Photo: 朝日新聞社 (Asahi Shinbun) / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I used to assume a dormant kabuki name was simply gone. Sakata Tojuro IV changed that. Born in Kyoto on the last day of 1931, he revived a Kamigata name nobody had carried for over two centuries, taking it up in his seventies. The Order of Culture, the Praemium Imperiale: deserved, and beside the point. He kept Kyoto and Osaka at the center of the art. He died in 2020.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sakata Tōjūrō IV
- Name (Japanese)
- 四代目 坂田藤十郎
- Born
- December 31, 1931 – November 12, 2020
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Goat
- Origin
- Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- actor / kabuki actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2009 Order of Culture
- 2008 Praemium Imperiale
- 1990 Medal with Purple Ribbon
- 2003 Person of Cultural Merit
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Sakata Tōjūrō IV born?
December 31, 1931 – November 12, 2020.
Where is Sakata Tōjūrō IV from?
Sakata Tōjūrō IV is from Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
What does Sakata Tōjūrō IV do?
Sakata Tōjūrō IV works as actor, kabuki actor.
Actor — see all → · Kabuki actor — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-07-27
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.