In 1876, when he had a fight with Tanosuke SAWAMURA Ⅲ, haughty Tanosuke despised Sojuro as an upstart and the fight got worse and worse because both had a strong fighting instinct, Sojuro suddenly gave up acting and opened a drapery shop in Tazaemon-bashi, Osaka with his real name Shigebe FUJIImade and everybody around him surprised this career change.
明治9年(1876)、大阪に来演した澤村田之助(3代目)と喧嘩したときは、気位の高い田之助が成り上がりと宗十郎を侮蔑したので、双方負けん気が強いこともあってこじれにこじれ、宗十郎は突然役者を廃業して、大阪太左衛門橋に呉服屋を開店、本名の藤井重兵衛で呉服商に転職して周囲を驚かせた。