning Natural Color Moving Picture Company), retired from Kabuki and succeeded to the name of Shirogoro SAWAMURA. He later appeared in the movies made by Kokusai Katsuei, Shochiku Kamata Film Studio and Shochiku Kyoto Film Studio. He became a competitor to Matsunosuke ONOE, who was a public favorite, and the two split the popularity.

He appeared in many films directed by Jiro YOSHIDA and became the star actor of Tennenshoku Katsudo Shashin.

[Original Japanese]