(1902-1946)
He was born in Sendai (on the north-east coast of Japan) and remained there throughout his life. Though he was only educated to an elementary school level he worked most of his life at a bank and learned German to the point that he could write letters and read Nietzsche without a translation (he could also communicate in English and Spanish). He only began to play the guitar at age 22.
Even though most of the guitar activity in Japan occurred in the Tokyo or Osaka areas, there were many important clubs and individuals who were active in the smaller cities. Sawaguchi was one of the two most important figures (the other being Jiro Nakano) in these areas. He was more active as a founder of mandolin orchestras, conductor and publisher than as a solo performer. His magazine “Armonia” was published bi-monthly from 1924 to 1941 and started out in a B5 size, 25 page format, but later grew to 50 pages. Upon the cessation of publication due to the war it had reached a total of 90 issues. Actually, “Sendai Armonia”, as operated by Sawaguchi, consisted of five sections. The first was the Armonia orchestra and the second was the publication of the “Armonia” magazine and “Biblioteca Armonia” sheet music. In the early 1930’s, in addition to Japanese composers, he published Sor, J. Ferrer, Broca, Giuliani, Tarréga, de Call, Arcas, and music by other contemporary Western guitarists. The third section was a library that lent sheet music and reference books to whomever requested them. This was run by his wife and the service extended to sending the material by mail. Having guitar music available from a library was not so unique, but I’m sure that the fact that Armonia went so far as to provide for sending the material to your home was (and is) something could not be duplicated. The fourth section consisted of an agency for procuring or selling instruments, strings, and foreign sheet music and reference books. Teaching was the fifth section which held guitar and mandolin sessions once a week.
Because of his German abilities much correspondence with German guitarists and German music appeared in the magazine and his orchestra performed many German songs. His German-related activities also extended to including translations of Die Gitarre in the Armonia magazine.
In 1934 his book, Guitar Music, was published in two volumes (and from two different publishers). It covers the history of the guitar from ancient times to the present. (Robert Coldwell, 2012)
Web: http://www.digitalguitararchive.com/2012/02/the-early-guitar-and-important-guitarists-in-japan/