The Actor Sawamura Sōjūrō III as the Kumano Pilgrim Jissaku, actually Taira no Shigemori

Though no information is provided on the print itself, the actor can be assuredly identified as Sawamura Sōjūrō III (1753–1801) by the crest on the sleeve of his robe: a stylized kana “i” in a circle (丸にいの字). Sōjūrō was an actor popular both in Edo and Kamigata, excelling in wagoto (gentle style) roles.

On the actor’s sedge hat (sugekasa) are inscribed the characters “Saigoku” 西国, referring to the Saigoku sanjūsan-sho, a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples with Kannon statues throughout the Kansai region of Japan, though subsequent confirmation of contemporary playbills reveals that Sōjūrō preformed as a pilgrim who had been to the Kumano shrines. The other characters on the hat, partly hidden, seem to read “dōgyō ninin” 同行名人 (famous people [actors] on the same journey), which puns on the normal saying “dōgyō ninin” (two people on the same journey), implying that Kōbō Daishi, or even Buddha, is always with us, even on difficult parts of the Saigoku pilgrimage. Since the pilgrim is the great warrior Taira no Shigemori in disguise, and we can assume that his pilgrim’s walking stick is what is called a “sword cane” (shikomi-zue), concealing a full-length metal blade. The motif on the robes are “hanging monkeys” (kukuri-zaru), referring to colorful ball-shaped talismans that are hung in strands at the Yasaka Kōshindō in Kyoto, and at other temples and shrines.

This print would have been part of a triptych of hosoban prints commemorating the season opening (kaomise) performance of “The Genji Clan in Robes with Snow-Covered Bamboo” (Yuki motsu take furisode Genji 雪矯竹振袖源氏) at the Nakamuraza Theatre in 1785. A contemporary playbill shows three actors dressed as pilgrims meeting at the Emadō (Shrine Tablet Hall) of Gion Shrine in Kyoto, where they make military plans. The center sheet of this triptych shows Nakayama Kojūrō VI as Chōbei (Chobē), an Izu pilgrim, who is actually Osada no Tarō Kagemune (see Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, acc. no. 21.6065). If discovered, the right sheet would undoubtedly depict (Sōjūrō’s brother) Ichikawa Yaōzo III as the Kamakura pilgrim Tarōshichi, actually Aku-Genda Yoshihira (かまくら順礼太郎七、実は悪源太よしひら).